House of Delegates Governance Sends Out Responses on Proposed Format Changes

In a second update about proposed rules changes to the USA Swimming House of Delegates and annual convention structure, Peter Carney, chair of the governance committee, sent further information out to about 250 individuals on Friday. The latest information includes responses to what seems to be some of the major concerns and questions asked about the proposed changes, which includes moving to a biannual (every other year) meeting, and a change to the way that delegates are divvied up among the LSC’s.

The governance board for the House of Delegates will finalize the proposals in their next conference call, and then take said amendments to the Rules & Regulations committee.

See the full notice from Carney below.

This is the second communication from the Governance Committee to the swimming community regarding our current proposals for change in our governance structure, in which we describe them, explain our rationale, and, mostly importantly, solicit feedback from you.  Drafts of the actual proposed legislation are included.
 
1. Prior Committee Communications:  http://www.peterecarney.com/swimgov
 
2.  Recommendation Overview:  To recap, we have recommendations in three areas:

A. Shift from an annual to biennial convention (with education, training, certification programs in alternate years)
B. Change from Wednesday-Saturday format to Sunday-Wednesday format
C. Change the manner in which some delegates are selected (including, a reduction from 6 to 4 LSC delegates, with ability to receive additional delegates based on athlete registration and other criteria and the addition of direct club selection of delegates)

3. Comments on Biennial Meeting of House of Delegates:

A. The workload of the convention has been reduced over the years.  That is the first driver for this proposal.  The observations in this paragraph will be personal, made by someone who has been a delegate at every single US Aquatic Sports Convention (and USA Swimming House of Delegates) meeting since the first one in 1980.  We have matured as an organization.  House meetings are over in time to watch the early Saturday football games.  In Phoenix, we ran so long that the hotel staff kicked us out of the meeting room to set up for the banquet.  The budgeting, legislative and elections processes have become efficient and predictable

B. The even bigger potential benefit is expanding the educational, training and certification opportunities in the odd numbered years.  This event can be enlarged and improved over what is offered today.  It can be made a destination event that attracts most current delegates, but, more importantly, attracts new audiences and participants.  Vendors will like it better because they can reach more people with an actual interest in what they are selling.  Multiple tracks can be built to tailor effective education for different groups.  Let’s turn the relevant staff and committees loose.

C. The new people attracted to the educational events can be invited to get more involved in either USA Swimming or their home LSCs, always a challenge these days.

D. A biennial meeting of the House of Delegates will reduce the same old, same old and appear more relevant. Both types of events (House meetings and education meetings) should improve and invigorate dialog amongst the Swimming family.   We meet every year on different tracks.

E. We will need to rethink our convention preparation for new delegates, at all levels, including LSCs and athletes.  Sending someone in his/her first year  more as an observer, then in the second year as a trained delegate won’t work.  Again, we will have innovate methods to address this concern.  Maybe we include sessions in convention preparation in the odd year events.  Or maybe, we expand the First Timer’s Workshop at the beginning of the business meetings.

4. Comments on Change in Day of Week:

A. Expectations for collegiate coaches have changed significantly over the past couple of decades.  With the emphasis on fund raising and alumni relations, most universities essentially require all their coaches to be present during football game and related events.  Add recruiting to that mix and you can see how difficult it is for collegiate coaches to fully participate in our governance.

B. This proposal is not special treatment for our elite coaches.  Rather, it allows all of us to benefit from the wisdom, insight and experience of some of our very best minds.  Think of the incredible expertise that Teri, Gregg, Steve, Eddie, Dave and Tim (6 of our 9 Olympic coaches in London are college coaches) offer to USA Swimming.  Beyond them there are dozens of other experienced experts.  Let’s make it easier for them to help us.

C. There are challenges here as well.  For some delegates, depending on where they live and where the convention is in any given year, it may mean in some years, a bit more work or school missed.  However, with a biennial convention, that issue is reduced.  The convention schedule, with the education sessions largely removed, might be able to be streamlined.

5. Comments on Delegate Selection Processes
 
A. The Governance Committee strongly supports the idea of a large and diversely selected House of Delegates.  We do no seek to reduce the size of or radically change the composition of the House, merely fine tune it some.
 
B. The proposed changes to LSC delegate process are not a major change.  Many of our smaller LSCs today choose not to send 6 delegates, so a nominal reduction to 4 should have little effect on them.  The ability to name additional delegates based on athletes gives larger LSCs an objective and automatic method to supplement their base of 4 delegates.  Chances are they will end up with a good number of Presidential appointments as well.
 
C. Allowing high performing clubs to name their own delegates strengthens the diversity of delegate selection.  It will allow someone who hasn’t yet risen to a position of LSC leadership (or doesn’t have the time) to become a contributing delegate based on club performance in the pool by 18 and under swimmers.  Don’t think that will happen?  One of our London Olympic coaches was not a member of OIOC or hold an LSC office that is a delegate position, but as the coach of a Gold Medal club, we could benefit from his expertise under this proposal.
 
6. Responses:  Please address any questions, suggestions or comments to Peter Carney (Chair, Governance Committee) at [email protected]] or Pat Hogan (Staff Liaison to Committee) at [email protected].  If you have an opinion or a question, we want to hear from you.