[IRISHMAFIA]

Glen,

I don't consider a take-home, open-book test as any type of challenge compared to a time-restricted, written exam. Especially when it is multiple choice and true or false. I don't think you can find an easier test than ASA's though most Fed-oriented folks have disagreed in the past.

For the three years I was the association's rule interpreter, I tried to get a meeting to go over the test as a group. I will not use the term "mandatory" as some take this as a challenge to NOT take the test. It never worked as people just would not show up.

Even as small as Delaware is, there are too many people out there with the, "If I schedule it, umpires will appear to officiate it" attitude. There's one horse's *** who has sued us for not having enough umpires to work his tournaments. We told him to knock himself out as our treasury had less than $100 in it and our lawyer would work for nothing. We still didn't have enough umpires to work his tournaments.

We are so short on umpires, there is no chance of any discipline for anyone who doesn't want to abide by the rules. The assignors could care less as they don't make their money if the game doesn't get covered, so they will assign anyone to the game. That eliminates the threat of loss of income to those who could care less about the association or requirements. The point being that there are always games available to work so the umpires can always find a game whether you like the way they do things or not.

It is a losing battle even at the States level. The umpires just don't care. There is no more pride in being selected to work States or even Regionals in this area. Around here, it just isn't the same as it use to be d:-(