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September 14, 2009 Greetings! In preparation for the 2010 WEKAF World Championship in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the WEKAF USA Board of Directors would like to remind all competitors of the dates and location for qualifying in the Regional and National Tournaments. If you are located in a region which is currently not represented, please contact me immediately at wekafusa@yahoo.com or gabearnis88@yahoo.com . Midwest Regional Championship Date: October 17, 2009 Location: Milwaukee, WI Contact: Director GM Tom Sipin; ssipin@wi.rr.com
Western Regional Championship Date: November 7, 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA Contact: Director Steve DelCastillo; sdel730@gmail.com
Southwest Regional Championship Date: November 14, 2009 Location: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Contact: Director Peter Hetrick; dagger@inwave.com WEKAF USA National Championship Date: March 5-7, 2010 Location: TBA Contact: Gabe Rafael; wekafusa@yahoo.com 11th WEKAF International World Championship Date: July 19-25, 2010 Location: Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Contact: Carlos Hidalgo; info@wekaf2010.com Website: http://www.wekaf2010.com/ In able to participate you must be a current paid member with WEKAF USA. The Board of Directors has voted to extend the discounted membership fee until September 30, 2009. Individual membership fee is $25.00 per year or $40.00 for two (2) years, $30.00 annually thereafter. New members to WEKAF USA, fee remains at the lower rate. Membership forms are located under “Become a Member” tab. Please be advised that this organization is the sole organization authorized to represent and sanction WEKAF events in the USA. An official confirmation letter from the WEKAF International President Sharon Burns is posted on this website for your reference. As noted in that letter, “WEKAF USA Inc. is not recognized or authorized by WEKAF International. WEKAF International will accept no acts performed under this Organization, including team selection. No fees are authorized or will be accepted from this Organization. No competitors from this organization will be accepted at WEKAF International events.” If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact any of the WEKAF USA Board of Directors. We look forward to seeing you all at our next event. Thank you for your continual support. Respectfully yours, Gabe Rafael - WEKAF USA, Country Director Click here for the official statement Sharon Burns WEKAF leadership in the USA The World Eskrima, Kali, Arnis Federation (WEKAF) is an international organization registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Philippines. Its purpose is to help spread and support the Filipino Martial Arts. It does this through competitions and seminars, with the primary event being the WEKAF World Championships, which are held biannually. Following a pre-organizational meeting in the Philippines in 1987, the first World Championship was held in 1989. Bylaws and an organizational plan were agreed to and adopted. Attending members from different countries were officially recognized and country directors were chosen or appointed. The directors were to be responsible for the growth of WEKAF in their own countries. They were free to appoint assistants and encouraged to organize under the WEKAF charter. The exact method of doing this was left to each director. As each national chapter grew, they were encouraged to have their own regional and national competitions. Under the WEKAF charter, there is only one director and one organization authorized to act on the behalf of WEKAF in each country. Each country director is the final authority over WEKAF functions and events, including the promotion and organization of any competitions, the selection of team members eligible to represent their country in the WEKAF World Championships, compliance with organization rules, the collection of any country and member fees, and communication to the international organization. As new countries apply for membership, they are invited to bring a team to the next World Championships, and choose a director for their country. The country directors act as the board of directors for WEKAF. An executive board is chosen to oversee the board of directors. These are the voting members over international WEKAF matters and concerns. To be more specific, in 2008, Sonny Napial had the sole responsibility and authority to oversee the selection of the new director. According to the rules of WEKAF USA, Non-Profit, the US regional directors developed and agreed to a plan to vote for his successor. That plan was followed, and Gabriel Rafael won that election. At the request of Sonny Napial at the 2008 world congress, the process was reviewed and audited by Stephan Jerzenbeck, the outgoing president of the WEKAF International Board. He verified the findings by me as the incoming President. We confirmed that Sonny Napial acted within his authority, the process they used was fair and unbiased, the outcome was correct, and Gabriel Rafael was properly the director for the US under the WEKAF International charter. There weren’t any complaints made to the international board about this process or the outcome. According to WEKAF International, please be advised of the following: Alfredo Bandalan is not the US country director for WEKAF. He does not hold any position, appointed nor elected- under WEKAF International. He does not have any authority to act on behalf of WEKAF International in any manner. This includes any representation, any collection of fees, any advertising or other claims. His organization, “WEKAF USA Inc.” is not recognized or authorized by WEKAF International. WEKAF International will accept no acts performed under this Organization, including team selection. No fees are authorized or will be accepted from this Organization. No competitors from this organization will be accepted at WEKAF International events. Sharon Burns March 30, 2009 * LETTER FROM COUNTRY DIRECTOR All WEKAF USA Members, Greetings! I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for electing me as USA Country Director and your continued support with the Federation. As Director of WEKAF USA and the current appointed Board of Directors, we are the officially recognized representative of WEKAF World and the only sanctioned organization in the USA. We are the only authorized organization to collect membership dues on behalf of WEKAF International and who can establish the team that will represent the USA in the 2010 World Tournament and beyond. Any other organization who claim to represent WEKAF International in the USA and collecting fees are in violation of the Federation and misleading the general public. Currently, there are vacant positions with WEKAF USA officers; if you or anyone is interested in filling these vacancies please contact me at wekafusa@yahoo.com for more information. We are now accepting individual and school membership dues for 2009 and 2010. The deadline for discounted fee is July 31, 2009. Click on to “Become a Member” for fee information, benefits, and application form. As Country Director, my goal is to promote unity within the Filipino Martial Arts community and establish a positive atmosphere for the family and members of WEKAF USA. The Board of Directors, many countless volunteers and I are dedicated in working with you and for you. Please do not hesitate to email us if you have any questions or concerns. Again, thank you for your support with WEKAF USA. Respectfully yours, Gabe Rafael WEKAF USA Country Director |
