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Fencing North Meeting - September 2019

Fencing North Meeting – September 30th 2019

 

Meeting Opened: 7:16pm.

Present: David Elder, Amanda Hopkins, Katie Logan, Sunnie Sun.

Apologies: Mary Black, Ryan Yan.

Confirmation of the Previous Minutes: Amanda moved that the minutes from August be accepted. David seconded. Motion carried.

Matters Arising: As discussed in the previous meeting, David presented a letter to the FeNZ committee on behalf on Fencing North expressing, among other issues, our concern that no member of North had been appointed to the Officiating Commission.

Amanda reported that as a result of that discussion, she would present a proposal for the terms of reference of the Officiating Commission. Her proposal is a compromise position, suggesting that the Officiating Commission should set the standards for National competitions and the regions would act to meet them. This would make it easier for regions to meet the requirements without the difficulty and expense of relying on the Officiating Commission to personally qualify every aspect. The North committee reviewed the proposal and agreed that it would be an effective solution to some of the issues.

Health and Safety: There were no incidents reported this month.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda gave the Treasurer’s report. She confirmed again that Fencing North is heading for a significant loss this financial year. Competitions are Fencing North’s main source of income: in general we broke even or made some money on regional competitions this year, but suffered considerable expenses in the two National competitions. Katie seconded Amanda’s report. The report was accepted.

The committee discussed ways to either increase income or decrease expenditure in the following year. Amanda’s proposal above is expected to decrease the cost of National competitions. Increasing income from competitions will be one of the focus points of the upcoming Tournament Operations Meeting (see below). Katie further suggested that Fencing North open a new subsidiary bank account to handle incoming competition fees and similar, which should make it easier to track; Amanda will draft a new mandate to change the bank account.

Purchase of Pistes: Fencing North is currently looking into buying new sectional pistes, both to cycle out old equipment and to allay concerns over taping roll-out pistes to the floor at Trusts. David is seeking quotes for purchase.

David moved that Fencing North apply for funding from charities for the purchase of pistes. Amanda seconded. Motion carried.

Competitions: The final competition held in the region this year is North Opens, to be held on the 12th of October.

Tournament Operations Meeting: Katie announced that she plans to chair a meeting on the 13th of October, with the aim of organising the operation of tournaments for 2020. This year tournaments have been unevenly organised, due to the job falling on inexperienced organisers. Therefore, it is vital that next year there is a defined team of tournament organisers who have the knowledge to put together all of the moving parts involved in a successful competition. If you have knowledge to share about running tournaments or are interested in getting involved next year, please email Katie on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

FeNZ News: David and Amanda reported the news from FeNZ.

At the previous FeNZ meeting there was a promise to announce the selections for the National U20 Development Squad, but as of the time of this meeting the squad had not yet been announced. The first development camp (invitation only) is to be held in Christchurch at the end of November.

Notice has been given of a FeNZ Special General Meeting, to make minor adjustments to the constitution. David has offered to host anyone who wishes to join the Skype meeting; please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to attend.

Dr Steve Fish has been appointed as the FeNZ Medical Officer.

A draft calendar for national competitions in 2020 and onwards has been tabled for discussion.

By resolution of FeNZ, the regions will now be responsible for covering the Paypal fees accrued from affiliation payments.

Other Business:

Fencing North Dinner: David has booked a dinner at Tasca, Mt Eden to celebrate the end of the year. The cost will be $65 per person, plus drinks. All are welcome but spaces are limited, so email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RSVP.

Fencing Commercial: The independent commercial starring fencing discussed in previous meetings has been produced, with the help of Fencing North in exchange for a small profit.

North Teams for Open Nationals: Fencing North has been invited to send teams to Open Nationals at the end of October. Following an email vote, we have followed the same procedure as last year: we accepted nominations from individual fencers, then passed them on the a selector to make any final choices.

Fencing North Referee Committee: Last year in August Fencing North appointed a Referee Sub-committee of Laura Harvey, Neil Young and Anya Kamynina; this year in April Ryan Yan was appointed to the committee. The committee will draft the terms of reference for the referee committee’s activities following the Tournament Operations meeting.

Fencing North Annual General Meeting: As an incorporated society, Fencing North must hold an Annual General Meeting each year to discuss matters which apply to the entire membership, such as affiliation fees. The AGM for 2019 has been set for the 1st of December, 2pm at the Onehunga Community Centre. Notice will be sent out in due course.