I hear people talking about their “plaques”- what are they?
Each plaque is a wooden board, about 12 inches wide and 17 inches tall. On top is a large plate with the dog’s name and breed. Below are 18 brass plates, each listing a title or award earned by you and your dog. Each year, the plaque gets updated with new titles. A smaller plaque, about half the size, with only six plates is also available.
What do I have to do to get one?
NOCI utilizes several types of awards to recognize its Members and their dogs for titles achieved in competition. The purpose is to publicly acknowledge and promote NOCI’s strong foundation training classes as well as the dedication of its Members and their dogs in training for performance events.
TO BE ELIGIBLE for awards, you must meet these requirements as a Member in good standing:
Requirements for a plaque
- Be a member of NOCI (Individual, Family or Lifetime) with current year dues paid.
- Volunteer at least 2 services for NOCI during the calendar year; this can be instructing, assisting, volunteering for trials or fun matches, etc. (This can be re-evaluated annually to be waived during certain circumstances where opportunities are unavailable due to closures, such as during a pandemic.)
- Attend one General Membership meeting during the calendar year.
- Actively (but not exclusively) trained at NOCI during the calendar year with the dog the plaque is for.
- Score report must be submitted to the Awards Chairperson by the end of year deadline. (December 31st)
- Dogs must be handled by the member if physically capable (ie: not limited due to a disability) or his/her immediate family (household).
- Immediate family includes: parent, sibling, child or spouse, including step-family and guardianship relationships and persons sharing living quarters. Immediate family living in a separate household are not eligible. (Note: “current year” and “calendar year” refers to January 1st to December 31st of the year the titles are earned.)
Payments and printing:
- NOCI will pay 100% for one plaque for an active dog. (Either 6 or 18 plates) A dog requiring a second plaque and beyond will be paid 50% by NOCI and the remaining 50% cost will be paid by owner/handler.
- Titles recognized by official organizations will be printed on plates 100% at the expense of NOCI.
- For other certificates, awards, accomplishments being wished to be printed, the cost of printing plates will be 100% at the expense of the owner/handler.
- The payments required by owner/handler will be due prior to annual plaque printing, along with the annual confirmation of Titles earned that will be emailed to you after the new year.
We are aware this is a significant change from previous years. Please understand this is in an effort to streamline excess of plates being printed yearly and keep the process fair for all. We appreciate your understanding of these changes.
If you are eligible, you receive a letter in January listing the titles and awards for the plaque. Check it for accuracy and return it so that the plaque can be made or updated. You will receive the plaque in March at the awards banquet. Detailed instructions come with the award letter.
How do I submit a Title Report?
ALL SCORE REPORTS ARE DUE DECEMBER 31st! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Go to https://tinyurl.com/NOCITitleReport and enter the information about your title. Don’t forget to hit “submit.” Or download the form from the club website, fill it in, and place it in the “WOOF Box” in the club office, or mail to the awards chairperson (Debbie Butt).
Do I have to wait for my official title certificate before submitting a Title Report?
No. You may submit a title as soon as you earn it. Waiting for the official certificate may cause you to miss the deadline. You may wait until December to submit title reports for the entire year, but it is recommended that you submit titles as they are earned.
I got a qualifying leg, but not a title. Do I need to submit this?
You may, but it is not required. Members who submitted Q’s but did not earn titles are listed in each issue of the Fireplug.
I received a national ranking for 2021, but it wasn’t announced until 2022. Have I missed the deadline for reporting this award?
No. Since these rankings are not issued until the following year, the deadlines for these are the following December. For example, 2021 rankings have a deadline of December 31, 2022.
I made a mistake entering my information online. What do I do?
Email the awards chairperson (Debbie Butt – ) and explain the error. She will get it corrected in the club’s record.
I forgot whether I submitted a particular title. What should I do?
The entire spreadsheet is available at https://tinyurl.com/NOCITitleSheet. You can search within the spreadsheet, but you will not be able to edit it. Or you could just enter the title again.
I missed the year-end deadline. Now what?
If you submit a title late, the club does not pay for the engraving. If you have a plaque on which the title will fit, you will have to reimburse the club for the engraving. However, if you do not already have a plaque, or your plaque is full, you would have to pay for a new plaque as well.
