How Old Is Your Division?

[schlager7]

I've been working on a history of fencing in my division for quite some time, now. One thing that I noticed are the dynamics of division growth and the creation of new divisions.

For instance, I am in the Gulf Coast Division. It was formed in the immediate post-WWII era (1949) when the old Texas Division split in two (Gulf Coast Division and North Texas Division). From what I can tell so far, fencing reached a combination of critical mass (rapid increase in the numbers of fencers and clubs) and geographic stress. (If you live in Ft. Worth you probably get tired of half the tournaments being in San Antonio or Galveston).

Similarly, the South Texas Division split off from the Gulf Coast Division in 1965. Fencing in the Austin and San Antonio areas was robust and the commute for divisional events to the Houston/Galveston area was unappealing.

I was curious if any of the American fencers on this board have any knowledge of the circumstances and dates when their own divisions formed.

I believe there has been at least one new division in recent years when the Green Mountain Division was formed.

[jfarmer]

Do you know if there has been any effort put into gathering together the history of fencing clubs & salles in the US?

I would like to see a coordinated effort to create this. For example, I know that my club (the Oak Ridge Fencers Club) was founded in 1954 and some facts about it after that. But I know very little about the history of the Tennessee division or of the Southeast Section at all.

Perhaps, there is a need to create at some level, be it section or division, a historian to accumulate and catalog such bits of information...

John <Yes, history is one of the things that clogs my mind...>

Novice coach, Oak Ridge Fencers Club (http://www.orfencer.org/)

[oiuyt]

I believe there has been at least one new division in recent years when the Green Mountain Division was formed.

GMD was formed by fissioning off of Northeast Division. Northeast division is a relatively new division formed when it fissioned off of New England Division about a decade ago.

The newest division is Northeast Pennsylvania which was formed starting with this current season (so is less than a month old) as part of the redistricting of Pennsylvania and is comprised mostly of formerly unincorporated counties that had fallen under National Division jurisdiction through lack of being part of anything else.

Andy Shaw in Shreveport, LA is a VERY good person to talk to if you're interested in tracking US fencing history.

-B :)

[yeoldearmourer]

I do know that the Neb divison is the second oldest one after New York I beleive

[fencerbill]

I do know that the Neb divison is the second oldest one after New York I beleive

New England, not New York.

[yeoldearmourer]

Sorry fencerbill a least I got the New part right

[schlager7]

Andy has been very helpful to me. Perhaps if I get to Shreveport for the Rose Condon he will let me make notes from his personal library.

I, too, have heard that Nebraska had the 2nd division. (Could it have been all those cavalry officers who were still there at the turn of the previous century?)

I am looking at a New York Times news clipping from January 17, 1893 describing a "handicap" system they are trying for an AFLA (precursor to the USFA) tournament. The article notes, "The outcome of next Saturday's innovation will be studied with interest in Boston, Omaha and Salt Lake City, where branches of the Amateur Fencers League are organized and are about to promote handicap fencing tournaments."

It would seem that by 1893 the New England and Nebraska Divisions and some division incorporating Salt Lake City existed. An 1892 article mentions an Illinois Division.