Tedd Padgitt (left) discusses the finer points of fencing with Referee Derek Cotton at a tournament in Rome, Italy.

On Sunday, September 24, internationally rated fencing referee Derek Cotton will be conducting one of his rare clinics for aspiring referees, and you could attend for FREE! See details below.

Qualified referees are an essential component at any fencing competition, and the SoCal Division is always looking for more. One of the requirements to become an official USA Fencing Referee is to attend a referee clinic taught by a certified instructor. So, if you are interested in contributing to the sport you love while earning money at the same time, or just want a better understanding of the rules of fencing, this is your opportunity to learn from one of the very best!

Derek Cotton is the most highly rated fencing referee in Southern California. He has an International Rating of B in all three weapons and has refereed many National Finals. His international experience includes the Pan American Games, the World University Games, the Junior World Championships and the Senior World Championships. In 1996, he was selected for the Paralympic Games in Atlanta. He was the only US referee selected to go to the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004. Derek is a member of the Fencing Officials Commission where he previously served as Chair of the Referee Development Committee and as a member of the FIE Arbitrage Commission.

This clinic is FREE to all members of the Southern California Division who are under 18.

This clinic is FREE to members of the Southern California Division over 18 if they have taken the following steps to becoming a referee (accessible through the USA Fencing member’s profile page):

• purchased the +CheckEd membership add-on
• completed the 90-minute, online SafeSport course
• applied for a background check

For everyone else the cost is just $60.

Attendees will benefit from studying the following material prior to attending the clinic:

• Referees’ Commission National Referee Examination Study Guide
• Rule Book
• Penalty Chart

When: Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 8 AM to 4 PM

Where: Fortune Fencing, 139 W Maple Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016

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When: Jul 18, 2021 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

To participate in this meeting, please register in advance:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqdeyppjwoGNYqgpoVSh6z061zK-ZsISnJ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to elect officers and directors for the Division year 8/1/2021 to 7/31/2022, as follows.

The members of the Division met in February for the semi-annual meeting. At this meeting, the following members were nominated to serve as officers of the Division for the 2021-2022 fiscal year:

• Chairperson – Tigran Shaginian*
• Vice Chairperson – Eric Speicher
• Treasurer – James Beihold*
• Secretary – Karen Lieu*
• Student Representative – Gus Ahn

(Asterisk * indicates current office holder. In each case, members may vote for only one candidate per position.)

In addition, the following were nominated to serve on the Board of Directors (aka, Executive Committee) for the same period: Tim Robinson (Presidio), Az Mikayelyan (unattached), Karen Lieu (BHFC), Phil Hareff (Conejo), Tigran Shaginian (Swords), James Beihold (Swords), Clare Deffense (Swords), Daryl Taylor (LAIFC), Richard Lee (unattached), Eric Speicher (Conejo), Karl Jordon (Points West), Anna Jordon (Points West), Rudy Streitz (Kern).

These nominations, and any additional, will be subject to the membership vote in July. The time for nominations for officers for the 2021-2022 has expired. However, additional nominations for Directors (also known as Executive Committee members) may be made from the floor, at the July meeting, or by written nomination submitted to the Division Secretary, Karen Lieu, at email address kblieu@pacbell.net.

To be eligible to vote at the July meeting, members must be at least 18 years old as of February 1, 2021 and hold a membership of Supporting or higher, and they must be present in person or online at the meeting. (Proxies are not allowed.)

We hope to see you at the July meeting, and we hope you will consider volunteering to join the Southern California Division leadership!

The purpose of the meeting is to elect officers and directors for the Division year 8/1/2020 to 7/31/2021, as follows:

The members of the Division met in March for the semi-annual meeting. At this meeting, the following members were nominated to serve as officers of the Division for the 2020-2021 fiscal year:

• Chairperson — Tigran Shaginian*
• Vice Chairperson — Phil Hareff*
• Treasurer — James Beihold*
• Secretary — Karen Lieu
• Assistant Secretary — Clare Deffense*

(Asterisk * indicates current office holder. In each case, members may vote for only one candidate per position.)

In addition, the following were nominated to serve on the Board of Directors (aka, Executive Committee) for the same period: Tim Robinson (Presidio), Az Mikayelyan (unattached), Karen Lieu (BHF), Phil Hareff (Conejo), Tigran Shaginian (Swords), James Beihold (Swords), Clare Deffense (Swords), Daryl Taylor (LAIFC), Richard Lee (unattached), Eric Speicher (Conejo), Karl Jordon (Points West), Anna Jordon (Points West), Rudy Streitz (Kern).

These nominations, and any additional, will be subject to the membership vote in July. The time for nominations for officers for the 2020-2021 has expired. However, additional nominations for Directors (also known as Executive Committee members) may be made from the floor, at the July meeting, or by written nomination submitted to the Division Secretary, Clare Deffense, at email address casdeffense@gmail.com. 

To be eligible to vote at the July meeting, members must be at least 18 years old, and they must be present in person or online at the meeting. (Proxies are not allowed.)

We hope to see you at the July meeting, and we hope you will consider volunteering to join the Southern California Division leadership!

Preregister on AskFred.

A new documentary short about Olympic saber fencer Keeth Smart entitled Stay Close has just been shortlisted for an Academy Award, and everyone is invited to Avant Garde Fencers Club (2209 Barry Ave., Los Angeles) on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 at 7:00 PM for a free screening.

For more information, see the official invitation.

The members of the Division met in February for the semi-annual meeting. At this meeting, the following members were nominated to serve as officers of the Division for the 2018-2019 fiscal year:

• Chairperson — Tigran Shaginian*; Jamie Douraghy
• Vice Chairperson — Phil Hareff*; Allex Grumman
• Treasurer — James Beihold*; Mark Nixon
• Secretary — Clare Deffense*

(Asterisk * indicates current office holder. In each case, members may vote for only one candidate per position.)

In addition, the following were nominated to serve on the Board of Directors (aka, Executive Committee) for the same period: Tim Robinson (Presidio), Vadim Ayupov (UFA), Sorah Shin (Allez), Nick Kovalev (WCFA), Az Mikayelyan (unattached), Karen Lieu (BHFC), Phil Hareff (Conejo), Tigran Shaginian (Swords), James Beihold (Swords), Clare Deffense (Swords), Jamie Douraghy (LAIFC), Allex Grumman (LAIFC), Mark Nixon (LAIFC), Richard Lee (unattached), and Eric Speicher (Conejo).

These nominations, and any additional, will be subject to the membership vote in July. The time for nominations for officers for the 2018-2019 has expired. However, additional nominations for Directors (also known as Executive Committee members) may be made from the floor, at the July meeting, or by written nomination submitted to the Division Secretary, Clare Deffense, at email address casdeffense@gmail.com.

To be eligible to vote at the July meeting, members must be at least 18 years old, and they must be physically present at the meeting. (Proxies and telephone voting are not allowed.)

We hope to see you at the July meeting, and we hope you will consider volunteering to join the Southern California Division leadership!

The tournament was originally created by epee fencer Fred Linkmeyer to promote the sport of Fencing in Los Angeles as well as within the USC community. A strong supporter of the fencing community, his legacy is continued by this tournament and the continuation of the USC fencing tradition.

This tournament is well organized with refs and a vendor. It is a great opportunity for fencers, both those just starting out, and experienced. You MUST be preregistered to compete in the tournament; registration closes on February 9 at midnight.