New Association website hits the right note with piping net surfers
Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell
THE Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has announced their newly designed website, the first of the Marketing and Media project for 2006.
They have removed the registration process and all restrictions on viewing and printing contest summaries, which according to Ian Embelton the Chief Executive of the RSPBA, will give all visitors easier access to the pages most people wish to view.
Recent statistics would point to the RSPBA web site being the most visited pipe band related website on the Internet with visitors from 84 different countries looking at almost 3 million pages in 2005.
Mervyn Herron, Marketing and Media Convenor, reports that in 2005 the association did achieve much and will continue to strive to achieve much more in 2006.
Among the projects achieved in 2005 were the new look website (already done and with improvements to come) the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the RSPBA where special medals and Crystal trophy pieces were presented to all the winning bands at the Worlds.
The CIA photography at the Worlds also proved a great success and will hopefully be repeated again in 2006. And it was good news from the BBC that they will be present at the 2006 world championships to record for broadcast sections of the championships.
There will also be the introduction of some new features including an on line shop which will be fully operational in January 2006,a search facility and a full dynamic contest management system allowing news and events to be brought out even quicker to the public.
So hopefully everyone in the pipe band world will give their support to this website. - www.rspba.org. There are still some Northern Ireland Pipe band Calendars available but the supply is running low so if you want to be sure of getting yours please contact Mervyn Herron as soon as possible. His telephone number is 028 4062 4849.
The calendars contain the dates of all the major and local events as well as a picture gallery and photos of all the winning world champions in 2005.
Arranged
Training workshops were arranged by the adjudicators Training Croup during August 2005 for prospective International Adjudicators nominated by some of the RSPBA?s Affiliated Associations under the new arrangements announced last year.
The individuals involved also shadow judged at the World and/or Cowal Championships to gain experience of adjudicating large grades and some were also involved at the North Berwick and Bridge of Allan contests.
This venture was a first for the RSPBA and was Designed to ensure that International Adjudicators meet the same standards expected of UK based Adjudicators. Those involved are to be commended for their ready agreement and commitment to participating in the programme. The outcome is that the following have been appointed as Unattached International Adjudicators in the RSPBA?s approved list of Adjudicators:
Ken Eller -Canada piping, Jim McGillivray- Canada Piping, James Troy-Canada piping, Brian Niven-Australia piping, Sam Young-Australia piping, Greg Dinsdale-Canada drumming, and Harold Gillespie-Australia drumming.
At the meeting of the RSPBA Adjudicators panel at Headquarters on November 6, Trevor Dear announced he was standing down from his position as Chairman. Jim Hutton was proposed for the position by Malcolm MacKenzie and seconded by Joe Noble and was unanimously elected. David Clark was proposed for the vacant position of vice-chairman by Malcolm MacKenzie and seconded by Dixie Ingram and was also unanimously elected to the position.
Ulster Star
16/12/2005
