I always wonder how organisations who have one year terms for their positions in executive office, ever get any progress and have anything happen.....

I am saying this as there is a nice kufful about the Archery NSW elections coming up soon on the 27th August.

With organisations who have a single year, someone comes into the position. By the time they learn of the complete scenario, and start motions to change or introduce new things, their term is over, and they must fight another election to stay on in the position. This makes it very difficult to actually acheive anything when people are resistant to change, as most people are in most situations.

I take this from a personal experience point of view. Governments get three years to show what progress they have. Why doesn't sporting organisations have similar policy?... The corruption factor? Obviously there is no money paid, so you wouldn't be in it for the politics or the money, but rather the love and care for the sport and organisation.....

I have been involved in my club for years. This is my 6th year in the club, and all but one year, I held a position in the executive. And now, as the President, I can say that progression takes a long time, and determination. And the power and will to actually execute directions of change through force if needs be. This year, and last year, our club has undergone major changes. But we (not everyone, but a majority of our serious and regular archers) believe these changes are most beneficial in the long term. Spending our funding in affiliation, getting hosting of competition, upgrading our equipment to competition grade suitable, raising more revenue because we require them to keep up with continual costs of a medium sized club.

Although I do not wish to take much credit for the years past, I feel that I have put a lot as a guiding hand into the affairs of the club, and through my manipulations (yes, I'm a manipulator.....) we have come so far in such a short period of time. Yes, six years is a very short period of time for a club whose membership consisted of 30 members, and cost $5 to join for the year, and only ever shot 30m on 122cm faces.

Now, our membership is 150, and we have about 20 active regulars, it costs $30 a year, we shoot all distances from 18m to 90m, from 40cm to 122cm faces, we enter competitions outside the university games, we host university games, we host state competitions, and our archers have national rankings and national records.

If we only had a coach.

I am very proud to say that Sydney University Archery Club is probably the best self-taught/coached club in Australia. There has not been a coach at the club with official accreditation since I started in the club back in 1999. But yet, our archers continually push the barriers to their own personal bests, and get amongst the best to give it their all.
Even University of NSW Archery Club has level 1 coaches in their club, and they get external help from Sydney Bowmen and St George Archers.

Just a rant I guess.