A great organization needs great leadership. How does USDF provide this, and how do the members communicate their wants and needs to the people making the decisions?
Within USDF’s structure there are three councils, each consisting of specific committees. The mission and goals of each committee guide their work, while annually each committee develops objectives that outline specific projects or tasks they want to complete for the year.
USDF members volunteer their time to serve on these councils and committees. Additionally, each council and committee assigned a USDF staff liaison, which helps further the business of the council or committee within USDF-approved guidelines and policies. The staff liaison serves as the link between the council or committee and the Executive Director, fellow staff liaisons or departments as needed, and the Executive Board, with approval of their council or committee chair. Let’s look at each of the councils and their respective committees, and how they benefit our members.
Administrative Council
Members consist of the chairs (including any co-chairs) of the Group Member Organization, Historical Recognition, Bylaws, and Nominating Committees, and the Administrative Council At-Large Director Anne Moss, who chairs the council and who also represents these committees on the USDF Executive Board.
Group Member Organization Committee
Mission: To accelerate the growth of Group Member Organizations (GMOs) to broaden and strengthen the dressage community and increase access to education.
Goals:
- To promote the education of GMO leadership;
- To offer support and materials;
- To provide a network of others with experience;
- To administer the GMO awards.
Historical Recognition Committee:
Mission: To recognize and celebrate the rich heritage of dressage in America through education and promotion.
Goals:
- Oversee and coordinate Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement Award and Member of Distinction selection;
- Work with USDF and assist in the development and selection of materials and criteria for the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame;
- Gather and archive information on the heritage of USDF.
Bylaws Committee:
Mission: To provide for the fair and equitable governance of United States Dressage Federation.
Goals:
- Recommend Bylaw amendments as needed;
- Presents amendments to the USDF Board of Governors (BOG) General Assembly for ratification.
Nominating Committee:
Mission: To procure quality candidates to govern the United States Dressage Federation.
Goals:
- Secure nominations for regional Participating Member (PM) delegates and the USDF Executive Board;
- Ensures that all GMO members are represented on the Board of Governors by GMO delegates;
- Educate the membership about the candidates and oversee the election progress.
Technical Council
Members consist of the chairs (including any co-chairs) of the Judges, L Program, Competition Management, Technical Delegate, and Instructor/Trainer Development Program Committees, and the Technical Council At-Large Director Sue McKeown, who chairs the council and who also represents these committees on the USDF Executive Board.
Judges Committee
Mission: Promotes the pursuit of excellence in dressage judging.
Goals:
- Provide educational opportunities for all levels of judges;
- Continue to improve the training of individuals currently licensed or aspiring to be licensed;
- Recognize progressive development of judges.
L Program Committee
Mission: To provide a comprehensive educational program for the entire dressage community to learn about the equestrian discipline from a judge’s perspective.
Goals:
- Provide trainers, instructors, competitors, and spectators’ insight into the evaluative techniques of judging dressage;
- Prepare and evaluate candidates who wish to pursue entry into the USEF ‘r’ Judge Training Program;
- Provide continuing education for licensed judges and L graduates;
- Select and provide teaching materials to L faculty members.
Competition Management Committee
Mission: To provide a network of competition managers and secretaries to promote quality and compliant dressage competitions.
Goals:
- Provide competition management education;
- Increase the number and quality of recognized competitions;
- Review and communicate US Equestrian rule change proposals;
- Provide the appropriate tools and processes for successful competitions;
- Strengthen communication between Competition Management Council and other councils, as well as the USDF office staff.
Technical Delegate Committee
Mission: To provide education and an organized voice for technical delegates
Goals:
- Provide educational programs for technical delegates and aspiring technical delegates;
- Review United States Equestrian Federation rules and rule change proposals;
- Establish regular contact with all technical delegates through regional coordinators;
- Establish a dialogue between the Competition Management Committee and the Technical Delegates Committee in order to encourage show managers to use technical delegates as a resource.
Instructor/Trainer Development Program Committee
Mission: To promote the pursuit of excellence in dressage instruction and training
Goals:
- To provide education from the grassroots to the professional level;
- To provide access to online resources and learning module;
- To set instructor certification standards of proficiency;
- To provide instructor certification opportunities;
- To align the education of dressage participants at every level to the standards and levels of proficiency from Training Level to Grand Prix.
Activities Council
Members consist of the chairs (including any co-chairs) of the Adult Programs, National Youth Programs, FEI Youth Programs, Regional Championships, Sport Horse, and Awards Committees, and the Activities Council At-Large Director Susan Mandas, who chairs the council and who also represents these committees on the USDF Executive Board.
Adult Programs Committee
Mission: To encourage, increase and enrich adult participation in dressage by providing educational opportunities and recognition of achievement.
Goals:
- Provide concepts for new adult education programs;
- Increase the number of (and participation) in USDF supported adult programs;
- Improve communication and networking within and between regions, GMOs and the Adult Programs Committee to increase support of and participation in adult education.
National Youth Programs
Mission: To promote dressage to young equestrians while providing for the future of the sport.
Goals:
- Provide educational opportunities;
- To provide recognition programs;
- Increase the number of junior/young rider participants;
- Promote sportsmanship at the junior/young rider level.
FEI Youth Programs
Mission: To develop educational opportunities and international competition experiences for riders, age 12-21, who ride at the FEI sanctioned Pony, Children, Junior and Young Rider levels
Goals:
- Select and provide teams for the North American Youth Championships (NAYC);
- Promote team spirit and competition among riders;
- Provide clinics and educational opportunities.
Regional Championships
Mission: To promote and recognize the pursuit of excellence by providing a showcase competition that meets established quality standards for riding within each USDF region.
Goals:
- Establish and update guidelines for qualifying as needed;
- Educate Championship Management;
- Provide recognition and rewards;
- Promote the championships;
- Increase the number of participants.
Sport Horse Committee
Mission: To foster and advance the breeding and development of the highest quality dressage sport horses and to promote a strong foundation for the dressage sport horse development pipeline within the United States.
Goals:
- To educate breeders, owners, buyers, handlers, trainers and judges about the ideals of both dressage sport horse prospects and breeding stock;
- Encourage, and acknowledge, the efforts of USDF member breeders in producing the highest quality dressage sport horse;
- Provide dressage sport horse competition management, owners, and breeders with competition guidelines and opportunities;
- Promote USDF horse recordings and tracking of competition results;
- Nurture and develop future generations for the dressage sport horse breeding industry;
- Review and update all proposed USDF sport horse scoresheets and instruction documents.
Awards Committee
Mission: To encourage participation in dressage by recognizing excellence and rewarding progressive achievement.
Goals:
- Organize and provide awards for Horse of the Year, Freestyle, Junior/Young Rider, Adult Amateur/ Vintage Cup, All-Breeds, performance certificates, individual rider awards, DSHB Horse of the Year and Materiale Horse of the Year;
- Review existing awards requirements and programs.
Independent Committee
Audit Committee
Mission: To demonstrate USDF’s commitment to a policy of strict fiscal accountability and proper governance by adoption of best practices to improve internal controls and maintain high standards of stewardship.
Goals:
- The Audit Committee shall recommend to the Board of Governors the selection of a qualified independent certified public accounting firm which, upon approval by the Board of Governors, shall conduct an annual certified audit of the financial records of USDF.
- Manage the relationship with the independent auditors, review the independent auditors’ findings and management letter and recommend actions to the Executive Board and the Board of Governors as appropriate.
- Monitor and oversee USDF’s internal financial controls to ensure quality financial reporting and financial statements at least quarterly.
- Review procedures for the receipt, documentation and resolution of complaints received by USDF regarding accounting, internal controls and auditing.
- Review and approve USDF procedures to ensure that USDF members and employees have adequate “whistle blower” protection, which shall protect the reporting party from any retaliation for reporting concerns or issues to the Audit Committee.
- Investigate all questions and matters of fiscal control including but not limited to budget control, risk management, and financial conflicts of interest.
- Report investigation findings and recommendations to the Executive Board and Board of Governors policies and controls with regard to activities that impact the financial wellbeing of USDF as appropriate.
For more information, including contact information for each council and committee and their respective staff liaison, go to https://usdf.org/about/about-usdf/councilscommittees/index.asp.
For the first time, USDF members are invited to participate in Pre-Convention Committee meetings, held via Zoom. Login here to find the full schedule of calls.
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