USAWA Voting

[dwagman]

I guess as an American I can’t help myself, I hold principles of democracy in the highest regard. And perhaps that’s why USAWA attempts to be democratic in its voting method. I say “attempts” because based on the organization’s by-laws there is incongruence in voting that I believe ought to be cleaned up.

If you turn to Article 3.B. it refers to the organization being able to affiliate with other organizations “if deemed desirable by the executive board or general membership by majority vote.” Similarly Articles 5 and 6, in multiple areas, talk about “majority vote” for decisions. However, Article 7.A and H states that votes can only be cast by the membership present at the National Meeting.

Article 7.A seems incongruent with the earlier mentioning of voting because it is not indicated that voting can only occur at the National Meeting. But I would also argue that this requirement—being present at the National Meeting to cast a vote— is patently unfair to members who can’t make it to a National Meeting for any number of reasons and therefore lacks in basic democratic principles. As a consequence decisions wouldn’t even remotely represent the will of the membership because only a fraction thereof would end up voting. Also, there is no such burden placed on executive board votes (see Article 5.C through E).

Perhaps there was a reason at the time of the founding of USAWA for this but it would appear to me that the purposeful exclusion of membership in matters that need to be voted on is manifestly unjust. And nowadays it’s so easy to involve all of the membership at the National Meeting; having to be present in person seems to represent an inequitable burden to me.

What do you guys think? If enough of you think this ought to be changed, then we could move on to discuss the ways in which any member can easily become involved without having to travel who-knows-how-far to cast a vote.

—
Dan

For Body Intellect Brochure click here: https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0fcsokZWooW_1B1uZmL1AI5fA#BI-DW

Those who are enamored of practice without science
are like a pilot who goes onto a ship without rudder or
compass and never has any certainty to where he is going.
Leonardo Da Vinci; 1452-1519

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Hey Dan, you may remember this conversation a few years ago?
USAWA Democracy

I guess with an org as small as ours, doing some kind of online discussion and vote would be possible. My concern is with how little online participation we currently have. Our forum participation is WAY down from where it was the first number of years it was available to us. I also feel the long droughts of posts on the forum lends itself to members not returning to check it. I am doing what I can to increase our facebook participation, but it is still pretty lean. So, how many people would participate in an online discussion and vote? And would doing it online exclude other members who currently vote at the national meeting? I will see what I can do to drum up a little traffic here and see if we can get people to chime in.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

Dan, I agree with what you said and have questioned our “voting” process for a long time. I truly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to voice their beliefs thru voting. But the problem we have with the USAWA is that we are a small org and not everyone wants to be involved in the politics. Very rarely does all lifters even should up to the National Meeting when they are there to compete. I understand – they are there to lift and don’t want to be bothered by a long meeting the night before the meet. You are the EXCEPTION to this along with a very small group. I’ll go out on a limb here and predict that if the USAWA instigated online voting the participation would be pathetic (with mainly the core group participating) and hardly worth the effort it would take to make it happen. Plus it would create issues for those lifters who do not like to participate in forums and emails and they would now be upset. Half a dozen USAWA members come to mind as I type this!

Again as I’ve said before – it doesn’t accomplish much solving one problem while you create another.

[Al Myers]

One more thing I would like to add here.

A few years ago we had the “big issue” regarding the use of knee sleeves. This was a pretty polarized topic as there was opinions on both extremes. The USAWA EB decided to do a poll of all the USAWA members PRIOR to the National Meeting to get a true unofficial vote on the manner. The decision of this poll was then supported by vote at the National Meeting.

Polls prior to the meeting on big topics is good solution to getting a true overall vote amongst all members.

[ClintPoore]

I am one hundred percent in favor of online voting for membership. It allows people to participate that can’t attend Nationals.
My recommendation is to send an email ballot that allows only one vote per email per topic. It’s not a difficult process, I do it regularly for the seed company we sell for, they use a survey type ballot to find out how people enjoyed certain events. The company they use is Survey Monkey.
I brought this topic up with USAPL when I was a state chair and was abruptly shut down, hence my hesitation.
I like the USAWA and believe online voting would be a great asset.

[dwagman]

ET, thank you for the link to the previous discussion about this. I think that all of the chalk I’ve been breathing in over the decades has clogged certain neural activity in my brain…I didn’t remember that I started a similar thread back in 2017. How pathetic!

I believe there is no need to go through the same arguments again; three points suffice:

1. It is hardly relevant how many people actually participate and vote, rather that the organization cares enough about its membership to provide all who care to participate in the democratic process to actually do so.

2. Clint’s right on track about how easy this could be, not to mention additional possibilities to ponder. But first USAWA needs to decide if it wants to make voting more accessible to its membership.

3. Clint, don’t ever hesitate to share your ideas. My perspective is that it’s about putting something out there that could improve the organization. Any idea that could accomplish that is a good idea, such as the one you just shared. If the organization doesn’t believe in the idea, or doesn’t care to improve, it’s at USAWA’s peril, not yours.

And Al, just a correction…I am not the exception…I am the guy who goes to a meet to lift and will not be distracted, hence I don’t go to meetings before competition day. But I most certainly would review a ballot and cast my vote.

—
Dan

For Body Intellect Brochure click here: https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0fcsokZWooW_1B1uZmL1AI5fA#BI-DW

Those who are enamored of practice without science
are like a pilot who goes onto a ship without rudder or
compass and never has any certainty to where he is going.
Leonardo Da Vinci; 1452-1519

[Denny Habecker]

Dan, You mean a meeting the night before you lift would be a distraction from your lifting? I don’t understand that. I go to a meet to lift my best , but also to socialize with the other lifters. I don’t think I would lift any better by just showing up on the morning of the meet without any interaction with anyone else. That is just me, although there many just like me in our organization.

[dwagman]

Denny, this is an interesting question that goes to the heart of what an athlete needs to do to perform at his/her best. Thanks for bringing it up.

I take my training and competing extremely seriously and approach it from a peak performance perspective. I employ a scientific approach and incorporate the newest scientific findings as they become available to optimize and maximize my physiological adaptations to the training stimulus and also use sport psychological techniques to minimize if not eliminate any distractions and to keep my drive high when it needs to be. Meet day, then, becomes the testing ground for all of those focused efforts over months on end to see if I can put it all together and rise to the challenge. Nothing provides me with more satisfaction than to see that I’ve been able to do so.

To reach that goal, however, a properly designed macrocycle requires training the day before the meet. Adding socializing before competition with fellow lifters and friends, or especially attending the national meeting, represents a distraction that will interfere with the attainment of my goals. My mind need not be distracted by talking about stuff that won’t enhance my performance and my body need not be running around when it ought to be resting for the next day’s competition.

With that said, and now removing myself from the equation, socializing in and of itself as a single variable doesn’t necessarily represent something that would destroy what an athlete has set out to achieve. For one it depends on what “socializing” means and what the athlete actually engages in during such activities. Regardless of that, however, it does represent a potential weakening effect on one or more links in the overall chain of peak performance. Since in the end it is difficult to ascertain with 100% accuracy what caused a lifter to garner 2 red lights or miss an attempt/PR outright, it behooves the lifter to step on the platform with all links in the chain being as strong as possible. And so, within the larger context of performing at one’s peak, any lifter would benefit from not socializing the night before competing; the time for that is after the meet.

Competing, of course, also means different things to different people and different people are also motivated for different reasons. So since you mentioned that you don’t believe that you would do any better on the platform if you didn’t socialize the night before, that may or may not be true. It would depend on what the competition actually means to you, what motivates you, what goal(s) you have set for yourself, what challenges you have encountered within your training cycle and those that might present on the platform, and your training approach. Determining the accuracy of your statement, then, would require some investigation. Of note, the approach to attain peak performance differs between sports of different categories (e.g., closed- vs. open-skill) but also within those categories to include athlete skill level, gender, age in sport, level of accomplishment, etc.

In returning to the original thread, where do we stand y’all all-rounders?

—
Dan

For Body Intellect Brochure click here: https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0fcsokZWooW_1B1uZmL1AI5fA#BI-DW

Those who are enamored of practice without science
are like a pilot who goes onto a ship without rudder or
compass and never has any certainty to where he is going.
Leonardo Da Vinci; 1452-1519

[Denny Habecker]

OK Dan, I understand what you are saying. I guess I don’t take the sport seriously enough. I always want to lift well at the meets, but the social part of the meet is a big part of what makes it enjoyable. Also, the meetings are not always held the night before the meet. Sometimes they are held right after the lifting and some people don’t even stay for the meeting then.

[KCSTRONGMAN]

I have been guilty of not attending national meetings even when I have lifted. Neither time had anything to do with performance. in reality, both times were after a meet, and I was in a rush to get home. Point of order, if we were to conduct a vote of membership right now, we would only have about 35 individuals eligible to vote.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[RJ]

I am one of the members Clint refers to. I always wanted to participate in the annual meeting and if I could, I would attend every national meet.

Thus, I am in support and would vote.

Thank you,
RJ

[ddeforest]

It is great and so American to be discussing voting ideas. As a member, I offer my thoughts on making decisions within the USAWA: I am no expert: Experts borrow your watch to tell you what time it is! There likely will always be a need for the executive committee to make decisions without direct membership input. Decisions to accept meet sanctions, issues involving drug testing, needs to cancel meets for things like COVID. There are happenings/opportunities that the whole membership could vote after some screening work by the executive committee. Leadership changes. I suspect that each year, leadership is asked if they want to continue in their positions or if anyone else wants to nominate themselves or others. The question might be asked on ballot due you want to retain John Doe as President. Some executive committee pre-ballot screening is indicated. Some people nominated might not want to be nominated. That needs to be checked out. Sites for National championships could be voted on after being approved to be on the ballot by the executive committee. Things to be considered by the committee are likely past success having a big meet, resources, location, ideally there are benefits to having the big meets in different parts of the county. (Thank goodness the USAWA has members willing to hold meets)

Voting using the internet sounds reasonable. Notice could be given when the voting would occur. Ballots sent out with a short time permitted to actually vote.

By far the biggest issue facing the USAWA is a somewhat stagnant membership base. Growth is of course one lifter at a time. A dagger for the USAWA is if the organization loses even a few of its major players it would be on life support to exist. We have a great group of current members and fine leadership. Lets continue to enjoy our sport ‘come what may’. We do many lifts that other weightlifters think are pretty cool.

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Oh, goodness Dave. Great thoughts. Just like the good ole US of A, the usawa is not direct democracy. We have leaders that are voted in by the membership that chooses to vote to make some of our decisions. Not that it could not change, and I am certainly welcome to hear the thoughts of members, but we will not change this without a vote at the national meeting, according to our bylaws.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[dwagman]

Guys, please note that a comparison of USAWA to the U.S.A. is not correct. USAWA’s Executive Board (EB) is not akin to the representatives we elect to office in the U.S. In fact, USAWA’s EB has very limited duties, authorities, and responsibilities. Please refer to Article 5 of the Bylaws.

Please also note that this thread is about making voting easier and as all-inclusive as possible to USAWA’s membership by not limiting a person’s vote by the requirement to be present in person at the national meeting. This is clearly an unfair requirement and excessively burdensome to what is perhaps the majority of members (just compare how many people go to nationals compared to the total number of members). If the U.S.A. functioned like that, you’d have to drive to the county seat, state capitol, and D.C. to vote in person on matters related to your county, state, and nation, respectively.

ET is most certainly correct about this not being able to be changed unless approved by a majority vote of the membership at the national meeting. I will therefore draft a proposal for consideration and we’ll see where it goes. Dave’s comment about USAWA and “life support” is quite accurate. One of the many ways in which to keep this great sport alive in the U.S. would be to make voting easier and thereby giving members a stronger voice.

—
Dan

For Body Intellect Brochure click here: https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0fcsokZWooW_1B1uZmL1AI5fA#BI-DW

Those who are enamored of practice without science
are like a pilot who goes onto a ship without rudder or
compass and never has any certainty to where he is going.
Leonardo Da Vinci; 1452-1519

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