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Re: National Finals - Disqualification

Raymond Rochester (in an uncharacteristically bovine moment) 
wrote:

>  After all, who on the respective regional committees has actually done
>  the business?  They are by and large 'wannabees', they rely on other
>  people's endeavours for their own personal glory.

How dare you, Raymondo!  Serving on the Northern Regional Committee 
is possibly the least glorious thing I do, second in 
ingloriouslessness only to serving on the Yorkshire and Humberside 
Association Committee.  I'd far sooner be helping out on the front 
row at Dyke, attending recording sessions of one of my compositions, 
lecturing on Balinese music or conducting Harrogate Band in Ripon 
Cathedral (24.9.99 - spot the plug!) but someone has to do it...or no 
contests!   If I was really looking for personal glory there are many 
better ways to achieve it that humping percussion round the stage at 
Darlington when all your mates are in the bar!  Folks on the Regional 
Committees long ago gave up expecting thanks for what they do but 
your comments fall wide of the mark!

Regarding the disqualifications, the NCC has been sending out fairly 
strong messages for the last 18 months or so that rules will be 
firmly applied and enforced. Remember at the Areas when winners were 
announced: "...bands may be considered for an invitation to the 
national finals..." when we all thought it was an automatic right!   
I suppose the thinking is that if the NCC accepts a late entry it 
will have broken one of its own rules and in doing so risks legal 
action from the bands who would have benefitted from others' 
disqualification.  For example if Redbridge went on to win the 
Nationals (good call, Bram!!!) the NCC might find itself on very 
dodgy ground indeed.

Surely the solution would be to have in place a satisfactory appeals 
procedure at which bands might be properly represented and the 
outcome of which would preclude further (legal) action from either 
party; most importantly this would settle the matter amongst 
ourselves before it all gets out of hand and goes to court, where the 
only real beneficiaries seem to be the solicitors themselves.  If 
there's a good reason why these bands weren't able to meet the 
deadline, fine;  if not they have no real grounds for complaint.

David
(writing on my own behalf and not as a member of the Northern 
Regional Committee!)

PS: the last time Alan Hope gave me a lift in his car he drove a 
Toyota MR2 to which no front fog lights were fitted!  The real 
problem seems to be people with four wheel drive off-road vehicles 
who never get further off the road than Sainsbury's car park - 
obviously not you, Ray!



> 
> I have and still do compete at all levels - but I have also served on the
> regional committee and I have seen at first hand the simplistic beaurocratic
> method of dealing with bands.  Whilst we need these volunteers to do the
> work we should not allow them to  have a positive influence.  The solution
> is for the top bands to take a more active participation and perhaps then we
> might see a more sensible solution.  After all a fourth section delegate is
> far more likely to see things in a different light than say one from Dyke or
> Brighouse.  The lower section bands certainly have a place but if you look
> at the regional committees their influnce in disproportionate to the section
> as a whole!!
> >
> 
> 
> --
> 
> 


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