News from member council meeting of Oct. 06

Dear Members NWPCS,

Yesterday evening, October 5, 2017, with a very full board (all interim board members as well as all actual new directors combined), the Council of Members discussed at length the choice for our studbook office for the next 3 years. Member Council and directors discussed in detail two options, already worked out by the directors, with plenty of input from the very full public gallery.

These options were:

1) Maintaining our relationship with the KWPN office well known to us, or

2) Establishing a relationship with the private studbook office Groenned of Donkerbroek, Friesland. Groenned currently handles the secretarial work for the New Forester and the Icelandic studbook.

Both options also involved possible contractual relationships with Deltahorse, which currently provides the automation of studbook administration with the Equis software program.

Despite that after thorough comparison the financial conditions in both options were not substantially different, the board (both interim and new) presented the option Groenned as in its eyes the most appropriate for the NWPCS of today, which with a strongly aging and shrinking membership looks very different than 25 years ago, when the KWPN became our studbook office. Especially her experience with smaller pony studbooks, being able to respond faster to changes in membership and the shorter lines to alert financial management were seen as advantages.

As the discussion progressed, it became clear that our relationship with Deltahorse will have to be determined separately. This relationship was not included in the final choice for the future studbook office.

Before the final vote, conditions regarding entering into a relationship with Groenned were formulated by the Member Council, under which the Member Council could give confidence in that for our new office.

These conditions include in particular the desire to agree on a reasonable ceiling amount for all 3 years in which an agreement with Groenned would be entered into, thereby avoiding unexpectedly high costs. A relationship with Groenned is also expected to be able to provide all functionalities currently provided by the KWPN, with the NWPCS board, and in particular the treasurer, also being supported by Groenned with solicited and unsolicited advice in the execution of board-related matters. The Council of Members also expects an annual substantive and financial report and evaluation of the relationship with Groenned by the board.

The Board then indicated it could negotiate further with Groenned on the basis of these conditions. The Council of Members then unanimously decided in a public and roll-call and reasoned vote that if it can be decided under the above conditions, to award Groenned the contract to perform studbook secretarial work for the NWPCS for the next 3 years.

At the conclusion of this discussion, the Council of Members, with thanks for their hard work, flowers and applause from the Council of Members and public gallery, bid farewell to the four interim directors Henk Bleker, Ben Platzer, Peter Goumans and Piet Peters, and continued its meeting

With newly installed board members Piet Peters (chairman), Astrid Hoppenbrouwers (secretary), Cor de Jong (treasurer) and Johan Coes (breeding affairs).

Candidates are still being sought for the Events and Sports director position.

Hoping to have informed you sufficiently with this, and yours sincerely,

Gert Wensvoort chairman member council NWPCS

Piet Peters chairman Board of NWPCS