Hi guys,
I've had a few questions. Here is what I've learned today:

As the amount of information on the website is fairly sparse I e-mailed
Paul Soter of Golden Gate Fencing Center, GGFC, asking for what he
knows. And just a brief aside, I was a member of GGFC for several
years but left for reasons. I do not always see eye to eye with
Paul but given his breadth and depth of experience with fencing
and the fencing communities (he was the US national men's
epee coach in Athens) I listen rather carefully when he speaks.
The following is his response to me - which he gave permission
to quote or pass on:

My original e-mail slightly abridged:

I signed the petition passed it around in Pittsburgh. But do you
know anything more about who's behind it? I understand it is more of a
national than regional effort. I've tried to pass word around but
it would help to answer questions if I knew more about the proposal.
Is there a plan for what to do if the petition succeeds?
Who are the persons that would be the persons to take over. Is there
more planned for the national office?

Paul Soter's response:

Hi, Jonathan -

Those are good and fair questions. Here are some answers:

Procedure:
If the petition succeeds in obtaining a recall, the Board may choose, by
a 2/3 vote, to suspend the President pending its resolution. The
Executive Committee can then select one of the three VP's as interim
President. Indications are that Cheris is willing to serve in that
capacity and Sobalvarro is not. I don't know about Wright, but as he has
the least experience, I would doubt it.

The recall process consists of a recall election like we had in
CaIifornia last year: the President runs against a nominee selected by
the Nominating Committee. Other candidates may also be nominated by
petition.

Movers
The movers include Jeff Bukantz, who is the US Team Captain and former
Chair of the FOC; Carl Borack, former Team Captain and USFA VP; and
Cathy Zagunas, mother of our only Olympic Gold Medalist. I suppose you'd
have to include me in the moving group, too. As you know, I am a former
everything, but most relevant, former PCS Chair, USFA VP, and USFA
Secretary.

None of us relishes the prospect of a petition drive, recall election,
and new election. The question is whether those steps are better or
worse for US fencing than another 2 1/2 years of the current situation.
In our view, the recall is the lesser evil. We are not happy about
having to do so, but we feel that the USFA will continue to implode if
changes are not made at the top.


Basis for the Recall
The recall movement can be boiled down to three bases. First, the USFA's
high-level international competitive program is a shambles due to
incompetence and poor oversight. Second, the National Office is out of
control and is offering an unacceptable level of service to the
membership, again due to incompetence and poor oversight. Third, the
major committees are having a terrible time performing their basic
functions, again due to poor oversight and coordination. These are the
President's responsibility, and she has failed to take appropriate
action in these areas, and in other areas where there are serious issues.

Those of us who have attended Board meetings have seen this lack of
leadership and competence in action. There seems to be little or no
advance planning, and no serious follow-up at the presidential level. I
can provide some specifics if you like.

National Office
This is really the key issue for me. With the notable and admirable
exception of Christine Simmons in Tournament Services, I feel that the
level of service provided by the Office is completely unacceptable. It
is impossible to reach a live person at the Office. Voice mails left
with the Office are not returned. The Director of International
Programs, hired shortly before the Olympics, was fired within a year and
has still not been replaced, leaving his functions unfulfilled. The new
Web site is barely functioning, and crashes consistently at the worst
possible times (right before NAC entry deadlines, every time). Worst of
all, the Office has failed to implement a system for online entries for
NAC’s and other national tournaments, despite specific representations
by the Executive to the Board of Directors that an online entry system
would be in place for the start of the 2005-2006 season. The President
has failed in her obligation to provide leadership and supervision for
the Office, and the situation shown no signs of improving.

Final Thoughts
I can't emphasize enough how loathe I was to come to the conclusion that
I had to agree that this was necessary. Since I resigned as NC, I have
been having a wonderful time actually spending my time teaching and
working on developing my own club. Getting sucked into this kind of USFA
brouhaha is the last thing I wanted to do. I had to recognize, though,
that my fencers ultimately need a functional USFA to help them achieve
their goals in fencing, rather than a disfunctional USFA impeding them
from achieving those goals. So, here we are. Thanks for your interest.
Feel free to quote or appropriate any of this message. Let me know if
you need anything else from me.

P
BTW, everything the general membership is suffering, the people trying
to run the USFA's international competitive program are suffering
worse. Every single national coach is reported to support the recall,
because the inefficiencies, arbitrariness, incompetence, and
indifference of the administration is having a daily effect on their
lives and the lives of their families, students, students' families,
and friends. It's just horrible: you can't get a decision made, and
when it finally is, you can't get it implemented. The only thing
that's keeping anyone involved at that level is their love of fencing
and of the fencers. I don't know how long they can hang on, though.

--------------END of Paul Soter's comments----------------------

Just some stray thoughts. The USFA's office crew is tiny, 8-9 people.
Undoubtedly overworked, the only way they can possibly perform the
functions that we need is if they are incredibly efficient. The web,
computers, cell phones are essential. And the USFA website is NOT
a luxury but a necessity for the organization to function. In Pittsburgh
I heard some concerning comments about the awarding of the contract
for the new not functioning so well website. My personal feeling is
that the USFA needs more visibility and transparency in its decision
making. In order to get there the members have to be informed of what
is going on and be able to take part. I believe the current set up
has USFA officers being elected by persons appointed by the division
chairs. Perhaps at one time this had a reason but today it sounds
very undesirable. Even wallstreet allows for election of officers by
means of the web.