July 23, 2008
Your executive this year is:
President-Jim
Woods
Secretary-Bob MacDonald
Treasurer- Cam Schwieder
TRAC Co-ordinator- Ed Greenberg
Recruiting Co-ordinator- Darryl Mills
Social Director- Jerry Guido
The 2008 football season has begun. This will once again be a busy year. In particular I am advised by John Nichol and Bruce Schwieder that every Saturday in September will be very busy.
The executive has set two major priorities for the upcoming year. They are rating and recruiting. The Training and Rating Advisory Committee (TRAC) has met and set an agenda and clinics for the upcoming year. One of the problems we encountered in the past year is that ratings didn't get done. Ed Greenberg and TRAC are aware this was an issue and have a plan to ensure every level 1, 2 and 3 official gets rated this year.
There will
be Level 2 and 3 clinics to be held on Aug. 9 at McMahon Stadium in the
meeting room. If you are eligible to advance you will be contacted by
Ed Greenberg in the near future regarding these clinics. We will also
be conducting a level 2 course conductors clinic to replenish our cadre
of course instructors. Finally we are anticipating holding 2 level 1 clinics
on Aug. 16 in Okotoks and Aug. 23 at Shouldice.
In keeping with the priorities established by your executive we have dedicated
a position on the executive to recruiting. Darryl Mills will handle this
task. If you know of anyone who is interested in officiating please direct
them to Darryl. He can be contacted through our website: www.cgyfoa.ab.ca.
Last year High School exhibition games became a problem by virtue of the
number of teams requesting them during the regular season. We have put
in place a policy severely restricting the conditions under which we will
undertake an exhibition game. We hope this will lighten the load a bit.
Over the last few years we have realized that the regular meetings were not as productive as they once were. The executive this year has decided not to hold regular meetings.
For anybody who is not aware, the CFOA lost one of its longest, and most ardent, serving members this spring. Frank Bryson passed away on March 9. The football community was well represented at his memorial service with over fifty coaches and officials. Al Maillot delivered a remembrance on behalf of the association. Football, and the CFOA, was a huge part of Frank's life and he will be missed by all of us.
The Midget League provided a minutes silence at the start of their game the day after Frank's memorial. Also we have asked CIS, PJFC and the CFL if they would do the same. The executive is discussing an award in Frank's name and more will be forthcoming once plans are more concrete. His number 75 was already retired.
The fitness test will likely be held in the last week of August or the first week of September. Details will be released as they become available.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact any member of the executive at any time:
We really do value your input on various issues. If you don't let us know on an individual basis how you feel about various issues we can't make decisions that are representative of the membership. We also understand that younger officials have lots of questions regarding the how the CFOA works. Please feel free to ask us.
Have a great
Season.
W. Jim Woods
President