February BOD agenda posted

[IanSerotkin]

On the USFencing website:

http://usfencing.org/assets/document...-02_Agenda.pdf

[noodle]

i think its interesting that the january (draft) minutes were posted at approximately the same time as february's agenda. not much time for any public information dissemination.

[hello?]

I will be the first to complain, and this is just the beginning.

From the proposed tournament changes for NEXT year:

"The current national tournament calendar has prompted several complaints, primarily to do with conflicts with the international and collegiate calendars, both for competitors and for officials. We propose the following schedule to begin with the 2011–2012 season:
• NAC A October: Junior/Cadet/Youth14
• NAC B – November: Division I/Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Wheelchair/Open Team
• NAC C – December: Division I/Junior/Cadet (4-day tournament; 2nd weekend in December)
• NAC D – January: Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Division II, Division III/Wheelchair
• Junior Olympics – February: Junior/Cadet/Junior Team
• NAC E – March: Youth 14/Youth 12/Youth 10/Youth 14 Team
• NAC F – April: Division I/Division II/Division III/Open Team/Wheelchair Championships"

SERIOUSLY? So the two VETERAN NACs are in November and then, less than two months later (and with Thanksgiving and the Holidays between them), in January. And the "Championship" at Nationals is SIX months after that? Are they kidding?!!!!

This is actually WORSE, in my opinion, than this year's schedule.

Plus, the fact that if you want to compete at Div 1 NACs, you will have to apparently run around going to ROCs...so, for a lot of Vets, these NACs might be their only National competition. (Potentially, no more Div 1-A at Nationals either.)

I cringe every time I see a new "proposa" from the USFA. 99% is with good reason. I might not know what they were thinking but, clearly, it was not about Veterans. Once again.

[noodle]

I will be the first to complain, and this is just the beginning.

From the proposed tournament changes for NEXT year:

"The current national tournament calendar has prompted several complaints, primarily to do with conflicts with the international and collegiate calendars, both for competitors and for officials. We propose the following schedule to begin with the 2011–2012 season:
• NAC A October: Junior/Cadet/Youth14
• NAC B – November: Division I/Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Wheelchair/Open Team
• NAC C – December: Division I/Junior/Cadet (4-day tournament; 2nd weekend in December)
• NAC D – January: Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Division II, Division III/Wheelchair
• Junior Olympics – February: Junior/Cadet/Junior Team
• NAC E – March: Youth 14/Youth 12/Youth 10/Youth 14 Team
• NAC F – April: Division I/Division II/Division III/Open Team/Wheelchair Championships"

SERIOUSLY? So the two VETERAN NACs are in November and then, less than two months later (and with Thanksgiving and the Holidays between them), in January. And the "Championship" at Nationals is SIX months after that? Are they kidding?!!!!

This is actually WORSE, in my opinion, than this year's schedule.

Plus, the fact that if you want to compete at Div 1 NACs, you will have to apparently run around going to ROCs...so, for a lot of Vets, these NACs might be their only National competition. (Potentially, no more Div 1-A at Nationals either.)

I cringe every time I see a new "proposa" from the USFA. 99% is with good reason. I might not know what they were thinking but, clearly, it was not about Veterans. Once again.

i agree, though it does kind of appear that they might be trying to push the ROCs as alternatives in that space gap. perhaps not the best way, but this is *PERHAPS* their thought process.

[hello?]

i agree, though it does kind of appear that they might be trying to push the ROCs as alternatives in that space gap. perhaps not the best way, but this is *PERHAPS* their thought process.

A very warped thought process when it comes to Vets.

[DHCJr]

Ian, one of the proposal is on Control. Two items bothered me. First having volunteers running their own line and using a light box. Dan for the '84 Olympics did create a very good box like is described. There are two problems, there was no resistance requirements at that time. The light would start flikering around 5 ohms and go out at around 10 ohms. The cost would be tremendous to have one test for 1 ohm. Second, if I were a fencer I don't care how short their line is, I wouldn't want an inexperienced volunteer testing my mask. Someone who doesn't know what they are doing with a mask punch can destroy a mask.

P.S. I like what was done on this report and the amendments. I see they used some of my sugestions and comments.

[hello?]

On the USFencing website:

http://usfencing.org/assets/document...-02_Agenda.pdf

Hard to find. They must not want to get too many comments before the April deadline they mention.

[IanSerotkin]

Hard to find. They must not want to get too many comments before the April deadline they mention.

I'm usually a pretty harsh critic of the layout of the website, but in this case, Resources > Documents > Board Minutes & Agendas seems fairly straightforward.

Or, at least, not as non-sensical as Resources > About Tournaments > Results for trying to find the results of past NACs.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Hard to find. They must not want to get too many comments before the April deadline they mention.

That's where the agenda has been getting posted for a while now. It's not like it's being hidden anywhere....Resources/Documents/BoardMinutes and Agendas is pretty easy. Now sure, the whole website is a mess, but it's not like it's sinisterly placed.

[noodle]

A very warped thought process when it comes to Vets.

there's also a 4 month div1 gap.

[Allen Evans]

There'a big gap for the Y12's and Y10's as well, but I understand that most of those kids are fencing in Europe, these days.

[KidLazy]

• NAC A October: Junior/Cadet/Youth14
• NAC B – November: Division I/Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Wheelchair/Open Team
• NAC C – December: Division I/Junior/Cadet (4-day tournament; 2nd weekend in December)
• NAC D – January: Veterans (Comb., 50–59, 60–69, 70+)/Division II, Division III/Wheelchair
• Junior Olympics – February: Junior/Cadet/Junior Team
• NAC E – March: Youth 14/Youth 12/Youth 10/Youth 14 Team
• NAC F – April: Division I/Division II/Division III/Open Team/Wheelchair Championships"

SERIOUSLY? So the two VETERAN NACs are in November and then, less than two months later (and with Thanksgiving and the Holidays between them), in January. And the "Championship" at Nationals is SIX months after that? Are they kidding?!!!!

wait... most championships are moved to Feberuary and April... no more Summer National?

[hello?]

That's where the agenda has been getting posted for a while now. It's not like it's being hidden anywhere....Resources/Documents/BoardMinutes and Agendas is pretty easy. Now sure, the whole website is a mess, but it's not like it's sinisterly placed.

I meant that to ask for comments and then place such a major change in a place where you will never see it unless you are directly told to go find it (thanks again, fencing.net) seems, while not "siinister", certainly not inviting -- perhaps even disingeneous. But, whatever, my problem is not really with where this document was placed, but where they are considering placing the tournaments.

there's also a 4 month div1 gap.

We had a four month gap between Vet events this year. Six months is a big difference, when you consider that the other two Vet NACs are less than two months apart. (And there are three Div I NACs, only two Vet NACs.) Much less opportunity for fencing in between at any other Vet tournament (with more than a handful of fencers in some of the categories).

[Peach]

I for one am delighted to see the first Vet NAC in November rather than October. That was sheer torture this year, competing so soon after Veteran Worlds.

[hello?]

I for one am delighted to see the first Vet NAC in November rather than October. That was sheer torture this year, competing so soon after Veteran Worlds.

I agree that that was insane for the Team's Vets. I don't see why the second NAC is no longer in March, however.

[jjefferies]

A couple of questions:
1. Can someone translate for me or provide a background to the statements on page 8 under USFA Tournament Committee Proposal for Revisions to the North American Cup Circuit, "For the 2012 Summer Nationals, we propose to begin to transition events to the points-only qualification paths".
2. Anyone know anything about "eScout" ? Sounds interesting.
3. Under Appendix F, "Recent International Results" is page 17 some error? It appears to be a listing of selected "Recent Finalists" from other countries. Perhaps a bit of confusion about what is meant here.
4. Looking at the proposed by-laws for the new Division in North Carolina, I thought that the USFA Congress had been eliminated by the new USFA by-laws. Also in those by-laws I did not note any provision for a representative from each club in the Division to be part of the EC which is normal practice in most Divisions (or so I thought). If I'm correct this could be a major conflict issue for governance.

On the positive side I did like the idea of "On Deck Circles".

[fdad]

3. Under Appendix F, "Recent International Results" is page 17 some error? It appears to be a listing of selected "Recent Finalists" from other countries. Perhaps a bit of confusion about what is meant here.

That is a list of US Fencers results in recent international competitions. I think you are alone in your confusion.

[sabretooth]

What I noticed about the list is the two girl finalists from London ws were omitted, while the boys were listed.

[Soberin]

It seems there may be a problem with the idea of qualifying for Div I NACs starting in the 2012-2013 season, as proposed in the BoD Agenda. How would college/NCAA fencers find the time to get to enough ROCs to have the points to qualify? This may be difficult given the demands of school.

Would it then be possible for a fencer who was highly ranked in Div I during this current 2010-11 season, to then be unable to compete in Div I after next season? This would seem absurd.

[KD5MDK]

• being on the Division I National Rolling Point Standings; OR • finishing in the top four (4) at a Division I ROC event during the previous 12 months; OR • being among the top 16 on the Junior NRPS or top 12 on the Cadet NRPS; OR • being in the top 50 of the Division I ROC point standings (determined by best three (3) results) not
already qualified via criteria 1, 2, or 3.

If you're a ranked Div I fencer (are on NRPS), you will be eligible for Div I as long as you stay that way.





eScout has been talked about in every recent board agenda I've read.

Second, if I were a fencer I don't care how short their line is, I wouldn't want an inexperienced volunteer testing my mask. Someone who doesn't know what they are doing with a mask punch can destroy a mask.

I didn't see any mention of mask testing in that proposal. Just resistance testing. I imagine the proposed gear will sample for readings over 1 ohm or 5 ohms, and just register a light if that event occurs. Think of it like a modern scoring box, rather than analog.