Author's note: The e-mail exhange reproduced in this story was NOT forwarded to Canadian Soccer News by either of the participants.
This is troubling. Walk with me:
This past Thursday, Barrie White, executive director of the Edmonton Interdistrict Youth Soccer Association, sent an e-mail to Richard Adams, executive director of the Alberta Soccer Association.
Mr. White was seeking clarification on how Alberta would vote on the original CSA governance reform package:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
From: Barrie White
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 7:42 PM
To: Richard Adams
Subject: CSA Governance
Dear Richard
I note with interest that several members responded to your January 27 and 28, 2011 email requesting member views on the CSA governance model to be voted upon at the CSA SGM this weekend. All of the emails that I saw indicated support for the Original proposal of the CSA but I also appreciate that there may have been other responses that you received.
Can you please advise whether you did receive responses that were not copied to the entire membership and what the position of the ASA will be at the CSA SGM this weekend with respect to the CSA governance models that will be presented.
Thank you.
Barrie White
Richard Adams responded the following morning:
From: Richard Adams
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 09:28:45 -0700
To: EIYSAMAC2
Subject: RE: CSA Governance
Barrie,
Everyone below supported the original model (May 2010 AGM). Every other district or associate member has not contacted me. 3 life members (Adrian Newman, Peter Hancock, Bill Gillhespy) support the May 2010 AGM model as well.
Supported
CMSA – 42
CWSA - 15
CASA - 15
SSDSA - 9
ADSA - 7
EIYSA - 7
EDSA - 35
SASA - 11
RDCSA – 12
BRSA - 8
TOTAL – 161 (47.6% of total available votes)
Richard Adams Executive Director
Alberta Soccer Association
Adams is saying that all ten districts which have responded unanimously support full CSA reform. Note, however, that all ten together total less than half of the possible votes.
White noticed this, and quickly followed up:
From: EIYSA COO
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 9:47 AM
To: Richard Adams
Subject: Re: CSA Governance
Thank you Richard for the quick response.
Curious, will ASA carry this recommendation forward, even though it has less than 50% of votes (responses)
Who is representing ASA
Barrie White
Seven minutes later, Adams responds:
From: Richard Adams
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 09:54:40 -0700
To: EIYSAMAC2
Subject: RE: CSA Governance
Ray Calvin and Scott Chen are going to Ottawa. I am speaking to them tonight about the final direction of the board but I believe they are following the direction of the membership despite the lower then expected response from the members.
Calvin and Chen are the last surviving members of the deposed, anti-reform Mario Charpentier ASA board.
They did, indeed, go to Ottawa, and as we all now know, voted against each of the first two governance plans, before joining the unanimous agreement over the final plan – complete with the full-year implementation delay.
Earlier today, Chen and Calvin e-mailed the membership, explaining the vote:
From: ray calvin
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 3:08 PM
To: Richard Adams
Cc: District 8; District 4; District 1; HS EDM 2; District 4; District 12; District 9; District 8; District 8; District 17; AUAA South; District 16; District 5; District 13; District 6; District 18; District 8; District 6; District 7; District 3; Matemisz, John; District 18.2; District 18; District 15; District 4; ACAC; District 12; District 10; District 8; District 15; AUAA North; District 4; District 4; District 4; District 17; District 1; District 8; District 5.2; District 2; District 3; District 14; District 11; Kim Letkeman; District 2; District 16; District 13; District 3; HS EDM 1; District 9; District 17; District 14; Adrian Newman; Mike Traficante; Peter McKenzie; Sean Kiernan; Bill Gilhespy; Jim Fleming; Mike Traficante;
Subject: CSA SGM results
Dear Members,
We are pleased to inform you that at the CSA’s special general meeting earlier today to consider the three governance models, the third proposal (compromise proposal to be implemented in 2012) was unanimously passed by the CSA members. The third proposal was amended to phase out the potential for provincial representation (up to 3 provincial representatives) over a period of three years.
We understand that there have been many comments sent to Richard about how we voted. Although we took into account the feedback we received from our members (and we did note that a majority of the members based upon votes effectively abstained), we also felt that we had to consider the best interests of the nation. We considered the various arguments both for and against each of the proposals. In our discussions we were particularly struck by the speed of implementation of the first and second proposals which would have resulted in a substantial turnover in the CSA board in May 2011. Such a sudden and significant turnover did not appear to be in the best interests of the nation, and our discussions with the CSA Board and other Provincial Delagates affirmed our view. Therefore we decided this morning that we would oppose the first two proposals and support the third one. This was the sole decision of the two voting members of the ASA’s board. Although there were some tense discussions after the vote on the first proposal, ultimately the members reached a unanimous consensus with the amendment to the third proposal.
We hope that our members recognize the importance of the unanimous support for the amended third proposal and understand the reasons for our decisions today. We look forward to assisting the CSA with implementing this important change to its governance structure.
Sincerely,
Scott Chen and Ray Calvin
The reason this matters is that – everything else being equal – Alberta’s “no” vote killed the first two governance models.
I have an in-box filled with furious e-mails from Alberta soccer people who feel their wishes were not considered. Remember that, as soon as Charpentier and six others were hoofed from the board, Alberta enacted a reform model every bit as stringent as the toughest CSA plan.
Yes, less than half of the ASA membership went on the record for change. But of those who DID speak up, ALL wanted reform package one to pass.
Who, exactly, does this serve? It’s very unlikely Chen and Calvin will survive the ASA’s spring AGM. The extra year is nothing to them – but very significant to other CSA directors who know their time on Metcalfe Street is coming to an inevitable end.
CSA director-at-large Mike Traficante, for example. Implicated by deposed ASA president Chris Billings in the Charpentier fiasco, he is also CC'd in Chen and Calvin's e-mail.
Over to you, Mr. Adams.
Onward!