Field Spaniel Society of America - Hall of Fame & Register of Merit
History of the Hall of Fame Award and Register of Merit
The concept of developing a comprehensive Hall of Fame system dates to the mid-1990s. It was the brainchild of Sally Herweyer, Waterfield Kennels, then the Secretary of the FSSA. Following much research, the HOF and Register of Merit systems were developed to create an award recognition program unique to Field Spaniels.
The HOF System
The Hall of Fame Recognition Program is designed to recognize those Field Spaniels who have earned achievements in a minimum of 4 ROM areas. While this Field Spaniel may have earned an ROM in one or more of the ROM areas, there is no mandate that a Field Spaniel do so in order to be recognized in the Hall of Fame. Achievement of the Hall of Fame requires that points be earned according to the point levels specified in any of the ROM areas and the number of points required decreases as the dog earns points in an increased number of ROM areas. This is to encourage Field Spaniels to participate in many venues. Points must be earned in a minimum of 4 ROM areas in order to qualify for Hall of Fame. An award plaque bearing the FSSA logo, the dog’s name with AKC titles, and the year of induction is awarded. One plaque is issued per dog. Additional plaques for co-owners may be purchased.
HOF awards must be applied for by the owner of the dog. To apply for an HOF award, download the appropriate form and the instructions for submission of the form. Awards are distributed once per year although application for an award may be made at any time during the year. The timing of the distribution of awards is generally during the annual banquet of the FSSA held in conjunction with the annual national specialty show except in those years in which the timing of the specialty means that earlier distribution is preferable. During these years, a petition for earlier mailing of the awards may be made to the Board of Directors at the discretion of the HOF/ROM Chairperson and the awards are subsequently mailed if such distribution is approved. For assistance with an HOF award, contact Lori Carver FSSAawards@yahoo.com.
The ROM System
The Register of Merit Recognition Program, ROM, is designed to provide recognition to those Field Spaniels who have achieved a level of excellence in a specific area. The ROM award is a certificate indicating the achievement.
There are 6 ROM areas of achievement based on the achievements of the individual dog. There is an additional ROM area based on the achievements of an individual dog’s offspring. This is known as the ROM-Producer, and has 2 levels of achievement for dogs and two for bitches as follow:
Dogs: Outstanding Sire (OS), Outstanding Sire Excellent (OSX)
Bitches: Outstanding Dam (OD), Outstanding Dam Excellent (ODX)