Fencing North Committee Meeting – August 7^th 2018

Meeting Opened: 7:03pm

Present: Bryce Gracie, Amanda Hopkins, Katie Logan, Jess Gracie, Murray McGuire-Barnes, Adrian Roberts.

Apologies: Mary Black, Stephen King, Matt Stanley.

Previous Minutes: Katie moved that the previous minutes be accepted. Bryce seconded. Motion carried.

Matters Arising from the Previous Minutes: Amanda reported that the fencers who travelled to Oceania Cadets in 2017 have been identified. Katie will contact them for reimbursement of their entry fees.
Katie reported that our initial candidate for the position of Safety Officer declined the role. The committee discussed potential other candidates.
As resolved in the previous meeting, a Refereeing Subcommittee was formed, currently consisting of Laura Harvey, Anya Kamynina and Neil Young.
The committee discussed the Code of Conduct presented by Bryce. This would be a living document applying to all persons attending Fencing North events. Adrian moved that the Code of Conduct be accepted. Katie seconded. Motion passed.
There was further discussion of options for changing the competition venue next year. Jess pointed out that Massey High School had increased their hall hire, making a change of venue even more attractive.

Health and Safety: Jess reported that there had been one minor injury at the recent Secondary Schools foil team event. This was reported to the DT and an incident report form was filed.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda presented the treasurer’s report. She also moved that the treasurer’s report from July be accepted. Bryce seconded. Motion carried.

Payments: There are two payments for referee per diems outstanding. Vouchers for volunteer referees are still outstanding.

Competitions: There are three competitions in the following month: the final two competitions of the Secondary School team circuit, and the Fenton Open competition.
Jess made a number of suggestions for consideration regarding the organisation of Fencing North competitions in 2019:
The Secondary School individual circuit has become too large to be comfortably run over four days as it has been in the past. Jess recommended that in 2019 the circuit be split over six weekends – three for foil, and three for sabre and epee.
There was discussion of ways to encourage beginner fencers to begin coming to competitions. Jess suggested that a new competition format could be introduced for some events: the Sharks and Minnows format, available on the Fencing Time software. This format allows fencers to be divided into tiers while still providing accurate rankings. However, this format would need FeNZ approval before it could be used. Jess also suggested swapping the position of the Secondary School individual and team events in the calendar as a potential way of encouraging new fencers to come to competitions.
Currently the regional Under-15 and Under-17 events are held over a single weekend. Jess recommended separating these again in 2019, and organising a referee development course to accompany each event.

A document received prior to the meeting from Matt Stanley, representing Whangarei Girls High and Whangarei Swords Club, was read to the committee. The document protested the exclusion of composite teams from the Secondary Schools team circuit this year, and made recommendations for the running of the event in 2019. The committee discussed the submission and agreed that the exclusion of composite teams from these competitions had been unpopular and was contrary to Fencing North’s aim of increasing participation at all levels. Therefore, it was agreed that the event should allow composite teams in 2019, as well as offering a composite team round alongside the upcoming school foil team final on the 18^th of August. It was suggested that school clubs be canvassed for their opinions on the matter, since they are the most affected by composite teams in the competition. Various ways of regulating the composition of composite teams were discussed.

National Secondary School Teams: In the previous month, Fencing MidSouth made the announcement that the upcoming National Secondary School teams event would be run on the basis of selected regional teams rather than school teams as in the past few years.
On the 26^th of July an ad hoc meeting of the committee was held to determine the selection method for these teams. The two options presented for voting were as follows: selection of individual fencers, based on the national rankings, to be combined into regional composite teams; and selection of schools to send teams, also based on national rankings. Votes were taken both by email before the meeting and from those present. The second option (school teams) was passed by a majority. At that meeting also preliminary selections were made and approved by those present, to be confirmed at the regular committee meeting on the 7^th of August.

Confirmation of Preliminary Team Selections: Adrian moved that the preliminary team selections be confirmed with slight emendations. Jess seconded. Motion passed. Katie will contact the selected schools and organise entering their teams into the competition.

Formal Objection to the Regional Team Format: The decision to move to a regional team format has been extremely unpopular in the North region. It had been decided that Bryce, on behalf of Fencing North, would present a formal objection to this change at the FeNZ committee on the 8^th of August. Murray moved to ratify this formal objection. Jess seconded. Motion carried.

Proposed Training Camp: Amanda reported a proposal from Anya that she run a training camp after the National Juniors Championship in Auckland this year. The committee discussed what Fencing North’s role should be in the organisation of training camps. It was decided that the committee should take a more active role in running camps, but that there should be a more formal process of applying for Fencing North support. Bryce moved that Fencing North take on an organisational role in this upcoming training camp, including providing capital where needed and earning profits where merited. Jess seconded. Motion passed.

FeNZ News: Apart from upcoming discussion of the National Secondary Teams event, there was no other notable FeNZ news.

Other Business: MidSouth has made a request for contributions from the other regions to purchase video refereeing equipment. This equipment would be hosted in the MidSouth region, but would be available to lend to other regions. Bryce will circulate further information for consideration.

Meeting Closed: 9:23pm.

Fencing North Committee Meeting – July 6^th 2018

Meeting Opened: 7.13pm.

Present: Bryce Gracie, Jess Gracie, Mary Black, Adrian Roberts, Katie Logan.

Apologies: Judit Fliszar, Laura Harvey.

Previous Minutes: There was no meeting in June due to the lack of a quorum. Amanda moved that we accept the minutes for the May meeting. Katie seconded. Motion carried.

Matters arising from the Previous Minutes: We have yet to reimburse entry fees for the Oceania Cadet champs, as resolved in September 2017. Amanda will continue to work on this.
Katie has been unable to contact the nominated candidate for Youth Representative. She will continue to attempt to contact this candidate, and if unable the committee will look into other ways of appointing a representative.

Health and Safety: Jess reported that there have been several incident reports filed in the last two months: three from North Islands and one from Secondary Schools. All incidents were handled with due process using the Injury Reporting Form. At the Secondary Schools competitions, the officials identified an increasing hazard from fencers and guests crossing the pistes while fencing was in progress. This was mitigated by setting up rope barriers to mark the boundaries of the fencing area.
Amanda reported that FeNZ is appointing a Safety Officer, and suggested that Fencing North do the same. This position would involve collating Accident and Injury Forms, identifying and mitigating hazards at Fencing North events and reporting any significant issues to Fencing North. Katie is to look into potential candidates for this appointment.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda presented the treasurer’s report. Entry fees from the Secondary Schools competitions and several from North Islands remain to be banked.

Payments: We have not yet purchased most of the vouchers for referees at recent competitions.
There was discussion around whether Fencing North should give monetary support to fencers travelling to Commonwealth Juniors this year. This opened up the larger issue of Fencing North’s overall strategy for supporting our high-level fencers at overseas competitions. It was decided that this strategy discussion be part of the agenda for the following meeting.

Competitions: Jess reported that the recent Secondary School competitions were a great success, with over a hundred competitors at most of the competitions. In the next month there is only one competition, the Macleavy Sabre on July 14^th.
Jess observed that this round of competitions proved that the gym at Massey High School was too small for the Secondary School competitions, and that it was becoming extremely difficult to run these competitions on a single day. Jess and Bryce have been looking into the possibility of hiring a larger gym, and suggested Massey University as a possible candidate. This gym is larger, more easily accessible by public transport and relatively affordable; further Fencing North could hire only half of the gym for smaller competitions. Bryce and Jess will continue looking into the situation at Massey University (including ongoing issues such as equipment storage), as well as considering other options, especially in more central locations.

FeNZ News: Amanda reported that FeNZ has received an offer from FIE of 5000 Swiss Francs’ worth of equipment. It is not yet known what proportion of this grant Fencing North will receive, but FeNZ has asked for submissions for the types of equipment each region would like. The committee decided to request jackets, plastrons and masks, which can then be distributed.

Other Business:

Referee Leadership: A few recent incidents at competitions have shown that there is a need for leadership among referees. Amanda suggested that we form a small Refereeing Subcommittee made up of experienced and involved referees. Members of this subcommittee would have authority over and responsibility for referees at competitions, and would provide support for developing referees. This subcommittee would also provide an official channel for escalating and resolving any issues arising between referees and other people at competitions.
Katie moved that this suggested be accepted. Mary seconded. Motion carried. Amanda is to approach potential candidates for this subcommittee.

Code of Conduct: Bryce presented a draft version of a Fencing North Code of Conduct for comment. This Code would be posted at the door at any Fencing North event, and apply to all people attending.

Training Camp: A training camp being organised by Anya, to be held in early October, was discussed.

North Harbour Fencing Club: Adrian reported that the North Harbour Fencing Club is in the process of closing, only waiting for the final reports to be submitted. It has closed its bank account according to its constitution, with remaining funds of $120 devolving to Fencing North. The majority of the club’s fencers have become members of JF Fencing School, and NHFC wishes them all the best.

Meeting Closed: 9:17pm.

Fencing North Committee Meeting – May 3^rd 2018

Meeting Opened: 7:14pm

Present: Bryce Gracie, Amanda Hopkins, Katie Logan, David Irwin, Jess Gracie (late).

Apologies: Mary Black.

Previous Minutes: Amanda moved that we accept the previous minutes. Bryce seconded. Motion carried.

Matters arising from the Previous Minutes: Jess has been in contact with Daniel Chan of Mainland Fencing. He is offering a wireless scoring box to the school with the highest cumulative individual results.

Health and Safety: There have been no health and safety incidents reported in 2018 at Fencing North competitions so far.
There was discussion of first aid proficiency within Fencing North. There are usually at least two people with current first aid certificates at Fencing North competitions. To increase these numbers, it was suggested that Fencing North might either fund or organise first aid courses for a certain number of members.
FeNZ now has an official Action and Injury Reporting Form, which is available for download on the FeNZ website. Fencing North will be using this form to report any incidents occurring at Fencing North events, and encourages schools and clubs to use this form in the absence of any formal club procedures.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda verbally presented the Treasurer’s Report. Amanda moved that her report be accepted. Jess seconded. Motion carried.

Payments: No payments have been made since the previous meeting. A few payments are outstanding. As approved by email vote in the previous month, Fencing North shall reimburse the flights of Bruce Ng and Christine Chen, who participated in a referee training event in Wellington. Also approved by email vote were subsidies for participants in a training course for epee coaching, run by Kyle Macdonald. Finally, in September 2017 it was resolved to reimburse the individual entry fees for North fencers competing at the 2018 Oceania Cadet Championship in New Caledonia. Amanda will find the names of these fencers and contact them for reimbursement.

Competitions: Jess presented the current competition situation to the committee. In the following month, Fencing North will be holding the Secondary School circuit and North Islands.
Organisational matters for North Islands were discussed. The entry fee for the open event was set at $55 for the first weapon, and $25 for subsequent weapons. The entry fee for the veterans event was set at $35.

FeNZ News: Bryce and Amanda shared news from FeNZ. FeNZ will not adopt the new requirements for mask fastenings and padded chest protectors which will be implemented at FIE competitions after the upcoming World Champs. However, FeNZ will require more stringent checking of mask fastenings by referees at the piste.

Other Business: Both the referee training course in Wellington and the first session of the epee coach training course have been reported as successes.

Youth Representative: Fencing North has received the resignation of our youth representative, Jessica Kaiser. Applications will be opened for a new youth representative, to be selected at the next committee meeting.

Meeting Closed: 8:21pm.

Fencing North Committee Meeting – March 1^st, 2018

Meeting Opened: 7.12pm.

Present: Bryce Gracie; Jess Gracie; Katie Logan; Amanda Hopkins; Mary Black.

Apologies: Eric Buisman; Laura Harvey.

Previous Minutes: Katie moves that the minutes are correct. Jess seconds. Motion carried.

Matters Arising from Previous Minutes: As discussed at the previous meeting, Fencing North intends to hire out its gear to clubs during the week on a short term basis, with the intention of allowing these club to develop, cope with surges and run larger training camps. A form and set of responsibilities and guidelines for hire will be developed by Bryce and Jess for this purpose. The fees were set at $10 a week and $50 a quarter (or school term) for a full set of electronic box, spools and ground wires, and the same for Fencing North’s entire inventory of whites and masks. The cost to hire different sets of equipment will be scaled as appropriate. In addition, for individuals wanting to hire gear for competitions the fee will be $5 per piece of equipment, or $10 for the set. Jess moved that these suggestions be accepted. Mary seconded. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda verbally presented the treasurer’s report. The society is in good financial health with one session of Massey hall hire outstanding. Amanda moved that her report be accepted. Bryce seconded. Motion carried.

Payments: No payments need approval.

Competitions: Fencing North is running three competitions in the next month: U15/U17s regional championships, the Ongley Open, and U20s/U23s regional championships.

                Secondary Schools Events: Daniel Chan of Mainland Fencing has offered to provide sponsorship for the upcoming regional Secondary Schools circuit by donating a major prize.

                Jess moved that the token of appreciation offered to referees who volunteer for an entire day at the Secondary School events be a gift valued at $30 (increased from $20), and that this increased cost be covered by charging participants for the final event of the series (keeping entry fees at $20 per event). Katie seconded. Motion carried.

                The format used at the North Secondary School championships in 2017, with separate divisions, cannot be used this year because it is not sanctioned by FeNZ. Advice will be sought from the other regions in order to find an acceptable format.

                Mixed Events: Recently FeNZ has recommended that female fencers be allowed to fence in men’s events at the regional level, provided that they also participate in the women’s event. Essentially all such men’s events would be run as mixed events, in which both men and women can gain ranking points. This change was intended to give the top female fencers more opportunities to compete at a high level. Of the three tournaments to be held in the following month, Jess moved that Fencing North run mixed events at the Ongley Open, but not at the age group events. Katie seconded. Motion carried.

FeNZ News: Amanda has been elected Secretary General of FeNZ at the recent AGM (February 25^th, 2018).

Kyle Macdonald has suggested that Fencing North run a National training camp in early October as part of the preparation for Senior Commonwealths. Amanda will liaise with Kyle and Auckland coaches on this topic. Amanda moved that we support this training camp. Bryce seconded. Motion carried.

Other Business: Amanda brought the recently proposed Auckland Plan and long-term budget to the committee’s attention. The current proposal suggests that sport and recreation will not be a high priority for the Auckland Council over the next few decades. It was suggested that Fencing North, Auckland-based clubs and individual fencers make submissions before 8pm on March 28^th commenting on this proposal and the needs of Auckland fencing. Katie will draft a submission on behalf of Fencing North.

Meeting Closed: 8.45pm.