Masters Track News and Muse

Revolution at hand in WMA

Thanks to a masters mole, I have secured a copy of the official agenda for the July 10, 2003, General Assembly of World Masters Athletics in Puerto Rico. It's a stunner. Proposals for changes in the WMA Constitution would revolutionize how world masters track is run. One proposal would open up WMA's finances to real public scrutiny for the first time in its near 30-year history. Another would set the clock BACK decades by giving the WMA Council the power to award world championships without a vote of the General Assembly. And most revealing of all -- a USATF proposal would forbid WMA Council members with a financial interest in masters track from voting on such events.

The conflict-of-interest proposal is worded thusly:

USA Track & Field proposes addition of paragraph 2 (16):

"Any Council Member who receives any recompense in any administration of
any National and/or International Masters' events shall so indicate the amount
of recompense on the WMA website and shall not vote on any matter involving
an event in which they are receiving any compensation. Removal from the
Council shall be automatic for failure to comply with this Bye-Law."

This is a direct shot at WMA Council members Tom Jordan, Stan Perkins and Ron Bell -- all of whom have profited from masters track.

WMA Executive VP Jordan of the United States is a co-meet director of the upcoming USATF national masters meet and helps operate a biennial tour to masters world championships, taking advantage of his inside position to scout and secure lodging for athletes near meet venues.

WMA Oceania rep Perkins of Australia has been a principal organizer and executive in the Pan Pacific Masters Games coming up this summer in Sacramento -- a non-WMA event that stands to siphon athletes from the WMA world championships. However, he may have stepped down as CEO of the Pan-Pac Masters, suggests this news release on his ascension to a new job in Australia. (Prediction: He'll resign from his WMA post as well.)

WMA Vice President -- Non-Stadia Bell of Great Britain is the commercial manager of World Masters Athletics and may have private tour interests as well. He is the person responsible for lobbying WAVA to change its name to WMA, arguing it would increase its marketability.

Another possible target is WMA President Torsten Carlius -- a member of the Board of Governors of the International Masters Games Association, a body that threatens WMA's existence. The IMGA has begun scheduling world masters games in the same summer as the world WMA championships, starting with 2005. I've been told that Carlius is paid as an IMGA board member. A horrific conflict of interest.

Among other notable proposals to be debated in Puerto Rico:

While the WMA Council pushes for age 35 as the entry age for both men and women, France has proposed that the entry age be 40 for both men and women.

Italy (joined by France and Singapore) wants to drop term limits for WMA officers -- meaning that elected WMA Council members could potentially serve for life instead of cease their terms after two four-year stints, as is now the case. Approval of this would be a huge step backward for masters governance.

USA Track & Field, whose own record of full public disclosure is spotty, has proposed opening up World Masters Athletics to wide public inspection via the Internet, asking delegates to consider:

"The Secretary shall submit the Council minutes within 30 days subsequent to
the last day of the Council meeting to the WMA website."

And:

"The Treasurer shall submit a detailed report to the WMA website every three
months, listing all income and expenditure and noting which party incurred the
expenditure"

I welcome your comments.

Posted by kenstone at May 22, 2003 12:58 PM