USFA Hall Of Fame

[mtarascio]

The inductees for this year's USFA Hall Of Fame Gay (Jacobsen) MacLellan, Heizaburo Okawa and Steve Sobel are well deserving of this award.

I'm wondering how many fencers who deserve to be in the Hall Of Fame have not been considered. One example would be Ed Richards. Why is Ed not in the Hall Of Fame? His competive record alone would be enough. He also is one of the most respected staff members of the USFA Coaches College. In addition, he has given plenty of time as a top referee.

[wflaschka]

Ooooh! So do you have a weblink to the Hall of Fame? I searched earlier, looking for info on Uriah Jones, and found nothing. Knowing who is already in the hall of fame would make it easier to think about who's been left out.

[mtarascio]

I do not believe the USFA has a weblink with this information.

[DHCJr]

Originally Posted by mtarascio

The inductees for this year's USFA Hall Of Fame Gay (Jacobsen) MacLellan, Heizaburo Okawa and Steve Sobel are well deserving of this award.

I'm wondering how many fencers who deserve to be in the Hall Of Fame have not been considered. One example would be Ed Richards. Why is Ed not in the Hall Of Fame? His competive record alone would be enough. He also is one of the most respected staff members of the USFA Coaches College. In addition, he has given plenty of time as a top referee.

You hit a sore point with me about the hall of fame. It is a good thing the USFA does not have a web site for the Hall of Fame. It would upset a lot of people to see who has not been included and who has. I heard of one person who had volunteered at a few NAC's one year and made the Hall of Fame.

A few years ago, I went to a dinner, where they had the USFA Service Awards. These are for those who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Two of the people who received the award that night were Carla Richards and Dan DeChaine. I can't think of two others who mean more to fencing then those two.

I agree Ed should have been inducted also.

Next year, will be Dan's 20 Aniversary as a member of SEMI. Considering he was the first USFA to make any FIE commission, that is a wonder he has not been inducted. They make a big thing about the dinner, but how do you nominate?

[Craig]

Originally Posted by wflaschka

Ooooh! So do you have a weblink to the Hall of Fame? I searched earlier, looking for info on Uriah Jones, and found nothing. Knowing who is already in the hall of fame would make it easier to think about who's been left out.

If there is no link or existing site, perhaps that's a project a few people on the board would take on.

Craig

[mtarascio]

Originally Posted by DHCJr

You hit a sore point with me about the hall of fame. It is a good thing the USFA does not have a web site for the Hall of Fame. It would upset a lot of people to see who has not been included and who has. I heard of one person who had volunteered at a few NAC's one year and made the Hall of Fame.

A few years ago, I went to a dinner, where they had the USFA Service Awards. These are for those who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Two of the people who received the award that night were Carla Richards and Dan DeChaine. I can't think of two others who mean more to fencing then those two.

I agree Ed should have been inducted also.

Next year, will be Dan's 20 Aniversary as a member of SEMI. Considering he was the first USFA to make any FIE commission, that is a wonder he has not been inducted. They make a big thing about the dinner, but how do you nominate?

You are absolutely right. Dan and Carla Mae should have been inducted a long time ago.

I believe the USFA Board of Directors should appoint a committee to determine who should be in the Hall of Fame and rectify this situation immediately.

[DHCJr]

They do have a committee and the committee is listed, but no contact information. I did e-mail the USFA and was given a phone number. I called last week and I haven't had a reply.

[Repechage]

You wouldn't want to induct Carla and Ed in the same year, mind you. I suppose he's due.

[Eva1187]

Originally Posted by Repechage

You wouldn't want to induct Carla and Ed in the same year, mind you. I suppose he's due.

Why not? They started out putting into the sport together at the same time.

[Peach]

I think he was joking--they're divorced.

[mtarascio]

Originally Posted by DHCJr

They do have a committee and the committee is listed, but no contact information. I did e-mail the USFA and was given a phone number. I called last week and I haven't had a reply.

Yes, I am aware of this committee. I do not think this committee is doing a good job. I believe the Board of Directors should appoint a separate committee to determine who has not been put in the Hall of Fame who belong there and take care of this oversight immediately. The process is too political at the moment.

[oiuyt]

For reference, the committee nominates a number of people each year. The nominated people (and brief bios) are distributed to members of the USFA congress which gets a number of votes. Any nominated person with above a certain percentage of the vote is enshrined the following year. I don't remember whether or not write-in candidates are allowed.

A part of the packet that is distributed each year at the meeting is a list of all people already enshrined. Certainly this will be easily available information next week in hard copy. Likely members of the nominating committee will be present and suggestions can be made to them of worthy people to consider adding to future ballots.

-B :)

[Artisan]

Originally Posted by oiuyt

Any nominated person with above a certain percentage of the vote is enshrined the following year. ...
... at the meeting is a list of all people already enshrined.
-B

Don't you have to be dead for proper enschrinement? I thought enshrined meant that they embalmed you and put you on display behind glass in perpetuity, like the creepy relics in churches across europe, with bits and pieces of saints and martyrs in glass bubbles on ornate gold crucifixes. Can all these enschrined ex-fencers be visited in Colorado Springs at the USFA Temple?

[whtouche]

I was at the USFA congress last year and witnessed and was a part of the voting for the hall of fame, and there is indeed a spot on the bottom of the form for write-in candidates. I believe you are able to vote for multiple(2, 3?) people also. And come to think of it I do remember getting a list of those who were already a part of the club.
Likely I don't still have it - but as oiuyt said it should be readily available. As for the process, the size of the congress(small) seems like an odd place to vote for the hall of fame, given that certain larger divisions ahem can stack votes in favor of a particular person ahem.

One would think it would be a wider polling issue. Unless there is some other determinitive factor besides the congress that I don't know about.

[ThePoint]

I didn't even know USFA had a Hall of Fame. That shows you how much I know but common on, the Hall of Fame is rarely publicized! I mean, how about some fan fare, let people know that we are proud of our "brethern and sister fencers" who came before us. I know that it's not exactly like the Hall of Fame for baseball or football but it's about time that we recognize fencers who not only have great personal accomplishments but go way beyond that by doing so much for the sport and even doing so continuously to this day. And yes, I completely agree, Ed Richards is one such guy. His fencing record does speak for itself and at 70 plus age, he has not even slowed down. He still teaches private and class lessons, conducts seminars including the coaches college, refs tournaments and many fencers, even some of the top fencers, coaches, refs at one point in their respective careers point to Ed for being a strong influence on how they fenced and their philosophy of fencing.

[Mo]

Originally Posted by Artisan

Don't you have to be dead for proper enschrinement? I thought enshrined meant that they embalmed you and put you on display behind glass in perpetuity, like the creepy relics in churches across europe, with bits and pieces of saints and martyrs in glass bubbles on ornate gold crucifixes. Can all these enschrined ex-fencers be visited in Colorado Springs at the USFA Temple?

LOL It is very dry there, they would mummify up quite nicely.

[RETLAG]

Originally Posted by Artisan

Don't you have to be dead for proper enschrinement? I thought enshrined meant that they embalmed you and put you on display behind glass in perpetuity, like the creepy relics in churches across europe, with bits and pieces of saints and martyrs in glass bubbles on ornate gold crucifixes. Can all these enschrined ex-fencers be visited in Colorado Springs at the USFA Temple?

Actually, technically a relic doesn't have to be the entire, mummified body. Recently a very religious friend of mine gave me a relic of a saint that looked for all the world like a little petrified booger in a little glass vial. That might be something to think of. Takes up less space. As an added benefit, you don't have to kill them.

[FoilyGeezer]

Relic Boogers and Embalmed Fencing Greats aside (and I have fenced competions where I swore some of the officials were embalmed)

I think the work we're looking for here is Inducted.

[Eva1187]

Originally Posted by Peach

I think he was joking--they're divorced.

Yes, I do know that - but they are on great terms.

[mtarascio]

A few more names of fencers who are not in the Hall of Fame but have accomplished more than many who have been inducted.

Ed Ballinger
Scott Bozek
Robert Marx
Greg Massialas
Elaine Cheris

The above is just a short list of fencers deserving of this honor.