| Reaching out from within
Ok, on the various threads about who will be the next ED and COO/CFO and other positions, there have been arguments on whether we should have an insider (a fencer) do the job or hire an outsider (a non-fencer). While that argument continues, I'm curious why fencing doesn't provide an insider to join boards of other groups.
I subscribe to Fitness Management magazine and one item in this month's issue mentions the ACE, American Council on Exercise. The ACE is creating an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP). This panel consists of a number of academicians as well as executives in the health and fitness fields. How come we don't have a fencer in this group?
As much as we can use input from an outsider, I think we can also get a lot of networking and cross-"cultural" knowledge and respect if we infuse ourselves into other associations and panels and commissions and councils and so forth.
How many of us are part of a school's council or some such? How about local governments? I think we need to do that to advertise the idea of fencing to other people.
I belong to the local chamber of commerce. I've not gotten a single sign-up because of my membership to the chamber, but I'm starting to get some acknowledgment for the sport by my continual presence. It takes effort, no doubt, but we need more fencers, flag-waving, proud-to-be fencers prominently playing the fencing tune in such councils and panels.
Our overly insular mentality is killing us versus the competition.
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