Fencing North Committee Meeting – 25^th 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 6^th and SS Individuals #1 on April 13^th.

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 17^th. 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 23-24^th 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.

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Fencing needs you!

To help grow our wonderful sport, we need referees who understand the game - who know the rules and are comfortable to make the call. Therefore, we are holding a referee development course on the 16th-17th of March!

This course is designed for beginner referees who are experienced fencers, or referees with some experience who want to know more. Topics will include: Positioning, hand signals, penalties, gravitas, confidence, weapon testing at the piste, piste management, safety, filling out a score sheet correctly.

There will be a class session on the 16th from 1-5pm. The format will include both discussion and practical assessment, with fencers handy to allow you to practice your skills and get feedback on the day. Attendees will also get a chance to referee the following day at the North U17 competition. There your practical skills will be assessed and feedback given.

Hosted by Neil Young, Laura Harvey and Jess Gundry - a great group of experienced referees giving you the knowledge you need - and it's FREE!

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - spaces are limited.

Venue is Trusts Arena - upstairs in the Heron Coaches Lounge (turn right out of the elevator).

Fencing North Meeting – February 25^th 2019

Meeting Opened: 7:06pm

Present: David Elder, Amanda Hopkins, Katie Logan, Neil Young, Vicky Fan, Kyle Nankivell, Mary Black, Peter Butler.

Confirmation of the Previous Minutes: David moved that the minutes from January be accepted. Katie seconded. All in favour.

Matters Arising: As discussed in the January meeting, Fencing North has been working towards securing Trusts Arena as our home venue for 2019. Our agreement with Trusts has since been finalised.

Health and Safety: No incidents reported.

Treasurer’s Report: Amanda gave the Treasurer’s report and moved that it be accepted. Neil seconded. Motion carried.

Competitions: There are two upcoming competitions in March: the Ongley Open on the 4^th and North Under-17s on the 17^th (paired with a referee training course on the 16^th).

Competition Calendar: The competition calendar has been finalised and the updated version will be available on the Fencing North and Fencing NZ websites.

Venue for NZ Secondary Schools: The Mount Albert Grammar School gym has been confirmed as our venue for National Secondary Schools.

FeNZ News:

New Membership Tiers: There has been considerable discussion in FeNZ about alternative types of affiliation, with the aim of getting as many fencers affiliated as possible. Two new membership tiers have been created. First, new fencers can sign up for a three-month free trial affiliation, during which they are covered by FeNZ liability insurance but may not compete in tournaments. Alternatively, fencers may affiliate with a club membership at $10/year, which allows entry in one social or novice competition. Clubs are urged to encourage all of their fencers to affiliate so that FeNZ membership more accurately reflects the actual number of fencers in New Zealand.

FeNZ Strategy Meeting: On February 23^rd a FeNZ strategy meeting was held, which David, Amanda and Neil attended. They reported that the meeting was very productive. A record of the meeting and its results will soon be made publicly available on the FeNZ website.

FeNZ Minutes: Amanda reported that FeNZ will begin to publish minutes of its monthly meetings on its website.

Fencing North 2019 Goals and Strategy:

Club Feedback: David reported that he has been visiting all of the North clubs asking for feedback. He plans to table a full report in the following meeting, which Fencing North can use to guide its planning in future.

Tournament Assistance: The committee discussed a number of areas where Fencing North has need of further volunteer help. In particular, we would like to enlist more people to help with tournament organisation and operations, working with our DT. We encourage any fencers, parents or others who are interested in giving back to the sport to contact us.

Coach Coordinator: David suggested that Fencing North appoint someone to coordinate coaches in our region; for example, by keeping track of coaches’ clubs and specialties, ensuring communication between coaches and Fencing North and arranging coaching development. The committee will consider the exact scope of the role and potential candidates.

Publicity/Marketing Communications: David also suggested that Fencing North appoint a Marketing/Publicity Officer, who would write the monthly newsletter, advertise events and generally promote fencing and Fencing North. We invite anyone who might be interested in such a role to contact us.

Other Business:

FeNZ Insurance Policy: Recently there has been some confusion around how the FeNZ liability insurance policy applies to affiliated clubs. The committee agreed to submit a list of questions to Richard Johnston for clarification.

Tournament Format: The committee discussed the possibility of holding plate events to increase participation in tournaments. It was decided to hold plate events whenever practicable.

Committee Meeting Venue: Kyle proposed that the committee move to a different venue for future meetings, due to safety concerns surrounding our current hall. Neil seconded. All in favour.

Meeting Closed: 8:52pm.