What next for the Cavalier Network

Jayne posted a comment where she asked:
"Bob, We have all these great people. What are we waiting for. Where do we go from here. What do we do with all this information and how do we benefit from it."
This is a wonderful question. I think it deserves group input and discussion so I am creating this blog answer.

My hope is the network continues to grow to become a single stop resource for Cavalier owners. From time to time I have received suggestions to contact so-in-so at some location about some question I have. Finding contact info was many times difficult. The network provides a central place to lookup contacts and message them. It also lets you see if you have friends in common. There are times, like when researching a pedigree, I am trying to connect a kennel name to a person. To help make these connections I will be adding Kennel Name to the user profile questions and the Fetch function.

Another area I see value in the network is events. I find I overlook cool activities at times. Lyn and I are members of six cavalier clubs and my travel takes me near many more clubs. A centralized event list would be great. I contacted the clubs I could find contact information for and we have some of the national specialties posted but would like to see even local events/activities posted. For example the Oregon Trail Cavalier Club is having a Agility day 7/20. Wouldn't a national list of Fun Days, fun matches, guest speakers and other activities be a great resource? Great for drop ins while traveling or for making travel plans. It is really about doing things with and enjoying the dogs. So expanding the events is one "where to go" on my list.

Additionally, more idea sharing in the groups and forums is an area I think is not being used to its' fullest. We have all learned a lot and faced challenges over the years. Sharing this knowledge back is something we owe the breed. We may have different opinions and of course think our way is the best. I feel all information is good information and provides me the change to make a informed decision. If we welcome openly and do not criticize an opinion we can develop a treasure of knowledge in the group and forum discussions. Some home made "How To" videos would be another cool feature.

The Group feature can be used to create sub groups of Network members. This could be a resource to clubs or groups that want to develop contact/communication lists or group discussions. For example the Carmel (CA) Cavalier Beach Party group or the Portland 1st Sunday Cavalier group could start a Network Group for communication and planning of events.

Basically contacts, information resources and events are my ideas. What are yours?