Greener Grass in Oshawa?

IS THE LACROSSE GRASS NOW REALLY GREENER IN OSHAWA?

Lacrosse Canada has moved its national office from Ottawa to Oshawa. The Canadian Lacrosse Association (now Lacrosse Canada) had its national headquarters in Ottawa since 1970.

I have tried to understand and appreciate the move and consulted with 28 leaders from the Canadian lacrosse world asking them one question: ‘’What are the corporate advantages to Lacrosse Canada for such a move?’’ Basic, legitimate and straightforward question if there is one.

The first striking follow-up to the question is the lack (or refusal) of an answer from 7 of 28 Lacrosse Canada volunteers involved directly in national programs or within Lacrosse Canada’s structure (25%). The most surprising lack of answer was from Lacrosse Canada’s interim Executive Director with whom I communicated twice to get his answer to the question.

The second striking element was the lack of interest for such an event. Five (5) lacrosse leaders (out of 28/ 17.8%) mentioned that the move to Oshawa ‘’was not a relevant issue’’ and was not a concern to them. ‘’I don’t care’’; ‘’this is not a concern of mine’’; ‘’in today’s world the location of the National Office is not an issue’’.

Many (15/ 53.5%%) simply did not understand why Lacrosse Canada would move to Oshawa and never were informed of the reasons, or the rationale, supporting such a move.

The information to move from Ottawa to Oshawa was relayed to the provincial associations, for the first and only time, in an email dated October 3^rd sent by Sarah Utting, Lacrosse Canada’s Administration Coordinator. Not by Lacrosse Canada’s President nor by the Executive Director!!

The other time the readers of the website were informed was in the post, on October 11^th, indicating that Lacrosse Canada was looking for an Executive Director who was to work in Oshawa. No reasons were ever sent, or shared, as part of the ‘’information’’ given concerning ‘’the move’’ as if this was a marginal and slightly irrelevant decision….. Hey after 54 years in Ottawa we’re moving our National Office to Oshawa; don’t lose your concentration; carry on, carry on; Cheers!!!

Those who did not understand the rationale for the move indicated what could be tentative reasons: costs of rental; to save money on travel; proximity to the Greater Toronto Area; potential better access to national sponsors in the GTA than in Ottawa; access to volunteers in a lacrosse ‘’hotbed’’; making Oshawa some sort of a national training center; virtual offices are ‘’the thing’’ now.

I was surprised that so many people consulted were not aware of the reasons behind the move; I was also surprised to see how many comments seemed to cynically indicate that someone now living in Oshawa would become the new Executive Director thus suggesting that the quest for a new Executive Director was a done deal and some sort of a sham. We will need to get back at this later.

However, I was not surprised to see that this Board of Directors’ decision was not explained in detail to the membership and to the paying members who, in fact, through their membership fees, pay for the office space. We’re moving; ask us not why? This is typical of the way Lacrosse Canada shares information. The Board of Directors knows it all and needs not share its decisions and rationale with any of you!! Just pay up and be quiet!

One of the dominant comments that was presented was about the losses that would be incurred from moving out of Ottawa. Lacrosse Canada would be moving away from Sport Canada but mostly from the decision center for sports and politics in Canada. For many, Lacrosse Canada seemed to indicate a lack of understanding of the essential need, for a marginal sport, to lobby decision makers and politicians. But mostly the need to remain as close as possible to the decision makers. And they are in Ottawa!

Many remembered that the national sport status presently enjoyed by lacrosse came after months of patient and efficient lobbying; some also needed to indicate that the return to the Canada Games was the result of politicians stepping up for lacrosse after being properly lobbied on the sport’s relevance in Canadian history and towards national unity. The return of lacrosse within the Canada Games did not happen because of Lacrosse Canada’s actions.

Some indicated that there was also much to lose from moving away from colleagues from other sports who could share with lacrosse’s staff and directors their wisdom, efforts, strategies, successes and failures. Often times a breakfast with colleagues from other sports opens avenues of thoughts and partnerships. Lacrosse Canada’s move could be assessed as a ‘’we know it all and we don’t care about you all’’ type of move. Far different from….’’What can we learn from you and what can we share with you’’.

In my mind moving away from the area where decisions are made is indicative of Lacrosse Canada’s inability to effectively lobby for the sport but mostly translates a lack of understanding of the need to permanently lobby governments and civil servants. An email just will not do it. This is an altogether different ballgame. And Lacrosse Canada does not play it. And loses for not doing it.

Now Lacrosse Canada can step forward and, for the benefit of its members (and paying members) answer SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS.

When was the decision to move to Oshawa made?
What was the result of the Board’s vote in favor of the move? How many were opposed?
What are the corporate advantages (political, financial, technical, public relations and or communication) to Lacrosse Canada of such a move?

Would it not be very simple for the national association, after being 54 years in Ottawa, to explain why it had decided to move to Oshawa? This is not a matter of transparency it’s a matter of basic respect towards the members (and I need also mention, to the paying members).

The lack of decent communication on this matter sadly must bring us back to a concern over the search for the new Executive Director, who has now been appointed. Let’s have a look at the process and deadlines and, again, ask simple questions. Let’s remember that asking questions is not fomenting conspiration theories; asking questions is a rational follow up to a clear absence of information.

The post (on Lacrosse Canada’s website) indicating Lacrosse Canada was accepting nominations for the position of Executive Director was presented to the public on October 11^th. That post has now been surprisingly deleted from the website! The deadline to apply was on October 23rd which seemed to give applicants 12 days to apply for the most important position at Lacrosse Canada. However, let’s not forget that October 12^th, 13^th and 14^th was Thanksgiving weekend and that October 19^th and 20^th was also a weekend during which Lacrosse Canada staff does not work.

An interested applicant, wishing to apply seriously, to complete due diligence, and wanting to have information on the last few years’ annual reports, financial statements, upcoming budgets, and number of registered participants would have to ask the staff for an answer and wait a while to receive it. Now imagine if the applicant was a francophone applying in French on the only available formula, which is in English. In practical terms the time available to apply was 8 days…for the most important position within Lacrosse Canada!

The post also indicated that the applicant would work out of the ‘’new’’ Office in Oshawa and that the date of entry into function would be ‘’immediately’’. Clearly one would have to consider moving to Oshawa, unless that applicant already lived in Oshawa.

On November 5^th Lacrosse Canada announced the name of the selected applicant; Terry Rayner, from Oshawa. I should note, I have never met Terry Rayner and that fact is irrelevant to this article.

Questions, obviously need to be asked because no relevant information has been circulated:

How many individuals applied for the position? (We ask not for names, for obvious reasons of confidentiality)
From how many provinces did the applicants come from?
How many applicants were considered and effectively interviewed? And from which provinces did they emerge from?
Who was on Lacrosse Canada’s selection committee?

These are basic rational questions that anyone who had an interest towards Lacrosse Canada could ask…and expect to receive information on. So far none of that information has appeared on the Lacrosse Canada website which opens the door to the emergence of conspiration theories, cynical comments and basic doubts about the process.

Could it be possible that Terry Rayner is the person to solve the poor image Lacrosse Canada has and he is God’s gift to the lacrosse world? Or, could this selection process been a sham and that the decision to select Terry Rayner was a done deal before the process even started? Certainly, a fair question to ask as there has been little information made available on how the hiring process evolved.

Asking the question is legitimate; expecting answers also is…Opacity or lack of relevant information is never a good choice within a democratic association. Unless the members are hypnotized deaf and dumb.