Origins of CJF
The Collie Junior Foundation (CJF) was founded by Michelle Esch-Brooks and Kathryn “Katie” (Skilton) Rendina after Marjorie Tuff, the founder of Tuff Quest and the women’s childhood Junior Showmanship mentor, approached the Board of the Collie Club of America (CCA) to create a scholarship for Junior Handlers. Even though Marjorie and Tuff Quest already offered scholarships to Junior Handlers, she wanted to offer more to Collie Juniors. The Board approved the concept of a CCA offered scholarship and created a committee to complete the task of awarding a scholarship at the CCA National every year. Katie chaired the committee, Michelle was co-chair, and four other CCA members were asked to join.
As the committee researched every AKC breed and their scholarship offerings for Juniors, Katie and Michelle found that the CCA By-Laws did not permit monetary gain by members or individuals. After much discussion, the idea of a Foundation was formed with the core of it offering a scholarship for Collie Junior Handlers. Katie took the information on the By-Laws to the CCA Board with the option to either change their By-Laws or to dissolve the committee and wish the women luck as they start the CJF.
Through this idea of starting a foundation, Michelle and Katie sought the advice and permission from Marjorie. Marjorie’s blessing was important as Michelle and Katie respect the work done for CCA Juniors by Marjorie, and were both multi-year recipients of the Tuff Quest scholarship themselves. They wanted to take the scholarship core and evolve it into three tenets of scholarships, education, and connections. The CJF wanted to add assistance to the work started and sustained by Marjorie as chair of the Juniors Education committee for CCA.
By the 2024 CCA National, Katie and Michelle were well on their way to founding the CJF. At that National, Kara (Adams) Gossage was asked to become Vice President and soon after, Frances Flaim agreed to be the Secretary. Soon, other committee chairs started falling into place. At the same time, Michelle was completing and filing the documents necessary for their corporation status, tax identification number, and IRS non-profit status, which was received in August 2024.