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Title
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American Fencing Has a Synonym - The A.F.L.A.
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Date
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November 1939
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volume
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4
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issue
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6
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pages
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3, 5
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content
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en
AMERICAN FENCING HAS A SYNONYM - THE A.F.L.A.
We frequently receive letters from our readers asking for information about the Amateur Fencers League of America. They want to know what it is, what it does, and how to participate in its activities. There are many ways to answer these questions, and each would be the subject of a full-length essay in itself. However, we usually read between the lines of these letters and give much the following answer:
"The A.F.L.A. is an amateur organization of fencers formed to provide competitions for fencers throughout the United States under standard rules which provide maximum safety under the best conditions available. It endeavors to provide as many competitions as possible, taking care at the same time that competitors are so classified as to be evenly matched in order to obtain the greatest pleasure in meeting those of equal skill. It operates these competitions at as little cost as possible, operates on moderate annual dues, and awards medals, prizes, and trophies to its winners to lend attraction and competitive spirit to its contests." This is a limited and perhaps stodgy definition of an organization which its long-time members know as much more than this definition covers. However, this is an adequate definition for the purpose. This is all a young fencer needs to know to interest him immediately in its activities. To him, the A.F.L.A. becomes something to make use of, with facilities already provided for his benefit in most parts of the country.
Among the hundreds of sports engaged in throughout the United States, fencing is unique in many ways. Someday we shall get the inspiration to itemize these many unique features, list them with explanations, and surprise ourselves as well as our readers with their number and variety. However, we limit this writing to fencing's most unique feature: the A.F.L.A., a living, progressive, courageous, self-governing organization of amateurs which for the past forty-eight years has continuously done a job of which any professional organization with salaried officers and agents might well be proud. These amateurs have not stopped at the limits of the definition we first gave you. They have assumed full responsibility to the United States every four years in the selection and training of the best fencers for the American Olympic Fencing Team. From their limited means, they have provided the major part of that team's financing. They have financed the National Championships, have provided for the expenses of various International Fencing Teams, and have assumed the heavy expense of publishing rules books, schedules, newsletters, and leaflets for the promotion of the sport and the help of its members.
It has done these things without any advertising. It has gone to considerable effort to return back to its members every advantage it has gained. The very fact that over the years it has grown in size, power, and prestige has been sufficient justification to its founders and later leaders for the work and thought they have volunteered to its services.
There is one great difficulty attendant to the development of fencing. This difficulty is at the same time an asset. Fencing has little appeal to the dabbler who soon discourages when he realizes that a full year of practice leaves him still a beginner. It has no appeal to the mob. It appeals only to those sportsmen who have stick-to-itiveness. It is this quality which keeps fencing small but at the same time compact and lasting.
To any fencer who has been a member for several years, pride in the A.F.L.A. becomes just as much a part of him as pride in the sport which he enjoys. The very intangible nature of the organization appeals to him as the foremost expression of sports democracy in the United States today. He knows that he has a voice in its activities and that his voice is heard and considered.
If a fencer loses a competition (and most of us do), if we disagree with some ruling of the Board of Governors (which the fencers themselves elect each year—and who has not?), we immediately begin making the locker room blue with well-pointed criticisms. These criticisms, naturally enough, are aimed at the A.F.L.A. We hear, "The A.F.L.A. says so-and-so" or "The A.F.L.A. is going to do so-and-so." Pin down any of these critics, and we find a self-decided grievance at the back of it. Usually the grievance causing the attack is so carefully disguised that the charge is nothing more than well-concealed spite. This is ridiculous, for, after all, the A.F.L.A. is really the fencers themselves. The President of the A.F.L.A. is Harold Van Buskirk. He is not the A.F.L.A. The ruling body of the A.F.L.A. is the annually elected Board of Governors, which is guided in turn by many advisory committees. These are not the A.F.L.A. The various Bout Committees throughout the United States carry on the hardest work and the main purpose of the A.F.L.A. These Bout Committees are not the A.F.L.A. The fencers are the A.F.L.A. and can and do operate their organization in just the way they want to operate it. For this reason, the A.F.L.A. is truly the foremost expression of sports democracy and will survive as long as fencers survive.
The A.F.L.A. has no future planning. It is different today from what it was at the turn of the century. It shall be different in 1999 from what it is today. It changes with the times and needs of the fencers. If you or I don't like the way the A.F.L.A. is conducted, neither one of us can change it. But if we are representative of the majority of fencers, the A.F.L.A. will come into line with our wishes almost before we have time to express them.
Actually, therefore, when asked "What is the A.F.L.A.?" we could save ourselves a great deal of explanation and reply only with the implication in the title of this article: "The A.F.L.A. is American Fencing."
For official information, write to Dr. John Huffman, who is Secretary of the A.F.L.A. Ask him to send you a copy of the latest Newsletter and one of the very interesting pamphlets entitled "How to Watch a Fencing Competition." Membership costs only $3.00 a year for fencers 19 years of age or over. Under 19, the annual dues are only $1.00 per year. He will refer you to your nearest Division and, if you are ready for competition, see that you are provided with a Schedule of the National Competitions and tell you how to obtain a Schedule of the local Competitions nearest you. He is a busy man himself, being an instructor in Chemistry at New York University but is willing to give you every reasonable help. Therefore, be fair in your inquiries and only ask questions that can be answered directly. He cannot take the time to tell you how to fence or give you a treatise on phases of the sport, but he can direct you to other fencers or the professionals in your neighborhood. His address is 522 West 152nd Street, New York City.
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To American Fencers:
We have just begun our 1939-1940 fencing season. Our past season has had many highlights, such as the list of new Divisions added to the Amateur Fencers League of America, the strengthening of its Treasury, and most important of all, the very successful National Championships held in San Francisco for the first time in history.
From a recent survey made through the fencing goods manufacturers, it would appear that there are well over 100,000 men, women, and children engaged in fencing within the borders of the United States. To me, these figures are astounding.
The membership of the A.F.L.A. is less than 1,200. How simple it would be to have our championships held in different sections of the country each year and to finance our Olympic Teams if we were able to draw into our membership but one out of every ten fencers. The challenge is there. We have the organization, and we have fencing consciousness in large supply. Let us see to bringing the two together for the benefit of both.
HAROLD VAN BUSKIRK, President
Amateur Fencers League of America
