Vol 1.1                                                                                       Fall2009

Americans In Scotland

Rothesay

Adult - 4th Runner-Up.............

Jocelyn Case (NW)

Qualified for World Finals
Kelly Brush (MW)
Jocelyn Case (NW)
Lauren Cooper (W)
Laura Donlan (E)
Kari MacNaughton (W)
Hilary McKinney (NW)
Megan Shipley (E)

World Finals - medal placings

Juvenile - 6th in Sword.............	Kelly Brush (MW)
Juvenile - 5th in Seann Triubhas	Kelly Brush (MW)
Adult - 3rd in Fling.....................	Kari MacNaughton (W)
Adult - 6th in Fling.....................	Jocelyn Case (NW)
Adult - 6th in Sword...................	Kari MacNaughton (W)
Adult - 4th in Seann Triubhas......	Jocelyn Case (NW)

 

What's Been Happening in FUSTA/SOBHD

There was much confusion stemming from the discussion at the FUSTA AGM regarding who/what teachers need to sign the dancer’s registration form if there is more than one teacher working with the dancer.   We are currently working on getting clarification on this and hope to have clarification for you by the next newsletter.

For you judges out there - don’t forget that U.S. judges are also supposed to be keeping their CPD (Continued Development Log) up to date for 2009.  You may have heard or thought that the CPD is only for Canadian and Scottish judges, but it is for all judges including U.S. judges as well.  While it is NOT mandatory this year, it most likely will become so in the next year or two, and it might be a good idea to practice keeping the log in preparation for when it is no longer optional, but required. The logs can be found in the member’s section of the FUSTA website, and the logs do contain examples to help you decide what to use or not use in your own logs.

Also, for ALL FUSTA members - don’t forget to register as members on the SOBHD website.  Not sure if you are eligible to register?  Here are the people who are eligible to register; organizers (organizers will need to verify which competition(s) you organize and the registration numbers), pipers, judges and teachers (teachers will need to supply your BATD, SDTA or UKA member number).  Currently there are approximately 200 people registered and the SOBHD is hoping for a much larger percentage of eligible people than that.  Go to www.SOBHD.net/ and check it out.

Worldwide discussion – technical clarifications; as we speak the SOBHD Technical Committee is at work updating the Penalties section of the SOBHD constitution.

On the FUSTA home front, during an informal discussion the other day the subject of combining age groups came up, and I can’t tell you how many different ways people thought age groups in a championship could or couldn’t be combined.

The following is an explanation on how age groups may be combined for championships in the event there are not enough dancers (6) to make a championship.  For further reference see page 17, item f under “Open and Closed Championship Rules” in the current (2006) SOBHD Constitution and Rules.

1.      Organisers retain the right to combine age groups where there are age groups with less than six showing on the day.

2.      The custom and practice is that dancers would be asked if they would wish to “move up” to the next group (never down).

3.      Those who agree to move up do so, however, the others may dance as a non-championship event.  (It was thought by many judges and organizers that all the dancers must agree to move up or none, but this is not so.)  One or two dancers may decide to move up with the other dancers choosing to remain in their prescribed age group and dancing as a competition.

4.      You may NOT combine under 16 age groups with age groups aged 16 and over, however, age groups under 16 may be combined and age groups starting at aged 16 and anything older may be combined.

5.      The main philosophy for combining age groups is to allow dancers to compete in a Championship. It is a shame if they are not permitted to take part in a Championship due to circumstances beyond their control, and perhaps some have travelled a considerable distance to find that, on the day, there are insufficient dancers in the group to make up a Championship.

 6.      If, at a Championship, there are dancers who choose not to move up and dance their age group as a competition;

i. Dancers do not have to dance Championship steps.

ii. One judge will suffice; however, the organizer may choose to use three judges.

iii.  There is no rule regarding trophies, so the organizer is free to do as they consider best in regards to what the overall winner receives.

iv. On the day of the event, the judges must be told prior to the event commencing if there are any groups that don’t have a sufficient number of entries for a Championship.