Paul, now that they have said no, I have a request:
There will be talks between your group, and the principals.
Why are we going to ask for “just fees?”
Ask for EVERYTHING.
Fees. Travel. Fees at every level so that middle/jr. high/freshman games are all included.
ASSIGNMENT SECRETARIES! We need to have as much input in their hiring as the principals. Their required duties. Scheduling, especially on how games get out in due time, and how those games are assigned. If associations want to set up a working list of their best officials, and schedule accordingly, this might be acceptable.
SCRATCHES! While I’m not opposed to these, ther should be some WRITTEN documentation about why they are used. They should not last more than a single season. Assignment secretaries do have some discretion, but, an official should not be scratched at a school for 5-10-15 years.
Playoff assignments. How do some associations get the same people in the semis and finals every year, and others have to wait 5-6-7 years between opportunities? If one association has 20 qualified officials and another has 5, but both get the same consideration for playoffs, this punishes good officials.
THREE PERSON CREWS IN BASKETBALL ARE MANDATORY AT JR. VARSITY/VARSITY ASSIGNMENTS!!! Interestingly, three years ago the principals wrote a simple rule: schools could ask to use 2-person crews in non-district and tournament games. Why did they need that rule? Their handbook ALREADY HAD A TOUGHER RULE STATEMENT, that said that 3-person was NOT REQUIRED. They did it to give the ASSIGNMENT SECRETARIES a weapon to use in scheduling. I believe if they had passed the raise they would also have passed “mandatory 2-person” in every varsity game this year to continue to punish basketball officials. We need to prevent this possibility.
At the same time, include training, testing, attendance, discipline and any other important point. Have defined ethics clauses, and enforce them.
There may be more than this…..