Jan. 4, 2006 Executive Committee Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 6:40 PM by Chairman Louise Lepie at the Houston Athletic Fencing Center at 4997 West Bellfort, Houston. Other Officers present were Vice Chairman Jerry Dunaway, Secretary Matt Delevoryas, and Treasurer Rachel El-Saleh.

It was noted that the meeting had been called by the Chairman the previous evening, without any member of the Executive Committee receiving 48 hours notice of the meeting. All Executive Committee members were noted to have waived notice by virtue of their willing participation in the meeting.

The draft minutes of the two previous (November 2 and November 7) meetings, as they had appeared on the Division Web site, were accepted by general consent.

The Treasurer reported that there had been no financial activity since the last meeting of the Executive Committee when a report was given (November 2^nd). In particular, she noted that there was $5 yet to be disbursed to Matt Delevoryas for materials expenses for administration of the Division's qualifier tournament for the Junior Olympic Championships, and that the was still pursuing executing the necessary paperwork with the Texas A&M University Fencing Club to enable the transfer of the Division's one-half of the profit from the 2005 Divisionals from TAMUFC to the Division.

Matt Delevoryas, Chairman of the Equipment Committee, reported on the state of the equipment. He reported:

The two main strip scoring equipment sets are in good shape with two previously reported significant exceptions (items 1-2), six new exceptions worthy of note at this time (items 3-6), and one newly reported but old and not urgent exception (item 9).

1) The floor cords are still missing for the "red set" and still being substituted for by a better floor cord set owned by Texas A&M University Fencing Club. A previous meeting has authorized purchase of replacements for the Division cords. I have not yet exhausted the final resources in attempting to locate the lost cords, but it now seems beyond the point of diminishing returns. I anticipate replacing the cords promptly and returning the substitute cords to TAMUFC shortly. I had expected dealing with this during September, but unusual events intervened, and time since then has passed faster than expected.

2) Exactly two of the 16 rubber feet of the Favero Millennium reels are missing from their mounting holes, both from reel #1 of the "yellow set". I have no reason any more to believe that the original feet will be found. It is not known when the feet disappeared, except that one reel was observed to be in use at the J.O. qualifiers with two feet already missing. At the moment, there are ad hoc "feet" composed of duct tape to keep the case of the reel off the floor, but these "feet" provide no traction. A previous meeting authorized my purchase of replacements for the rubber feet, as long as I did not find it disturbingly expensive. I had expected dealing with this during September, but unusual events intervened, and time since then has passed faster than expected.

3) One of the floor cords lent by Texas A&M University Fencing Club for use with the "red set" did not return intact from Oz Parsons. The cords have Prieur three-prong connectors. The plastic block which forms the body broke into two pieces, and the smaller piece, along with the prong mounted in it, is missing. I have not yet determined if the missing piece was found at Oz. When I received the equipment back at the end of the Oz, I inventoried everything, but my check was not so detailed as to include counting the number of prongs at all eight floor cord connectors. I recommend that I be authorized to purchase and be reimbursed from the reserved equipment fund for one Prieur three-prong connector for repair of the cord. I would not intend to use this authorization if I can recover the missing piece and restore the connector to full normal condition.

4) Reel #1 of the "yellow set" has two spots on the cable where the outer insulation is worn through or simply broken. Both are near the connector. At this moment there is tip tape covering the flaws. I intend to evaluate the situation and decide between continuing to treat the symptom with tip tape, heat-shrink tubing, and/or flexible adhesives, and shortening the cable as necessary to eliminate the bad spots.

5) Reel #1 of the "yellow set" has a worn cable guide, so worn that the spring on the connector jams in the guide and rips free from the connector. It appears that the major source of wear to the guide is use of the reel with the hole aimed at a diagonal to the length of the strip. I recommend that I be authorized to purchase and be reimbursed from the reserved equipment fund for one replacement cable guide for this reel, if I cannot devise a suitable way to continue with the current cable guide.

6) Reel #2 of the "red set" has a worn cable guide, so worn that the spring connector not only jammed in the guide and ripped free from the connector, but got swallowed up inside the reel! At the moment, the spring is safely stored at the innermost reaches of the cable. I recommend that I be authorized to purchase and be reimbursed from the reserved equipment fund for one replacement cable guide for this reel, if I cannot devise a suitable way to continue with the current cable guide.

7) Reel #2 of the "red set" has one spot on the cable where the outer insulation is damaged, one of the individual wires is pulled part way out the gap, and part of its insulation has been stripped. This is almost one meter from the connector. I strongly suspect that this was caused by the pulled-free spring jammed in the cable guide, or else caused by damage on the cable guide. I intend to evaluate the situation and decide between treating the symptom with tip tape, heat-shrink tubing, and/or flexible adhesives, and shortening the cable as necessary to eliminate the bad spots.

8) One of the floor cords for the "yellow set" has a basket on one of the prongs which is nearly destroyed by use. (As an aside, it should be noted that the equipment, as purchased, did not include Favero floor cords, but some off brand. The connectors on them are poor quality, and there have been chronic problems getting good connections with those connectors. And, these off-brand cables are the evidence I have the Texas A&M University Fencing Club actually did lose the cables from the "red set", because at 2004 SWIFA #1 A&M had one such cord in their possession, could not explain how they procured it, but did not have a second like it.) I recommend that I be authorized to purchase and be reimbursed from the reserved equipment fund for one good three-prong connector to replace this entire connector, and keep the replaced connector for replacement parts for the other three of the same type.

9) One of the latches for the plastic carrying case for the scoring box for the "yellow set" is snapped off. Some time ago, this broken latch got moved there, having originally been on a carrying case for reels (which are heavier and need intact latches more). This is an old and minor problem just never previously mentioned. It is also not clear whether the problem happened before or after the Division bought the equipment. (There is some circumstantial evidence that the equipment was used as rental equipment before the Division bought it.) I recommend taking no action at present, and the first action being researching whether replacement latches even exist.

There is no change in the status of the Escrime Technologies SG21V1 box.

At the Gobbler's Revenge tournament, it became evident that there is one long-term equipment concern which has not been addressed. The remote control units for the scoring boxes use 9 volt batteries. These batteries eventually go dead. Sometimes, they go dead in the middle of a tournament, rather than beforehand when equipment may be routinely checked. Brazosport Fencing Extravaganza was kind enough to donate a battery when the problem was discovered. It may be wise for an extra battery to be kept with each scoring box. It may also be wise for expenditure authority to exist for batteries for the scoring boxes.

Since the November 2nd Executive Committee meeting (the last at which a report was presented), the two main sets of equipment have been lent to the Louise Lepie for use at the Houston November RYC, to the Texas A&M University Fencing Club for the Heavy Metal, to the LOC for the Oz Parsons (an SSCC tournament), to the Brazosport Fencing Extravaganza for Gobbler's Revenge, and to the LOC for the Division's qualifier tournament for the Junior Olympic Championships. They have been requested by the LOC for the Rose Condon Memorial (an SSCC tournament).

By general consent, the assembly resolved that the Chairman of the Equipment Committee be authorized to purchase and be reimbursed from the reserved equipment fund 1) one Prieur three-prong connector for repair of the cord for use with the "red set" which did not return intact from Oz Parsons, 2) one replacement cable guide for reel #1 of the "yellow set", 3) one replacement cable guide for reel #2 of the "red set", 4) one good three-prong connector to replace the entire connector with a nearly-destroyed basket on one of the prongs of one of the floor cords for the "yellow set", and 5) replacement 9 volt batteries for the remote controls for the scoring boxes of the "red set" and the "yellow set" when needed, so as always to have one new replacement battery available with each remote control.

Louise Lepie moved that, in regard to the divisional tournaments held October 1^st and 2^nd, where the competitions did not have sufficient notice to the fencers of the Division to satisfy the December 7th, 2004 Executive Committee resolution on required timeliness of notice of competitions to fencers of the Division, as amended on March 1^st. 2005, that classifications nonetheless be awarded for these specific tournaments, and reported to the National Office. After debate, the motion passed 3-1.

Rachel El-Saleh moved that the membership of the Operations Manual Committee created on August 31, 2005 be enlarged to consist of Evangelina Bibb, Beau Brunson, Rachel El-Saleh, Margaret Horscroft, Manuel Rodriguez, Nicole Trojanowski, Louise Lepie, Suzanne Simpson, and Chris Williams, with such chairman as the committee itself may select. The motion passed by general consent.

Louise Lepie mentioned that she planned to write and mail a "Notes from the Chair" mailing, and that she would mention the availability of funding from the Division for referee development for members of the Division, discussed in previous meetings. There were no new motions, neither rescinding what had previously been decided in general, nor adding enough additional details for the actual administering of these "grants" to occur without involvement of the Executive Committee to react to any specific request. However, Louise was able to conclude that the sense of the Executive Committee on this topic was sufficiently unchanged as to be able to be mentioned safely in her mailing.

The Historical Committee had not had any membership or leadership since the new Bylaws were adopted on July 31^st, 2005 and changed the authority by which this optional committee is populated. Rachel El-Saleh moved to appoint Matt Delevoryas as Chairman of the Historical Committee. The motion passed by general consent.

By general consent, the meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM.