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TGBTG
JV Class to be evaluated on Regional A Sheets Passed at Caucus
Proposal: Move the JV Class to the "B" {Regional A} sheets from the "A" Sheets.
Rationale: The JV class fits the criteria on the "B" {Regional A} sheets better. In addition, this would allow JV units to attend WGI regionals and compete on the same sheets they would in the Regional A class.
Financial Impacts: None
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Move Performance time of Percussion Competitions Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Separate the performance time blocks for Color Guard and Percussion at contests. Alternate early/late performance times at contests. Awards and Retreat will take place at the end of the Color Guard performances, and again at the end of the Percussion performances.
Rationale: We have reached a point where mixing the percussion and the color guard classes is beginning to take a huge financial impact on the units. Many units with two color guards are being forced to bring one unit very early in the day while the other unit arrives after the percussion class. In some cases these units only have one instructor which is forced to spend the day at the competition instead of teaching. By separating Color Guard and Performance, the percussion units will be given maximum amount of time to practice that day and would allow the color guards to all compete together. In addition, the color guard judges would not have a large break in the middle of the competition.
Financial Impacts: Units would not have to pay for buses to be at competitions all day. Some units would not have to make more than one trip back and forth from the show to their school as well.
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Contest Hosts to provide warm up details Passed at Caucus
Proposal: All units must disclose accurate details of warm up facilities when submitting applications for hosting a show. Host must submit photos of the warm up and performance areas that will be posted on the SFWGA website, as well as other pertinent information (i.e., if floor carts will be allowed in the gym, will floor crews be provided by the Host, is electric available in Percussion warm-up areas) so units can make an accurate decision as to whether they would like to attend that contest. In addition, SFWGA Board members are required to check the day of the show that what the host stated would be available for units is. If not a financial penalty would be assessed.
Rationale: Several times throughout the season units show up at a contest and there is no or unacceptable warm up facilities. Some with no lights, some with no room etc. We as units must know exactly what to expect when decide to attend a contest. A great gym is of no value if there are poor or no warm up areas. By requiring this information and putting it on the website each unit can decide if what they need to be successful that night will be offered at that contest.
Financial Impacts: None
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Post Performance Schedules Earier Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: After the main drawing for shows at the December meeting, members will have 7 days to submit any changes to their contest selections, or to submit Membership paperwork to be eligible to perform at Premier. Any contest changes submitted after this date, for contests following Premier, will be assessed a fee. No changes will be accepted within 14 days prior to the contest date. Members will declare on the Membership Paperwork if they are entering Scholastic B class, as this class will no longer be created at Premier. The Classification Committee will still be charged with ensuring competitive classes are accurate and may make changes as needed. The SFWGA will insert 20-30 minute breaks, as appropriate, between classes at contests to allow for late entry without disrupting the performance times of other units.
Rationale: Having the schedule earlier allows for buses and parents to be better informed of times. Often this past year schedules were not posted until a day or two before the show.
Financial Impacts: None
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Change Contest Assignments back to 2008 Criteria Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Allow potential contest hosts to bid on any contest date that their school/facilities are available. Change the criteria for awarding contest host assignments to: 1) geographic location, 2) logistics of the contest venue, i.e., gym size, warm up facilities, entrance/exit doors, etc, and 3) previous demonstrated ability of the parent/booster organization to run a successful event.
Rationale: In 2008, the Membership enacted a policy that established the same contest weekend each year for contest hosts. During 2009, the first year of this new process, no contest host was able to accept a contest date on their pre-assigned weekend. This created additional processing steps and delays in publishing a final season schedule. Due to the yearly fluctuations in school gym availability, WGI Regionals, and WGI Nationals, this proposal changes the contest host assignment criteria back to the pre-2009 process.
Financial Impacts: None
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Determine Championship participation Requirements Annually Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Delete Article 9, Sections A and B from Policies and Procedures (contest participation requirements for Championships). Replace with: "Member units must participate in a minimum number of contests during the season to be eligible to compete in Championships. The required number will be determined annually by the Membership during the Summer Caucus." see important note at the bottom of the page
Rationale: Article 9, Sections A and B set as policy, the number of contests that a member unit must participate in to be eligible for Championships. By deleting this policy, the Membership will be free to vary the requirements each year at the Summer Caucus, based on the total number of contests offered each year, and the timing and location of WGI events.
Financial Impacts: By setting contest participation requirements annually rather than through Policy, the SFWGA will be able to tailor the number and dates of contests each year to the specific needs of the Membership and the timing/locations of WGI events. This will enable the circuit to cut under-enrolled and poorly attended contest dates, eliminating their associated expenses. Potential savings to the SFWGA are $6,000 to $17,000 annually, depending on the contest schedule. Eliminating under-enrolled contests, leveling the number of contest participants at each contest, and reducing the number of contest dates offered, will reduce overall contest expenses, and potentially reduce Contest Host fees by approximately $1,000 to $2,000 each.
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Unfolding of Tarps Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: No percussion unit shall unfold their tarp outdoors at a SFWGA sanctioned event. This does not include unfolding then immediately refolding an incorrectly folded tarp, or the refolding of tarps after performance, but only to pre-performance opening of tarps. Any unit violating this rule will be subject to penalties based on WGI rule 8.2.
Rationale: Due to the increasing number of percussion units and the limited amount of space for warm-up areas at contest locations, there is a need to help control traffic in these areas. This will promote units to warm-up in a more confined area, thus allowing for the best possible warm-up for all groups.
Financial Impacts: None
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Percussion Warm-up Policies Passed by the Voting Memberhsip
Proposal: A detailed Warm-up policy will be used for percussion warm-up areas. An ensemble may warm-up anywhere prior to 1 hour before the percussion portion of the contest commencing. After this time, two to three designated areas will be roped off and monitored with a detailed schedule of use by ensembles. There can be no playing of any kind within 300 feet of this designated warm-up area. Any ensemble violating this will be issued a warning and may be subject to penalties.
Rationale: With the increasing number of units and limited amount of warm-up areas at contest sites, it is often difficult for units to get a controlled warm-up that allows the students to enter the performance arena with the right frame of mind. By having these policies, it will ensure that all units can have a process for going through the warm-up to the performance.
Financial Impacts: None


Committees Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Delete Article 3: Committees in the Policy and Procedure and replace it with the following: 1. Classification Committee. (a) Consists of a Chairperson and a minimum of three members. Committee members must be instructors or judges. (b) Review Premier Night performances and subdivides the units into appropriate classes. (c) Review performances throughout the season to ensure proper classification. (d) Empowered to change any unit's classification as needed to ensure fairness of competition. (e) Classification decisions will be by majority vote of the committee members. (f) A committee member who has an affiliation with a unit being reviewed, or an affiliation with a unit competing in any of the classes potentially affected by the change under consideration, is not eligible to vote on the classification. 2. Ad Hoc Committees may be created the board as needed.
Rationale: Update committees as growth warrants.
Financial Impacts: None


Duties of the Board of Directors and Officers Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Replace the Duties of the Board of Directors and Officers in Policy and Procedure with the following: "The duties of each board member will be determined annually, following the May elections, by the board members."
Rationale: Update committees as growth warrants.
Financial Impacts: None


Duties of the Circuit and Contest Staff Passed by the Voting Membership
Proposal: Delete Article 2: Duties of the Circuit and Contest Staff in Policy and Procedure and replace it with the following: 1. Audio Technician a. Responsible for storing, transporting, maintaining and operating the SFWGA sound system at all SFWGA sanctioned shows, under the direction of the Contest Director 2. Announcer a. Responsible for all general public address and competition announcements in accordance with Winter Guard International, under the direction of the Contest Director 3. Digital Tabulator a. Responsible for downloading and uploading judges digital critiques to contest members, under the direction of the Chief Judge 4. Tabulator(s) a. Responsible for recording judges scores and penalties in accordance with Winter Guard International standard, under the direction of the Chief Judge b. Provides recaps for judges and participating units at the conclusion of a sanctioned SFWGA contest c. Responsible for storing, transporting and maintaining all SFWGA owned computer, printers and tabulation equipment d. Maintains timing and penalty records e. Maintains records to determine performance order at Championships 5. Contest Director(s) a. Oversees SFWGA sanctioned contests in accordance with Winter Guard International rules and regulations b. Evaluates and applies all penalties c. Authority over contest and performance times 6. Judges Liaison a. Concierge to judges at the contest 7. The Board may create any additional contest staff positions as needed
Rationale: Update committees as growth warrants.
Financial Impacts: None


Note concerning Performance Requirements
The 2010 contest dates were set at the Summer Caucus as the schedule that currently appears on the Contest Information page. The prerequisites to participate in the 2010 Championships were set by the Caucus to be "participation in Premier plus three contests, one of which may be the WGI Fort Lauderdale Regional for Color Guard, or the WGI Boca Raton Regional for Percussion."



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Rules Changes for the 2010 Season