Term Limits - APTA President - Time to go back to the future? Since 1934 the APTA has had 33 separate presidents. 33 men who have volunteered their time and energy to govern our great sport. I certainly did not know all who served but I am willing to bet most, if not all, worked tirelessly to support the sport they loved. From 1934 to 1988 only two of the 28 presidents who held office during those years, Fessenden Blanchard the first APTA president and Kenneth Ward the third, served terms in excess of two years. All others served two or less years. In the last 21 years, 1988 through 2009, we have had five leaders whose average terms have been in excess of four years, the longest of which has been seven years. Only one of the last five served a two year term. I admit that my involvement in the APTA did not start until the mid 1980s when I became a life member; I am a relative newcomer looking in. Nonetheless, I am perplexed as to what suddenly changed in the organization or in the world of platform tennis, what issues became of such importance, what initiatives were of such complexity that would necessitate the more than doubling of the average term length of the organization’s president starting in 1988? This begs the question, if the purpose of term limits is to ensure the constant flow of new and fresh leadership to the organization, did the APTA membership put term limits in the wrong place by not also specifically limiting the terms of its leader? As it is now, only term limits placed on being a member of the of the board of directors limits the length of the president’s term. Should the length of the president’s term be more defined? Two year terms served the organization well for more than fifty years. Is it time to go back to the future? what do you think? let me know! info@platformtennisnews.com |
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