In 1991, several members of the old parent club met in a restaurant and decided to take the bold step
of starting a new parent club to be named the United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club (USNMC). The charter
members of the USNMC determined to avoid the problems endemic in the old club, were firm in the resolve
that the organization would be a true club and would be truly run by a group of people rather than dictated
by one person. To that end, the Board of Directors consists of 4 Officers and 7 Directors.
There were several objectives set by the founders of the USNMC:
To
have a completely documented and clearly honest registry
To
sponsor and support shows to provide an opportunity for fans to see the dogs and for Neapolitan Mastiff
owners and breeders to showcase their own dogs
To
have a breed standard that reflects the standard of the country of origin
To
manage a fair process to educate judges in the breed standard
To
provide information to people interested in the breed
To
pursue AKC recognition when breeders have proven that they are breeding sound, consistently typey dogs
of the correct temperament.
The challenges facing the USNMC were exactly those facing any national parent club for any breed:
To
Provide information
A
national newsletter
Fund-raising
Breeder
referrals
Maintenance
of the breed standard
Monitoring
of breeding and so forth.
The USNMC Board of Directors has met six-ten times a year from 1991 to now. While all of the original
members of the Board lived along the East Coast, primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, over the last
seven years, involvement from other parts of the country has grown dramatically. The Board now has a
truly national aspect with members from Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and
Texas. Meetings are now held, by the wonders of technology, via telephone conference call.
Every year, the USNMC sponsored a National Specialty, and hosted an FCI judge or a prominent breeder-judge.
For its first four years, the USNMC National Specialty was one designated show at a series of shows.
However, it became clear that the club and the breed support has grown enough that the National Specialty
should be a stand-alone show.
In 1996 the first stand-alone National Specialty was held in Chicago, the physical center of the nation.
Neapolitans from 20 states and Canada shows with persons attending from 25 states and Canada. There
were 46 Mastini appearing at the National Specialty, 19 entered in the Puppy Sweepstakes (the first ever
held for the breed) and a total entry for the weekend of 130!
The 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Nationals were held in Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland,
and Misosuri respectively, and had similar entries although all attracted a distinctly growing attendance
record of Neapolitan Mastiff fans from around the entire country, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Since 1995, the USNMC has been a member of the ATIMANA, the International organization of parent clubs
for the Neapolitan Mastiff and participates with parent clubs the world over in support and protection
of this breed.
USNMC membership has grown from 40 to currently over 200 with another 100+ Associates. At last count,
Members and Associates report in from 45 of the 50 states.
Click NEXT to learn about our Award-Winning Newsletter "The Neogram"
Click PREV to return to the History of the Breed in the United States
(c) 2001 United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club All rights Reserved
To
have a completely documented and clearly honest registry
