Minutes from 9/21/09
Guards in Attendance:
Alter Ego, Central Regional HS, Edison HS, Emanon, Fusion Jr., Hicksville HS, Matawan HS, Mineola HS, Northern Highlands, North Plainfield HS, Point Pleasant Boro HS, Sayreville HS, Somerville HS, SBVE, SBPC, Upper Moreland HS, West Milford HS, West Orange HS
Scholarship
Will be headed by Executive member: AJ Kise
Committee: Mary Ann Cinque, Pete Shaver, Anthony DeMarino
Show Sign Up
November 25 forms emailed to dues paid members –
December 1st – first postmark date
There will be percussion at MINEOLA & HICKSVILLE
Task force presentation:
Izzy Delgado
Anthony DeMarino
John Burns
Elyse Hajdusek
Vicki DelCorsano
RESULTS:
There will be three classifications:
Three Tiers – SA/ IA
SRA/IRA
Scholastic Novice/ Independent Novice
They will be judged on three different sheets:
Three Sheets – SA/IA on WGI A Sheets
SRA/IRA on WGI Regional A Sheets
Novice Divisions - New Novice Sheets
New sheets and “bump numbers” will be developed immediately and announced as soon as possible.
The Task Force will reach out to all members of A classifications with a recommendation of which class to begin the season. This is only a recommendation - final decision rests with the guard. It is assumed that there will only be upward motion during the season - not downward. Groups wishing to move down a division from where they competed last year must petition the task force to do so.
To read the entire Task Force Presentation please see below.
Proposal:
To divide the current Scholastic A and Scholastic Regional A classes into 3 separate classes called Scholastic National A Class, Scholastic Intermediate A Class, and Scholastic Regional A Class. The important premise behind this proposal is the division of the classes into 3 classes, and not the names. The names of the classes can be up for discussion.
Educational Philosophy behind Proposal:
-To encourage the growth of our mid-level developing programs by adding a middle ground that will help prepare them to someday be on par with the top level A class units.
-Have guards compete amongst others in their competitive neighborhood, which helps each member unit set and achieve realistic goals and gives each student a more positive experience.
-Further fostering the overall growth and education of all our member units and students, regardless of level.
Class Descriptions:
National A - Top level A guards who would be competitive with the middle to top half of WGI's Scholastic A class due to their high level of training and design techniques according to the WGI A class criteria. Judged on A Class Sheets.
Intermediate A - Guards who are in the middle stage of development. These units are not yet at the same level as the advanced A guards but are above the novice level in terms of training and design techniques. Judged on A Class Sheets.
Regional A - Guards who are at a novice level in terms of training and design techniques. Judged on Regional A sheets.
WGI participation does not have any bearing on what class you are a member of in MAIN. Any guard may compete in a WGI Regional or WGI Championships regardless of class.
Benefits of this Proposal:
-Encourages guards to grow at their own pace. Making two smaller jumps in terms of competition between classes over time instead of one large jump at a time from the current Regional A to A class helps to make the transition easier for guards as they grow through the ranks.
-Guards will have a chance to compete against others of similar abilities and resources. While there seems to be a division in terms of quality within each of the two current classes, combining units from the bottom of A class with units from the top of Regional A to create an Intermediate A class will give each guard a chance to compete against others in their competitive neighborhood and increases the competitive balance across the board.
-All students will finish the season with a sense of accomplishment. While every class will have a first and last place, the difference from top to bottom will be minimized, creating smaller point spreads.
Examples of circuits around the country who have a similar number of member guards as MAIN and have more than 2 A classes:
Mid York Color Guard Circuit - 32 guards in A / Reg. A, 3 classes
-15 in Regional A, 9 in A2, 8 in A1
Musical Arts Conference - 28 guards in A / Reg. A, 4 classes
-5 in AAA, 11 in AA, 8 in A, 4 in National A
Mid West Color Guard Circuit - 29 guards in A / Reg. A, 3 classes
-12 in RA, 8 in A, 9 in AA
Mississippi Indoor Association - 24 guards in A / Reg. A, 3 classes
-7 in Novice, 7 in Regional A, 4 in AA, 6 in A
Keystone Indoor Drill Association - 38 guards in A / Reg. A classes
-8 in Bronze, 12 in Gold, 11 in White, 7 in Blue
Gulf Coast Color Guard Circuit - 11 guards in A / Reg. A classes
-4 in Regional A, 4 in AA, 5 in A
All of these circuits, as well as others around the country, utilize both A class and Regional A class sheets, while some (FFCGC and TIA) utilize A class sheets only although there are more than 2 A or Regional A classes in each circuit. It is not necessary to have a separate set of sheets for the Intermediate class, nor are we in the position to create one.
First Year Classification Process:
-Upon review, each unit will receive a suggestion from the Task Force on which class would suit their program best for the 2010 season.
-Units will then decide which class they would like to start the 2010 season.
-Units who ended the 2009 season in A class may not choose to start the 2010 season in Regional A class.
-Midseason promotion process (to be discussed later) will place units in the proper class during the first half of the 2010 season.
-Keep in mind that while the midseason promotion process can promote a unit to the next class of competition through the midseason show, the process does not enable a unit to drop down in class once the season begins.
Midseason Promotion Scale:
-A unit will be promoted to the next class of competition (from Regional A to Intermediate A, and Intermediate A to National A) once they achieve the promotion number for that week, as well as the promotion number in 3 captions, one of those captions being a students’ skills-based Individual Analysis caption, either movement or equipment.
Int A to Nat A Reg A to Int A
A sheets Reg A sheets
1/23 62 (12.4) 64 (12.8)
1/30 64 (12.8) 66 (13.2)
2/6 66 (13.2) 68 (13.6)
2/13 68 (13.6) 70 (14.0)
2/20 70 (14.0) 72 (14.4)
2/27 72 (14.4) 74 (14.8)
3/6 74 (14.8) 76 (15.2)
Post Season Promotion Process:
-The post season review process will be similar to the current system. Guards will be reviewed and a decision will be made on whether they are ready for the next class of competition.
-Units may also request to be reviewed to move down a class. Factors of this decision will include budget cuts leading to staff changes, graduation/turn over rate, and/or other events that could have impacted the program causing setbacks.
-Guards may decide to move their unit up to the next class at their discretion.