Ottawa Branch carries motions at PPBSO AGM; Clansey elected V-P; Juvenile Grade added

With more than 100 members attending thanks to an especially strong turn-out from Ottawa Branch members, the annual general meeting of the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario (PPBSO) was a lively and at times contentious affair.

Every motion put forward by the Ottawa Branch was carried, and Colin Clansey was elected Vice-President of the PPBSO in a vote against incumbent Willie Connell. Connell had served only one year in the post, standing for election in 2005 after Ron Rollo became President of the organization mid-way through his term as VP.

Barbara MacRae was re-appointed as PPBSO Secretary by acclamation. Clansey and MacRae’s terms run for two years. The positions of President and Treasurer are to be voted on at the 2007 PPBSO AGM.

Of the motions carried, the most significant for actual competition are the addition of a Juvenile grade and the ability of grade 4 or 5 bands to fill either the pipe-major or pipe-sergeant position with an “instructor” from a higher-grade band.

After a lengthy debate, a motion to move Grade 4 and Grade 4 solo side-drumming competitions to a list of set scores was defeated.

Motions carried at the meeting:

• A marketing and promotions committee be established by the PPBSO to promote piping and drumming to the public. (Delete rule A-10.2 (e). [Meaning: the PPBSO’s Music Board no longer is to look after this domain.]
• The PPBSO establish a Juvenile pipe band grade that would allow band members that compete to be up to and including 18 years of age. The pipe-major and drum-sergeant may be over 18 years of age. Requirements to be a March Medley of tunes, played in quick time of 3 minutes 45 seconds to 4 minutes 30 seconds in duration. Players may play in one other non Juvenile Pipe Band.
• D6.5-D6.6 be amended to read: “A grade 4 or 5 pipe band may add a higher grade piper as their pipe-major or pipe-sergeant, in addition to the minimum five other pipers, provided he/she is registered as their piping instructor.” [Meaning: bands have the option of filling the pipe-sergeant position with an instructor, and not exclusively the pipe-major position, as the rule previously stated.]
• The Music Board review the current list of massed band tunes to ensure that they are still appropriated, and to determine if additional tunes should be added to the list. [Meaning: relatively tricky stuff like “Royal Scots Polka” will probably be deleted from the existing list.]
• The PPBSO membership fee be left at $58.30 with the branch rebate increased from $10 to $20 per member. [Amended to be a recommendation to the PPBSO Executive.]
• For 2007 the PPBSO roll back its membership applications deadline to January 31, 2007.
• The Supplementary Letters Patent be amended to read that “A quorum for the transaction of business of the Executive shall be seven Directors present in person (or participating through a recognized conferencing medium), with a minimum of on Director present from each active Branch.”
• The Music Board actively pursue a program for piping and drumming similar in purpose to the Royal Conservatory of Music, and that milestones (with dates) be provided to measure progress.
• The Music Board publish, available to the membership, an annual plan of its planned objectives for the subsequent year.
• On the re-design of the PPBSO database, read-access of the administrative database shall be made available to the Directors of the Society, either through on-line means or other means to be determined.
• The PPBSO provide all solo competitors and bands acknowledgement of receipt of solo and band entries either by email, website or other manner which accomplishes the same goal, a minimum of two weeks prior to entry closure. [Meaning: the organization is obliged now to confirm receipt of competition entries.]
• The PPBSO include on-line membership application available on its website starting no later than the 2008 competition season.
• With assistance from the Branches, the PPBSO prepare and communicate a mission statement before the 2007 PPBSO AGM.

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