A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AWSA CLUB

In late 1994, a member of a national organization for the white German Shepherd Dog in the United States began writing a set of bylaws. Originally, her thought was to submit these bylaws to her club in hopes of having some of them adopted. As she worked however, she became more and more disillusioned with the current state of affairs and constant political posturing within her club. She decided to take the bylaws that she had written and use them as the foundation for a brand new club -- one that would put the best interests of the white-coated German Shepherd Dog ahead of any other concern. The club she conceived would be founded upon the tenets of a strict, mandatory club Code of Ethics. Borrowing heavily from the regulations and procedures of the English Setter Association of America and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club USA, she set about to turn her vision of the perfect dog club into reality. That was the beginning of the club we know today as the American White Shepherd Association (AWSA).

In its initial stages, the Club was by invitation only. With a hand-picked founding membership consisting of thirteen individual and two family memberships (for a total of eighteen Founding Club Members), the Club was officially launched in September of 1995 with the founding member approval of the Club Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Ethics. At that time, the Club was opened for membership to anyone willing to uphold the ideals upon which the Club was founded, including the Code of Ethics. Of the original 18 Founding Members, fifteen are still with the Club and remain as enthusiastic as ever about furthering the interests and protecting the future of the White Shepherd breed.

Today, the American White Shepherd Association is a small but strong and viable club filled with bright, energetic members who all have the same vision for the breed. Recognition of the White Shepherd as an independent breed with all the rights and privileges normally afforded recognized pure breeds of dogs is the Club’s united purpose. As it was in its initial developmental stages, the Club remains a Code of Ethics organization. Potential members need not own a white German Shepherd Dog, but all are required to sign and abide by the Club Code of Ethics as a condition of membership in AWSA. This ensures all members of AWSA have one clear vision with which to carry the White Shepherd into the next century. The Club is dedicated to achieving full acceptance of the White Shepherd as a separate and distinct breed of working/herding/companion dog through all the major kennel clubs and registries of the world. While the quest for recognition is an ongoing work in progress, AWSA remains totally devoted to the protection of the health, welfare, genetic worth and advancement of the natural abilities and attributes of the "total" White Shepherd Dog. This is the main purpose of the American White Shepherd Association.

We welcome you to join our Club and enter our events. Would you like to know more?

REGIONS AND REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENTS

The American White Shepherd Association operates on a regional system and consists of nine (9) geographical regions that include all fifty states and the country of Canada. Each national Region is represented by an elected officer who is seated on the Board of Directors and who directly represents the interests of the members residing in his or her own Region. As each new Club member is approved, that member is automatically assigned to a Region based on the member's permanent place of residence. The national Regions of The American White Shepherd Association are: North Eastern, Mid-Atlantic, South Eastern, Canada, South Central, North Central, Midwest, North Pacific and South Pacific.

Canada	North Eastern	Mid-Atlantic	South Eastern	South Central	North Central	Midwest	North Pacific	South Pacific
	Maine	Michigan	Maryland	Oklahoma	North Dakota	Montana	Washington	Arizona
	New Hampshire	Ohio	District of Columbia	Arkansas	South Dakota	Idaho	Oregon	New Mexico
	Vermont	Indiana	Virginia	Tennessee	Minnesota	Wyoming	California	Texas
	Massachusetts	Kentucky	North Carolina	Alabama	Wisconsin	Utah	Nevada	Hawaii
	Connecticut	West Virginia	South Carolina	Mississippi	Iowa	Colorado	Alaska
	Rhode Island		Georgia	Louisiana	Illinois	Kansas
	New York		Florida		Nebraska
	Pennsylvania				Missouri
	New Jersey
	Delaware