As I attended Governing Council in my hometown last year, and it's in San Diego this year, anyone there that can tell us what going on and who's hogging up the mikes during the proceedings?

Will probably be going next year, as my new club will hopefully be up for full USFS membership status.

From the USFSA web site...

The 12/4 Plan
In one of the top issues at this year's Governing Council, Other Business Item A, which stated: MOVE to rescind the action known as the 12/4 Plan as reported on page 25 of the Combined Report of Action of the May 9-10, 2003 Governing Council together with the listed specific rules to be affected was passed. The 12/4 plan was rescinded.

Competitions Committee
The following notable actions were taken:
APPROVED to amend CR 14.04 (C) that for championship men and ladies singles, the top three finishers in the last group in the short program will be the last to skate and will be drawn within the group of three. The 4th, 5th, and 6th place finishers will be the first to skate in the last group and will be drawn within the group of three.

APPROVED to amend CR 75.00 to change the size of qualifying rounds at the U.S. Junior Championships. When there are 20 or fewer skaters, it will remain as one group, and there will be no qualification round. Qualifying rounds shall be held when there are more than 20 competitors as follows:
33-36 entries, there will be two groups. Nine from each group advance to the final round of 18
29-32 entries, there will be two groups. Eight from each group advance to the final round of 16
25-28 entries, there will be two groups. Seven from each group advance to the final round of 14
21-24 entries, there will be two groups. Six from each advanced to the final round of 12
APPROVED to amend CR 6.01 to permit the following:
U.S. Figure Skating will assume the management of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships

U.S. Figure Skating shall pay all expenses involved with organizing and conducting the championships including but not limited to the expenses of referees, accountants, judges, assigned officials, medals, trophies, competition forms, computer costs and electronic scoreboards.

The host club, in good faith, along with U.S. Figure Skating will negotiate a standard agreeement covering the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

U.S. Figure Skating will pay a fee to the host club for supplying the local volunteers to carry out the various responsibilities assigned to them.

DID NOT APPROVE that juvenile and intermediate skaters qualify from regionals to sectionals and will qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships from sectionals.

Ugh! After all that debate last year at GC!!!

I wonder what the rationale was on that one???

According to the meeting documents on the USFSA web site, the rationale for re-opening this issue was that "all that debate" at last year's GC consisted only of a presentation by management in favor of the proposal with no opportunity for opposing viewpoints to be aired before a vote was taken. And one of the opposing viewpoints was that the 12/4 plan would end up costing the USFSA money, which is on everybody's minds more now this year than last.

From what I've read, that was not the case! Also, the competitions would be shorter and would only require one surface, whereas now you need at least two!
Oh well, at least I won't be having to go to a Adult Sectional competition in Michigan (I live in Virginia).

The competitions would be shorter, but there would be more of them - which would require an increase in the grant $ that the USFSA sends to each club hosting a qualifying competition. Plus, it didn't work well for Syncho or Adults.

I'm disappointed, though - they have to do SOMETHING and the 9/3 percentage plan is NOT IT.

Adults and Synchro were not going to be included in the 12/4 plan, so Virgina to MI for an adult would not have happened...

Really???? I thought for sure at least Synchro was included....there was a big discussion on Synchro Boards about it.

__________________
"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

Yes, they were. It was a big discussion point at GC last year.

I am most interested in the move to action where a club and rink have to sign a paper to submit to USFS that they agree to be named as the club's home rink. The decision will have a big impact on my rink. So if anyone was there or hears, could you let me know asap? Thanks

Seeing how small the initial vote to pass the 12/4 plan was-obviously some people had some doubts.
I am wondering what sort of alternatives are they thinking of?
12/4 isn't perfect but it does do a lot to fix the problems in 9/3-it seems to make the regions a bit more fairer, it costs less to hold regionals etc.
I am really interested in hearing the opinions of those who do not support 12/4. Would you like to continue using 9/3-or what would your option be?

__________________
-Lulu-

One of the reasons 12/4 was rescinded was that the chair of the judges committee could not guarantee there would be enough judges to officiate at 12 regional and 4 sectional competitions. That question was asked, and he basically said, "We think we can, but we are not sure." I agree change is needed, but you can't make the change until you are sure it won't raise more problems. And since you can't have a competition without judges, this was a major problem!

The news about Governing Council on the USFSA web site has not been very comprehensive this year & is rather dissapointing.