The S.W. Regional AGM was held Saturday, July 23, 2011 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Nancy Love, Chair, presiding.
Results of the new officer election were announced. Our new officers are: Nancy Love, Chair; Alfred Barrow, Secretary; Kenton Adler, Officer-at-Large. Retained for another year of service are: Eddie Selden, Treasurer; Rosemary John, Officer-at-Large, and Bonnie Pedersen, Officer-at-Large for Drumming Interests. Thank you to Stew Joslin, outgoing Officer-at-Large and Bonnie Pedersen, outgoing Secretary, for their two year service on the Board.
To date this year there have been 3 sanctioned competitions in our Region: the San Antonio Piping competition,The Arkansas Highland Games, and the Red Stick Regional solo piping competition. Upcoming are the Ceol Na Pioba competition in Shreveport, LA, August 20, and the Austin Piping and Drumming competition in Austin, Texas, October 8. In the past, the Salado, Texas Games have not been sanctioned due to EUSPBA regulations prohibiting sanctioned games on the weekend of the National AGM. We successfully petitioned for date change of the National AGM and hope to see the Salado Games sanctioned this year!
Piping and Drumming workshops/instruction programs were held at the San Antonio Presidents Week Workshop, and Lyon College Summer School. These programs brought in Sandy Jones, Ed Neigh, and Willie McCallum for piping instruction, and Steve Cameron for drumming instruction to our area and were well attended.
The EUSPBA National AGM will be held in the SouthWest Region in San Antonio, Texas this year. The venue will be the Holiday Inn on the Riverwalk on the weekend of November 5, 2011. Please make plans to attend the AGM and demonstrate regional support of our Pipe Band Association. Three Proposals are being formulated by our Regional Board to present for discussion at the National AGM. #1) To redefine Grade Levels 4 and 5. We propose to retain the unsanctioned chanter/drum pad level, but establish a sanctioned Grade 5 level, all ages, which would provide an entry level for competition on pipes and drums. Piping events at this level would include 2 Part March, 2 Part Slow Aire or Slow March and Ground-only Piobaireachd on bagpipes. Drumming event to be 2 Part March. This would provide pipers an opportunity to enter into Piobaireachd competition with Ground-only. #2) Drop Ground-only Piobaireachd at Grade 4 level Piping. Piob. at Grade 4 level would require Ground plus 1 variation with the option of additional variations. #3) Suggest engaging an independant audit of the EUSPBA National business records going back 5 years, with the goal of getting updates on the best practices to be followed and ensure our organization remains exemplary as a non-profit organization.
A test run of Live Streaming is to be set up at this years AGM with hopes that in the future all AGMs will be available for viewing by members who are unable to attend in the AGM in person.
