USFA accepts Election

[jjefferies]

This was recently posted on the USFFC website
http://usfencersforchange.com/

5/1/2008 Exec Committee VOTES! We just found out that the Exec Committee has voted to accept all Letters of Arbitration and Petitions and for the election to go forward! It looks like it is Election Season! A new timeline has been established and it will be forwarded to us today. We will post it as soon as it is available.

[jjefferies]

Ok, bit awkward making a reply to your own post. But it looks like the arguments about whether to hold an election are over. The question now is what can we, the USFA membership, get out of it.

[Wafath]

Originally Posted by jjefferies

The question now is what can we, the USFA membership, get out of it.

Schadenfreude, gossip, bickering, and arm-chair politicking.

W

[Philistine]

Credit where credit is due--well done to the Executive Committee.

--Philistine

[Nolano]

Cool. Oh, right. I'm under 18, and thus, a nonvoting member of the USFA. Lame....

[teacup]

I know I can look in the athlete's handbook or operating manual but...
Does a member has to be 18 at the time of the election or by the beginning of the season, Aug. 1, 2007, in order to be able to vote?

[KD5MDK]

February 1st of the year of the election.

[sheck]

This is good to hear.

[rdg]

Originally Posted by jjefferies

Ok, bit awkward making a reply to your own post. But it looks like the arguments about whether to hold an election are over. The question now is what can we, the USFA membership, get out of it.

Thanks for the update JJ. This is good news.

Sam

[fencerbill]

There was poor judgement by many of the organizations and people involved. I don't know who I will vote for, but it is better for there to be an election.

But I still feel that the petition candidates should have forestalled the mess by having done something about arbitration before April Fool's day. Any token submission would have strengthened their position significantly.

They should have read the bylaws.

[seven6ty]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

February 1st of the year of the election.

February first? Who came up with that date? Why not just make it January first? Once again, the USFA fails to make any logical sense whatsoever.

[arc]

First off, to all the folks who ask questions about matters of governace of the Association, rather than simply give the answer, I would suggest that you actually download a copy of the Bylaws from the Association website. And actually, if you go to the old website at www.usfa.org, under "Forms", you can actually find a copy of the Bylaws where the numbering of articles is in order and matches the table of contents:

USFA Bylaws

It's along the lines of that "catch a fish for a man, and he eats tonight, but teach him to fish, and he eats for a lifetime" philosophy. (Doesn't someone have a sig on here similar to that, regarding fire and keeping people warm?)

Now that being said, in answer to the question about "why February 1?" ... first, it's because February 1 is *exactly* halfway through the membership year, and second, because most Divisions/Sections and particularly the Association itself have their elections and governance meetings in the latter half of the membership year. The underlying idea is that we don't want to allow people to join at the last minute for the particular purpose of stuffing ballot boxes and/or affecting governance; making voters be members for more than half the membership year eliminates that issue.

EDIT: In context of having to be 18 as well, February 1 is still the relevant date because it makes one date, and only one date, relevant for determining whether a member can vote. They're either of age and a member as of February 1, or not. Makes the Bylaws simpler in not having to look to multiple dates to determine if an individual is a voting member.

[seven6ty]

Originally Posted by arc

Now that being said, in answer to the question about "why February 1?" ... first, it's because February 1 is *exactly* halfway through the membership year, and second, because most Divisions/Sections and particularly the Association itself have their elections and governance meetings in the latter half of the membership year. The underlying idea is that we don't want to allow people to join at the last minute for the particular purpose of stuffing ballot boxes and/or affecting governance; making voters be members for more than half the membership year eliminates that issue.

Umm, that's not the point at all. Making sure that they have been members for a large portion of the year makes sense, but that's not the question/issue here. It's why such an arbitrary date cut off for a person's age? None of what you mentioned seems to have any relevancy to that question.

[oso97]

Originally Posted by seven6ty

Umm, that's not the point at all. Making sure that they have been members for a large portion of the year makes sense, but that's not the question/issue here. It's why such an arbitrary date cut off for a person's age? None of what you mentioned seems to have any relevancy to that question.

If you don't like it, why don't you submit an amendment to change the bylaws? The procedure for doing so is laid out quite clearly. What date would you choose?

[fencerbill]

What do you think should be relevant?

ARC's answer seems relevant to me. Another consideration is that many fencers don't pony up their money until they have to, until they enter or will imminently enter a tournament. They do enter every year, just not always at the beginning of the year.

Feb 1 seems a reasonable cutoff to balance having most who will enter during the year while still not allowing people to join just in time to vote.

Another point is that the people will have joined before they will know who they may be voting for.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Originally Posted by fencerbill

Feb 1 seems a reasonable cutoff to balance having most who will enter during the year while still not allowing people to join just in time to vote.

Which is why our state, for instance, just closed new voter registration 3 days ago for the primary this month.

Don't want them late-to-the-dance city slickers getting all lathered up about this here election at the last gasp, now, do we?

Maybe missing from the equation: even if they join up just to vote, they've still joined the USFA, paid dues, and participated in a glorious exercise of pseudo-democracy.

What's not to like about that?

[seven6ty]

Originally Posted by teacup

I know I can look in the athlete's handbook or operating manual but...
Does a member has to be 18 at the time of the election or by the beginning of the season, Aug. 1, 1007, in order to be able to vote?

Isn't this what the february 1st date was in response to? Not the point at which you must be a USFA member, but the birthdate cut off for people under/over 18?

[sabreteur]

Originally Posted by Wafath

Schadenfreude, gossip, bickering, and arm-chair politicking.

W

I had no idea that Inquartata had an identical twin. Facinating.

[Inquartata]

Your pointy ears are showing, Mr. Spackle.

[bigdawg2121]

There are several perfectly legit reasons why one would want to stop people from joining last minute Cap. I'm sure you don't need me to argue any of them.