Fencing North Committee Meeting – 25th March 2019
Meeting Opened: 7:08pm
Present: David Elder, Amanda Hopkins, Katie Logan, Murray McGuire-Barnes, Sunny Sun, Nour Malak, Kyle Nankivell, Neil Young, Vicky Fan.
Confirmation of the Previous Minutes: Katie proposed that the previous minutes be accepted. David seconded. Motion carried.
Matters Arising: David reported that the pricing for the new membership tiers discussed in the previous meeting has been altered, as some regions are constitutionally required to charge a regional levy to all members. Therefore, the FeNZ fees for the beginner and social membership tiers have been waived so that regions can charge their own fees if necessary. Fencing North’s affiliation levy will remain at $0 for all membership tiers for 2019.
The record of the FeNZ strategy meeting will be circulated to all members in the near future.
There has been some progress in recruiting volunteers for tournament assistance, coaching coordination and publicity/marketing.
Health and Safety: Neil and Vicky reported an incident from the North U17s competition: one epee competitor’s mask flew off when it was struck by the opponent, due to incorrect tongue configuration and a fatigued elastic strap. There were no injuries, but the committee considered this a serious safety risk. In future tournament organisers will emphasise the importance of safe and functional equipment at competitions and ensure that all referees check competitors’ masks before the bout begins.
It was also observed that occasionally basketballs would roll across the pistes during fencing due to the shared nature of the Trusts Arena. David will attempt to move as many competitions as possible to enclosed courts.
Treasurer’s Report: Amanda gave the Treasurer’s report. The accounts are currently missing information on competition receipts and payments; the officers will attempt to fill in missing figures before the following meeting. Neil seconded Amanda’s report. Motion carried.
Payments: Fencing North has received its first invoice from Trusts, which will be paid in arrears. Hall hire is still owed to Auckland Grammar, who have not yet invoiced us.
Competitions: The following month sees the beginning of our Secondary Schools Circuit, with SS Beginners on April 6th and SS Individuals #1 on April 13th.
Referee per diems/incentives: Neil reported that referees have been somewhat discontent about the per diem rate for competitions, and that there has been general confusion about how much and when they will be paid. The committee discussed the issue and concluded that it was necessary to sort out the books before setting a new rate for referees. David will raise the issue at the next FeNZ meeting to ensure consistency throughout the country.
FeNZ News: The FeNZ AGM was held on March 17th. Congratulations to Alice Boyd, who was elected to the FeNZ board.
In late 2018 FeNZ received a package of beginner fencing gear from FIE. David is arranging distribution of the equipment to clubs throughout the North region.
The National U20s championship was held recently, on the 23-24th of March in Christchurch. Nour reported that she received some complaints from youth fencers about the competition, particularly surrounding the repechage format. Although they appreciated getting more fencing time, there was lack of communication surrounding the format, which led to confusion and extremely long periods of waiting for no clear reason. David will will discuss this feedback with FeNZ and Fencing North will take it on board for future competitions.
Other Business:
Training Camps: David reported that some coaches have approached him about obtaining Fencing North support for training camps. The committee agreed that Fencing North would be happy to either run or facilitate such camps.
Marketing Banners: David presented some concepts for marketing banners to the committee. These banners would be displayed at the Trusts Arena reception full-time and could be borrowed by clubs for promotional exercises.
Competition Results: Neil, on behalf of Kyle MacDonald, noted that results for the last several competitions are not yet online. Katie will attempt to rectify this issue as soon as possible.
Competition Equipment: Murray commented that issues had arisen at the previous competition due to insufficient and faulty school equipment. Schools and clubs will be advised of the gear requirements for competitions and reminded to check their equipment before sending fencers to compete.
Meeting Closed: 9:00pm.