State of the
Association
President
Chuck Worden and Chief Executive Officer John M. Meyer both presented addresses
to the membership in attendance, highlighting current Association and industry
issues, as well as sharing their visions for the future of the Association.
“When
we talk about our genetic evaluations being the gold standard around the world,
it is through working together, trust and respect for each other that we’ve been
able to accomplish so much,” said President Chuck Worden. “The world is
watching us, and we must do what’s right for the dairyman. Producing unbiased,
accurate genomic evaluations will lead to more accurate genomic predictions for
all Holsteins around the world.”
Worden
continued on, discussing some of the Association’s recent accomplishments and
thanking members for their involvement in current events. “I would like to encourage
all of you, as leaders in the dairy industry, to get involved, make a
difference. This is our industry and it
will only be as good as we make it.”
In
his State of the Association address, CEO John M. Meyer first highlighted
several of the Association’s performance achievements from 2011, which was an
outstanding year for Holstein Association USA.
“Registrations,
the core activity and lifeblood of all pedigreed livestock organizations,
continue to rise. In 2011, 360,149
animals were registered, an increase of over 20,000 registrations from 2010. It
is interesting to note, the last time we registered 360,000 animals, there were
well over 120,000 dairy farms in the United States. Today there is less than half that number of
dairy farms in the country.” He continued, “Without question, Holstein
Association members and dairy producers nationwide continue to realize the
added value U.S. Registered Holsteins® bring to their operations.“
The
Association’s premier package of programs and services, the Holstein COMPLETESM
program, also shows impressive participation, indicated Meyer. “The popularity of the Holstein
COMPLETE program is evidenced by the 256,401 cows in 1,828 herds enrolled in
2011. This is 16,700 cows and 69 more
herds enrolled than the previous year.”
In closing,
Meyer commented, “As I reflect on dairy industry changes of the past, and think
about what might be forthcoming, my thoughts turn to the late great Walt Disney
who said, ‘Always be in the state of becoming.’ I like the quote, because it
reminds us to strive for excellence and look for the opportunities among
challenges. Every challenge we greet
opens tremendous opportunities for our members and their Holsteins.” He
finished, “It is important for us to be reminded of the strength of your
Holstein Association. We have the
greatest youth programs of any dairy association in the world, our young adult
programs are envied across the country, our members include the most talented
dairymen around the globe, and our members own the world’s greatest cow, the
U.S. Registered Holstein.”
Unveiling of the New Ideal Holstein
Cow and Bull
A real
highlight of the Annual Meeting was the unveiling of the new Ideal Holstein Cow
and Bull paintings. Last year, Holstein Association USA commissioned renowned
artist Bonnie Mohr to complete the new ideal Holstein cow and bull, and she has
been working diligently over the past several months to complete the project.
The end result was breathtaking, as seen by attendees of the Annual Meeting on
Friday morning.
“I grew up on
a dairy farm, and I have a huge love and passion for the dairy cow.” Mohr shared
that it was almost 25 years ago when she decided that she was going to be a
professional artist, and said, “That year, I set as my goal that the pinnacle
of my career would be one day, if I could paint the new true type cow and bull.
Today, that dream came true.”
Holstein
enthusiasts can review the entire project at
our official Ideal Holstein Cow & Bull Painting blog. Watch the web site and upcoming issue of the Holstein Pulse for
more coverage, and visit the Bonnie Mohr Studio web site for print ordering information.
Bylaw Amendment Passed
On Saturday,
delegates voted on several items, including a bylaw amendment proposed by the
board of directors regarding future board elections.
In the
future, if a region does not have at least two candidates declared for an open
director position by March 1 of the election year, that regional director
position will become an at-large position for two terms, unless the position is
held by an incumbent. This amendment will take effect in 2013.
The spirit
behind the amendment was that it is intended for regional director candidates
to be nominated from their regions, and then voted on by all delegates. Regions
that put forth only one candidate are essentially appointing their director,
removing the choice of the delegate body. While directors are elected from each
region to ensure geographic diversity on the board of directors, each director
acts in the best interests of members from across the country, not only those
in their region.
Director
Elections Held
Three
regional director positions and one at-large directorship were up for election
at this year’s annual meeting. Individuals elected to their first terms on the
board of directors were R. Paul Buhr, Viroqua, Wis., representing Region 5, and
Patrick Maddox, Riverdale, Calif., for Region 9. Incumbent directors re-elected
to their second three-year terms were At-Large director Jonathan Lamb,
Oakfield, N.Y., and Region 8 director Bill Wright, McCornick, Utah.
Retiring
from the board of directors after six years of service were Region 5 director
Robert Nigh of Viroqua, Wis. and Hank van Exel, Lodi, Calif., Region 9
director.
Three
Resolutions Adopted by the Membership
Three
resolutions were brought forth for the delegate body to pass judgment on, and
all three were adopted.
Resolution
1 was submitted by the Pennsylvania Holstein Association:
“Whereas: The United States Dairy
Genetic Evaluation program is the best in the world due to its unbiased
nature.
And Whereas: The cost to continue the
program at USDA is less than 1% of the current USDA budget.
And Whereas: The current system is beneficial to the
United States dairy farmers and to consumers alike.
Therefore, be it Resolved: That
Holstein Association USA Inc. encourages USDA to continue performing dairy
genetic evaluations for the dairy industry.”
Resolution
2 was brought forth by the Wisconsin Holstein Association:
“Whereas: For the past generation the
U.S. has been recognized as a world leader in dairy genetics and whereas it is
important to be proactive in developing a plan for genetic evaluations in the
future.
Be it Resolved: That Holstein Association USA work
co-operatively as a member of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding to develop
and present a cost effective, thorough, reliable system to collect data and
process genetic evaluation currently calculated by USDA-AIPL.”
During
the Annual Meeting, board members, delegates, members and guest speakers
discussed the future of the U.S. dairy genetic evaluation program for over two
hours. The Holstein Association USA board of directors made their position
clear on the subject, which mirrors the resolution submitted by the
Pennsylvania Holstein Association. In conclusion, Holstein Association USA Vice
President Glen Brown stated, “The Holstein Association USA board is committed
to keeping the dairy genetic evaluation program at USDA-AIPL.”
Resolution
3 was presented by the Holstein Association USA board of directors, in
appreciation of the Missouri Holstein Association:
“Whereas, the Missouri Holstein
Association, in preparation for the Holstein Association USA, Inc. 127th Annual
Meeting and National Convention, has arranged an educational and fun-filled
week with great opportunities to visit outstanding dairies, and has warmly
welcomed everyone to the Show Me State; and
Whereas the Missouri Holstein
Association is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year and is
showcasing the state’s rich Holstein heritage,
Now, therefore be it resolved, that
the Holstein Association USA’s Board of Directors, members, and staff honor the
Missouri Holstein Association for their dedication and achievements, and
Be it further resolved, that the
Delegates of this 127th Annual Meeting and National Holstein Convention
recognize each and every hard working individual at the Missouri Holstein
Association and express grateful appreciation for making this a most memorable
week!”
The
2013 National Holstein Convention will be held July 8-11, 2013 in Indianapolis,
Ind.
Additional information will also be included in the upcoming Summer 2012 issue
of the Holstein Pulse. With
questions, contact Lindsey Worden at lworden@holstein.com or 800.952.5200, ext.
4096.
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