VFA Bulletin
September 25, 2023

1. SCHEDULE
I am looking forward to meeting our 18 new club members in Level 1 classes this week! We have 7 new fencers in Charlotte and 11 in Middlebury, along with several folks doing a second lap through the Level 1 course to solidify their skills. Later today, I will send a separate email to all the newbies with full info on what to bring to class and what to expect, so be on the look out for that.

For those of you new to the VFA Bulletin mailing list, I send out this newsletter weekly, usually on Mondays. The purpose of the VFA Bulletin is to keep everyone informed of what's happening in the club, the Green Mt Division, and the fencing world in general. The Bulletins can be pretty long sometimes, but I will always put pressing information (like the occasional schedule change) at the top, stuff which is less important for everyone to read further down the page, and tournament results at the end, so at least skim the headlines. Please keep me up to date if your e-mail address changes, or if you want additional addresses added to the mailing list. Please check your spam filter and white list this mailing list if needed, as it is the way I will let you know if there is an unexpected cancellation (such as a snow day).

As of this week, we are in to our full fall schedule:
Tuesday, Charlotte (Central School)
7-8:15 pm Level 1 class, self-directed Competitive Squad practice
8:15-9 pm Open fencing time for Level 1, Competitive squad continues with me

Wednesday, Middlebury (Mary Hogan School)
6-7:15 pm Level 1 class (with gym available for open fencing for Level 2/3 fencers)
7:15-7:45 Organized bouting time for everyone (Level 1 and Level 2/3)
7:45-9 pm Level 2/3 class (with gym available for open fencing for Level 1 students who wish to stay)

Thursday, Charlotte
7-8:15 pm Level 2/3 class
8:15-9 pm open fencing

Are you the kind of person who finds a written record of what we did in class to be helpful? I am happy to share written lesson plans for either Level 1 or Level 2/3 classes via email each week. If you would like to be on that mailing list, just let me know.

Yet another reminder to all Level 2/3 students: You USA Fencing membership must be up to date for insurance purposes. Unless you are a life member or you joined/upgraded for the first time after April 1, you need to renew it for this season if you have not already done so. Please take care of this right away and don't make me have to nag you. I recommend an Access membership for most of you - you only need Competitive membership if you plan to fence in regional or national events (and you can always upgrade later in the season). Renewal is done on line at usfencing.org, or over the phone at 719-866-4511 (office is in CO, allow 2 hour time difference). Level 1 students, I will register you for your first Access membership (it's part of the payment you make at your first class). If you were a fall or winter Level 1 student last season, you need to take care of your own renewals now and from here on out. (If you were a spring newbie, you get the extended membership through this season and will have to do your own renewal next fall).

2. HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE FIRST TOURNAMENT OF THE SEASON?
Advance sign up is critical to organizing a good tournament, so do the organizers a favor and sign up sooner rather than later. In addition, the more names on the AskFRED list, the more attractive the tournament is to out of state visitors, leading to a more exciting and fun day for everyone. There is a $15 penalty for signing up less than 5 days in advance, but really, don't wait until then, sign up today. There is no penalty for signing up and withdrawing if you find you can't make it.

Fall Foliage Open and Unrated Tournament
Saturday Oct 14, UVM Indoor Tennis Courts (part of the Patrick Gym complex)
Event schedule:
10:30 a.m Open (aka Senior Mixed) Foil, Unrated Epee
12 p.m Open Saber
2 pm Open (aka Senior Mixed) Epee, Unrated Foil

All events are open to all fencers born 2010 or before. (Seperate Youth events for younger kids will be held later in the season)
All events require Access or Competitive USAF membership.

I especially want to encourage unrated fencers to sign up for this, as there will not be another unrated event until some time this winter. You are unrated if you
-Have never won a small tournament or placed highly in a larger one
-Are a first time competitor
-Just aged up from youth events into senior events this season
-Are not sure what a rating is (it's the way US Fencing keeps track of your competitive success for seeding purposes, as well as a point of pride for most fencers who earn them)

Unrated events are perfect for first time competitors, or youngsters who have just become old enough for the "big leagues". They are a chance for you to enjoy fencing each other in a supportive environment, without having to contend with very skilled and experienced opponents. Loaner electric equipment will be available for those who do not have their own yet (although you do need to get your own fencing pants for this). If there are at least 6 of each gender, we will hold separate mens and womens unrated events (otherwise they will be mixed).

The Champlain Cup is Vermont's fun and friendly fencing league, with monthly tournaments from October through May, and season-end awards for the best competitors (including a Rookie of the Year award for the best new fencer!). Would you join a tennis club or a recreational softball league, and never play in any games? Tournaments are our games. You might get clobbered at your first few tournaments (I certainly did!) but you will still get to fence a number of bouts, meet members of the broader fencing community, watch and learn from more experienced competitors (many of whom are happy to give you some tips), try out electric equipment (loaners available), and have a lot of fun. So if you have never competed before, or if you recently aged up out of our youth events in to the "big leagues" (teen/adult competitions), I encourage you to go ahead and jump right in!

Sign up is via a website called AskFRED (FRED is the Fencing Results and Events Database). New to using it? Instructions for creating an account are here:
http://www.vtfencingalliance.org/old_posts/HowToUseFRED.htm
Note: this blog was created for the old AskFRED. It may have changed a bit since the site was updated this summer. Also, if you used AskFRED last season but this is your first time signing in since the update, you may be prompted to change your password.

Entry fees: $10 registration fee, plus $10 per event, with a $15 late fee if you sign up less than 5 days in advance. Please do not sign up for two events that start at the same time. Payment is at the door (so we don't have to return money if you are sick or have to withdraw).

To register, get directions and see who else is coming:
https://www.askfred.net/tournaments/614bd774-4964-4241-beb2-ff41e20dad90

3. SOCIAL MEDIA? WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA
At the start of the pandemic, we set up an on-line chat room for VFA fencers using the Discord app. Thank you to Matt Krohn for taking over management of our Discord channel and expanding its capabilities. We welcome new club members to join! You can connect with other fencers and chat about all things fencing.

If joining the VFA Discord, please:
-use only your real name, no on-line nicknames please, people should feel like they are interacting with people they know
-remember that this chat room is open to all ages, keep it appropriate and family-friendly

To join, please use this link (which expires in 7 days, after that you will need to request a new one):
Discord Invitation Link

Thank you to Chris Mazur for taking over the VFA's Facebook page (despite the fact that you may still see my name as page manager, Chris does all the work and I largely neglect it....). If you are on Facebook, check it out and feel free to post fencing-related things there.