DancesportInfo.net

Good News, or a set back for OADA Members ?

Wednesday, 05 August 2009 21:44

  OADA   “The only region in Canada & the rest of the World”  ?

________________

Reinstatement Rules 14.0

Motions 2 & 4 failed therefore Rules 14.5, 14.7.1, & 14.7.2 –will not

change. These reinstatement motions were voted on only by those few

present and as a result Ontario (OADA) is the only Region in

Canada and the rest of the World that does not permit anyone

above Gold level to be reinstated, therefore I feel it keeps Ontario

back in the past.

____________________

Lets discuss :

Is it not a good thing to maintain Rules that protect interest

of pure dancesport amateur athletes from having to compete against

Professional(s) who, for one reason or another,  decide to compete as

Amateur(s) ? 

What does it mean ?

14.5 The waiting period after reinstatement as an amateur and prior to

Admission to the association remains to be a minimum of one year after the

last professional activity of the applicant.

14.7.1 Reinstated dancers will not be licensed to compete below the Silver

level upon reinstatement.

14.7.2 A person will not be reinstated if any of the following apply:
a) competed as an amateur at Pre-Championship or higher
b) competed as a professional DanceSport competitor
c) taught DanceSport competitors (except as provided in Appendix 1)
d) judged competitors

Hat off to  OADA for listening to their  members and protecting

and looking after their Amateurs.  Lets hope Amateurs of the

"remaining Canadian Regions"  and the rest of the World take the  hint that

ANYTHING  is possible if Members  work with  their association and let them

know what they  want,  go and vote.

Progress or a set back for Ontario Amateurs  ?

 After all the Rule which has been upheld was valid and existed prior  years and had a purpose.

  Does the rest of the World demand a change where Professionals can become Amateurs

  without any wait ? 

Re: Good News, or a set back for OADA Members?

Thursday, 06 August 2009 18:04

Let's make no mistake. 

We (the OADA members) did NOT work with our association in this regard.  We simply got ourselves organized and voted AGAINST the motion put forward by the Board.  The Board is NOT "looking after" us, in fact they were down right pissed when we voted this down.  Two years in a row we've had to vote on this and I suspect we will be voting on it EVERY year until they get it passed.

After voting it down, are they now representing us accordingly with their show of support?  NO.  Instead we read snide editorial comments in our newsletter about living in the past.  It is clear that they represent only their OWN agenda (and perhaps some Pro's looking to be reinstated).

Re: Good News, or a set back for OADA Members?

Thursday, 06 August 2009 21:09

wooden_spoon

Let's make no mistake. 

We (the OADA members) did NOT work with our association in this regard.  We simply got ourselves organized and voted AGAINST the motion put forward by the Board.  The Board is NOT "looking after" us, in fact they were down right pissed when we voted this down.  Two years in a row we've had to vote on this and I suspect we will be voting on it EVERY year until they get it passed.

After voting it down, are they now representing us accordingly with their show of support?  NO.  Instead we read snide editorial comments in our newsletter about living in the past.  It is clear that they represent only their OWN agenda (and perhaps some Pro's looking to be reinstated).

 

----

 I did not mean to upset you wooden_spoon,   but now that I read the quoted from OADA's newsletter  statement   again  I can see what you mean.

So  OADA Board  is actually  complaining  about their own members  after the vote ? 

If the decision was based on a  vote where  the majority of OADA members  voted for  keeping the  already existing Rule,  why  would OADA Board  be against and now expressed their displeasure in a Public  domain  , and even ridicule the final decision  ?  Once the vote is carried out and accepted, is it not better to keep mouth shut and live by the majority  decision,  instead of pointing out ( bitterly ) that  not enough OADA members came to the meeting ?   Obviously there were enough voters to score a major win .

Hat off   to  you wooden_spoon ,  sorry for misreading and  for  praising OADA for standing up to the World .

Who can possibly be  in favour of Professionals  becoming Amateurs and competing,  beating up and taking trophies from  regular Amateur dancers .  Who would be so impatient to say that 1 year wait time is  excessively long ?

Good for you wooden_spoon and all caring  and active OADA members for taking a stand .

If only other  dancers/ association members  realized that their strength is in unity ,  if only they discussed  issues,  organized and voted for what they want,  in a democratic system , voting works and you proved it . 

Re: Good News, or a set back for OADA Members?

Friday, 07 August 2009 12:08

Can I add my cent worth.  Straight out my respects to the OADA members who voted against and defeated a motion with which they disagreed.  They are fortunate that they do have a vote some are denied this.  For example the dancers in the Netherlands

The new member "reasonable" describes one of the areas where I would like to see people exercise their democratic right and vote and defeat policy being enforced.

I would seek guidance though.  If I understand the situation OADA are members of CADA  and could mean that any OADA member who competes in any event outside Ontario will come up against the very issue on which they defeated their leaders.  This is especially true of IDSF events. Perhaps the most notorious being the couple who declared only a short time ago they were Professional and then danced in and won the World Games Standard.    Are IDSF returning to their policy of all being only "athletes" with no Amateur and No Professional. 

Do OADA members plan to boycott competitions outside Ontario where the policy with which they disagree is operated?

So whilst I am happy at democracy I can understand why the leadership would simply wish to bring their policies in line with those of Association Amateurs de Dance Sportive du Quebec, DanceSport Alberta, DanceSport BC, DanceSport Atlantic Association the oher CADA bodies.

But again - Fabulous that the OADA membership felt sufficiently strongly on an issue to oppose their leaders.  May it be the start of many similar actions.

Re: Good News, or a set back for OADA Members?

Sunday, 09 August 2009 14:29

Now there are several references to the success of the OADA's  2008 AGM and ,   the commendable acceptance of the members' majority  decision via  democratic voting process. 

While the OADA's board had  (  after reading  their  e-letter's quote, see above  )   a different idea  of what was desirable  for the advancement and  development of Ontario dancesport, the Board  accepted ( even though reluctantly)  the  members majority decision  which  defeated  the proposed  Rule change.

My comment has nothing to do with the actual Rule change  and whether it was good or bad for the members.

My comment has everything  to do with a call to all dance lovers, made by many posters and  the most recently  repeated by Jazz,  who called  for dancers', and association members' increased unity and participation in their associations annual  meetings  and asked that members propose ideas, and their wishes to their  associations and that they unite, organize  and go and vote for the changes they want.

This is powerful,  and it was OADA Board, which agreed with such an approach and themselves informed their members:    If you do not like the changes, next time come to the annual meeting and vote... when reporting:

"Updates from this years AGM meeting:

although we have 568 members only a handful either voted by

proxy or in person. Therefore if you are not happy with the

results then possible in the future you should take the time to

exercise your rights and vote."

EXACTLY !!!

I praise OADA's voting process,  the leadership and the example given not only  to  Canada but  the rest of the  World   where democratic process is still  recognized and followed. 

 If you do not like restriction,  if you do not like specific rules, if you are against hip hop , or a rain dance being mixed with our ballroom, if you see that flowing IOC's rules distracts from ballroom.your objectives -  do not complain,  unite, go and vote for changes you want.

THIS IS BIG, THIS IS POWERFUL  but only  if you are willing  to take  back the power you gave away when you  decided all was useless to participate because  your associations were going to to do whatever they wanted to do anyway.  You gave up and now your association is asking you to Participate and exercise your rights and vote.

THANK YOU OADA !!!