BKA Announcements

Announcements will be placed here for all to read. Please check regularly.

BKA Accounts 2007

Any paid up member wishing to receive a copy of the Annual accounts for 2007 should contact Treasurer@Kendo.org.UK who will get a copy mailed out to them. As usual copies will be available at the AGM

Bucho Postal Election – Statement from the General Secretary.

I have had questions about the serial number that appears on the voting sheet. This number is put there by Electoral Reform Services who are conducting the election on behalf of the BKA. The number is to prevent fraud, so that, for example, photocopies of the ballot sheet cannot be used. It will only be used by certified independent ERS scrutineers to ensure fair play. No one in the BKA, including me, will have access to these numbers and there will be no possibility of knowing which way a BKA member has voted.

Ric Schofield.

Maggies Kendo Workshop

We are coming to the end of this year's Maggie's Kendo Workshop as our website will stop collecting donations on the 23rd April. (www.justgiving.com/maggieskendo2008) I would like to thank all of the Kendoka who participated and their friends and families who made donations.
This year we saw £800 collected via online, plus £802.47 by cheque and cash including generous donations by companies: NRM-Bobrowski and Chapman Taylor Llp, and by adding the 28% TAX release, we have collected a massive £1891.98 which will go a long way in helping to run the Maggie's Centres. Thank you very much again for all your support it was very worthwhile in achieving such a high figure.
The publication of the event in Watford Observer on March 7th Friday generated a great deal of local public interest and on the BKA website article page we saw reports of participants' personal points of view about ‘how it was for them’ this was quite amazing, to see how people perceived and learnt through their own personal experiences on the day. Also it was very nice for me to receive positive feedback, which I can hopefully develop for future events.
I would especially like to offer a special thank you to Paul Budden sensei for his sincere support, also to Adrian Wagstaff and Paul Grey for PR, to Kodokan Kendo club for offering the venue and finally to Leah Jeffries of Maggie's Centres London for her kind advice and assistance.

Next year Maggie's Kendo Workshop is provisionally booked for Cardiff and scheduled again for the end of February, so please pencil this in to your diaries, if you would like to participate in this truly worth while cause.

Kind regards

Kazuyo Matsuda Organiser of Maggie's Kendo Workshop

Kendo Team Manager

I am very pleased to announce that Mr Sean Starr is appointed to the position of GB Kendo Team Manager with immediate effect from the 24th March 2008.

Paul Budden
Kendo Bucho

EKC Results

Congratulations to the GB Kendo teams on their performance in the European Kendo Championships. The Men came third losing 3-2 to France (the Championship winners) in the semi. The Runners up were Germany with Spain taking the other third place.
Also in the Mens Individuals Stuart Gibson reached the last eightand getting a Fighting Spirit, losing to the eventual winner while all the team made it out of the pools
The ladies team also performed well getting to the last 8 with Geraldina Mattson made it to the last 16 in the ladies individuals.
Mens team: Max Davies, Andy Fisher, Stuart Gibson, Mark Halls, Theodore Rutter, Alan Thompson, Phillip Wilson.
Ladies team: Daisy Chen, Rowena Dossett, Kim Holt, Alison Jarvis, Geraldina Mattson. Juniors team: Kyle Brogan, Oscar Carter, Ross Thompson.
Coaches: Jumpei Matsumoto, Kazuyo Matsuda.

Level 1 Coaching Course

I am running a BKA kendo Club Coach level 1 in the London/southern area at end of April/ May 2008. It will be held in the Reigate area (M25 south /A217) and has spaces available for any who would care to attend. Please contact Ian Parker Dodd via the BKA website ASAP for further information.
Nigel Kettle
Regional coach London and Southern area

New Report

New report available from here and reports page. Matumoto Sensei's visit to Do Shin Ken Yu Kai

CRB Update

An update regards the CRB checking for coaches is available from the club information page

Samurai Sword Ban

The latest Home Office information on the Samurai sword ban can be found at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/banning-swords

CRB UPDATE

The BKA are pleased to announce the appointment of DDC (Due Diligence Checking) as our official Umbrella Body for the Criminal Records Bureau, for the obtaining of disclosures for BKA registered coaches.

To use this facility, please contact Leigh-Anne Law via email at child.protection@kendo.org.uk giving the following information:

Name
Address
Telephone number (preferably mobile)
Name of Dojo
BKA membership number

Your details will be submitted to DDC on your behalf, then an application form and information pack will be sent to you. The completed application form, together with appropriate ID and payment, must be returned to DDC (who will return your documents via registered post). The process will not be completed without payment, which is currently £18.80. Once the CRB check has been completed, certification will be sent to the applicant.

In the case of ‘nothing to disclose’, when your certificate is received the process is complete, and there is no need to send your certificate to us for validation.

Coaching Notification

All Kendo Coaching Level 1 applications for all regional courses scheduled during 2008 need to be submitted, to the coaching contact and on the current form [as posted on the BKA website], no later than the 30th April 2008.

On submission you will be advised of the location and date of your relevant course

Level 2 details will be advised shortly

Notice of Changes to Dojo & Individual Renewal Timetable

Because some Dojo fail to comply with the laid down regulations, the EC have agreed that Dojo registrations will be moved forward to the end of November. This will affect individual member renewals. Please see this notice for clarification.

Newsletter

Further to discussions at the AGM it has been decided that the Newsletter in its current form will now be discontinued, although periodic issues may be produced when necessary.

The website now carries all of the required information and additional pages will be activated to cover articles, gradings and taikai results.
We thank you for your support and look forward to receiving articles which can be sent to: bka.articles@kendo.org.uk

New Member Membership Forms

The new membership form is now available. Only a single copy now needs to be countersigned by your Dojo leader and sent to the Membership sectetary. The BKA membership form can be found on the website in PDF (Acrobat Reader v5 or later) format. Please refer to the menu on the left. It can be downloaded and printed or details filled in and printed (though not saved with the details entered).

Please note the change of address. Forms now should be sent to BKA Membership Secretary, PO Box 23, Southampton, SO32 3WX.

Fees for membership are as per the fee structure found on the left menu.

Insurance Enquiries

Any enquiries regarding insurance should be addressed to the EC directly care of the General Secretary. See the contact information page.

Constitution

Any member requiring a copy of the constitution should request this in writing from the General Secretary:

Mr Ric Schofield South View,
Cross Lane,
Braunston,
Daventry NN11 7HH,
United Kingdom.

Kendo Armour

If you have Kendo armour that you don't use anymore? we will be very happy to take it off your hands, as there are new clubs that are in desperate need of club equipment. Please contact the Kendo Bu.

Promotional work

The British Kendo association can offer unique sponsorship opportunities. If you are a TV, film company or Advertising agency and wish to feature one our Associated arts: Kendo, Iaido or Jodo. Then you should contact us, as the National Governing body through: Public Relations Officer Paul Gray E-mail:bka.pro@kendo.org.uk for concept approval [inc. H & S] and to ensure that you are provided with top level exponents for your project.

You should not, under any circumstance, contact individual clubs or members directly.