| News/Meeting Minutes |
| Page down for past reports |
| Please go to our Forms page & print out the survey form. Please mail the completed survey to Charleen Ostrom. Address listed on the About Us page. Thank you. |
Jan/Feb, 2008
The first meeting of the year will take place Jan. 12,2008 at Piazzano’s Restaurant at lunch
time. Those who attended discussed the many possible fun things we’d like to do with our
Foxtrotters. A new one is horse SOCCER! What a great sport to get the younger crowd involved
in! Us older ones can do it, too! Come to the banquet Feb. 23rd at Tony M’s Restaurant at 1PM
to find out more! The Banquet starts at 1PM and the address is 3420 S. Creyts Road, Lansing,
MI (west side of Lansing). Look in your email inbox or your postal mailbox for your invitation.
Tentatively an important special topic that will affect all of us with horses and farms may be
presented. We will be electing officers, voting on the regional plan (and selecting representatives
from those areas), deciding whether the Equine Times subscriptions are worth getting through our
Association and distributing youth and special adult awards. The food there is old-style Italian-
mmmmm.
We also need to decide on dates for clinics, trail rides and any other fun thing you can think
up. We’re game for anything! They need to be posted on the calendar so we can let others know
SOON! What do you have planned so far? Let me know so I can have it advertised. We can’t
WAIT to ride!!
Your 2008 membership is now due: $15 for a single person, $20 for a family(Equine Times
not included). Please send them in ASAP to your Secretary at 2333 Hagadorn Road, Mason, MI
48854 or submit them at the banquet-I will have forms available then. You can use the form in the
Equine Times or thirdly print one off from the website (michfoxtrotters.com). There are lots of
ways to stay involved. We want to know what you’d like to do in 2008-let’s have FUN with
everyone! Isn’t that why we do what we do? Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Mannino(MFTA
Secretary)
time. Those who attended discussed the many possible fun things we’d like to do with our
Foxtrotters. A new one is horse SOCCER! What a great sport to get the younger crowd involved
in! Us older ones can do it, too! Come to the banquet Feb. 23rd at Tony M’s Restaurant at 1PM
to find out more! The Banquet starts at 1PM and the address is 3420 S. Creyts Road, Lansing,
MI (west side of Lansing). Look in your email inbox or your postal mailbox for your invitation.
Tentatively an important special topic that will affect all of us with horses and farms may be
presented. We will be electing officers, voting on the regional plan (and selecting representatives
from those areas), deciding whether the Equine Times subscriptions are worth getting through our
Association and distributing youth and special adult awards. The food there is old-style Italian-
mmmmm.
We also need to decide on dates for clinics, trail rides and any other fun thing you can think
up. We’re game for anything! They need to be posted on the calendar so we can let others know
SOON! What do you have planned so far? Let me know so I can have it advertised. We can’t
WAIT to ride!!
Your 2008 membership is now due: $15 for a single person, $20 for a family(Equine Times
not included). Please send them in ASAP to your Secretary at 2333 Hagadorn Road, Mason, MI
48854 or submit them at the banquet-I will have forms available then. You can use the form in the
Equine Times or thirdly print one off from the website (michfoxtrotters.com). There are lots of
ways to stay involved. We want to know what you’d like to do in 2008-let’s have FUN with
everyone! Isn’t that why we do what we do? Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Mannino(MFTA
Secretary)
March/April 2008
We have a little catching up to do…First the annual banquet that was held Feb. 23rd at Tony M’
s Restaurant: members attended from the north, east & central areas. V.P. Charleen Ostrom
conducted door prize giveaways throughout the meeting which made it fun. Incentive gifts were
given out to the youth in our Association to keep up the good work. Special Adult Recognition
awards were presented to Stephanie Leavitt and Jackie Kettler .
We thank them for their efforts in organizing and conducting clinics in Holland and Howard
City respectively in 2007. We expressed our thanks to Jim McKenney for the time he gave to
being our clinician at the clinics held in 2007. New member Chuck Fanslow conducted a very
well researched talk about NAIS and gave each member a folder with information about it. Go
to NoNAIS.org for more information. Next, President Jim McKenney gave a very inspirational
talk about how to get more people interested in our breed. He said, “The Foxtrotter is the best
kept secret.” We should share this wonderful secret with others! The way to do it is to hold
activities for people and their horses while using our Foxtrotters there. He feels that if others
get exposed to MFTs, then they will find them irresistible, wish to learn more and want to
become included in our Association. So…we planned the Chuck Potter Memorial trail ride for
May 17th at Ionia Recreation Area, Stephanie Leavitt planned two trail rides in Grand Haven
for Sat. April 4th and Sat. Aug. 23rd(both 11AM starting at 12712 Sleeper St., Gr. Haven),
Chuck Fanslow is offering a Summer trail ride for July 19-20 at Southbranch Trail camp, plus we
are working on a possible clinic for this Spring. Go to www.michfoxtrotters.com for more
information. Wow- a lot of fun is scheduled for this Spring and Summer! Can’t wait!!
A historic decision was made by unanimous vote to divide up the state into regions with
various members in charge of them. This will allow people to meet with others in their area,
network and save people valuable time and fuel expense. Any member is welcome to go to
meetings and events in any area. President Jim appointed Norm & Sandy Seppi to manage the
UP, Chuck Fanslow was appointed to the northern MI area(US10 and north to the bridge),
Stephanie Leavitt to the western MI area (M66 and west), Sandy Roath to the central MI area,
and so far Jim McKenney will have the eastern part of the state(M23 and east). These regional
boundaries are tentative and subject to change depending on where our members live as our
membership grows. These chair people with their chosen committees will be responsible for
planning and hosting fun activities, conducting meetings, sending meeting minutes and reports
of events to the MFTA secretary and dues to the MFTA treasurer. So go forth and educate,
help owners with their MFT problems, socialize, expose others to MFTs and most of all have
FUN!
The November 2007 secretary’s report was accepted as read. The treasurer’s report was
tabled until the next meeting. It was voted to reimburse Jackie Kettler for the website bill.
Election of officers was tabled until the next meeting also.
Our booth at the Stallion Expo in March was a big hit! SO many people came to us looking
for MFTs to buy, had stories to share and plans were made to meet on the trail. Holly Dickens
displayed her handsome stallion, Sabre, and showed him off well in the main arena. He did very
well for his young age and inexperience in such a large and noisy venue. He’s a natural
ambassador. We had a great poster showcasing the many uses of Foxtrotters (thank–you to the
people who sent in their pictures for the poster), a state of Michigan map showing where our
members are, flyers about our trail rides, a clinic sign-up sheet, a videotape demonstrating the
foxtrot, Journal and Celebration books. Thank-you, Jim, for forgetting to send back the
MFTHBA banner last Fall! Many thanks to Gale & Theresa Gunders and Chuck Fanslow for
manning the booth with Holly and I to answer all the many questions Saturday, to Jackie Kettler
and George & Charleen Ostrom for answering more questions, accepting memberships, setting
up and tearing down the booth. Thank-you to Lonnie Buck, also, for helping in the booth Sunday
and assisting in the tear-down. We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help. It seems that
there are MANY people (Baby Boomers to age 70) desperate for a Foxtrotter for many reasons
( comfort of gait, health issues, versatility,etc.). They found our booth and went away satisfied!
Good job all!
The next meeting is scheduled for 10AM Saturday April 12 at Piazzano’s Restaurant, 1825
N. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI. We will have trail ride info for you and answers to any
questions you may have about your Foxtrotter. Also we can get you in touch with MFT
breeders. Please come join us for lunch, we can help you. Remember: To ride one is to own
one!
s Restaurant: members attended from the north, east & central areas. V.P. Charleen Ostrom
conducted door prize giveaways throughout the meeting which made it fun. Incentive gifts were
given out to the youth in our Association to keep up the good work. Special Adult Recognition
awards were presented to Stephanie Leavitt and Jackie Kettler .
We thank them for their efforts in organizing and conducting clinics in Holland and Howard
City respectively in 2007. We expressed our thanks to Jim McKenney for the time he gave to
being our clinician at the clinics held in 2007. New member Chuck Fanslow conducted a very
well researched talk about NAIS and gave each member a folder with information about it. Go
to NoNAIS.org for more information. Next, President Jim McKenney gave a very inspirational
talk about how to get more people interested in our breed. He said, “The Foxtrotter is the best
kept secret.” We should share this wonderful secret with others! The way to do it is to hold
activities for people and their horses while using our Foxtrotters there. He feels that if others
get exposed to MFTs, then they will find them irresistible, wish to learn more and want to
become included in our Association. So…we planned the Chuck Potter Memorial trail ride for
May 17th at Ionia Recreation Area, Stephanie Leavitt planned two trail rides in Grand Haven
for Sat. April 4th and Sat. Aug. 23rd(both 11AM starting at 12712 Sleeper St., Gr. Haven),
Chuck Fanslow is offering a Summer trail ride for July 19-20 at Southbranch Trail camp, plus we
are working on a possible clinic for this Spring. Go to www.michfoxtrotters.com for more
information. Wow- a lot of fun is scheduled for this Spring and Summer! Can’t wait!!
A historic decision was made by unanimous vote to divide up the state into regions with
various members in charge of them. This will allow people to meet with others in their area,
network and save people valuable time and fuel expense. Any member is welcome to go to
meetings and events in any area. President Jim appointed Norm & Sandy Seppi to manage the
UP, Chuck Fanslow was appointed to the northern MI area(US10 and north to the bridge),
Stephanie Leavitt to the western MI area (M66 and west), Sandy Roath to the central MI area,
and so far Jim McKenney will have the eastern part of the state(M23 and east). These regional
boundaries are tentative and subject to change depending on where our members live as our
membership grows. These chair people with their chosen committees will be responsible for
planning and hosting fun activities, conducting meetings, sending meeting minutes and reports
of events to the MFTA secretary and dues to the MFTA treasurer. So go forth and educate,
help owners with their MFT problems, socialize, expose others to MFTs and most of all have
FUN!
The November 2007 secretary’s report was accepted as read. The treasurer’s report was
tabled until the next meeting. It was voted to reimburse Jackie Kettler for the website bill.
Election of officers was tabled until the next meeting also.
Our booth at the Stallion Expo in March was a big hit! SO many people came to us looking
for MFTs to buy, had stories to share and plans were made to meet on the trail. Holly Dickens
displayed her handsome stallion, Sabre, and showed him off well in the main arena. He did very
well for his young age and inexperience in such a large and noisy venue. He’s a natural
ambassador. We had a great poster showcasing the many uses of Foxtrotters (thank–you to the
people who sent in their pictures for the poster), a state of Michigan map showing where our
members are, flyers about our trail rides, a clinic sign-up sheet, a videotape demonstrating the
foxtrot, Journal and Celebration books. Thank-you, Jim, for forgetting to send back the
MFTHBA banner last Fall! Many thanks to Gale & Theresa Gunders and Chuck Fanslow for
manning the booth with Holly and I to answer all the many questions Saturday, to Jackie Kettler
and George & Charleen Ostrom for answering more questions, accepting memberships, setting
up and tearing down the booth. Thank-you to Lonnie Buck, also, for helping in the booth Sunday
and assisting in the tear-down. We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help. It seems that
there are MANY people (Baby Boomers to age 70) desperate for a Foxtrotter for many reasons
( comfort of gait, health issues, versatility,etc.). They found our booth and went away satisfied!
Good job all!
The next meeting is scheduled for 10AM Saturday April 12 at Piazzano’s Restaurant, 1825
N. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI. We will have trail ride info for you and answers to any
questions you may have about your Foxtrotter. Also we can get you in touch with MFT
breeders. Please come join us for lunch, we can help you. Remember: To ride one is to own
one!