Lots going on at the moment. I've been trying to make some progress with the WCF website, on two fronts. First, I've been doing some updates to things like the Taylor List of contact details for individuals. I found a database in my local copy of the website that seemed to be the Taylor List, also found (lucky day!) I had MS Access on my PC so could open the db. I dutifully made the requested changes to the Taylor List then uploaded them to the live website and....nothing! Brian Storey helped point me in the right direction (thanks Brian) - it seems this local copy is irrelevant, instead you have to edit the live MySQL database! Scarey - I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
So when I tried to upload the latest World Team Rankings which Chris Clarke had provided (thanks Chris), after a while crawling around bits of the site trying to find where the data was held, it dawned on me it might also be in the same MySQL db - and it was! So, now an expert (!), I was a bit quicker in getting these changes loaded. Then over the weekend, trying to pick-off easy things from my To Do list, I wanted to update a couple of WCF Member contact details that had changed - and yes, they were also in the same db. At one level, this is great, I know how to change things now (within limits). But on the other hand, editing the live db seems just wrong to me - far too many opportunities to mess things up.
The other tack on the website has been to agree with the Management Committee an approach for a complete revamp for the website. All websites 'silt up' over time, and often the best solution is to start afresh. We are planning to do that this Spring (UK). We have advertised for a webmaster, as we need someone with more skills and time to devote to it than I have. So, with luck we will have a shiny new website later this year. The current website has served us well, and I appreciate the huge amount of work Brian Storey put into it when he was S-G.
Finally, the WCF GC Rules Committee has been looking at two new official rulings for Rule 9. A complete updated list of official rulings has now been uploaded at http://www.wcfcroquet.org/Rules/Official%20GC%20Rulings%20-January%202011.pdf.
The MC has two quite large proposals in the final stages of edits and updates, which we hope to get out to the WCF Members for their comments shortly - it's taking a big push to get these proposals out the door - "just one last little thing" keeps delaying us. I'll be glad when they're done as then we can catch up with some other things we need to do, like planning for events.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Putting it all together
We've been building up quite a few decisions and proposals on how events are run - and particularly how they are scheduled and agreed. I've been struggling with how best to discuss these with the WCF Member associations and get their ideas and approval. We sent one set of specific proposals out for consulation at the start of January - but it struck me that if we did the same with everything, the Members would be snowed under. They'd also get lots of "point solutions" to comment on, without being shown the big picture of where we're trying to get to.
So after about a week of trying to "clear the decks" to let me think about this, I've finally managed to pull all our event-related ideas together into one larger story. This centres around an outline schedule for events for the next 10 years. Attached to this, we can talk about the different kinds of event, how they are planned, the fees charged, how seeding and the draw operates and so on. It should help us to resolve a number of "loose ends" and also give the Members a clearer picture of the future and what events they might want to bid to host.
This would be a great advance, as at present we're having to try to organise events at the same time as discussing how to update all the rules that relate to holding events - with no clear picture of where we're trying to reach. So I've just finished a first draft, and hope to soon get it out to my colleagues on the MC for their thoughts and corrections, before it goes to our Members.
Next challenge: do a similar 'big picture' proposal on how to make the WCF more effective and the Members more engaged in its decision-making. We've discussed the material in the MC - it just needs pulling into shape. Mind you, it's probably not fair to hit the Members with both these large consultations at once.
Meanwhile, things are hotting up on the entries for the GC World Championships in July in London, and with getting ready for entries to the Women's GC Worlds that will be staged this November in New Zealand. So I have to split my time between trying to improve the "big picture" of how we're organised, and getting the important day-to-day things done. It's good to be busy!
Martin French
S-G
So after about a week of trying to "clear the decks" to let me think about this, I've finally managed to pull all our event-related ideas together into one larger story. This centres around an outline schedule for events for the next 10 years. Attached to this, we can talk about the different kinds of event, how they are planned, the fees charged, how seeding and the draw operates and so on. It should help us to resolve a number of "loose ends" and also give the Members a clearer picture of the future and what events they might want to bid to host.
This would be a great advance, as at present we're having to try to organise events at the same time as discussing how to update all the rules that relate to holding events - with no clear picture of where we're trying to reach. So I've just finished a first draft, and hope to soon get it out to my colleagues on the MC for their thoughts and corrections, before it goes to our Members.
Next challenge: do a similar 'big picture' proposal on how to make the WCF more effective and the Members more engaged in its decision-making. We've discussed the material in the MC - it just needs pulling into shape. Mind you, it's probably not fair to hit the Members with both these large consultations at once.
Meanwhile, things are hotting up on the entries for the GC World Championships in July in London, and with getting ready for entries to the Women's GC Worlds that will be staged this November in New Zealand. So I have to split my time between trying to improve the "big picture" of how we're organised, and getting the important day-to-day things done. It's good to be busy!
Martin French
S-G
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Hall of Fame open for 2011 nominations
THE WCF Hallf of Fame seeks nominations from January to June each year.
See http://www.wcfcroquet.org/Halloffame/hoff.htm for the people already inducted into the Croquet Hall of Fame - and also the nomination form for new candidates. Unsuccessful candidates from last year are carried forward - so don't need to be nominated again.
Happy Nominating!
Martin French
See http://www.wcfcroquet.org/Halloffame/hoff.htm for the people already inducted into the Croquet Hall of Fame - and also the nomination form for new candidates. Unsuccessful candidates from last year are carried forward - so don't need to be nominated again.
Happy Nominating!
Martin French
Friday, January 7, 2011
WCF Newsletters
Hi folks,
I've started a monthly newsletter to the WCF Member associations, summarising what the WCF Management Committee has been doing, what's decided, what's in progress and so on. I'm planning to publish them to the WCF website about a week after they've gone to the Members. I've just put the first two newsletters up:
Thanks.
regards
Martin French
Martin French
Secretary-General of the World Croquet Federation
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