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Re: City of Oxford Travesty

On 17 Mar 98 at 15:43, Cameron Mabon wrote:

> Dear list-members
> 
snip..
> 
> Somewhat ironically, given the jubilant demeanour of my recent posts and 
> the nature of the contributions from Andy Wooler regarding registration, the 
> City of Oxford band has been provisionally disqualified from Sunday's 
> Regional Championships in Basildon, pending an appeal to the regional 
> committee and, if necessary, the NCC.
> 
> The reason for the disqualification was that the band's principal 
> percussionist's name did not appear on the contest signature form. This 
> was simply an oversight on the part of our contest secretary (who, 
> incidentally, won the best cornet award on Sunday). When she drew up the 
> list, our percussionist's card was at the registry being re-done (after 
> having been lost by the authorities at the Leamington Spa contest in 
> December). Consequently, our contest secretary ommitted his name from the 
> list by mistake.
> 
> The player in question has been the principal percussionist with the band 
> for five years, and has not missed a contest in that time. His membership 
> of the band extends further back than most in the band. This was not a 
> case of cheating or abusing the system. It was a simple and honest 
> clerical error. If our disqualification is upheld, we will lose our place 
> at the Royal Albert Hall because of the smallest, most trivial of errors. 

If the player was a long serving member of the band why did the 
secretary not just put his name and address on the form and wait to 
fill in his registration number later on ?  Surely this would have 
been a sensible thing to do (I have been the sec. of 2 bands, 
Sovereign Brass and Desford Colliery Caterpillar and served on the 
Midlands Area committee so am speaking with a little experience).  
Totally omitting a regular players name from the sheet is more than 
an oversight - would she have missed her own name off the sheet, or 
the Solo Euph...?


> I accept that laws are there to be adhered to. The members of Rhos Silver 
> Band, whose second section national title was taken last year, know all 
> too well that fielding unsigned players is a costly mistake (whether 
> deliberate or not). However, the error in the case of the City of Oxford 
> is insignificant compared to that of using unsigned players.

If I recall correctly Rhos did not play an 'unsigned' player and in 
fact the band itself broke no rule.  The player concerned didn't 
realise that his old band had kept his registration years after him 
leaving, so he registered (in good faith I believe) as a new player 
for Rhos. The band nor player made a mistake in my opinion, the 
mistake was by the Registry allowing the new registration.  Your band 
however have (by a genuine mistake) broken a rule.

> Though we may have inadvertedly broken a (rather pointless) rule 
> when our percussionist played on Sunday, I fervently hope 
> that the regional committee abide by the spirit of the law rather than 
> the letter of the law when they consider our appeal. It is a spirit 
> exemplified by the City of Oxford Band. How many other bands could boast 
> full attendance at all practices up to six weeks before a contest?

Who says that any rule is pointless.  The forms filled in are as much 
an aid the bands administrators as a hinderence, it's supposed to 
make sure that all the playing members of the bands registration 
details are up to date and in order and it's quite easy to rectify 
any problem in plenty of time.  Why did your sec. not tell the area 
committee when she realised/got the card back; why did she not 
telephone the Registry for his registration number, it would have 
been on record and she could have completed the form then.

> It goes without saying that I cannot provide an unbiased opinion, as I 
> am a member of the affected band, but it seems totally unfair that such a 
> small mistake should cost us our life's ambition.
> 
> It would be a travesty if we 
> were to be disqualified, especially as James Scott (the adjudicator on 
> Sunday) said that the top two bands were well clear of the field. In 
> short, we thoroughly deserve our place at the RAH.

I agree that it would be a terrible shame if you were disqualified as 
if you and Alistair are anything to go the bands enthusiasm should be 
applauded.

> As I understand it, an appeal has been lodged with the regional 
> committee. Unfortunately, two members of that body are members of the 
> Morrells (Kidlington) band. This band is the traditional rival of the 
> City of Oxford, and may take a delight in seeing us disqualified. (A few 
> members of that band even said so at the contest on Sunday). We at City 
> of Oxford have no quarrel with the Morrells band (aside from a healthy 
> local rivalry) and it would be extremely mean spirited of the Kidlington 
> committee members to vote to uphold the disqualification out of spite. In 
> addition, I am led to believe that at least one member of the committee 
> is from Redbridge Brass, who came third in the competition and would 
> therefore be given a place at the Royal Albert Hall if the decision is 
> upheld. Surely, a committee (at least partially) composed of people with 
> vested interests such as these cannot consider our appeal impartially? 

As I said in a previous posting about FCB, you cannot expect any 
impartiallity from a banding committee.  I agree that you will 
probably have a very tough time with them, especially if one members 
band would qualify at your expense !!

> If the appeal is unsuccessful at regional level, we will lodge an appeal 
> with the National Contesting Council. I am confident that we should win, 
> given the paltry reason behind our disqualification.

Don't be so sure.  The NCC is made up of the same people who pick 
Bill Relton to adjudicate at the Nationals every year, that shows how 
much they know about current banding.  They will be more concerned 
with upholding rules that ,if your band could break (however 
inadvertantly) others could also.

> In conclusion, I should like to say that words cannot adequately express 
> how frustrated the rest of the band and I are. To qualify for the Royal 
> Albert Hall has been our long-term ambition for years, and it now appears 
> that our efforts may be rewarded with a slap in the face from band 
> beaurocracy. I think our appeal is a strong one, given the player's long 
> record with the band, the nature of our performance (earning two points 
> more than Redbridge Brass, last years Champions), the fact that we may be 
> demoted if we are disqualified (see below!), and the fact that the mistake 
> made was an insignificant and honest one.

One thing that could make a difference is this.  Were you offered the 
choice of going on stage without the player in question.  If you were 
and decided to play him anyway you should have realised what the 
consequences would be.  If you were *not* offered this choice, even 
though the contest officials were aware of the breach of the rules 
you could make the case that you would *not* have played him on the 
day if disqualification had been mentioned.  It is the officials duty 
to make this choice clear to the band before that go on stage.  This 
might be a loophole that you can use.

> I would be grateful for your opinions on this matter. Thank you for taking 
> the time to read this long message.
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> A very sober and frustrated,
> 
> Cameron Mabon
> 2nd cornet, City of Oxford Band
> 
> P.S. There is a danger that, if we are disqualified permanently, the band 
> will be demoted to the first section (because of some 'unusual' contest 
> results last year)!! This would result in the bizarre 
> situation of the other first section bands competing against arguably 
> the best Championship Section Band in the region (as we will be if we 
> continue to improve at the rate at which we have done so for the last few 
> years)!!! The first section 
> areas would be a farce, and all because one trivial rule was broken 
> inadvertedly.

Yes, this would be a joke and I doubt that any area committee would 
do this after all, there are probably 1st section band members on the 
committee and they would be protecting their best interests as well !

BTW, if you are allowed to compete at the RAH, get in there before 
the contest starts and have a look around, if possible from the stage 
area.  This might save a few pairs of underpants later on when 
walking on stage to play.  It's just not the same as anywhere else 
you will have played before and really sorts the grown-ups out from 
the kids ( a PC way of saying 'the men from the boys')

Anyway, congratulations again on your result.  See you in the 'Mews' 
??

Regards, 
Phil Green
Solo EEb Bass
Fodens (Courtois) Band.

"I'm not a musician, merely an instrumentalist "


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