By David
You may not recognize the title of this post. It’s the second to last line of an Aerosmith song. The last line is “Come full circle.” While it may seem like the dreadful results of Cameron’s Millennium Institute are unrelated to the organization’s cynical attempt to impose Project Vanguard, they are actually closely aligned; we got hell to pay, come full circle.
It’s all about the accumulation and the misuse of power. Cameron’s love affair with power is well known. I suspect even her most ardent supporters would acknowledge her autocratic management style. They may even go as far as to assert that Cameron’s demanding use of power is one of her most endearing qualities; just what the sport of swimming needs. I can easily imagine some Swimwatch correspondents making the case that without Cameron’s imperious regulation the Millennium program would descend into chaos. And they would be sadly wrong.
Why? Well, because boys and girls do not win Olympic swimming races. That’s a job for men and women. While Cameron sits at the front of her Millennium elementary class, felt tipped pen in hand, whiteboard at the ready, demanding silent attention, Bob Bowman in Baltimore and Dave Salo in Los Angeles are quietly guiding the efforts of grown men and women doing their doctorates in winning Olympic swimming races. There is all the difference in the world.
Three examples: in Swimwatch we have written before about the contrast between the Melissa Ingram that swims in the Millennium autocracy and the free spirit Ingram that wanders the world, on her own, winning swimming races. Her swimming is a prime example of what freedom can achieve. The contractual muzzle preventing swimmers discussing the national organization in any negative way is a second example. Clearly Swimming New Zealand is an organization with scant regard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 says: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media.” Except, it seems, if you work for Cameron at the Millennium Institute. Over there the rule is, “to not speak to any media in a negative way regarding Swimming NZ Inc.” It’s weak and it’s pathetic. Finally Cameron’s ban on alcohol is a third example. They had the same rule when I was coaching Toni Jeffs. Toni crossed out the clause in her contracts, initialed the deletions and posted the contracts back to SNZ. They never said a word. These swimmers are adult men and women. If they want to have a glass of Chardonnay with their dinner who the hell is Cameron to say it’s not allowed?
On that subject, I was disgusted at the way Cameron attempted to dodge responsibility for the rule banning team members from drinking alcohol. In the New Zealand Herald Cameron is quoted as saying the rule was all Regan’s doing. Cameron you are paid to be the boss. For the love of God, act like one. That means accepting responsibility as well as assuming power. I actually thought Cameron’s effort to palm responsibility onto Regan for the alcohol rule may be in breach of at least two clauses in SNZ’s Code of Conduct. Clause Three says, “Be professional in, and accept responsibility, for your actions.” If Cameron had anything to do with the alcohol rule, and presumably she approved it, she is prima facie in breach of Clause Three. And Clause Nineteen that says, “Never act in any way that may bring disrepute to a SNZ member.” Cameron’s effort to make the alcohol ban all Regan’s fault has the appearance of disrepute about it. Perhaps it’s worth giving the SNZ disciplinary committee a call?
So, how is Project Vanguard part of the same malaise? Well, the Vanguard scheme is also about power. Swimming New Zealand’s power brokers want to diminish the influence of the Regional Associations. They are desperate to establish a direct link between Wellington and individual clubs. They want to deal directly with Aquahawks in Napier and United in Auckland and Bell Block in New Plymouth and Wharenui in Christchurch. Wellington’s hard sell team is wandering around selling Vanguard as improved communication. But that’s not true. They know that the Aquahawks Club cannot summon nearly as much power as Hawke’s Bay/Poverty Bay. United Club is far less powerful than a united Auckland. Taranaki has more power than the Bell Block Club on its own.
It’s an old fashioned case of divide and rule. A troublesome club can be ignored. Be absolutely certain – your swim club will be ignored. The complaining voice of West Auckland Aquatics or Neptune Club can be brushed to one side. A questioning Auckland or Waikato or Southland has to be listened to. If it is difficult to get a 60% majority of New Zealand’s 16 Regions imagine trying to drum up a consensus among 180 swimming clubs. In that vacuum Swimming New Zealand’s bureaucrats will rule unchecked, while they ravage the Region’s accumulated reserves to pay for it all.
So why is this a case of coming full circle? It’s simple really. Swimming New Zealand is hell bent on extending the philosophy of power and control they currently practice at the Millennium Institute to the organization as a whole. They seem oblivious to the fact that their obsession with power hasn’t worked in the Cameron program. It won’t work to control the grass roots either. In fact, passing Project Vanguard and doubling the power of Swimming New Zealand’s bureaucrats is certain to tear the heart out of the grass roots of swimming for a generation. I hate to think of what it will mean to good swimmers at the Millennium Institute; “Please Jan can I got to the toilet?” There are no gold medals in that. Project Vanguard must fail. “We got hell to pay, come full circle” is an appropriate quote. So is the Henry Kissinger classic, “power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” Randy or not – Swimming New Zealand needs a cold shower; not a hot date.
