[<<] [>>] by Elizabeth Williams
29th May 2000 (Other News)

Tony Hall, president of the WCF, addressed about 25 players and CA representatives on the aims and objectives of the WCF on Monday evening at the Inter-Counties tournament.

During questions, Don Gaunt (Chairman of the CA) asked how the WCF responds to the view of many that it is trying to usurp the national bodies, the reply was not a denial but a repetition that the governing bodies set up the WCF in the first place.

Gateball was asked about and a lengthy description of the game was given but the important point was that there are over two million (mostly oriental) players of the game.

Tony also mentioned that at the recent Sonoma tournament he had measured balls during play and found the striker's ball expands significantly. Control balls in the same sun did not expand so much.

The Full Text of his Speech

Presentation to the Croquet Association

The World Croquet Federation

by

Colonel A. T. Hall, OBE, President WCF

29 May 2000

Thank you for this opportunity to speak to members of the Croquet Association.

The Current Situation

The WCF was set up in 1986 by twelve countries including the CA. In the fourteen years since then the constitution has not changed significantly but another ten countries have joined, so that almost all significant croquet playing countries are now members. There are now four countries (Australia, England, New Zealand and the USA) with over a thousand players and therefore three votes on the WCF Council, one (Egypt) with two votes and six (Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland and South Africa) with only one vote, making eleven Full Members. The remaining eleven countries are Observer Members and have a voice but no vote on the Council.

The principles and objects of the WCF include encouraging, promoting and developing the three recognised versions of the game, Association, American and Golf Croquet, and "to govern amateur and professional croquet". The day-to-day business of the federation is controlled by an elected Management Committee consisting of a President, six members and the Immediate Past-President and performed by a Secretary-General (currently Chris Hudson, still serving after 14 years) and a Treasurer (currently Rod Williams) chosen from the committee.

Since formation there have been only four Presidents: Ashley Heenan (NZ), Fred Rogerson (Ireland), Bill Berne (USA) and myself. I stood for election because I thought that the world body was not performing the full functions normally performed by world bodies of other sports and that I could bring some experience to bear. I thought that to do a proper job I needed to be aware of the whole world scene so I promised to visit all member countries and attend all world championships during my term of office. To ensure that my motives were seen to be proper I promised to travel at my own expense.

In the last fourteen years the WCF has achieved an enormous amount, much of which has been carried by Chris Hudson. It has become an organised body with a number of publications expressing its policies, a web-site, a regular newsletter, regular meetings of the Council and constant communication between Management Committee members by email. It has licensed ten world championships, which have brought over a hundred thousand pounds worth of grants and sponsorship to the sport. It has recruited more than half the target of 250 "Founder Friends of the WCF", each of whom have contributed at least a hundred pounds as an indication of their support for the Federation and the sport. It has published the WCF Golf Croquet Rules. It has set up the European Croquet Federation and croquet is slowly starting to spread in Europe. A start has been made in Africa.

The Task Ahead

But there is still an enormous task ahead: many things are not as they should be and for our sport to prosper, as it should, we need to correct some things urgently.

The WCF should be the world body - the forum in which decisions are debated and decided. The associations that set up the Federation and continue as members obviously subscribe to the principles and objects in the constitution. There has been no move to amend them over the years. It is a disappointment to me that the major countries continue to act bilaterally and quadrilateral so often. The four major countries have the voting power to prevail in the Council of the WCF if they agree and so choose. By acting outside that forum they merely deny the other countries their voice, their opportunity to influence decisions. The co-ordinating and communication functions that are needed in all sports are impeded and the smaller countries are slighted.

Although the WCF was initially incapable of performing its designated functions it is now organised, and, with some assistance from all concerned, should take up the full workload without delay.

The sport needs a number of standards that are under constant review but which are formally amended only at discreet and not over-long intervals. A game that does not progress dies. In some places croquet is dying. Some of the required standards are as follows:

Specifications for the standard court, equipment and accessories applicable to all versions of the game. With standard specifications manufacturers will have a larger market, clubs can use the same facilities for all versions and players can play different versions with familiar equipment.

Rules and playing regulations for each of the versions. Where possible and where the nature of the game and tactics are not affected there should be standard rules applying to all versions (e.g. striking faults, when a hoop is scored, discipline). The standard rules and short descriptions of the games must be translated into all languages where it is played; however it should be recognised that if conflict arises the English version is to prevail.

Handicapping. There should be worldwide co-ordinated handicaps in each version of the game. The methods of fixing and varying them may differ but the scale should be standard.

Refereeing. Standard examinations and techniques should be published.

World Rankings. Chris Williams and Louis Nel are doing great jobs with the Association and American rankings respectively. I will be speaking to Bill Arliss about Golf Croquet rankings as soon as I can.

World Championships must be scheduled further in advance. I wrote to all member associations on this subject yesterday.

The WCF must incorporate formally so that the excellent organisation is recognised and preserved and to allow its officers to be protected properly.

More "officers" are needed to do the work. We should formally appoint some of those already doing much of the work and find others.

In the long term a better source of funding must be found. Meanwhile it must be recognised that most functions of the WCF will perforce be done by volunteers. Only the tedious work that no one wishes to do should attract an honorarium.

We must complete the recruitment of the 250 "Founder Friends of the WCF" so that significant sponsorships may be justified. No sponsor will contribute unless a sport can demonstrate that it is well organised and supported by its exponents.

I believe that it is the duty of clubs to constantly recruit new players, for states/regions/provinces to recruit new clubs, for national associations to recruit states/regions/provinces and for the WCF to recruit new countries. Next month I plan to visit Denmark and Luxembourg and I have set time aside in October to visit Libya, if appropriate. Last week we received an application to join from the Croquet Federation of India so I will have to see if I can call in on the way to or from Cairo.

Since being co-opted to the Membership Committee I have been to every world championship and refereed at Sonoma-Cutrer earlier this month. By October I will have visited every Member Association, although I have already spoken to the presidents of all but four. I have been delighted at the degree to which the presidents agree with what I am trying to do although some of them think that it will be difficult.

The Management of Change

So how can all these desirable aims be achieved? The management of change is one of the more difficult management processes. In this case I plan to effect most of the changes through the forum of the Council of the WCF. The process of amending the constitution and other policy documents should introduce the ideas gently and hopefully put them in the right context so that the overall purpose is kept in mind throughout. Doubtless some of them will be modified and improved, some will be proven unsound and discarded and some will go through unchanged.

I have formed - or modified - many of my ideas as I have travelled and spoken to different croquet administrators. (For instance I originally believed that laws committees would need to be appointed but have realised that ultimately the only way to obtain results is for elections to be held. If action is not achieved then the committee members will not be re-elected.) Because of such changes there are not as many proposals scheduled for the next WCF Council meeting in Cairo in October as I expected. Proposals that reach maturity in the next couple of months will be brought up for discussion in Cairo but will have to await resolution either by postal vote or at Hurlingham in 2001.

I come here to seek you assistance in supporting proposals when they come to a vote.

To progress our sport we must accept changes. To do so I will need support from all of you. The tasks are not easy so the sooner we start the better.