In my position as an ex officio member of the Executive Council, I attend all of their meetings but do not participate in any votes. Hopefully, therefore, I can comment here without appearing to be simply defending the vote by the Council.

Your representatives took their obligations very seriously in last Sunday's meeting. Significant discussion took place concerning both the length of the contract and the location of the tournament. Although there were heated discussions on several aspects of the proposals, the ultimate vote on the location was unanimous. Several members expressed their regret on casting their vote for Topeka, since (for various reasons) they had strongly supported one of the other bids. However, the total package provided by Topeka for the benefit of USAW-Kansas Kids carried the day.

Finally, I would strongly recommend anyone who is dissatisfied with the votes by the Executive Council to consider becoming involved in your district's management. Most of the voting members of the Executive Council are elected by their district and work primarily for that district. These are good people - if you have concerns about the direction the state is moving in, let them know. If you want to become active in setting this direction, run for a district or state office. We always need enthusiastic, energetic people!