Archive for August, 2011

One Team

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

By David

One team – an Exciting Future for Swimming New Zealand. That’s the title chosen by Swimming New Zealand for the current Project Vanguard. If ever the title of a document highlighted the treachery of its authors, this one does.

This is the organization that for years has stolen swimmers from clubs all over the country and moved them to Auckland’s North Shore. Not since the East German model has the world of swimming seen a more efficient poaching scheme. In Wellington, Gary Hurring has coached more North Shore bound swimmers than his father did living on the Shore. Canterbury and Otago have supplied their share as well. Swimming New Zealand became master poacher very easily. The only way a swimmer could access the Government’s money was to move to Auckland’s Millennium Institute where they would have the honour of being coached by the boss’s son. For a good swimmer wanting to be paid for their labour, Auckland’s North Shore and Scott Cameron were their only option. That sounds pretty East German like to me.

The project tore the heart out of elite Regional swimming in New Zealand. North Shore based swimmers began winning National Championships by hundreds of points. Regional Club competition ceased to exist. The privileged northerners were ordered to sit in segregated seating at the National Championships. They were made to wear segregated uniforms and were asked to restrict contact with their previous team mates. It was perfect segregation; perfect privilege. New Zealand swimming became a preeminent example of swimming apartheid. And it failed. Jan Cameron with all her access to the nation’s swimmers, with all SPARC’s money could not win a world swimming event if her life depended on it. Of the major Olympic sports her record is the worst. Like a drunk in a casino, Jan Cameron will leave the sport a looser.

And now the same individuals, who divided this sport; who tore it down the middle lay claim to a title like, “One team – an Exciting Future for Swimming New Zealand”. How dare they. Have they no shame? Have they no honour? Some of the tricks they have pulled in the past twelve months have left me speechless; altering minutes, terminating committees formed at an AGM and spending money without approval on Project Vanguard and golf club lunches. But their new title for Project Vanguard is a classic. The membership of the current Board of Swimming New Zealand knows no limits. There are no boundaries to their dishonour. Ten years of promoting division bring only shame to their use of the term – “one team”.

Let’s have a look at what else they say.

Swimming New Zealand constantly bang on about the fact that the sport’s constitution has been in effect for fifty years. The clear implication is that after this length of time it must be out of date. It must be in need of change. That argument is stupid. The United States operates a stable federal democracy based on a document written 223 years ago. The Magna Carta was signed almost 800 years ago and still contains democratic principles that remain on the statute books of England and Wales. Swimming New Zealand’s constitution is a well written federal document. It has certainly been instrumental in saving swimming from the worst excesses of the sport’s current poor leadership. Age is a specious and groundless argument on which to base a call for change.

Given the disasters that have occurred in Surf Life Saving you would think Swimming New Zealand would give up referring to the constitutional changes made in other sports. However the Coulter gang has never let facts get in the way of a good story claiming that, “we have examined the changes made by other sports in similar positions to ours.” Swimming New Zealand don’t mention that Surf Life Saving has lost a fortune since making exactly the same changes proposed for swimming. They fail to reveal that the Board of Surf has had to resign in disgrace. Only the Coulter gang would trumpet the disasters of constitutional change in Surf Life Saving and Girl Guides as a victory. However we need to remember that the Coulter gang also thought New Zealand’s swimming results in New Delhi were a sporting triumph.

Swimming New Zealand is becoming bolder in articulating their totalitarian socialist goals for the sport. They say, “This is best achieved through developing a single plan for swimming.” They recognise the importance of moving the sport forward “in a unified direction”. And like all good dictatorships they will create “a common set of rules, processes and way of doing things that allows the sport to make strategic decisions as a unified body.” Ironically the world’s worst dictatorships have used similar terms to describe themselves. In 1940 a Nazi political scientist described the German state as providing the “total representation of the nation and total guidance of national goals.” Coulter would agree with that. He makes the same claim for his Project Vanguard, One Team. And it is just not true. There is no evidence to support the view that the same rules for everyone are best. Look where the Cameron dictatorship got us. In fact, if the United States example is to be believed, diversity is a huge positive. Why should swimming in Nelson be delivered the same way as in Auckland? Why should New Plymouth have the same procedures as Napier? There is no reason at all. In fact there is every reason to believe that diversity is strength. It is good that Gary Hurring and I do not coach the same way, using the same methods. Swimming is stronger for that diversity. Swimmers have more choice as a consequence of our differences. Those who enjoy Gary’s training can train with him. Those who enjoy my training can train with me. Diversity is good.

And finally the Coulter gang is “going to place professional administration and club development staff throughout the country to support clubs and regions.” Can anybody explain to me how Coulter is going to “reduce costs” by paying people to do work currently done by volunteers for nothing. The same claims were made for Surf and they are now $1.6 million down the drain. Whenever Coulter places his professionals all around the country I do wish someone would ask him, “Hey Mussolini, how are you going to pay for all this?” I can’t see SPARC coming up with the cash, which means Coulter is planning to spend the Region’s money. This whole deal is about creating a bigger Swimming New Zealand empire; a bigger empire for Coulter and Byrne to rule.

No matter how the Coulter gang dresses this up, whether it is Project Vanguard or One Team, the Regions need to end this $250,000 folly as quickly as possible.

No Time For Appeasement

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

By David

Murray Coulter has sent an email to all New Zealand swimming clubs. The email is copied at the conclusion of this post. In it the Regions are invited to an open forum to discuss their relationship with Swimming New Zealand. The forum replaces the Project Vanguard meeting that was going to be held this Sunday the 14th August.

Coulter’s email and his forum are a con, a fraud, too little too late and fail to meet the demand to resign sent to him by a majority of the Regions. Here is why.

Coulter says: “The change in focus of the meeting follows receipt of a letter to the board of SNZ, signed by the Presidents or Chairs of the following associations, on behalf of their Boards and Clubs:” That sentence is part of the reason we need to get rid of this creep. Coulter has sent this email out to all clubs in the hope that he can find a club in Auckland or Hawkes Bay or Bay of Plenty that disagrees with their regional Chairman signing the “resignation” letter. Coulter is just trying to make trouble. Can he sell the story that eight Regional Chairman are high on some chemical substance, signing documents, and committing their clubs to actions that only they support? He doesn’t care that a Regional Chairman and Board get elected to lead. Coulter has spent his career in swimming undermining the Regions and in this memo he’s still at it. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter says: “Additional correspondence from some Regions is seeking a forum to discuss and resolve relationship and trust issues between regional associations and between regional associations and the national body.” We know Coulter manipulates the truth. I’m not 100% certain but I think this sentence fits that description. I’ve only seen one letter from Wellington asking for a forum chaired by Kerry McDonald. Wellington is not “some Regions”. Wellington is one Region, under the thumb of Swimming New Zealand Board member, Mark Berge. In other words Coulter is ignoring the position of eight of the biggest Swimming New Zealand Regions in order to take up the suggestion of the flatterers that live in Wellington. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter says: “Their hope is that a forum will enable the above Regions to convey what the issues are and to identify a way forward where they are able to work constructively with Swimming New Zealand, and to have an enhanced relationship to further develop all aspects of swimming.” “Their” is not “their” at all. It is just Wellington. In addition, of course, the eight Regions have proposed a “way forward”. They have offered a way to “work constructively with Swimming New Zealand”. They have told the current Board members that they want them to resign in order that the organization can begin the new year with a fresh mandate to govern. A majority of your membership want you gone Murray Coulter. That is a constructive, positive way forward. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter says: “The meeting will be co-facilitated by Kerry McDonald and Nelson Cull, the two independent SPARC appointed advisors to Swimming New Zealand.” Kerry McDonald is not independent. He supports the Coulter gang. McDonald’s appointment is a typical Coulter deception. Employ a tame Chairman to manipulate the meeting. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter says: “The purpose of the meeting is to give the leadership of the regions, coaches and teachers, and swimmers, an opportunity in an informal environment to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing swimming in New Zealand, and to consider various solutions and options to those challenges and opportunities.” I struggle to understand what it is about the “resignation” letter from the eight Regions that Coulter does not understand. The Regions gave the current Swimming New Zealand Board seven days to agree to resign. A majority of the membership has had enough of Coulter’s Board and their lies and dishonesty. The letter from the Regions said it was time for the Board to go. Their letter gave the Board until this Saturday night to agree to a mass resignation. The Region’s gun was loaded. On Saturday night the deadline for talking will have passed. The ultimatum of a majority of Swimming New Zealand’s Regions will have been declined. For years Coulter has rejected the opportunity to talk to the Regions and on Saturday night it will be too late; too late by a long way. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter says: “This note has been sent to the President and Chair of each Region and Club” This is a repeat of an often employed Coulter ploy. Send something controversial out to all the Clubs in the hope of finding one or two who will break ranks and defy their Regional representatives. It’s typical of the underhand politics practiced by Swimming New Zealand. It makes a mockery of their latest “one team” slogan. The only team they are interested in is their team; Coulter’s team. Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

Coulter admits that his offer to talk in Wellington was made only because the Regions sent him the “resignation” letter. That sad confession highlights one cause behind the Region’s discontent. Regional stakeholders are ignored until they threaten their constitutional power. No organization can continue to live like that. The eight Regions are right. Saturday night is time for the Coulter Board to agree to resign. Certainly – Sunday 14th August is no time for appeasement.

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A Loaded Gun

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

By David

On Monday nine of the seventeen voting members of Swimming New Zealand sent an ultimatum to the SNZ Board. It said that the Board should accept responsibility for the organization’s shortcomings. The Board should resign at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. Individual members could stand for re-election but the organization needed to begin the new year with a new Board with a fresh mandate to manage the affairs of the sport.

A copy of the “resignation” letter is shown at the conclusion of this post.

I have huge respect for Bronwyn Radford from Bay of Plenty. She is most likely horrified at that bit of news. Being admired by David Wright is probably her worst public relations nightmare. However, she’s the one who put her name on the letter demanding the Board’s “resignation”. I was reading another letter today, sent recently to Swimming New Zealand. This one was signed by fifteen of the sixteen regions and told Swimming New Zealand that their Zeus data base system was unacceptable to the New Zealand regions. That letter too was signed by Bronwyn Radford. For a couple of years it seems she has played a leading role in keeping Swimming New Zealand marginally honest. And now she and eight others have asked the Board of Swimming New Zealand to resign.

So, how will the Board of Swimming New Zealand respond? What will the Coulter gang do? My guess is they have three options.

  1. Accept the terms of the ultimatum. Agree to resign at the Annual General Meeting and provide the sport with a new Board and fresh mandate to govern. That would be the honourable thing to do. That’s what honest directors of the organization would see as an appropriate response to the region’s letter and the management disasters of the past two or three years. However honesty and honourable have never been strong suits of this Board. So, I doubt this option will see the light of day.
  2. Break ranks and have some Directors agree to resign while others hang tough and call the Region’s bluff. I doubt this option will happen. Coulter knows the importance of gang loyalty. Faced with their current problems, Coulter knows that any division in the ranks would be suicidal. No, I can’t see this Board turning on itself. The members are cut from the same cloth, tarred with the same brush.
  3. They could ignore the letter; give the nine voting members a middle finger salute and march on as though nothing had happened. Of course they will dress up their dismissal to look better than I’ve described, but the effect will be the same. They will probably question the Region’s voting power, debate the constitutionality of the resignation demand and claim that the immanent prospect of the London Games compels them to hang onto power for the good of the swimmers. Have you ever noticed how often the world’s dictators stay in power “for the good of the people”? My guess is the Coulter gang will go for this option. Why? Well firstly, because it suits their collective arrogance. They have never acknowledged the importance of the regions. Fundamentally they despise the good, honest, salt of the earth servants of this sport that populate the regions. And secondly, history tells them they can ignore the regions and get away with it. They didn’t like the Manawatu Remit so they ignored it and it was withdrawn. They altered the minutes of an Annual Meeting and ignored the outcry and it went away. The regions are populated by good people who have been shafted by their Board.Unfortunately the Coulter gang have been allowed to get away with too much too often; and they have learned. Just ignore the regions and the regions will give in. The SNZ Board believes the regions have loaded a gun but will never have the bottle to pull the trigger. Coulter, Byrne, Cameron, Berge and Butler fundamentally believe that if they call the region’s bluff and the regions will fold. Yep, given the flaws in this Board and the organization’s history I’m picking this is the option the Coulter gang will choose.

Before we print the “resignation” letter, have you ever noticed how the Wellington region never support initiatives supported by the other regions? The Zeus letter was signed by every region except Wellington. The capital’s signature was also missing from the “resignation” letter. Clearly Berge has his region under control. One does wonder whether the Board of the Wellington region is exercising its constitutional duty to promote the interests of the region or is simply a Berge sycophant. The evidence is not good.

However the lap dog obedience of Wellington highlights the courage and importance of the Bronwyn Radfords of this world. Every member, every swimmer involved in this sport owes her a huge debt of gratitude. It’s a lot to ask – but I just hope that having loaded the gun Bronwyn Radford and her supporters will have the courage to pull the trigger when the Coulter gang ignore their warning. For that, I am sure, is what is going to happen.

Here is the “resignation” letter.

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Charm Offensive

Monday, August 8th, 2011

By David

In our last post we predicted that the Board of Swimming New Zealand was about to embark on a charm offensive. Their credibility has reached rock bottom. No one believes a word they say. Their behaviour is dishonest and, according to reports we received, probably illegal. They are pushing the sport of swimming in a direction that multiplies their own power. They want swimming to adopt a structure that has failed Surf Life Saving and the New Zealand Girl Guides.

How are they going to respond to all this bad news? How are they going to sell their bid for power? Of course, they are going to revert to type. They will go on a charm offensive and con the membership of Swimming New Zealand as they have many times before. That’s what these people do. They don’t rule by example and with results. This lot have never won a world class swimming race. They rule with spin. They buy votes with a bottle of Chardonnay. We predicted the meeting of Regional Chairs arranged for the 14th August would be their first effort in public relations spin. And we were wrong.

Our Club has a team at the National Short Course Championships in Wellington this weekend. They tell me Swimming New Zealand has a full propaganda offensive at work; shaking hands, presenting medals, kissing babies and whispering, “don’t tell anyone” secrets behind the diving tower. There they are “oozing charm from every pore. They oiled their way around the floor. Every trick that they could play,” they use to strip our caution away. The Coulter gang charm machine has Bill Clinton and Winston Peters agape in awe.

Why on earth is Jan Cameron still presenting medals at that competition? According to Ineson eighty percent of the audience don’t want her there.

There is no substance to the Swimming New Zealand pantomime of course. Time after time they have pulled the same scam. They get what they want and nothing changes. Why? Because there is deep seated duplicity in the organization. Remember when Coulter announced on radio, on television and in the press that Swimming New Zealand accepted the findings of the Ineson Report and would be moving to see them implemented. Well, that was months ago and has anything changed? They formed a committee – that’s true. But that is not change. What have they done about the management shortcomings highlighted in the report? They have done nothing except begin a whispering offensive that Ineson’s was probably wrong – according to Swimming New Zealand the people Ineson spoke to are “unrepresentative”.

That’s not true of course. But more important is the staggering fraud of accepting Ineson’s findings to placate SPARC, then doing nothing in order to preserve their personal power and finally working to undermine Ineson’s methods in order to maintain the status quo. This is the way the Board of Swimming New Zealand operates. It is a classic example of their methods.

Let there be no misunderstanding, Swimming New Zealand will employ the same shameful method to push their Project Vanguard plan. They will wine and dine the Regions. They will distort the truth. They will present a version of Project Vanguard designed to placate Regional concerns and fears. But Project Vanguard will be the same power grab it has always been. My guess is that Swimming New Zealand’s proposal will recommend keeping all the Regions in place but will propose changes to the constitution that will strip the Regions of their power. In order to placate Southland, Swimming New Zealand may have to allow the Regions to raise their own money. But beware whatever the small concessions, whatever the window dressing, Project Vanguard is about a discredited Board grabbing Regional power. That underlying motive will not change. When you listen to the Coulter and Berge sales pitch keep in mind that for ten years this sport has been sold a shoddy product by these two. Ineson said as much. It would be best to avoid buying another used car from this source. Keep in mind the problems Coulter’s plan caused Girl Guides and Surf Life Saving. Tell Coulter to action the Ineson Report and go find somewhere else to play.

While we are on the subject of the Coulter Board, I understand the New Zealand Coach’s Association asked Ross Butler for a seat on his governance committee. The request was declined. Since coming back to New Zealand a year ago, the biggest difference I have noticed between swimming in the USA and New Zealand is the status of the nation’s coaches. The sport in the USA is coach driven. In New Zealand administrators rule the roost. I believe that needs to be addressed. In saying that, I am not blaming New Zealand administrators for their disrespect. New Zealand coaches have got what their performance has deserved. For years they have prostrated themselves at the feet of Jan Cameron. Just as she failed to produce an Olympic or World Champion gold medallist so has every other New Zealand coach. The only difference is that Cameron was paid a fortune and failed. New Zealand’s other coaches were failing for nothing. The status of New Zealand coaches represents a decade of failure and subservience.

That must not continue. It is important the status and standard of coaching in New Zealand is raised and recognized. Administrators have a responsibility in that regard. So do coaches. Ross Butler has no idea of the damage he does when he degrades the status of New Zealand coaches. As I have said I recognize coaches in New Zealand deserve no better – however reform has to begin somewhere. Someone has to be big enough to move the sport forward in a meaningful way. There is no point in expecting that from Ross Butler. Hopefully the administrators who replace him will be more enlightened. Hopefully those responsible for New Zealand’s coaches will act also with the intelligence and vision that improves their respect, status and performance.

But back to Project Vanguard. I’m pretty certain the meeting of Regional Chairs, on the 14th August, will be presented with a Swimming New Zealand Project Vanguard proposal. But beware. Do not give them your name, address and telephone number. Just like all good Nigerian scams this one will empty your bank account, in a heartbeat.

Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

By David

Many readers will know that the title of this post is a popular version of a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter seven, verse fifteen – “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” It is interesting to consider the meaning biblical scholars give this verse

A false prophet is described as a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one who falsely and unjustly lays claim to unique inspiration. To come in sheep’s clothing is to assume the appearance of sanctity and innocence, when the heart is evil. Ravenous wolves is applied to the false teachers, it describes those who assume the appearance of holiness in order that they might the more readily exploit the blameless.

There are aspects of Swimming New Zealand’s behaviour that bring this verse to mind. For years the Coulter gang have acted as though the members of Swimming New Zealand didn’t exist. It got so bad that at the 2010 Annual General Meeting the Regions passed the Manawatu Remit. This measure forced Swimming New Zealand to communicate with the Regions. Swimming New Zealand’s Head Office acted with typical arrogance. Illegally they refused to ratify the measure and demanded a Special General Meeting to get the Remit overturned. Of course they promised to behave, to listen and always consult in future. The good people in the Regions believed them and agreed to withdraw the Manawatu Remit.

But nothing changed. Swimming New Zealand’s Head Office had got what they wanted. They had conned the Regions again. They had duped those stupid country folk. Now they could go about their business unfettered by pesky interfering Regional nobodies. And that’s exactly what they did.

Swimming New Zealand altered an Annual General Meeting approved Remit that required them to obtain Regional approval before progressing Project Vanguard. They illegally spent quarter of a million dollars investigating ways of doing away with the Regions. They progressed Project Vanguard through all sorts of stages without seeking Regional approval. They agreed to Jan Cameron working for her husband’s television company on Swimming New Zealand’s dime and were about to okay the same deal for the World Championships until Swimwatch caught them red handed. They enacted regulation changes without going through any formal approval process.

On and on it went – Coulter’s Board acted with a total disregard for the Regional owners of the business. Their behaviour had it all – contempt, dismissal and arrogance. Their explanation of Project Vanguard actually said they knew better. They were professionals and professionals performed best.

Except this time something had changed. This time the Regions were on their guard. This time there were talented, commercial men and women in the Regions who picked the con. Swimming New Zealand was being called to account. Swimming New Zealand was being asked to explain. Why were New Zealand newspapers being lied to? Why was Ross Butler threatening to use his day job to hurt those who questioned Swimming New Zealand? What was Swimming New Zealand going to do about a catastrophic Ineson Report? Why were Murray Coulter and Mike Byrne spending the organization’s money without approval?

These Regional people were not trouble makers. The questions they asked were not irrelevant or specious. The Regions were finally acting as owners of the business. They were calling their Board and their employees to account. They were doing what should have been done ten years ago. Swimming people should be very grateful to the people of Manawatu. Their Remit began a process that will result in Swimming New Zealand being a better place; a better managed more accountable and more honest association. Because of the years of neglect, the proper attention that is now being paid to Swimming New Zealand’s shortcomings is seen as revolutionary. It is obviously opposed with abhorrence by those who have exploited the previous lack of proper supervision. The controls and disciplines of a well managed business are being put in place. And those who have become accustomed to unfettered power; who have acted without accountability don’t like it.

I even think Swimwatch may have assisted. I know Swimwatch has been described by Mike Byrne as “strident”. And we probably are that and a little bit more. However even though we stand on the sidelines, we do help draw serious people’s notice to matters that require their attention. That is enough. That is our service.

The effect of all this has been a nightmare for the Swimming New Zealand Board. Their credibility has gone. The calls for resignations and dismissals are loud and shrill. The Ineson Report has confirmed the house is in disarray. The Regions are claiming back their organization. The Swimming New Zealand Board couldn’t pass a vote abolishing slavery these days. And they know it. They are hollow men and women; ghosts without power or authority.

So how do they react? They do exactly what they did when the Manawatu Remit was passed. They promise to behave. They plead a “Road to Damascus” experience. They have seen the light. They call a meeting of the Regional Chairs in Wellington. They provide lavish Miramar Golf Club lunches with well chosen wines and promise to be good boys and girls. They get one of their Board members who is also Chairman of the Wellington Centre to propose open and honest dialogue; to propose that one of the independent members of the SNZ Board, such as Mr Kerry McDonald, chairs an open forum between the regions, the Board and the Chief Executive, where all issues and concerns can be tabled.

It begs the question of where the open and honest dialogue was when Berge and the rest of the Coulter gang were enjoying unfettered power. There didn’t seem to be much need for any open forum back in those days. Besides, any forum Kerry McDonald chairs is not independent. No, I’m afraid all this is all too late; too late by a country mile. It is time for the Coulter gang to go. It is time to be strong and hold these crooks to account. It is time to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.