WE SHOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT AGAIN

Lacrosse Canada

By Pierre Filion   pierrefilion@bell.net

Some associations, when you think things are improving, have a special talent for shooting themselves in the foot in broad daylight.

Surely you will remember how, at the 2023 Annual meeting, Lacrosse Canada’s Vice-President Administration thrusted himself in the limelight by making a proposal to change the voting system traditionally based on a weighted vote determined by the number of players annually effectively registered (and paid for). The ‘’VP Admin’’ wanted every province to have one vote each at Lacrosse Canada’s meetings so that decisions would not always favor the largest provinces.

The proposal read the following way’ ’Removing weighted votes will allow all Members to have the same amount of power and influence affecting decisions. Currently Larger MAs hold more power so decisions are aligned to assist large MAs and not small MAs’.

He did not think it appropriate to present his ‘’suggestion’’ and to send the documents to the voting delegates 21 days in advance (as rules say) but elected to send them 9 days before the meeting along with hundreds of pages of information helping the delegates prepare for the AGM. He did not list out, for everyone to appreciate, the past decisions who favored the largest provinces. He wanted Ontario who registered 18,420 players in 2023 to have the same number of votes as Newfoundland who registered 100 players. He wanted Ontario who paid player membership fees of $180,420 to have the same ‘’power’’ as Newfoundland who paid $1,000.

Just for fun try to imagine if Bell Canada’s Vice-President of Administration had approached the shareholders with such a proposal of one vote each only to have to ‘’discover’’ that it was against the rules he was mandated to uphold. Our good man might just not be VP Admin today!

The membership voted in favor of the proposal and everyone rejoiced until ‘’Lacrosse Canada’s VP Admin’’ who is in charge of the Association’s Operations Manual realized his proposal was contrary to the rules that he is mandated to uphold. That rule was on page 2 of the Operations Manual.

Most people will agree that Page 2 is just after Page 1.

Even a sometimes confused francophone trying to read the 194 pages in the Operations Manual would get to Page 2 before being exhausted!! He would have read that ‘’any change to the bylaws of the Corporation needed to be voted on at a Special Meeting of Members.’’

Now tell me how the VP Admin and the Board members could ignore their own rule which was on Page 2 of the manual they operate with to govern the Corporation!

Obviously, British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta challenged the decision and, obviously, Lacrosse Canada, sensing the humiliation, declared the vote null and void because the vote was not conducted according to the rules. Lacrosse Canada apologized for their ‘’oversight’’ and error.

‘’With the importance of governance and integrity of Lacrosse Canada we consulted with the LC sport legal counsel and have determined the vote to approve the voting structure was improperly conducted and is deemed null and void. We apologize for the oversight and error in voting on this proposal’’. Shawn Williams, Lacrosse Canada President.

Remember, Page 2…

In my book this is STRIKE ONE. An embarrassing Strike 1 but Strike 1 regardless.

One would have thought that Lacrosse Canada would have learned from this humiliation and from the ‘’self-inflicted injury’’ caused by shooting itself in the foot. But no, Lacrosse Canada, from the top of its Ivory Tower, would strike again, this time at the 2024 Mann Cup.

Let’s have a look at this.

At Lacrosse Canada’s semi-annual meeting on the 24th and 25th of May 2024 the box sector voted in favor of a proposal to move British Columbia’s Senior “A” team from Type 1 (club team) to Type 2 (club team + 3 pickups from other Western Lacrosse Association teams). The box sector is recognized as the expert in box lacrosse and relays its decisions to Lacrosse Canada’s Board of Directors for ratification when Lacrosse Canada’s rules do require ratification.

The argument supporting the proposal (Type 1 to Type 2) resided in the important historical inequalities between Ontario and British Columbia; the proposal was supported by every province, except one, as the box sector delegates appreciated that they also were objective inequalities with the dominant province which made national competitions lacking in competitive integrity.  

Let’s admit that there is room here for a national debate on inequalities and inequities in National competitions. But that is not my issue at this time. Sometime, in the future, Lacrosse Canada, in its wisdom and if it has time, might have a look at it.

Lacrosse Canada’s Board of Directors was made aware of the box sector’s decision, on or close to May 26th 2024.

Now before we go further let’s make sure we all understand that the Mann Cup is somehow lacrosse’s Stanley Cup. Some in lacrosse say it’s the best level of play in the game; some even mention that a Mann Cup winner would soundly defeat the National Lacrosse League champion every year if such a competition was held.

For sure the Mann Cup is slightly more significant than Southern Shawinigan’s annual Invitational U7 Tournament.

Surely the Board of Directors knows the importance of the Mann Cup. We know that the kind people of Southern Shawinigan know the importance of the Mann Cup; then, surely, the Board of Directors probably knows that also! Or should. But then again maybe they don’t and treat the Mann Cup as just another event in Canada.

The Board spent the largest part of the 2024 summer not acting on the box sector proposal but, in its wisdom, decided to vote on whether or not to approve the decision on September 4th, 102 days after the initial vote was taken at the box sector and two days before the start of the 2024 Mann Cup.

The chair of National Championships did not, as chair, act on the Box sector’s decision for 102 days.

The Board members did not act on the box sector decision for 102 days. We need to be reminded of Lacrosse Canada’s values here; Excellence: ‘’We achieve high standards in all aspects of our sport: playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, MANAGING, LEADING’’… The Board lead 102 days later!!!

On September 5th a post on Lacrosse Canada’s website informed the membership that the Board had not approved the sector vote and that the British Columbia team, enroute to the Mann Cup in Ontario, would not be allowed to dress the players they had picked up. Acting, as usual, in full transparency, Lacrosse Canada elected not to mention the reasons for their decision, did not mention the result of the vote (how many in favor, how many against) neither, obviously, which director supported the decision and which did not. Here again let’s remember Lacrosse Canada’s values: Accountability; ‘’We operate with integrity and transparency, accepting responsibility for outcomes and results’’

The communiqué read the following way: ‘’On September 4th the Board of Directors STILL had not voted on the policy change and an IMMEDIATE e-vote was held yesterday September 4th by all Board members. The requested policy change did not pass’’ etc.   Do we have a PhD in transparency here…?

The British Columbia Lacrosse Association and the Western Lacrosse Association appealed Lacrosse Canada’s decision, and it was collectively decided by the parties involved to submit the ‘’disagreement’’ to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).

Lacrosse Canada’s decision not to approve the box sector vote was shot down on September 9th by the adjudicator and somehow Lacrosse Canada was, I suspect, shamed for having no justification to support its decision.

At the SDRCC transparency is not a household word and lacrosse enthusiasts and Lacrosse Canada members have not been privileged to the text of the Centre’s decision. So, we don’t know how severe the adjudicator’s decision was but we could bet our bottom dollar that he was amazed by Lacrosse Canada’s ‘’disorganized performance’’ and lack of consideration for its members in this matter.

Just for fun consider that in 2024 the British Columbia Lacrosse Association paid Lacrosse Canada, as membership, $116,950 for their registered players. British Columbia also paid Association’s membership fees and fees for the registration of its officials and coaches. British Columbia has probably paid, as a Lacrosse Canada member, over $120,000. Next year they will turn something like $180,000 to Lacrosse Canada. All that money for so little respect! Remember, 102 days.

The Centre’s decision was a huge humiliation for Lacrosse Canada. The second in the last 10 months.

In my book, and probably in everybody’s book, this is STRIKE TWO.

If Lacrosse Canada continues to shoot itself in the foot it might have a problem even walking to first base. But, then again, after STRIKE THREE, you’re OUT. Are you not?  You can’t even walk to first base!

Now the pitch is on its way; the annual meeting is coming up.  Will it be Strike 3?