Wherever we take our llamas, people want to know more about them.  They want to touch them, have photos taken with them, walk with them and generally learn more about them.  Therefore it is up to us to be innovative and find opportunities to promote our llamas. 

The NSW/ACT Branch of the LAA wishes to encourage its members to get their llamas out and about and promote these wonderful animals.  As well as promoting your own llamas, your stud, you will also be promoting llamas in general and at the same time, accumulating points towards the Public Relations Championship certificate. 

Points are awarded for various listed activities.  When your llama has accrued the required number of points, a certificate (and possibly a prize) will be awarded in the Llama’s Name.  Your achievement will be written up in the branch newsletter, on the website and in Llama Lines. You will be eligible for an extra five copies of issue of Llama Lines in which your Championship Award is featured. 

The NSW/ACT Branch of the LAA wish to raise the public’s awareness of llamas:

• That alpacas & llamas are not the same animal
  • Demonstrate the differences between alpacas & llamas
• That llamas have many uses and benefits:
  • A stud breeding animal
  • A pet, companion & guardian
  • A show animal – both conformational & fleece classes
  • A performance animal – performance trials, trekking, carting etc
  • A fibre producer
  • Animal suitable for Therapy & Public Relations
  • Environmentally friendly livestock
  • Suitable for small or large farms

RULES

Definitions for the purpose of these rules

“Llama” means          any llama, guanaco or x-bred, which is registered with the LAA

“Member” means      any person who is at the time of entry and for the duration of the Award a member of the NSW/ACT Branch of the LAA.

“Stud” means                        any member who has a stud prefix (if you don’t have one, apply for one –they’re free)

“Solo PR Championship Award”. 

You may enter any number of llamas in this Award, but each llama entered in the Solo PR Championship is entered separately and must have its own Record Sheets to record its own points. 

“Stud PR Championship Award”

This Award is intended to recognize a group of 5 or more Llamas owned by the one Stud.  It is expected (but not required) that most of these points will be accrued on-farm.  The llamas entered jointly accrue points on the one Record Sheet.  All llamas entered by a stud in the Stud Championship Award are included as one entry in total. 

Entering Both Awards

You may enter the same llama in the Solo PR Championship Award and the Stud PR Championship Award as well if you wish – in which case separate entry forms must be completed for each award and separate Points Scoring Pages must be completed for each entry.

If you attend a function with llamas entered into the Solo award – you may enter points onto both Solo and Stud Champion Record Sheets.

Who may enter?

Any Llama(s) entered in the PR Championship Award must be:

• Registered with the LAA (crias must also be registered with LAA & officially entered if they are to accrue points)
• Owned by a current LAA (NSW/ACT Branch) member

How to enter

• Complete the official entry form
• Attach the entry fee
• Attach a copy of each llamas Registration Certificate (for Solo Awards only)
• Forward to the Administrator

What does a llama have to do to become a Champion?

Points are accrued by your llama attending any of the following events not on your farm:

·         Any LAA function where llamas are invited to attend

·         Shows, agility trials, clinics, workshops, field days, promotions

·         Trekking, Carting

·         Community, charity and other public functions

·         Someone else’s on-farm events

·         Educational events (e.g. attending a school)

·         Sundry events not covered in the above (subject to the agreement of the Administrator)

Holding an event on your farm

·         Open Day, Clinic, Workshop

·         Visit from Seniors, Schools, RSPCA Juniors or other club or group visit

·         Sundry events not covered in the above (subject to the agreement of the Administrator)

Attracting media attention

·         Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines (e.g. Women’s Weekly, Llama Lines) compiled by a reporter

·         Publishing a story about your llama (written by you) in any media including Llama Lines

·         Publishing your llama artwork, photography in any media (including Llama Lines)

·         Advertising your llamas in any media including Llama Lines, internet & your website

·         Having your llama appearing on somebody else’s website (e.g. a School that visited)

Starting Date and Time Limit

For the first year only the award will start on 26^th February 2009 & run till 30^th June 2010.  Attendance at the Llama Stand at the Canberra Royal Show (Feb 2009) will gain points towards “Stud” award whether or not you have a llama with you.

After the first year (as above), the awards will start on the 1^st July and run till 30^th June.  You may request an extension if you wish.

Recording Your  Points

When you attend an event, complete the details of the event, and include the points you have earned on your Official Score Sheet.  Have an Official sign the form for your attendance.  If you are gaining points for printed media, attach a copy of the article, photo etc.

When you have completed one page make a copy for yourself and forward the original to the Administrator.

Repeat this process until you have accrued enough points to be awarded a Championship.

POINTS SYSTEM FOR THE  PR LLAMA CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS

Public Events 

Show Entries: 

Media Coverage: 

Any media coverage is valuable in promoting llamas. 

Internet posting:

ENTRY FEE

            Solo PR Championship Award (per llama entered)                        $10

            Stud Championship Award (per farm)                                            $30

POINTS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE  PR LLAMA CHAMPIONSHIP  AWARD

Solo Llama                             100 points

Stud                                        300 points (accumulated using any/all entered llamas)

CLAIMING YOUR  PR LLAMA CHAMPIONSHIP  AWARD

Each time that you participate in a function which entitles you to claim points, enter those details on the official Score Sheet. When you have completed a page, take a copy for yourself and send the original to the Administrator

PHOTOS FOR THE AWARDS 

Please send one good-quality photo (hard copy or jpeg format) with your final Point Scoring Page.  This will be used for your write-up in the next available space in the Llama Lines Magazine. 

Public Relation Llama Award - Supplementary Information added April 2009

Remember this is not afirst past the post event – all those who gain the required number of points by 30^th June 2009 will receive the award.

There are a couple of things that are not quite clear:

Cheques for Entries are to be made out to Llama Association of Australasia (NSW Branch)

The rules relating Solo Llama Championship Section seems to be understood, but there has been some confusion about the Stud Championship Section.

The Stud Championship Section is intended mainly for those who would not normally be taking their llamas off the farm (but doesn’t mean you can’t earn points for off farm)

In order to participate in the Stud Section

• You must be a member
• Each of the llamas to be entered must be registered
• A minimum of 5 llamas must be included to enter in the Stud Llama Section
• You may enter under your Stud or Farm Name (eg Tinkerbell Llamas)  or
• Under your own name (Pixie  Smith). 
• If you do not have a stud prefix , but would like one– apply for one – they are free. 

But I only own 3 llamas – can I enter?

• If you do not own 5 llamas, but your llamas live with, or you work with other people’s llamas

eg Pixi owns 3 llamas who are agisted at Daydream Llama Farm.  Pixi asks Daybream if Pixi can borrow 2   Daydream Llamas as “Stand-in” for her entry.  Daydream llamas are registered and the owner says yes.  Pixi is now ready to earn points towards the Stud Llama Section – here are some of the ways that Pixi accrues points:

• Pixi arranges for an agriculture class  or   aged care group etc to visit Daydream Llamas. 
• The aged care facility that Pixi invited to Daydream Llamas   had a great time and included a story & some photos of their visit on their Website
• Pixi is a great photographer and takes lots of photos of doing interesting or cute things.  Some of her photos are accepted for Llama Lines
• Pixi isn’t the best writer, but nevertheless she has an article published in the towns local newsletter. 
• One of the visitors to Daydream farm is a journalist and writes an article for “the Land” newspaper
• Pixi attends LAA functions – she has lots of fun, learns a lot, makes new friend and EARNS POINTS
• Pixi is passionate about her llamas, she isn’t the best public speaker, but she accepts an offer to talk about her llamas at her local Rotary Club, school or other group – of course she can’t take her llamas – but she still gets points.
• Pixi is a person with a big heart – she is often asked by her local charity to sell raffle tickets or man a street stall – so she decides to take her llama with her – of course her charity is delighted and gets many more donations than usual – because people are attracted to come to meet the llama. 
• Pixi has recently learned to spin and felt llama fleece, so she enters  her handcraft it in a local show – she is delighted that her entry receives a prize, but even if it didn’t, she still would have earned points………….you get the idea? 

In the Solo Llama Award (you may enter as many of your llamas as you wish) each will have it’s own score sheet.

You may enter BOTH the Solo Llama Award AND the Stud Farm Award if you wish and points gained in the Solo Awards will also be eligible for the Stud Award as well.

There is more info, entry forms & score sheets on our website  http://www.llamas-nsw-act.org/

CONTACT

For more information on the PR Llama Championship please contact:The Administrator