COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN SCRABBLE PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATIONS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Friday, April 7, 2023 3.00pm
Bar area, ground floor, Windy Hill Social Club
Cnr. Napier & Brewster St, Essendon
MINUTE TAKER: Carol Johnsen
ATTENDEES (including proxies):
(In Person) Carol Johnsen (Coordinator), Paul Richards (President, Qld); Barry Harridge (Website & Ratings); Bob Jackman (President, NSW), John Holgate (Treasurer, NSW); Nick Ivanovski (President, Vic); Tony Hunt (Youth Coordinator); Jane Taylor (President, SA)
(By Zoom) Chris Hall (President, WA)
APOLOGIES: Richard Birch (ATB Editor), Martin Rose (President, Tas)
| State |
No. of Members March 2023 |
Voting Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 1 | |
| New South Wales | 162 | 3 |
| Queensland | 66 | 2 |
| South Australia | 28 | 1 |
| Tasmania | 20 | 1 |
| Victoria | 127 | 2 |
| Western Australia | 50 | 1 |
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM (attached) -
MOTION: THAT THE MINUTES OF THE 2022 CASPA AGM BE ACCEPTED.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF MINUTES:
Rules committee drafting of clock rule - CJ to pursue as coordinator of committee (further note: Arnold Appelhof has undertaken a simplified draft of WESPA rule which he will forward on.)
Australian Youth Coach - Rael Hayman.
CASPA levy - further investigation $3 to remain and the Council to accept the recommendation.
Format of the Nationals - Working Group - undertaken and recommendations made - see Coordinator report
CASPA BOARD NOMINATIONS:
Co-Ordinator: Carol Johnsen
Editor ATB: Richard Birch
Trademark (Mattel) Liaison Officer Carol Johnsen/Tony Hunt
Youth Co-Ordinator: Tony Hunt
Treasurer: TBA
Rules Officer: CASPA Coordinator
Web Coordinator: Barry Harridge
Ratings Officer: Barry Harridge
MOTION: THAT THE NOMINATIONS BE ELECTED UNOPPPOSED.
Moved: Paul Richards Seconded: Tony Hunt Carried
Co-ordinator to approach John Hamilton re Treasurer’s position.
OFFICER REPORTS:
Co-Ordinator - Carol Johnsen
MOTION: THAT THE AMENDED CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT BE RECEIVED.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
“Resets” was removed from the item on national software.
Editor - Across the Board - Richard Birch
MOTION: THAT THE EDITOR OF ACROSS THE BOARD’S REPORT BE RECEIVED.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
Trademark (Mattel) Liaison Officer - Carol Johnsen - see Tony Hunt’s report.
Treasurer - John Hamilton - no report
Web Coordinator & Ratings Officer - Barry Harridge
MOTION: THAT THE WEB COORDINATOR’S & RATINGS OFFICER’S REPORT BE RECEIVED.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
Rules Officer - CASPA Coordinator (Carol Johnsen)
Youth Coordinator - Tony Hunt
MOTION: THAT THE YOUTH COORDINATOR’S REPORT BE RECEIVED.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Jane Taylor Carried
Discussion ensued on how could CASPA and/or States help to generate more youth players. Tony Hunt was highly commended for his efforts and all agreed that there was nothing more that Tony could do. It appeared that State demographics contributed to it in some way, e.g. Victoria had an aging base to actually help out. Paul said that Queensland had only 1 youth player, and Paul himself worked with a primary school and a high school and he could not see any tournament players coming out of it.
It was pointed out by Tony that youth love to see how they are going in the ratings and this was a big factor. Was finance a factor? Should CASPA be fundraising? Jane Taylor explained that, as a parent of a Youth player, she had paid for two overseas trips which was a considerable burden on parents and could be a big factor.
It was noted that the next World Youth 2023 was in Trang on the Thailand/Malaysia border and this could prove difficult to travel to.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Review of Ratings System - submission from Victoria
Nick explained that the situation had arisen where some players are so under-rated that if they did badly in one tournament, they can’t make it up in the same time span. A player had recently spent improving rating up 100 points, having one bad tournament and losing 30 - play hasn’t changed really. It might take 2 or 3 tournaments to get them back. It is an aspect of discouragement to enter tournaments. We want them to keep coming back. Various international systems might use also margins. Last time was 2006 for review. We are playing different style tournaments since 2006.
It was agreed that the system might need to be reviewed and Barry explained that Australia effectively takes performance rating on day plus average on past say 10 tournaments - in Aust system exponential, in UK linear. UK would make established players keep ratings better, but up and coming players would be harder to get up. One way rewards established players and the other punishes upcoming players.
Paul Richards would like feedback points to be reinstated into the rating system. Or to round up on all rating point calculations.
MOTION: THAT THE COORDINATOR SET-UP A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW RATINGS WITH A REPORT BEING PRESENTED TO CASPA BY 30 SEPTEMBER, 2023.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
(Interested people?? - Barry Harridge, Trevor Halsall, Benjamin Lee)
CASPA Promotions - Magnets, Bookmarks, etc. -
Paul Richards said that CASPA needed products to hand out at events. As CASPA did not have a generic supply, do States produce their own? The States should be sharing what they produce - e.g. bookmarks. Nick Ivanovski was of the opinion that word-centric resources did not lend to people “enjoying” the game. E.g. only produce 2-letter word list. Welcome packs were a good idea.
Scrabble 75th anniversary - Mattel do not seem to have done any logo, etc. no big broo-ha. Victoria would be approaching Mattel for the Victorian Championships in June as it was a CSW21 tournament.
CASPA levy - no discussion.
THAT DAVID ELDAR AND THE REPRESENTATIVES IN THE AUSTRALIAN QUOTA OF 13 FOR WESPAC 2023 BE SUBSIDISED $A100 EACH UPON REQUEST.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Jane Taylor Carried.
THAT A LETTER AND A MOTION FOR THE WESPA BGM BE SENT TO WESPA HIGHLIGHTING THE ANGST THE EXPURGATION HAS CAUSED AND ASK THE NEXT WORD LIST UPDATE BE DONE BY COLLINS WITH NO INTERFERENCE FROM MATTEL.
Moved: Paul Richards Seconded: Jane Taylor Carried WA against
And that an agreed process be established that any modifications is established.
Moved Jane Taylor: No seconder.
Paul - We can refer to the uproar proposals to modify other things such as Roald Dahl books has caused.) Qld committee asked for this and doesn’t think Mattel know how much angst was caused. Maybe nothing will come of it, but don’t know if Mattel locally know about it.
Bob - WESPA caused the angst. Mattel said what they had to say. John - WESPA forced ultimatum which was not necessary. Mattel said that the word “Scrabble” would need to be removed if the expurgation was not done.
Nick - Suggested that a better way would be to write to WESPA regarding angst and we want make aware and is continuing and that WESPA communicates it with Mattel and Collins. We need to be cautious is that around time of loss of licence at time of Sports Illustrated article which hit NASPA where it hurt. Whether that was straw that broke the camel’s back.
John - Mattel holds the trademark - it is held over our heads.
Women’s Tournament - Jane Taylor - inaugural women’s tournament - reasonably moderate attendance - maybe annual and from state to state and tacked on to a 2-day tournament. NSW might do it with the CSIM in 2024. Meeting suggested that SA & NSW can work out and maybe do it alternatively. Not a matter for CASPA to need to consider.
Nationals - Format for 2023/24 - (divisions)
2023 - maximum of pairings will be 3 or 2. For 2-day event 2 is right, then 3 is right for a 3-day event.
2024 - wait for end of this tournament. Survey players and take back to Formats committee.
Tightau programme - submission from S.A. - (attached)
Following completion of the 2023 Australian Scrabble Championship, a survey would be undertaken to ascertain the satisfaction with the programme.
WESPA Executive - Carol Johnsen is happy to continue as CASPA representative - Any other nominations?
MOTION: THAT CAROL JOHNSEN CONTINUES AS CASPA REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WESPA COMMITTEE.
Moved: Nick Ivanovski Seconded: Paul Richards Carried
Funding for:
Australian Championship (currently $3000)
Masters /State Challenge (currently $3000)
CLOSE: 5.15pm.