EXISTENCE OF A SECRET AD HOC COMMITTEE
It has been the policy of our Sectional Chairman to have a secret Ad Hoc Committee Meeting before the regular Officials Committee meetings in which all major decisions and policies are decided. No item would ever be placed on the agenda that has not been discussed and decided in this Ad Hoc Committee. This policy is simply not acceptable since the Officials Committee is the right group to make these crucial decisions (schools, instructors, and policies). Committee members should ask whether or not this Ad Committee still exists and if so, why.
OFFICIALS SCHOOLS
The Texas Section currently sponsors all the officials schools in Texas during the months of January and February (with the exception of San Antonio which is held in March). This policy means that there are no other opportunities during the other 10 months of the year for an official to attend a required school. If an official is unable to attend the specific school in his/her city, then they have to spend inordinate amounts of money to go to another school.
There is no logical reason for this policy to be continued. The budget monies are there (the officials in Texas rarely ever spend their budget allotment), the instructors are all over the state, and officials need additional opportunities to be certified. To begin with they could at least offer additional schools in key locations throughout the state during the summer and fall months to see the viability of the option.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR TEXAS REFEREES & TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS
The current policy of the Texas Section is that the referee and/or the tournament director of all sanctioned tournaments MUST attend a workshop in Austin on a Sunday morning during the fall. We find this policy to be totally unacceptable and a requirement that defies logic.
In every REFEREE's school in Texas there is an entire section devoted specifically to Texas Section rules and regulations. This school is taught by a certified instructor and is offered in locations throughout the state so its begs the question as to why this requirement is being added to Texas referees.
If this requirement is valid, then workshops should be taught all over the state instead of just in Austin. This is a huge financial burden for officials and tournament directors that simply does not need to be...
Hopefully our Officials Committee will make some changes.
TEXAS SECTION COMMUNICATIONS
The level of communication between our leadership and officials in Texas is sadly lacking and nearly non-existent. The only level of communication we currently have is from the local presidents of associations if there is one--and none if there is no association.
As of today, the last communication from our Sectional Chairman on the Texas Section website for officials was December, 2008. The last newsletter was the Summer of 2008.
Come on folks, surely we can do better than this... There are plenty of very capable and willing people on the committee. Let's let them do their job.
These are just a few specific questions that should be answered on Saturday. Let's hope that they are and that we begin to see some credible steps being taken for officials in Texas.
9 comments:
You expect anything to come out of that meeting? You have high expectations, don't you???
Here's a very simple question for the Texas section official's committee: As a committee, what have you done in the past year to improve the training of, communication to, working conditions of or, general lot of the referees and umpires of the Texas section? In short, what have you accomplished in the last 12 months? If the committee has been effective the answers should be readily available. If, as a committee you have to think for a while about what you've accomplished, then you haven't acccomplished much. As a member of tthe Texas secttion and a working umpire and referee, I would appreciate an answer to my question.
Put quite simply, absolutely nothing has been done.
A good item for the agenda would be a discussion about a new Sectional Chairman. We need some leadership in Texas.
Tomorrow is the big day. Let's all hope that some committee members demand some production and accountability.
Look at the bright side. We pay nothing to our Sectional Chairman and get nothing in return. Sounds like a government job.
You got that wrong pal. With a government job you get paid a bunch and the taxpayers get nothing in return. There is one exception to this rule: The US Military. For the most part those folks do one hell of a job for us and, they don't get paid enough for doing it.
Several questions:
1. Where and when is the meeting going to be held?
2. Is the meeting open to the public i.e. officials?
3. Is there any format where Texas Section officials can ask questions or make comments of/to the committee?
4. Is there any format for Texas Section officials to participate other than this blog?
5. Who are the committee members?
6. How are they elected or nominated and by whom?
Responses from committee members would be wanted and welcome if possible. Otherwise the blog manager has the only input
Sorry garytjaguar did you not know that "knowledge is power". The committees (or a few) hold the knowledge. The sad thing is "The SHARING of knowledge is true power" then and only then does everyone know what is going on, have a say and work as a team, and there would be no need for this blogg. Sorry to say it is not just the Texas section. I goes all the way to the top of USTA.
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