The USACFC

In 2005, I wrote about why I hate the USACFC. That entry is the #2 hit that people get when they Google "USACFC". While I did and still do feel strongly that the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs fails to be many things, I always feel like I'm doing more damage than good when someone goes looking for a way to join, or find out information, and all they get is what I've written.

Now that it is January, I suspect teams have had to submit their initial membership fee which has been $50 per club. In return, those members have historically been left in the dark about the time, the format, what other teams are competing, travel accommodations, etc. until February. Keep in mind this event is held the first weekend of April, which is another useful bit of info that is "understood" by the officers and long standing coaches, but to the rest of the USACFC, they just kind of guess it didn't change this year. As an additional heads up, this is typically also Daylight Savings Time weekend, tso expect to lose an hour of sleep if you make it to the second day.

Invariably, our web-savvy club leaders go looking for the information that will make their trip successful. They don't find anything like a USACFC.org or a Yahoo group, or even a results listing. Instead, they get a thread from the 2007 format debacle, and me.

For those happy browsers who have read this and are still looking for information, here's the best I can offer: Email AND pick up the phone and talk to the USACFC President. That's how the organization is run. The officers maintain their own email list, outside of any other functional tool like a Google group. What is said on the phone is subject to change, what is said in email is subject to change and may be contrary to what you heard on the phone. By doubling up, you should get a better picture of what you're about to attend than those that only use one medium. Good luck, and fence well.