Evaluating the Candidates in the 2021 US Fencing Board Election
This year’s Board election is exceptionally competitive with 8 candidates vying for 2 at-large director positions. More people than ever are interested and keen to generously contribute their time and skills to the leadership at US Fencing. You can read about the candidates HERE
We need change at US Fencing, but we also need stability. We want leaders who are responsive to the needs of the organization and to the needs of the different constituent groups who make up the diverse membership of US Fencing.
As parents of competitive fencers, we want Board members who are:
attuned to our concerns
listen to us, and
effective at addressing these concerns
You can vote if you are a current Supporting member of US Fencing who registered on or before February 1, 2021.
Now let’s get down to the details.
preferential Voting system
You can read the voting rules HERE . Unlike what is generally understood to be ranked choice voting, US Fencing will allocate points in descending order. The top 2 candidates with the most points wins.
The hypothetical scenario we show you below demonstrates that if voters rank all 8 preferences, a compromise candidate (in the illustration, it is Candidate F) who did not get the majority of 1st and 2nd rank votes wins the election, and the two candidates (Candidates A and B), both of whom received a majority of 1st and 2nd rank votes, would lose. This outcome would not reflect the will of the voters.
Demonstration of How US Fencing Weighted Ranking Voting Works
Bottom linE:
To maximize the chances of your top two choices winning, indicate the ranking for your top 2 choices only. Do not rank the rest of the candidates. If you rank the rest of the candidates, you allocate them points that could boost their standing to the detriment of your preferred candidate.
DO not rank anyone who is not one of your top 2 choices.
CAUTION: Do not open the link to the ballot unless you are ready to vote. If you open the link for a look-see, but do not vote, the voting system will disappear the link from your email. You will lose your opportunity to vote.
loss of members and other challenges
The post-Covid environment will be a challenging one for US Fencing as an organization, and for the constituencies who make up US Fencing’s membership. The drop-off in US Fencing membership has been precipitous - from almost 40,000 members pre-Covid to about 21,000 members across all categories today. US Fencing needs to recover both lost membership and lost revenues.
Many fencing clubs experienced financial distress during the last year and will need assistance to get back on their feet. Meanwhile frustrated competitive fencers have missed out on training and competition, and continue to be limited in their competition options given ongoing capacity restrictions for NACs and regional tournaments, and the added risk of flying on an airplane to get to competition.
In our view, the first order of the day should be for US Fencing to take care of the needs of the existing 21,000 members, the ones who are still here despite the dislocations caused by Covid. These members include coaches, referees, competitive fencers, non-competitive fencers, supporting members and veterans.
Financial stability is the top priority for US Fencing. Where will it come from?
Competitive Fencers under 18 are the largest revenue source
The largest group of members are the 8,126 competitive fencers, nearly all of whom are our minor age fencing children. The next largest group. 7,224 of them are non-competitive fencers, a majority of whom are also minors. High school fencers total 489. Coaches form the next largest group with 1,489 members followed by supporting members with 905 members (including many parents). The adult referees who mainly fit within the Competitive + Check Ed category number 182. Life members total 1,354. Olympian life members, pending memberships and several other small categories make up the remaining 2,000 members. (These numbers are extracted from US Fencing’s membership CSV file updated as of May 5, 2021)
Historically, the regular NAC going competitive fencers (numbering about 4,000 fencers by our estimate) are the single largest source of revenue and net surplus for US Fencing, contributing more than 50% of US Fencing’s revenues (NAC fees plus competitive membership fees) in 2018/2019, the last full fencing year before Covid. This group of dedicated fencers have both the resources and the determination to keep fencing and they are US Fencing’s financial life blood. They are not to be taken for granted!
See: Who Goes to NACs and Pays the Fees?
US Fencing Sources of Funds 2018/2019 (Based on approved budgets)
US Fencing Uses of Funds 2018/2019 (based on approved budgets)
US Fencing Surplus/Deficits 2018/2019 (based on approved budgets)
Given the critical importance of NACs to US Fencing as a funding source, US Fencing must
treat this critically important group of 4,000 plus regular NAC competitors and their families with respect - they underpin US Fencing’s financial stability, and
work hard on growing the number of minor age competitive fencers who become regular NAC goers. The increasing complexity and difficulty of gaining admission to an elite college makes fencing a very attractive way to develop an edge in gaining admission.
When US Fencing boasts of its affluent membership base, it is referencing this group of fencers and their families. Given how expensive climbing the national points list is today, it is this same group that incubates the next Team USA member and the next US world fencing champion.
Two candidates stand out for their commitment to the well being of our youngest competitive fencers. They are:
Patrick Durkan - good ideas and he gets things done
Patrick loves fencing with a passion and he understands the issues faced by US Fencing as only someone as dedicated as he is can. His combined experience in business (corporate benefits consultancy and insurance) and his experience as a successful coach and club owner (Durkan Fencing) makes him uniquely attuned to understand the challenges faced by the fencing community as we move into a post-Covid era. You can read more about Patrick HERE.
Patrick brings renewed energy and fresh ideas to the Board combined with deep knowledge of the sport. FP’s conversations with Patrick confirm that he is a straight talker who gets things done fast when he is committed to the cause.
Patrick understands that one of the most effective ways for US Fencing to increase revenues is to increase the total number of young competitive fencers interested in fencing as an edge to get into an elite college. Unlike youth recreational fencers where the churn level is very high, young fencers whose parents see fencing as an edge in college admissions have both resources and staying power. We agree with Patrick that this is a group whose needs US Fencing should
strive to fulfill. They provide US Fencing with the financial stability to pursue other goals.
Patrick sees increasing the number of NCAA programs as a way to attract more young fencers. He believes that US Fencing should work with athletic directors at colleges to facilitate new NCAA fencing teams. He is right. If Duke University has a NCAA fencing team, why not the University of Chicago? US Fencing can do much more to make this happen for one of its most important member communities.
Patrick knows that competition experience is a big deal for fencers, coaches and referees. Excepting the last year of Covid restrictions, there are longer term concerns with adequacy of tournaments, clarity of qualifying pathways using the regional and national points structure and recruiting, training, and maintaining of enough qualified referees to support tournaments.
As parents of committed competitive fencers, we want to see these issues resolved as a priority. Patrick understands that.
After multiple extended conversations with Patrick, FP feels very strongly that Patrick is committed to addressing the immediate challenges faced by US Fencing, and he has the skill and energy to get things done on behalf of the fencing community.
We have a bonus from Patrick in that he has some real fundraising chops. His foundation, the Patrick Durkan Fencing Foundation has raised more than $100,000 to cover travel expenses to international competitions for fencers aspiring to get on Team USA. He did this through small scale fundraising events, including something as simple as cheese and wine hour for parents at his club.
We want Board members who listen to concerns of young competitive fencers. Patrick will be one such Board member. He deserves our vote.
2. donald alperstein - delivered tangible results to parents
FP supported Donald in his quest for re-election in 2019, and we support him again in 2021. Donald is a friend to parents and their young fencers. You can read more about Donald and his service to US Fencing HERE.
Donald was the first Board member to take parents concerns seriously by talking with FP extensively. He is the only Board member so far who has been very effective on parents’ behalf and he has delivered tangible results for parents. Donald continues to be accessible to listen to parents concerns and he has always taken FP’s calls to discuss issues that parents care about.
Donald took personal and pro-active steps with the US Fencing National Office to fix the big problem with inconvenient and expensive to get to NAC locations for fencers in the West (read more about it HERE). He ensured a better distribution of easier to get to NAC locations that was fair to all fencers no matter where they lived for the 2019/2020 season.
Donald also organized town hall meetings for parents to air their concerns and to facilitate communication between parents and the US Fencing Board. The 1st of these meetings took place at NACs during the 2019/2020 season. 4 town hall meetings were planned for Summer Nationals in 2020.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, we have not enjoyed the full benefits of the improved NAC locations or the town hall meetings.
Note: We recognize the frustration with the location of recent NAC venues for many fencers in the West. Going twice to Richmond, Virginia for which there are no non-stop direct flights from major cities in the West is both expensive and inconvenient. It is not clear if any venues were available in the West for large groups at the time bookings were made for the April and May NACs. Certainly, the Anaheim Convention Center is now open, and there will be a regional tournament there from May 29 to 31. Was it ever an option for US Fencing? Perhaps, US Fencing can hold Summer Nationals 2021 in Anaheim.
Donald has promised to revive the town hall meetings as soon as viable, and we expect him to continue to make the NAC locations fair and reasonable post-Covid restrictions.
Donald promises to continue to work on behalf of parents. It is important that our voices as parents are heard by the Board since our children cannot speak on their own behalf with the Board.
Donald has indicated that while the term limits (which he promoted within the Board) allow him the potential for an additional 8 years on the Board, he is unlikely to use that full potential.
Fundraising
While several Board candidates have articulated plans to raise funds (presumably in the millions) through corporate sponsorships to fund the growth of fencing, that will be a tough road given the lack of critical mass and the very diverse demographics and income levels of the US Fencing membership. The membership ranges from 10 year old kids with very affluent parents, to high school and non-competitive members who pay $10 a year in subscription fees, to veterans, coaches and referees. At the moment, it is doubtful that US Fencing has critical mass in any one group that makes for an attractive target audience for a corporate sponsor.
FP has over several years emphasized the need for US Fencing to raise funds, FP is of the view that this fundraising would be most successful with the fencing alumni (former fencers who are no longer active fencers). Those who have succeeded may be ready to give back to the fencing community. Private schools raise funds very successfully through alumni. Like fencing, each school is too small to attract corporate sponsors, but they organize events to keep up the school spirit and raise money at the same time. US Fencing can explore this model carefully to ratchet up its fundraising activities.
With a development director on board, US Fencing has started raising money more successfully than in prior years. In 2018/2019, the US Fencing Foundation raised $135,000 and US Fencing’s development activities raised a total of $276,000. In 2019/2020, the US Fencing Foundation raised $100,000 and US Fencing’s development activities raised $315,650. In 2020/2021, the US Fencing Foundation is projected to raise $73,000, and US Fencing’s development activities are expected to raise $270,300. These numbers are a big improvement from earlier years. Tapping the fencing alumni network should raise these numbers further.
closing
FP strongly recommends that parents allocate their top 2 preferences to Donald Alperstein and Patrick Durkan. To raise their chances of winning, do not rank anyone else.
Donald and Patrick are committed to serving the interests of the young fencers and their families who provide US Fencing’s financial foundation. They are equally committed to serving the needs of all members of the fencing community including coaches, fencing clubs, referees and veterans.