All, I empathise with you all about the chaos of the end of last year and the start of this year.
BUT lets just set some facts straight. 1. You all through apathy or intent voted out the old BUF and voted in the UKU being fully aware of the cost implications and how those funds raises were, in theory, going to be used. It was openly and publically campaigned for before and was voted in at an AGM / EGM of the BUF. (Anyone claiming to be unaware of the implications at the time please do not enter into this discussion because you certainly will not recieve any of my time as those of you who cannot be bothered aren't worth the effort! Obvious exceptions accepted). Don't forget - if you want sympathy, phone your mother! 2. The old BUF was not sustainable as there was too little funding and too much work to be wholly reliant on volunteers.The UKU has some meager funding and should, over the first couple of years, be looking to maintain somewhere near the status quo as it takes time for inertia to build to move things forward. 3. First year = learning year. Over the first year we had numerous new issues to deal with on the playing side - complaints about coed, about players Tour eligibility and the moving of players between teams, players conduct on and off the field etc. These took up an enormous amount of time for the Chairman of the association, Ben Ravilious and others. This coupled with the effort to drive on the UKU with our juniors going to Latvia etc undoubtedly cost the Chairman far too much time and his business definitely suffered (as mine is now!) hence his resignation earlier this year. I personally give my heartfelt thanks to Ben for his enormous effort, vision and plain hard work in getting this going! The current difficulties come from the fact that the Chairman ceased doing his job from about September last year, unbeknown to the UKU Board. Coupled with this the DoC, Si Weeks after completing his year as "Ronseal man" was unable to continue (He did exactly what he said in his manifesto in his year in power - didn't change anything, avoided decisions, left the following year vague to give the new DoC full reign for the changes which the Tour system so obviously needs, kept things ticking along, gave Chris Hughes a much needed year off). Within the remit of the Chairman is the duty to ensure elections take place. The UKU Board did not elect a Vice Chairman (hands up - I should know better) or a Vice DoC. Shock, horror - the BUF didn't have such posts either! This meant no elections, hence a power void, our administrator left stranded without instruction and a pretty ineffective inane board. Therefore nothing happened. I proposed Chris Hughes to be Acting DoC in December when it became clear that we were in trouble with the coming seasons events. Due to his mandate being internal he felt that the sweeping changes he wanted to make were inappropriate and so has attempted to run a holding year much as last year. He took up his post in January and earnestly hope he will recieve everyones support in the upcoming elections. The diary was vague for the very good reasons previously stated and Chris has been trying to firm them up as quickly as possible. WHAT YOU MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE WAY CHRIS NORMALLY DOES BUSINESS AS HAS BEEN SHOWN BY HIS PREVIOUS EXCELLENT WORK. So don't give him a hard time unless you are willing to try and do better! Now the UKU Board. Yep, you have every right to criticise. The number of replies and interest shown by the current board in discussion is beyond dispicable. Sorry, but if you weren't willing to be shamed you shouldn't have stood or should have done some work! I am Acting Chairman of the UKU on the vote of 3 of my colleagues! Yes only 3. We currently have 11 UKU directors if you include Ben! Wayne Davey Barry O'Kane Pete Harvey Laura Pearce and obviously Ben and Chris Well done. You have been active and involved. The rest of the board .... Well thats my opinion and everyone knows how mildly spoken and how reasonable I am! Since my coup, I have been working continually with NJ and the team to ensure elections, tournaments, last years decisions and general normal business occur. Please note NJ's mail for details of much of what is going on. simon.johnson whoever you are! 5 minutes. Thats all. Can't understand why we are so incompetent that it hasn't been done. BUT HAVEN'T GOT TIME YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!! Best you call your mother for sympathy or.... why dont you just do that one simple thing for the UKU and Ultimate. Surely you can spare 5 minutes... Tournaments. Prices have increased dramatically in the last x years. Mmmmm. Well personally I have organised tournaments since 1982. Its always the same people who organise tournaments with the enormous majority happy to do nothing but turn up and play. Oh and moan if things aren't quite as they want and how expensive everything is! I run tournaments for profit. My time is valuable and I already give enormous chunks of it free to organisations such as this. If you want cheaper tournaments get off you behind and organise them yourself and price it how you think is proper and appropriate, and put your money where your mouth is. If people want to run cheaper tournies then great - because personally I'm not as short of the cash as I am of the time! I suggest that if you want to do it next year then organise your bid now and lodge it with the DoC. If you think the UKU should be doing something different then STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. Do it by doing, not by negatively whinging on Britdisc. If you think things need changing then stand for the board, get yourself elected and change them. Rant over. One of the positive things that was produced last year was the "Disciplinary Committee" (not sure about the name ;-) ) which has been formed to deal with various rule appeals, rostering issues, conduct of players and teams on and off the field etc to ensure that the new Chairman and DoC will not be burried in time consuming minutae. The full remitt of this committee, appeals procedures etc will be circulated in the near future. Lastly, a quick word about the indoors registration / rostering problem. Chris will no doubt make a full anouncement but the principal should be that if you play for one team in the competition then you can't play for another, but if you are rostered for the wrong team and have changed at short notice due to event cancellations then as long as you adhere to the playing for the same team in both events then I can't forsee a problem. (Famous last words...) I hope this has answered some of your queries and has assured you of the good intent of the board of the UKU. I also hope that this might inspire some of the malcontents to do something about it and come and join the board to take things forward. Cheers Adam Batchelor Acting Chairman UKU Raving meglomaniac Druids #1 Fatboy __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://pootle.near.me.uk/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/informed.asp
