Well if it is an HS game, coming dressed can and will get you fired. And I am talking about the heavy traffic area that 15 miles can take over an hour to get to.

Officiating is local, like politics.

Peace

Which is why my post specifically addressed subvarsity games and also included the qualifier "down here."

And the standards can be different. I just know what happens here when you show up dressed to work games. And it is often stated in the emails by the assignors as their "terms."

Peace

All Politics Is Local (Tip O'Neill) ...
 

Great post, they can be, and often are. And it's the single most important fact that I have learned since I joined the Forum.

Previous to joining the Forum, I was officiating in a vacuum, in a bubble, stuck here in my little corner of Connecticut. Participating in the Forum has opened up my eyes to a whole new world of officiating out there. And I've discovered that different doesn't necessarily mean better, or worse, most times different is just different, no more, no less.

I'll defend what we do, warts (black belts) and all, but I'm also open to the idea that something done in a different manner may also be great for those who officiate someplace else.

Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all it's flavor. (William Cowper)

Also, "When in Rome, yada yada ...".

I'm not defending what we do if I think what we do is not right. There are some things I like and there are some things I don't like.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Work To Change ...
 

Work to change what is not right. My local board had two major divisive issues this past year, one involving a lack of transparency. Some members on one side of the lack of transparency issue decided to form a coalition and run for the executive board. Phone calls were made, and text messages were sent. Flyers were distributed before a meeting. There were three openings, and all three were filled by members of this pro-transparency coalition. We've already seen changes. For the first time ever, an agenda for the first meeting of the new executive committee was sent to all members, and we were encouraged to contact executive board members if we had anything to say about any of the agenda items. Plans are being made for next year to add amendments to our constitution to insure that all future decisions made by the executive committee are done with a high degree of transparency.

While I was pretty ambivalent about the two issues, one I was on the fence (members voted by coaches into the state tournament are now forced to select either boys, or girls, no longer can work both, this issue seemed to involve some lack of transparency), the other wasn't a big deal to me (put down a $20.00 deposit if you're planning to attend the end of the year banquet, get the twenty bucks back when you attend)), I am pleased that decisions will now be made with more open communication to let members know what issues and decisions are on the table, so that final decisions are not sprung upon us in a surprising manner. Last year's executive committee didn't do anything wrong, they technically went by the book, but more communication before decisions were made would have been welcomed, and now things will be a little better because a few guys stepped up to the table.