Membership : A Different Perspective

 

After judging a FITA Star tournament this weekend, I was confronted by an archer, who had obviously had a bad day, with the statement that he would not renew his SANAA membership, because SANAA has done nothing for him!

 

This got me thinking how people go to lengths to impress people who they don’t even know, never mind like. One sees this all the time, whether it be with material items, or their perceived superior knowledge.

 

And then a long standing member of the association shows his stupidity by saying something idiotic like that! Clearly, thinking is very hard work for him, and possibly beyond his capable scope. “Poor Chap”, I thought, “he would be eaten up in business”, because he is the type of person who obviously never reads any documentation; would sign a long-term lease without reading it (never mind understanding it) and is the type of customer a bank loves – signing all his assets away against a pittance and without confrontation or due consideration.

 

But then I thought that maybe that archer was not an idiot, and perhaps he just had a bad day, and was simply using SANAA as a means of emotionally purging his emotions and frustrations. But what was certainly clear from his statement, is that he hadn’t either read, or understood the Constitution.

 

Written first in 1949, and amended from time to time, the role of SANAA is clearly defined in that document; and has nothing to do about the individual, but the sport. It is not the role of the association to “do something” for any one person. While you can read the objectives for yourself, consisting of some 14 paragraphs, the salient points are;

 

• To serve as the supreme governing body
• To be affiliated to FITA, FAA, SASCOC and Archery South Africa
• To enforce the rules and to act in a fiduciary manner in its duties
• To promote and encourage the sport and to ensure that it conforms to IOC rules
• To be allowed to present trophies
• To decide the national champions
• To select archers for international tournaments
• To maintain tight standards of sportsmanship and equity.

And that’s it in a nutshell. And while I honestly believe that the Association meets its objectives and that there is not one single archer in the country who can challenge this statement; the reality remains that it is not the role of SANAA to do anything for the archer.

 

And yet it does. It goes far beyond the call of duty. And the list is long. Some you are aware of, such as the role of the National Coaches Commission, the National Judges Commission, the raising of funds to help provinces with equipment, the training sessions in Egypt, participation in the Commonwealth Games, involvement with Drug Free Sport, the various Challenges, the Gold Squad Programme, the leagues, the high performance centre sessions, the accessibility of volunteer officers; and many more.

 

Then there are the hidden aspects, those that you never get to hear about. The countless emails that abound to try make things better, the numerous meetings with government officials to ensure archery remains recognised, the countless calls that the Secretary makes to improve the management of the sport, the innumerable reconciliations that the Treasurer has to go through to ensure FITA stars are available for awards, the myriad of steps that the various national committees go through to ensure a high standard; and many many more.

 

The astounding fact is that it’s all done by volunteers, who expect, and normally get, nothing back in return! But more importantly, it’s your membership that allows the sport to grow, have greater sway when it comes to liaison with various bodies and gives the Association international recognition.

The reality is that the sport is larger than any one individual, and that is why SANAA is about the sport, and not the individual. So the next time you feel that the Association has done nothing for you, think again. I know it’s hard work, but try it. You may enjoy it!

 

Selwyn Moskovitz

SANAA President