Category Archives: USAWA Business

Planning USAWA’s future

Last year, we had an advisory committee that was tasked with looking into options to grow and modernize our organization. This year, the board would like to bring the committee back, with a special focus on surveying the membership and volunteers (meet directors, record keepers, etc) to determine USAWA’s biggest problems and opportunities. This information will then guide future proposals.

The Executive Board is now putting together the committee to handle this important task, and we want to make sure we open this opportunity to the membership. A small committee (around 5 people) will be selected.

Sanjiv Gupta will head up this effort. He describes it as an opportunity to discuss what is going well, what could use improvement, opportunities to get people involved, and threats to the USAWA staying relevant. The time commitment will be a few hours per month, and mainly consist of email communications and video calls.  The committee will be active through approximately March of 2025 to be able to provide a report for the 2025 National Meeting.

Anyone who is interested in serving on this committee should contact Sanjiv directly at sanjiv_gupta@hotmail.com.

2024 Q3 Secretary’s Report

By Beth Skwarecki

Hi folks! I thought I’d start giving a rundown of business that has come before the board over each quarter, as well as routine business that has crossed my desk as Secretary. This report is for Q3, July through September 2024.

As you’ll see, sometimes our plate is relatively empty, and sometimes we have several orders of business in the same week. I do post notices on the website when something happens that is important for membership to know promptly. I hope this quarterly report is helpful for conveying the big picture of all that we do behind the scenes.

I took over as Secretary at the National Meeting in June of this year, so my first few weeks were spent learning my new duties under the guidance of former Secretary Eric Todd, and tying up loose ends from the National Meeting (posting the minutes, updating documents, etc). Apologies if I’ve forgotten any events from those early weeks. What follows are my notes from Q3 (July through September).

  • 7/21/2024: The 12th edition of the Rulebook was published online, incorporating updates from 2022-2024. See announcement here. 
  • 7/29/2024: Eric Todd stepped down as Website Director, on the grounds that that it makes more sense for the Secretary rather than the Treasurer to hold that position. The board unanimously appointed Beth Skwarecki to the position.
  • 8/29/2024: The records director approached the board with a member’s concerns about discrepancies between the rulebook and record book on how Weaver Stick records were kept. The board unanimously approved changes to the rulebook to resolve this issue. These changes and their rationale were documented here.
  • 9/8/2024: A positive drug test was obtained from a lifter, and a 6-month suspension applied (first offense). That member was removed from the membership roster.
  • 9/11/2024: Abe Smith stepped down as both Records Director and At-Large EB member. The board asked for nominations for his EB replacement.
  • 9/12/2024: Remaining board members unanimously appointed Tony Lupo to Records Director. Tony had already been involved in updating records, and Abe suggested him as his replacement in this position.
  • 9/13/2024: A member brought some possible errors in Weaver Stick records to the Secretary’s attention. However, he declined to share documentation that would allow the records to be corrected. Anyone with information about such errors is invited to contact the Records Director or the Secretary.
  • 9/13/2024: The same member also alleged (in a website article submission and subsequent emails) that the board acted improperly in changing the Weaver Stick rules and that the Secretary/Website Director violated unspecified duties of her job. Upon being reminded that complaints must be filed according to the Bylaws (Article 21, part C), he declined to file a complaint.
  • 9/16/2024: The 13th edition of the Rulebook was published online, containing the Weaver Stick updates.
  • 9/23/2024: Remaining board members appointed Sanjiv Gupta to the At-Large executive board seat.
  • 9/23/2024: The board was asked to mediate a disagreement between IAWA leadership and a US-based meet promoter who was bidding for an international event. After communicating with the parties involved, and determining that IAWA’s procedures were being followed appropriately, the board decided not to intervene.
  • 9/25/2024: New Records Director Tony Lupo reported that the records team has published an update to the individual records list and to the Century Club. A further update was made on 9/30/2024.
  • During this quarter,
    • 18 members joined or renewed
    • 11 new meet sanctions were approved
    • 5 members joined the Century Club of people with 100 or more records:
      • Stacy Todd
      • Allison Lupo
      • Clint Poore
      • John Carter
      • Joshua Monk
    • 5 members moved up the ranks in our officials system:
      • Kim Van Wagner and Christopher Lansdown passed their rules tests and are now officials-in-training.
      • Crystal Diggs passed her practicals and is now a Level 1 official.
      • Abe Smith and Beth Skwarecki each documented 25+ meets’ worth of experience, and are now Level 2 officials.

Please direct any questions, concerns, etc to the Secretary at bethskw@gmail.com.

New records director, records update, and Century Club update!

By Tony Lupo

I am honored to be the new Record Keeper for the USAWA. This is a big job and I hope to live up to the trust put in me by the executive board. I would like to thank my predecessors, John Strangeway and Abe Smith. They did a great job keeping the list intact. It is a huge job.

I also want to thank Sanjiv Gupta for his help as well. Since the Nationals, Sanjiv, Abe, and I have acted as a team in all things. The records are now up-to-date through the Second Quarter Postals (6/30/2024). If you spot any errors in your records, let me know! I can be reached at lupoa0313@gmail.com.

We should have some rapid updates coming out in the next week as we work through July, then August, and September. After we get caught up, then we’ll tackle the TEAM LIFT file.

Welcome and congratulations to newcomers Stacy Todd and Allison Lupo to the Century Club on the Women’s side! On the men’s side, welcome and congratulations to Clint Poore, John Carter, and Joshua Monk! Thank you all! 

Vacancy on the executive board

The executive board’s at-large member, Abe Smith, has chosen to step down. He has done a great job and we thank him for his work. This leaves a vacancy in the board which cannot be filled through an election until next year’s National Meeting—meaning the board needs to appoint somebody in his place for the remainder of the term.

The board is now seeking nominations, including self-nominations. There are no special qualifications to become an At-large board member; the whole idea is that they are a “regular” member, who serves alongside the officers (President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer) to ensure broad representation of the membership.

The most significant duty of an At-large board member is to participate in discussions and votes about USAWA business, typically over email. Board members should also plan to attend the National Meeting (held in conjunction with the National Championships) when possible.

ARTICLE 12 – DUTIES OF THE AT LARGE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
A. Attend the National Meeting and meetings of the executive board.
B. Represent the USAWA at meetings of the IAWA.
C. Serve on the executive board.

If you are interested in being considered for the At-large executive board seat, please contact the Secretary (me) at bethskw@gmail.com. I’m also happy to answer questions about the position.

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