The
CWG/LMR proposal contains a proposal for apprenticing meet directors. Funny,
it doesn't contain any proposal for apprenticing meet organizers. Maybe because
Mike is both, he doesn't differentiate between these meet functions. Hard to say,
as they never do.

To initiate this program, qualified individuals may petition the
Competition Committee to be grandfathered in with a Meet Director Appointment.
Moreover, any director who has run a sanctioned competition from 2005 to the
present is automatically grandfathered for Class A, B and C events for a 5 year
period from the calendar year of their last event. Anyone who has organized 2 or
more non-sanctioned comps since 2005 with at least 25 attendees each is also
grandfathered. This grandfathering expires year-by-year such that all
grandfathering goes away in 5 years (i.e. if an organizer held a qualifying
unsanctioned comp 5 years ago and another 4 years ago, next year would be their
last year to hold a Class A comp without apprenticing). The CC chair can deny
otherwise qualifying grandfathering at their discretion with veto power by the
Board and appeals can be made to the CC during the full board meeting.

Apprentice applications will be submitted to the Competition Committee for
review. The Competition Committee will assign apprentice applicants to meets as
spots become available.

Apprentices may not serve in any official capacity or be a competitor in the
event for which they are apprenticing. They are also expected to be present and
in training for the entire event.

Approved Meet Directors may have their appointment revoked by the competition
committee for failure to follow rules set forth in this manual.

USHPA has budgeted funding of up to $1000 to offset expenses for apprenticeships
in Class B events. These funds are payable directly to the apprentice after
successful completion of the apprenticeship. Receipts are required for
reimbursement and expenses must be reasonable and prudent.

I can't help but think LMR must be thinking meet organizer also
here. For example, Lisa is a combined meet organizer and meet director.

Does this proposal look political or what? Doesn't the USHPA Competition
Committee already approve meet organizers when they sanction a meet? If they
feel that a meet organizer (or meet director) can't hold a successful meet (for
any reason) can't the competition committee just deny sanctioning?

Again, is the USHPA trying to get by on the cheap here, not paying the meet
organizer/meet director who is doing the mentoring? What potential meet
organizer (or is it meet director?) wants to go to another person's meet for
training, when all they get back is their documented expenses? They can't even
fly in the meet or be a part of the organization and help out.

This gives the Chairman a lot of power over meet organizers/directors (again, it
is hard to tell who they are talking about here), instead of the whole
competition committee (and BOD). I don't think that we really want to give this
much power to one person, especially a person who has so many conflicts (and
conflicts of interest) with almost all of the hang gliding meet organizers.
Essentially, most of them hate Mike.