Jon Mett Achievement Award
Jon Mett was born on December 13, 1943, in Milwaukee, WI. He served our country in the U. S. Army and then worked with the phone company, but most of us know him because of his passion for dog obedience. Whether training, showing, or judging, Jon’s warm and infectious smile drew people to him. If you hadn’t received one of Jon’s patented “bear hugs”, you don’t know what a hug really is.
Florida’s DOCOF Tournament exists because of Jon Mett’s efforts. Dog Obedience Clubs of Florida (DOCOF) was formed in the late 1960’s as a “Calendar Club”. Before the “worldwide innerweb” all of the clubs in Florida would meet once a year to compare dates for their events so there would be no conflicts. Jon proposed a tournament of Florida Clubs, but the original organizers initially resisted the idea of a tournament. After seeing a similar tournament in California, Jon reintroduced the idea to the DOCOF Board and convinced them to give it a try. The first event was held in 1975 with 13 teams competing, and DOCOF has been going strong ever since – thanks to Jon.
Jon Mett was a perennial favorite to judge Obedience everywhere, but especially throughout the south. Always smiling, his bright spirit welcoming. Some said that stepping into his ring was like “coming home”. His gentle manner and calm demeanor helped to sooth many more than one handler’s ring nerves. Once you walked into his ring, you wanted to be there again and again. Based on his smile, his laughter and his attitude, it was evident that Jon wanted every team to succeed. He was genuinely happy when we did well, and sincerely disappointed when we didn’t meet our goals.
Jon Mett was a testament to the best qualities in our sport. He was a shining beacon of caring and heartfelt dedication. Our lives are poorer for our loss of him, but rich with the memory of him.
Purpose
DOCOF wishes to recognize those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of obedience and to the DOCOF organization and competition. This award is intended to offer thanks and show appreciation for the hard work and effort that an individual provided to our organization.
Award
The award will be given to selected individuals on the basis of application and approval. Nomination for the award will take place annually although the award may not be given each year. Should no individual meet the strict criteria for the award, none will be given in that year.
Procedure
1. Nominations open on October 1st for the following year’s award. An email reminder will be sent to all delegates. Nomination(s) must be provided to the DOCOF Board of Trustees by the deadline of June 1st at midnight. All nominations must be provided on the designated form.
2. Nominations must come from a Member Delegate of DOCOF.
3. After receiving the nominations, the Board of Trustees will meet and consider the applicants. The Board will utilize a weighted format to determine the recipient of the award, if any.
4. Nominees must be from the DOCOF geographical operating area as defined in the Rules.
5. Nominees are required to have been on a DOCOF Team at some time in the past.
6. General Characteristics of Nominees:
The Nominee should:
∙ Have been involved in obedience for more than 10 years.
∙ Have made a significant impact on the sport and be a person in good standing with his or her registry(s).
∙ Have a long-standing record of good sportsmanship.
∙ Not have been sanctioned by any registry as an exhibitor or judge.
∙ Have participated in the education of handlers beyond their own club or organization.
∙ Be free of negative controversy, i.e. public disparagement of their registry, the sport or people in the sport.
∙ Not be a current member of the Board of Trustees.
7. Award: The award will be a plaque with the awardee’s name and statement of appreciation. Further the awardee will be able to enter a team in DOCOF competition without cost. The name of the awardee will be entered onto a perpetual trophy with the year of the award noted.
8. Rejection of Nominees: Nomination in and of itself is an honor. This award is intended to be elite. All nominees will be closely examined. Rejection of awardees is not disparaging of the person’s character or contribution they may simply not meet the exacting standards of the review.
Click on link below to access writable PDF Submission Form