Will the credit crunch effect BARLA's grip on the Association

After reading through the topic “what does BARLA do for us” I started thinking ! Are we moving into a culture where we can no longer help ourselves and believe that everything has to be done for us via the Rugby League Services ?

It does look to me like many clubs and Committees have now got themselves into a position where they are expecting most things to be done for them and because the RFL have PAID (funding) FULL TIME employees that can commit 40 hours a week towards providing services that a part-time volunteer organisation would die for, its now obviously that in many peoples eyes the RFL are now being seen in the role of the knight in shinning armour - “And so they should with the purse strings“.

Guidelines need to be drawn up that all parties can agree on and then let BARLA run their own competitions while the RFL give guidance, “I know this has happened in the past and the RFL have gone back on many issues, we now know what the RFL hidden agendas are all about”.

As an organisation I believe BARLA need to take a good look at the entire association, over the last 30 years BARLA has been moulded in it’s present state by democratic meetings and committee meetings by the governing bodies ! Is it now the time to address all the stumbling, finger pointing and back stabbing by a concerted effort starting with a questionnaire about what needs to be in a
questionnaire.

The Questions I would be asking now are: -

1, Has the Associations constitution become tired and out dated.

2, Do we need to be sitting down at every level within the game and offering a laurel branch and a clean sheet of paper to every club, league & committee within the association so they can provide their own ideas to how they feel the association should be run/ direction to go in.

3, Should the association employ an independent body to put together a new constitution with the action and guidelines that need to be taken to bring back unity within BARLA.

4, With immediate effect I would be asking every club ! “do you want to change the BARLA season” ! It’s easy to blame this years weather but every year for God only knows for how long at this time, my club has suffered from none fulfilments either by ourselves or the opposition not being able to raise a team.

If BARLA did make the move to summer it would have an enormous effect on the amateur summer game now being run by the RFL, and it would be run by BARLA

(I would suggest late February to October) if it is a yes vote I would play this season out and have a short 4 month round robin season ending late October, this would give clubs the time to chill out, start pre-season and have a relaxing Christmas which is historically the worst time for none fulfilments, It would also give the BARLA governing body the chance to look at the entire structure and put a modern structure in place that would give a worth while league programme with little disruption from to many local cups.

Marauder wrote:After reading through the topic “what does BARLA do for us” I started thinking ! Are we moving into a culture where we can no longer help ourselves and believe that everything has to be done for us via the Rugby League Services ?

I don't think it is a culture change, many on here have taken great delight in reminding us all that many of the services originally started as BARLA concepts and the increase in these services with more full time personnel has been a great help to many ... certain things we can do ourselves, others we can't so why not use the services provided?

Marauder wrote:It does look to me like many clubs and Committees have now got themselves into a position where they are expecting most things to be done for them and because the RFL have PAID (funding) FULL TIME employees that can commit 40 hours a week towards providing services that a part-time volunteer organisation would die for, its now obviously that in many peoples eyes the RFL are now being seen in the role of the knight in shinning armour - “And so they should with the purse strings“.

As many of us out here are volunteers without the necessary personal expertise or available voluntary manpower we are always going to need some assistance when we request it .. speaking of our own league we have never had anything forced on us!! The knight in shining armour with the necessary resources to help us is what we'd all like whether it be in our game or in our personal lives!!

Marauder wrote:Guidelines need to be drawn up that all parties can agree on and then let BARLA run their own competitions while the RFL give guidance ..

Didn't this happen as a consequence of the Gemini agreement?

Marauder wrote:... “I know this has happened in the past and the RFL have gone back on many issues, we now know what the RFL hidden agendas are all about”.

I was reading the Gemini final draft the other day and it certainly makes interesting reading .. neither side comes out without criticism but the proposals & initiatives suggested have certainly been implemented more by the RFL than our own Board who seem not to have moved on in the five years since the document was issued.

The consultations and Open Space meetings revealed real grass roots frustration with “politics” at the top of BARLA. Opinions expressed included:

1. There were too many people holding on to power and their own fiefdoms
   
2. BARLA are perceived to be rooted in the past and fearful of progress
   
3. “BARLA would view even a blank sheet of paper with suspicion”
   
4. “Reminds me of the trade unions in the 1970s”
   

A management audit report, carried out by Littlejohn Fraser on behalf of Sport England contained strong criticism of the financial management and control processes and of the leadership of the Board of Management. It concluded:

1. “We can provide no assurance on the effectiveness of the governance systems in place
   at BARLA”
   
   
2. “The Board does not adequately monitor performance or set the strategic direction of
   the organisation”
   
   

This opinion was echoed by many of those interviewed.

In the interests of balance the whole document is available here - Genesis Final Draft

Marauder wrote:As an organisation I believe BARLA need to take a good look at the entire association, over the last 30 years BARLA has been moulded in it’s present state by democratic meetings and committee meetings by the governing bodies ! Is it now the time to address all the stumbling, finger pointing and back stabbing by a concerted effort starting with a questionnaire about what needs to be in a questionnaire.

Agree with the need to review but not because of "finger pointing & back stabbing" .. it's because we want it to succeed that we criticise, and hope that eventually some will wake up and recognise that the sport has changed, is trying to continue to do so, and that we need as an Association to be part of that development rather than someone left on the outside looking in as we were too set in our ways.

The Questions I would be asking now are: -

Marauder wrote:1, Has the Associations constitution become tired and out dated.

A good and fair question.

Marauder wrote:2, Do we need to be sitting down at every level within the game and offering a laurel branch and a clean sheet of paper to every club, league & committee within the association so they can provide their own ideas to how they feel the association should be run/ direction to go in.

No laurel branch needed but certainly ask everyone for their input as different age groups, individual roles i.e. player, coach, club administrators, league administrators and even regions have slightly different views and requirements. One size will never fit all but sometimes having been listened to and considered makes up for the fact that some of your requests cannot be incorporated.

Marauder wrote:3, Should the association employ an independent body to put together a new constitution with the action and guidelines that need to be taken to bring back unity within BARLA.

Sadly a costly exercise but an independent party can see things from the outside that some of us inside can't!!

Marauder wrote:4, With immediate effect I would be asking every club ! “do you want to change the BARLA season” ! It’s easy to blame this years weather but every year for God only knows for how long at this time, my club has suffered from none fulfilments either by ourselves or the opposition not being able to raise a team.

Again an independent review for the good of the game taking into consideration ALL factors and age-groups is the way forward. What may not be a good move for an open-age team may be perfect for the juniors within the same club ... whose decision would take precedence? The recognised 25 players in the OA team or the possible 200+ juniors at the same club?

Maybe the two should play at different times to give clubs a 12 month income???

Marauder wrote:If BARLA did make the move to summer it would have an enormous effect on the amateur summer game now being run by the RFL, and it would be run by BARLA

Again we're back to "them and us"!!

Marauder wrote:(I would suggest late February to October) if it is a yes vote I would play this season out and have a short 4 month round robin season ending late October, this would give clubs the time to chill out, start pre-season and have a relaxing Christmas which is historically the worst time for none fulfilments

I would push it back an extra month to March as, contrary to popular belief, the worst time has drifted to Jan/Feb for cancellations and postponements.

Marauder wrote:It would also give the BARLA governing body the chance to look at the entire structure and put a modern structure in place that would give a worth while league programme with little disruption from to many local cups.

Excellent idea and one I think everyone would fully support as a positive step forward.