Hello!
This is a very interesting conversation! For myself, i have more than a few horses in the race:
1) I'm one of the co-directors of Go Congress 2011, and a relatively "new volunteer" who, other than starting a (moderately successful) college club, has had very few interactions with AGA leadership over the years. This means that I want, and more importantly, need the AGA to have a strong volunteer corps that can be called on to help make 2011 the best damn congress ever. As an east-coasty who is volunteering to co-direct the LA congress, that gives me an interesting perspective on the "Congress as a traveling training circus" vs. "create national specialists" discussion. Suffice to say that i do *not* think the second is universally better, nor do i think that the first is necessarily virtuous either -- there's a lot to be said for the last two opens starting on time.
2) As for the AGA's discussion to not pay TDs, the discussion is fairly moot -- to my understanding, the budget at this years congress has been stretched to the breaking point, and the option of paying US Open TD's was not really feasible. Since I'm not involved, I'm not gonna comment on that except to point out that pwaldron's point on the three different issues of "compensation" create very different situations.
However, the troubling aspect is the comments in the board's minutes suggesting that this was the board stepping in to Congress director's relationship with their volunteers. Congress directors can't do their jobs with the board second guessing their decisions (and again, i have a vested stake in this argument
More importantly, this isn't really something they can prevent: If I want to compensate our TD's in 2011, I'll find a way to do so if i have to do it out of my own pocket or otherwise put it "on the side". If the board is using this to make an official stance on the "train national operators" vs. "encourage local development" issue, well, it seems like the wrong way to do it. Saying you can't do something nice for someone is about as effective as stamping your foot and telling someone not to say thank you...just doesn't make sense.
3) I'm also -- much like KA the HKA -- fairly disappointed in the state of face to face go in the 'states. As a result, I've put my hat in the ring for election to the AGA's Board, as of this past weekend. I'd encourage people with similar disappointment in the AGA to redouble their efforts to improve it, beginning with encouraging a sense of accountability & urgency in the Board. HKA's point is really quite important -- if this community is important to us, we're going to have to step up to keep it and make it grow, and there ain't no one but us who can do it.
(since typing this up, it looks like a few others are thinking of volunteering to run! Hooray!)
Lastly, i'd like to tip my hat to Chris Sira, Jeff Shaevel, & Phil Waldron, who've done an exemplary job in performing all of their duties, and i look forward to seeing them do all they can. The tournaments they have run have all been an absolute joy to play in.
