[ Post a Response | American Powerlifting Committee ]
Posted by L B Baker on 4/15/2008, 9:04 am
74.237.4.250
It is time to clear the air about the APC and the recent actions since the Worlds in Calgary. I don’t know who runs the Powerlifting Watch rag sheet but as far as I can tell it is a troll site. They try to report news/gossip but they don’t know what is going on so they speculate and other trolls, who are not members of the APC and know nothing, chime in and speculate and completely distort everything. The only place you will see news concerning the APC is on the APC forum or web site.
When the GPC was first formed the European countries came in because we advertised elections and the democratic process. Peter Tregloan and Lee Marshall, Willie Clincke, or Wym Elwyn were not involved in the process of change. The original founders have been driven away by Peter Tregloan. Brian Batcheldor, Martin Heindl, Franz Mares, Jim Rouse, and myself were the instigators of the change. The original vote was to have the existing European Federation board to be the first officers until elections were held. Elections were never held except for replacing officers who left the organization. Martin Heindl of Austria was the first to be kicked out because Tregloan wanted his cohorts, Willie Clinke and Wendi Michels, to manage the web page and records. Next Franz Mares of Austria left. Brian Batcheldor took the British federation away last year because of his disdain for Tregloan. In Belgium in 2006 the Slovakians were awarded the 2008 GPC worlds by a majority vote of the countries attending the meeting. Last October in Calgary they were taken away and the 2008 Worlds were awarded to Tregloan in England. The Russian bid for 2009 Worlds was denied because Tregloan said Russia was too far. It appears that the GPC is now another European Federation. When we finally got the board to have an election it was a farce. The board continues to spend the GPC money for their own enjoyment and not for the benefit of the lifters or member countries.
The GPC has been losing lifters because of the deeds of the current board. In Calgary there were a total of 70 powerlifting entries and 52 Bench Press only entries with most from the US followed by Canada. Great Britain mustered 6 powerlifters and no Bench only and Belgium had 5 powerlifters and no Bench only. With 4 out of 5 GPC Board Members living in Great Britain and Belgium I would expect better participation from those 2 countries. I remember the 1999 World Powerlifting Championships in Calgary, 40 powerlifters from Austria and 39 powerlifters from Great Britain alone.
On the subject of Bob Packer. His name was not mentioned at our meeting in Athens April 12. We appreciate all the lifters that have come to the APC because Bob left the APF and came to the APC. Bob did not pay sanction fees until he was forced to. The sanction fees go into the Athlete’s fund to help pay for the travel to the World Championships. Bob was over $535.00 in arrears. He finally paid $260.00 to the Athlete’s fund but is still in arrears $275.00. Bobs actions in Calgary and dealings with Tregloan were unacceptable to the Board of Directors of the APC. He was removed as APC Vice President by a unanimous vote on November 10, 2007. He was allowed to remain as California State Chairman if he brought his sanction fees up to date, which he has not done. Bob Packer is welcome to be a member and meet promoter in the APC but he will have to follow the rules and maintain the standards of the APC the same as every one else.
The WUPA was started by Jim Rouse and L B Baker in late 2001 the same way the APC was started. It was to be the drug tested version of the APC. There were 2 World Championships held in the US and the rest in Europe. As the drug testing became more difficult to do, in cost and enforcement, it was decided to drop it. At the 2007 WUAP World Championships there were more countries represented and more lifters than in Calgary. With the current direction of the GPC board of directors I think we will see a real surge in the membership of the WUAP. And the US will have a better voice in the organization. Meinhard Schroder, who was in the meeting of the first AGM in Vienna in 2003 is the meet promoter for the 2008 WUAP World Championships in Germany.
The proceeds of all card sales and sanction fees are deposited into the APC Athlete’s Fund and the money is divided equally among the winners of the APC Nationals to help pay for the travel expenses to the World Championships. The APC Athlete’s fund will continue to use the Athlete’s Fund to pay the travel expenses to the WUAP World Championships. The APC has a mission statement and we will only lend our support to a World Federation who shares our ideals.
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