Andre Deramond
7/10/09
Dear all,
A reminder the previous board choose not to stand or contest the last election; In most organisations it is common practice for the new comers facing this situation to seek help and assistance from previous board members.
We did just that, offered our unconditional assistance, I can assure you and we have all correspondence to back it up that as a board we did everything possible to assist the new President Sylvio Jolicoeur, the only elected board member.
Likewise when the new PFA secretary rang me 3 weeks ago asking for help, his words were we are in a mess, I and the ex-board members agreed, we only requested that members been made aware as we didn’t want them to think that we were interfering, we are still waiting for an answer!
The PFA President in his meetings with the NSW Clubs and Victorian Clubs confirmed that he as an accountant and the Treasurer as an accountant did find PFA accounts in perfect order with no issues, putting an end to those nasty and unfounded claims that PFA was insolvent.
Di Yeomans our ex-treasurer and I supplied in hard and soft copies all PFA documents, so to make the task of our new board as easy as possible. So the Secretary comment is totally unjustifiable; “The rebuilding of the Australian Petanque Federation will take more than 1 day”. No need to rebuild, a few adjustment, a review of policies, yes but rebuilding certainly NOT.
In our last report I choose to list all the achievements of the previous board from 2000 to 2009.
I only hope that our new board will be as innovative and able to show such good results. Our board was a truly National board, with members representing most states in Australia; our last board had always at least a woman as a member (40% of our membership)
First and foremost, the following decisions over rule any other decisions made by the previous Board and its President on matters detailed below. What a strange comment all decisions and policies were approved and made by the full board.
Umpire Commission:
I am aware of discussion between Ray our Umpire commission President and a PFA board member, but until we have a full withdrawal of a 'comment/Ruling' made by our President in his newsletter our members 'Players' are in limbo. Quote: "Members have complained that umpires are making a nuisance of themselves by constantly interfering with the game. We will have a discussion with Raymond Beaumont on how we can play the game without too much policing. It has been suggested that umpires are to get involved only if they are asked".
Please refer to attached document from the FIPJP President; I did seek his comment as International umpire.
PFA new rules were adopted in January 2009, and posted on our PA website, it would be appropriate for our current board to publish a new PFA rule book as most of our members are not aware of the change adopted by the FIPJP congress in November 2008 in Dakar (Senegal).
Coaches Commission:
Please refer to attached letter from the FIPJP President
Our junior team was selected by the Coaches in Perth (Lindsay Kinghorn, Brenton key, Adrian Clement, and Judith Armstrong), and then the team was approved by the board as per our normal procedure.
Ladies going to the world championship in Thailand were as well chosen on the same principle by winning the national Triple in Perth.
No information is released to members on International tournaments (New Caledonia open, Asian C’ships in November in Thailand). One only hears on the grapevine that some players are going to play (return to the good old days) Transparency certainly not.
Over 60 players from different states represented Australia last year (Women world, Trans Tasman open and juniors, Oceania, Asian Championships etc.) All without PFA board interference.
Representatives to the 2010 Trans Tasman Championships:
Like most decision taken to date, let’s take the easy one and please a few interested players, this to the detriment of the majority.
Why should you come all the way from WA, Qld, SA or Tasmania knowing that you have no hope of winning the Interstate challenge? NSW and Vic are by far the 2 stronger states and the only question remaining is which state will play NZ in the Trans-Tasman.
Under a selection process players from WA, SA and QLD were selected to represent Australia, today the door is closed!
Australian Open Championships
Back to the good old day
Let’s buy a raffle ticket (registration) and if you are lucky on the day the prize could be a trip to the world championship. How can we be taken seriously as a sport by the Australian Sport Commission and the Federal government?
Again against all instructions and directions given to our coaches by the CIEP/FIPJP
The winner goes: which winner? Quote “The first eligible men’s team consisting of players holding a PFA player’s License and eligible to represent Australia at an overseas tournament,( see overseas representation eligibility) will be given the opportunity to represent Australia at the 2010 Men’s World Championships in Taipei, Taiwan late 2010”
How do we take the best Australian team? What if the 3 overseas players beat an Australian team in the final? But what if those 3 overseas players had beaten another Australian Team in the ¼ final or semi final? Which Australian team do we take? The argument will go on and on.
Categories
Players will be categorised as follows:-
• Seniors (Open)- 18 years of age and over
• Seniors - over 60 years of age
• Juniors - 10 years of age to under 18 i.e. before reaching 18 years of age at time of registration
I did contact the PFA President about age category and pointed out to him that they were international guidelines about age category, when he announced the new age category for juniors of more than 16 years of age, we now have a repeat of this strange situation Juniors 10 years of age to under 18. Where is this coming from? It is not in any rule or regulation of the FIPJP, PFA can certainly make a rule on the age category, but not after advertising and selling licence.
My daughter is 9 years old and she is licensed, is she allowed to play?
Decision made on the run, without consulting and seeking advice from the umpire commission.
Prizes
It seems that all cash prizes have been removed, (Interstate $100 per player and coach of each winning team) and (Easter tournament over $4 to $5000 in cash prizes distributed in all categories including the consolante), it must be part of the saving program announced by the PFA board.
Oceania “Special Championships” qualification
All PFA board since 2000 have had difficulties with the Oceania confederation, PFA withdrew from the confederation due to lack of communication in English, no accounts provided and so on. Oceania is run by New Caledonian (French speaking), New Caledonia being a French league, applying the national French Federation rule, not the International FIPJP rule.
PFA did rejoin the Oceania confederation Danielle Marchand a board member attended an Oceania meeting on behalf of PFA board and so allowing us to participate in both confederations, offering more opportunities to our players.
Asian Confederation
The previous boards choose to apply for membership of the Asian Confederation, Richard Tarlinton attended the Asian tournament with this in mind, PFA board has been accepted and approved as a guest member and allowed to send teams and participate in the Asian Championships.
The Asian championships offer greater value for our players, more countries, more competitions, lower cost (Accommodation and food in particular).
PFA new website:
Does it mean that every time we have a new board, we will have a new website?
New website at what cost?
Rebuilding? Keep building it is a lot simpler
To date the new board is simply and rightly confirming the existing and proven policies.
It clearly indicates and shows that previous board were on the right track and were moving the game in the right direction.
All policies and regulations based on the acceptation and implementation of International common rules and practices. Maybe you could start as the friendly Secretary to provide all clubs (the members) with a register of clubs, players, accredited umpires and coaches. You could also answer questions from members put to the board in previous correspondence, in particular those relating to “legal matters” still being dealt by the board.
I understand that the task is not easy so concentrate on the job ahead of you and avoid unnecessary comments or digs at previous board members.
Regards,
Andre Deramond
I fear that the 'delusions of grandeur' that ran rife throughout the previous board member's minds have reared their ugly head again with Mr Deramond conveniently forgetting his place in the petanque community. 
