Division Sanctioning

[fluidfencer]

Our Division is struggling a little with the issue of requirements related to sanctioning tournaments hosted by member clubs. Could you (collectively) post a copy of your sanctioning requirements as a way of providing guidance for our Division and others (Microsoft Word attachment, etc.)?

Likewise, how were the new requirements implemented? For example:
- Part of a policies and procedures manual
- revision to the by-laws
- voted on by division members
- Established by division officers/committee

[Frank Pratt]

In Georgia, one representative from each club meets in August for a Tournament Committee Meeting. One Division Officer (The Tournamnt Chairperson) is responslble for oversight of tournament sanctioning, and this person faciitates the committee meeting. Each club representative brings with him/her several proposed dates for each event they want to host, as well as details for each event (e.g. weapons, age/rating categories, etc.) Each club writes the details for each event on a stickey note (one sticky per event.) We have a big calendar for the year, and the clubs choose dates in 2 or 3 rounds. I was not there this year, and I can't remember how exactly it worked last year, but I think each club can reserve one or two dates during each round. You choose a date by placing a sticky note on that date. After each club has chosen one or two dates during the first round, they have an opportunity to choose additional dates in subsequent rounds. As I remember it, each club had scheduled all the events they wanted after the third round. Since representatives from each club are at the meeting, conflicts between club events can usually be worked out right then and there. More than one event can be held on any given weekend, but two tournaments cannot hold events in the same weapon on the same day. You can have a foil competition and an épée competiton on the same day, though. We have too many events to reserve an entire weekend for each tournament, so there are some weekends that have 2 or more tournaments. Clubs are generally not allowed to schedule tournaments on the weekend of USFA qualifying events (e.g. the JO qualifers, The Summer Nationals Qualifiers, and the Sectional Championships.)

After this meeting is completed, the divisional schedule is pretty much set in stone. If a club fails to send a representative to the metering, they do not get a chance to reserve dates for events. They can sometimes get an event approved later on if there is a vacant Saturday or Sunday, but this requires formal approval for sanctioning. Last year (and especially this year,) there was at least one tournament scheduled pretty much every weekend, so getting more events approved after the meeting is not easy. Every club gets a fair shake at reserving dates at the meeting (whether they want to host one or several events,) but they must be at the meeting in order to do so. All in all, the system has run pretty smoothly since we started using it a few years ago.

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by fluidfencer

Our Division is struggling a little with the issue of requirements related to sanctioning tournaments hosted by member clubs. Could you (collectively) post a copy of your sanctioning requirements as a way of providing guidance for our Division and others (Microsoft Word attachment, etc.)?

Likewise, how were the new requirements implemented? For example:
- Part of a policies and procedures manual
- revision to the by-laws
- voted on by division members
- Established by division officers/committee

(new) NJ Division manual attached. I have some issues with it (non-regulation strips allowed, poor wording in the seeding section). Then again, it's not my division... At least they have a manual and make it available.

Scheduling took place at a scheduling meeting in August. Each club present took turns picking a date until no club was interested in taking another date. The few division-run events were scheduled before the selection rotation began. From how frequently the division schedule is updated throughout the year it's clear that there is some mechanism to add/delete events (with agreement of TC? TC Chair?).

-B

[Damon Scaggs]

Brad, the way I read that document, divison officials run all tournaments. Even small club run events. Is that right? Why would anyone want to do that? I understand wanting to make sure that a competition is run in accordance with USFA rules but I don't understand why the clubs would give up total control of a tournament to the division officials.

[Allen Evans]

Originally Posted by Damon Scaggs

Even small club run events. Is that right? Why would anyone want to do that? I understand wanting to make sure that a competition is run in accordance with USFA rules but I don't understand why the clubs would give up total control of a tournament to the division officials.

Many Divisions do this to make sure that the ratings given out at a tournament were properly earned. In the Viriginia Division, clubs may host tournaments on their own, but with the understanding that they will not be sanctioned, and ratings cannot be given out.

In the Divisions in which this rule is in effect, there's usually been at least one bad experiance with club run events.

Allen

[DHCJr]

For Orange Coast, the requirements are in the bylaws.

The basic requirements are they be approved by the executive committee, put into the schedule, have at least one member of the Executive committee (meaning me, since I'll be there anyway as the Armorer), be within the jurisdiction, and get liability insurance. That last is basically the hardest as the only reason the executive committee would disaprove if there were conflicts.

http://www.ocfencing.org/bylaws.htm

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by DHCJr

For Orange Coast, the requirements are in the bylaws.

The basic requirements are they be approved by the executive committee, put into the schedule, have at least one member of the Executive committee (meaning me, since I'll be there anyway as the Armorer), be within the jurisdiction, and get liability insurance. That last is basically the hardest as the only reason the executive committee would disaprove if there were conflicts.

http://www.ocfencing.org/bylaws.htm

Pretty much the same for SoCal when I was div secretary...sufficient time posted on teh schedule was a biggie...and teh prime reason why the first tourney we held in the Media City Center mall wasn't able to pass out ratings....not enough notice (even though the turnout was about average)

[oiuyt]

Despite how the document reads (I haven't reread it to confirm that it implies the division running the events), that's not how the division operates. The division (and officers) ONLY organize run a very few events (JO/SN qualifiers, and a meet for HS students). Everything else is run by the individual clubs. No presence is required by division officers, AFAIK.

Of course this isn't my division, so I may be missing some subtleties.

As to why clubs would give up control, I spent years in New England Division where ALL events are organized by the division. Actual operations are generally in the hands of the host club, but financially all events are division-run (division gets the revenue, pays the expenses, keeps the surpluses (surpli? :) ). Clubs do it because it helps fencing in the area, and it means lots of high-quality local events at a reasonable cost. In the case of events that they're hosting it's events in the home club for their fencers. Having frequent high-quality events helps everyone involved in the sport in the area -- the fencers, the clubs, the coaches, the division, parents, etc.

-B