Just a reminder that there will be elections for 4 open ESC positions at the team meeting this Saturday at NAOC. There is more to the job than making travel arrangements and "promoting orienteering." The ESC has a tremendous amount of control over the makeup and selection of the national teams, as well as defining the team(s) selection criteria, among other things. Specifically:
--- The ESC members name, and sometimes serve on, the committee that selects the Sr. Standing Team (i.e. "the US Orienteering Team")
--- The ESC decides on the selection criteria for the WOC team each year (and WUOC team every other year).
--- The ESC members name, and sometimes serve on, the Review Panel that considers petitions to be inserted onto the WOC team each year (and WUOC team every other year).
--- The ESC controls the team's budget and spending, including making grants to individual athletes.
The make-up of the current ESC can be found on the OUSA team web pages
here:
U.S. Senior Team ESC members and terms
--------------------------------------------------------
Linda Kohn, 2008-2016, Chair 2008–present *
Pete Bundschuh, 2010–2016 *
Giacomo Barbone, 2014–2016 *
Peggy Dickison, 2011–2017
Clem McGrath, 2013–2017
Samantha Saeger, 2011–2017
Cristina Luis, 2012–2016 *
Team Administrator:
Lex Bundschuh, 2009–2015
Ex-Officio member(s):
Erin Schirm, 2014–
Terms for Linda, Pete, Giacomo and Cristina are open for election. Linda has been the chair for 4 consecutive 2-year terms. Given that long period of time and events that took place over the past year, I personally believe that its time for a change in the leadership of the ESC.
Also note that several of the current ESC members are themselves members of the Standing Team, WOC Team and WUOC Teams. Given that it is primarily the Standing Team members who elect the ESC, and given the power that the ESC has to set selection criteria and make subjective appointments to the teams and award grants, I think it is a serious conflict of interest for these athletes to serve on the ESC. Cristina, Giacomo and Samantha are all currently members of the Standing Team.
Last weekend at the AGM, three other Standing Team members (Boris, Alex and Ian) were elected to the OUSA Board of Directors, the governing body which has control over the federation's Rules of Competition (including rules related to team selection). This puts 6 current Standing Team members and potential WOC team candidates in voting positions on these governing bodies (1/4 of the entire team).
It would behoove OUSA to have fewer (or no) team members serving in these positions which present the potential for influence that is to their own personal benefit. If you feel you might be able to help out and serve on the ESC, please contact the ESC at the address Linda posted above, and/or show up at the team meeting this Saturday.
As I understand it, any interested party can show up at the team meeting and vote in the ESC elections (including non-team members) - at least that's the way it has been done in the past. It would be nice to see the voting done via paper ballot rather than a show of hands in order to reduce the potential for peer influence in the results (i.e. current and future team members are voting for or against persons who might be in a position to name or not name them to a national team spot). Printed ballots and a shoebox should suffice. I would encourage as many OUSA members as possible go to the team meeting this Saturday, both to vote for the ESC and to hear what the team is doing and show your support for them.