[IHPVA-board-formal] Response from Al Krause

[Richard Ballantine]

MEMO
To: IHPVA Board
From: Richard Ballantine, Chair
Re: HPVA/IHPVA

Apologies for the delay in communication re the HPVA/IHPVA. A health 
problem put me completely out of action for almost a week. Am 
recovering well, so -

We should act now to properly establish an international HPV 
association which represents different HPV organisations around the 
world, maintains records of HPV performances, and promotes the 
development and use of HPVs. To fully realise this goal will take some 
time, but as a practical matter, we need to be operational as soon as 
possible. There are record attempts currently in process. We need to 
meet the immediate needs of competitors, yet provide for participation 
by the wider HPV community. I propose a balanced mixture of expedient 
measures and adherence to democratic principles, in a four-point 
program as follows:

1. Refute the Authority of the HPVA
As Marcel van Eijk wrote:

> As it stands now, it looks as if the HPVA has claimed to be THE
> international HPV association. At this point, we should consider as
> individual national organisations to each send a letter to the HPVA in
> which we state that we do not recognise them as the international
> association, and that any world record keeping will be organised by the
> IHPVA as it was formed in 1996. It is in the interest of the 
> international
> hpv community to have an association in which the majority of
> organisations is represented.

Marcel is right. Attempts at working things out with the HPVA have not 
been successful. It is time to send a clear message that we do not 
recognise the HPVA as the international association. I think a single 
letter, signed by the members of the post-1998 (the actual date of 
formation) IHPVA, will be sufficient.

2. Agree Observation by National Organisations
Allow observation and verification of HPV record performances by 
national organisations, in accordance with IHPVA Competition Rules. As 
part of this change, recognise All Comers Records set within national 
boundaries.

3. Create a Record Committee
Appoint an interim Record Committee, to assess and confirm HPV record 
performances.

4. Establish the IHPVA
Jean-Charles Gosselin wrote:
> We are tight on the schedule. We have to build the really 
> international IHPVA now. Here is how I see things :
> 1. Write bylaws for an International association made of national 
> associations. I think it is easier to keep the national level to have 
> identified representatives from all country. National associations can 
> be made of several associations (let say recumbents, rowing bike, 
> foldables, trikes, velomobiles...) who joigned together to promote 
> HPVs and get affiliated to the IHPVA. These bylaws must be simple as 
> we have to move forward, we can modify them later if needed.

I agree that simple is best. However, work on creating bylaws for the 
IHPVA began in 2001, and one of the first things we learned was that 
bylaws and a constitution or articles of association could not be done 
in stages. To be legally valid, bylaws must be fairly well-finished, 
and appropriate for the country where the IHPVA is to be based.

As well, I think we need to open up the process of creating bylaws to 
the wider HPV community. One good reason for this is to gain the 
benefit of wisdom and experience! The HPV community includes a lot of 
very bright people, and practical experience in the problems of 
associations. There are many issues which need careful consideration. 
Examples: how to deal with different organisations within a country; 
how to assign votes. And of course, we must avoid falling into the same 
trap as the HPVA, of trying to decide for others. Democratic 
participation is essential for support.

And yet, we must move now! If we wait a year or two while the various 
issues are considered, the opportunity will be lost. I therefore agree 
with the proposal of Jean-Charles. we -

Write a simple set of Articles of Association, as a free association of 
national HPV organisations, to be ratified at the WC2008. This will 
establish the IHPVA as it is now, with the changes noted in 1 to 3, 
above. The Articles will or could also provide to open a Working Group 
to create a more advanced set of Articles of Association, co-ordinated 
to the legal requirements of the country where it is proposed to base 
the IHPVA. These more advanced Articles, and the implementation of the 
IHPVA as a legal entity, could possibly be ratified at a World HPV 
Congress to be held in conjunction with WC2009 in the Netherlands.

OK, that is the basic four-point program. I will draft a letter to the 
HPVA and submit for your consideration. I will also write a simple 
proposal for observation and verification of record attempts by 
national organisations. However, to make this work, we need a 
functioning Record Committee. Marcel has already suggested a few people 
from the Netherlands. We need people from other countries, too. Please, 
if you who know people who might be suitable, talk to them, and ask if 
their names can be put forward.

Finally, and hardly least, we need to develop an Articles of 
Association. Work was done on this from 2001, and a set of Articles 
proposed in 2003 or 2004. They were rejected by the HPVA. I will look 
again at these documents, and see if they can be simplified and adopted 
for our needs. But I am in the middle of helping to organise WC2008 as 
well as working as an editor and need some help!

That's enough for now.

Fond regards,

Richard