I Can't Find My Scorebook

Submitted by Carole Patterson

Well, this is a bit of a different story than for the lost membership card. There's no easy way to solve this problem. No scorebook, no trial. No trial, no title. And so on. Unfortunately, the time most people realize they've lost their scorebooks is shortly before a trial. And that's the big problem. When it's two weeks before the trial and you need a replacement scorebook, chances are, you aren't going to get it. Even if you use FedEx or whatever. Three weeks - you have a chance.

Here are some guidelines that might help you:

•  Always keep a photocopy of the front side of your dog's scorebook somewhere in a safe place.

•  Keep a photocopy of the titles side of the scorebook in the same safe place, making a new photocopy each time you earn a new title.

•  If you have multiple scorebooks on your dog and participate in trials in other organizations, be sure to have those titles entered in your DVG scorebook, as well. If you earn a VPG 1 in another organization's trial and then go for your VPG 2 in a DVG trial, the judge will need a photocopy of your lower title to send with his/her trial paperwork to Germany so that the DVG ­office can record the lower title. Without that proof of the lower title, they won't recognize your newly earned title until proof of the lower title is received.

•  At LEAST one month before a trial, check your paperwork. Find your dog's file, make sure shots are current and that you do have the dog's scorebook.

No scorebook, you say? Panic! Okay, try to remember the last time you used your scorebook. Where was your last trial? Your own club? Another club? Another organization's club? Who was the trial chairman? Make all the phone calls necessary to determine that your scorebook was, in fact, returned to you after your last trial. That puts the ball squarely back into your court. Try to remember what you normally would have done when you returned home from the trial. Where would you logically have put your scorebook? If it's not there, where would you have illogically put your scorebook? (On top the refrigerator, in the pocket on the back of the seat in the "dog" car, in the console of the "dog" car, in your dresser drawer ... the list is endless.) Having determined that you probably threw it on a stack of newspapers on the dining room table which were subsequently sent for recycling, you now have to take drastic measures to ensure your participation in the upcoming trial. Obtain an Ersarz-Leisrungsurkunde. In other words, a replacement scorebook. And it's going to cost you some bucks.

Here's the routine. You will need to FedEx a letter requesting a replacement scorebook to the DVG office in Germany. Included in that letter, you will need your name (of course!), your scorebook number (a photocopy of the front side and preferably copy of the back side, too, showing your current titles would be best), your own membership number and your LV/KG/Club affiliation numbers. Those can be found on your membership card.

Most importantly; you will also need to include a PRE-PAID, self-addressed return FedEx envelope with your request. That would mean pre-paid from Lunen, Germany; to your home address. There apparently is a way that you can prepay and have it logged into the FedEx computer so that FedEx in Germany can pull it up on their computer. In that case, you will need to include the "FedEx-Kundennummer" or customer number in your letter to the DVG office. I'm not familiar with that method, but this information comes directly from Marion Knappe, the person in the DVG office who takes care of scorebooks. You will need to get the particulars from FedEx on that method. Sending a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope accomplishes the same thing ­ getting your scorebook back to you FAST, and that's all you're interested in.

Additionally; the replacement scorebook itself will cost you 7,50 Euro. That's a little over $8.00 US and I have no idea what it is in Canadian dollars. That's at the present exchange rate as of April 8, 2003. The exchange rate changes daily. If you send a cashier's check (which is better to use than a personal check), your bank can estimate what the comparable domestic rate is and make the check out accordingly. But you also must include bank charges. You see, when you send over US or Canadian dollars whether as a check or cash, DVG's bank charges them around 12,00 Euro upon deposit to convert those US or Canadian dollars to Euro dollars. And you have to pay those charges. That means you need to send the DVG office the equivalent amount of the conversion charge in US or Canadian dollars to cover that bank charge, in addition to the cost of the replacement scorebook itself.

The best thing to do, if it's at all possible, is to send Euro dollars. Yes, I know you're not supposed to send cash by mail, whether FedEx or whatever. However, if you can do that, you won't need to pay any bank charges .. It would be like standing in the office, handing over 7,50 Euro to someone and having that person hand you back your new score book. Even if you have a check written at your bank for Euro dollars, you still have to pay a bank charge because the office still has to pay a bank charge. Why? Beats the heck out of me, but they do. Something to do with the fact that their bank still has to go back to our bank to get the money. Even if the check is written on a Deutsche Bank check. I found that out back when it was still Deutschmarks. Sent a check in Deutschmarks over on a Deutsche Bank check through one of the really big downtown Denver banks. Had to then turn around and send over enough to cover the bank charges. Made no sense to me, but that was what happened.

Most airports of any size around the country have currency exchange booths in them. Banks can get Euro dollars for you. It will take a few days, usually, but they can. So there are ways to obtain Euro dollars to at least help rake a little off the cost of obtaining the replacement scorebook. Then you can FedEx those Euro dollars along with your letter .

You can use a credit card, but I don't know the exact procedure for you to do that and there have been some problems with that in the past. So my suggestion is to use cash (Euro dollar cash, anyway) wherever possible. That makes it easier on everyone. But DON'T forget the pre­paid return envelope. Without that, you're toast, my friend.

Obviously, the best thing would be not to lose the scorebook in the first place. But, as they say, bad stuff happens. So if it happens to you, if you follow the right procedures, you can participate in that trial and can get your title. And most of all, you will have another scorebook to have and to hold and protect. Just don't lose this one, okay?

And when you get your scorebook in time for your trial, you might just consider sending over a thank you note to the hard-working gals in the DVG office. Just remember, they're dealing with over 32,000 members and you can bet there are more than a few of those members who do what you did -- lose their scorebooks.

DVG Office Address:

DVG Hauptgeschaftsstele Gustav-Sybrecht-Srrasse 42

44536 Lunen, Germany