Copy
View this email in your browser

8.22.2020

Dear Huns Social Members and Leaders.

This year, the Huns are electing two Directors to the Board. By now, all members should have received their ballots via email from Nombot (
civs@cs.cornell.edu)
. If you have not received your ballot as yet (1) check your spam folder and if it's not there (2) email the Huns RFC Inspectors of Elections @ elections@hunsrugby.com to request another ballot.

We ended the Nominating Process with 9 candidates for the Board:
  • Carl Dahlberg
  • James Elston
  • Harald Hofmann (incumbent)
  • Ross Reynolds
  • Brian Welborn
  • Austin Vandiver
  • Rick Dude
  • Micheal Hunter
  • Ed Bandas

During the process, Ed Bandas and Michael Hunter (in red and italicized) withdrew their candidacies. The platforms for the seven remaining candidates are copied and pasted verbatim below.

Old Boys often ask me, because they sometimes don't know the younger guys: "Bill, who should I vote for?" Here are my general comments in answer to that question.

1. Our Club is BLESSED this year to have seven great candidates! You really can't go wrong with any vote you cast.

2. That said, three very solid Old Boys from our ranks are on the ballot - Carl Dahlberg, Harald Hofmann, and James Elston.

A. Huns spiritual leader, Kirk Tate, has already endorsed Elston as a candidate. I know Elston too, and agree he would be solid on the Board in many ways.

B. Dahlberg's skill set (business, marketing, communications, team building, tech, and fundraising, as well as his liaison with the HHOF Committee) would be a boon to the Board.

C. Hofmann is an incumbent running for re-election which means he is already up to speed (which is a plus).

3. However, the younger guys are all great too!

A. Ross Reynolds / Red Ross / Charles Floyd is a thoughtful and passionate long term Hun, he put out many really good ideas in his platform, and he also ran on an inalienable and inarguable rugby club platform of free beer?!

B. Brian Welborn is also a long term Hun, only recently retiring from D1 Rugby to be a D1 Assistant Coach. Brian wears his passion on his sleeve, you never have trouble hearing him when he makes a point, and he also had several solid ideas in his platform of ways to improve our Club.

C. Austin Vandiver is a younger Hun, but has already contributed much as an officer on Fields, as part of the 7s Scholarship efforts, and as a D1 and D2 player (his pirouetting 50 meter try in the D1 Reds Comeback last spring win was Sports Center level epic). Austin also had much experience as a leader on his college side.

D. Richard "Rick" Dude, Jr. is a solid all around Hun with a strong Tech background, and when you read his platform below you will see he has his head screwed on straight about how to work with the Board to keep the Club on the right track going forward.

Like I said, all are good. Read the platforms below, and vote ASAP so we can meet our 40% quorum requirement for the September 2nd AGM.

Note - Bandas dropped out pretty late so he's still on the ballot: be sure to select him as 8th.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Regards to all,

Billy O
858.886.6655.



 
~ CANDIDATE PLATFORMS ~

Carl Dahlberg

Hello and thank you, for the honor of being nominated for the Board of Directors.  I know many of you don’t know me well or perhaps at all but I played in the ‘90s and some in the early ‘00s prior to becoming a dad and getting fatter.   I’ve come to admire all the hard work and achievements the Huns have had since I stopped playing and regret not being closer to the club in those years after I left.   I’ve been working to get involved more over the past few years as a brother, fan and most recently, whatever I can do to help and that will hopefully lead to a position on the board.   In doing so, I look forward to helping the Huns continue to become a stronger organization both in terms of membership engagement and financial stability.

In my ~10 years as an active player, I played every position in the pack aside from Hooker because back then hookers had to hook.   We had some really successful years in that time and grew as a club thanks to players and alums, like the Acuna’s, David Zack, Jack, Poot and many others.    As a leader and administrator, I held just about every office including President, Coach and Captain.   Aside from winning TRU’s in ’93 and ’94, and going to the National Championships in ’93, I was an integral part of the leadership team when we hosted the National Championships at Zilker in ’94 and ’95.  And finally, I proudly pulled together and participated in the ’95 UK Tour.   Professionally, I sold advertising for KLBJ for a few years in the early ‘90s and since have been in Marketing and Events positions for tech companies in the area and am a former board member of Soaring Spirits International where I held offices of Fund Development Director and Secretary.

There is so much great work being done both on the field and in the community that my main effort as a board member will be to embrace and help strengthen things that are working well already.   I’m in admiration of the work many of you are doing to build the Huns community including the great work that’s being done with the kids program.   It goes without saying that the work that’s put into the maintenance of the Huns land is and has been a Herculean effort and one which I hope to help maintain for Huns generations to come.    Where I see myself providing the greatest value is in expanding Alumni networks and engagement.   I have recently joined the Hall of Fame BoD and intend to help build out that experience on 
hunsrugby.com by creating player profiles and backgrounds but also one of my goals is to build a better directory and interface for Huns old and new to be able to connect and to help the Huns maintain relationships with players as they move onto other cities, careers, teams, whatever.   And finally, I will do everything in my abilities to help strengthen the financial position of the club through fund development, professional guidance and communications and marketing of Huns activities and achievements.

I have a lot of respect for those of you who have played for multiple teams.   I played only for the Huns and Silverbacks.  I’m a native Austinite who has lived here for most of my life, had no playing experience prior to joining the Huns and like many of you, have lifelong friendships with those I played with.  As I said previously, I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished on and off the field… so much so, I finally got the Huns ink I’ve been talking about since 1990 a few months ago.  For me, preserving the history of the Huns will be paramount to our future as an organization and I look forward to contributing to that in whatever capacity I can.

So to wrap this up, I again say thank you for being considered and I know the other candidates are all worthy of your consideration.   I missed out on a chunk of rugby in the ‘00s and I regret not being closer to the club but am working to get more involved every day, now.   I’ll work hard to bring professional leadership as a board member and deliver on my actionable assignments.  Moreso, I look forward to being a team player and being more visible going forward.   And I still hate the Austin Rugby Club.  

Go Huns!



James Elston

My name is James Elston and I began playing for the Huns in Fall of 1980 when I first met Dan Persico on the UT campus. I was there at Zilker Park when John Redhorse had trouble understanding that his scrumhalf had broken his arm in a tackle and had to leave the field; I was there when Danny Slosburg played as the Number ∞; when Billy O had to explain to me the significance of 908; and when David Pelton weighed less than 120 lbs. and was maybe 5’6” tall.

By the time I came to Austin, I had already been playing rugby beginning when I was 15 years old, first for the Old Boys RFC and then Houston RFC and I also started a team at my high school, Memorial Sr High. I developed a love of this game with all of those clubs, but the Huns are the club that will forever have my heart, which is why, at this time in my life, I would be thrilled to have the honor to serve and give back to the Huns some measure of what the Huns have given to me.

I am a practicing attorney (somehow the Bar never discovered the evidence in the Huns vault) and I am certain that I will be able to contribute meaningfully to the continued growth of the Huns through application of my professional expertise, attention to detail, and based on my devotion to the Huns and my passion for the game.

I think there are four areas that require continued focus and attention to continue the good work that has already been done by the several generations of committed Huns:
1. Continued competitive excellence in Division 1 Rugby (which means excellence for all sides);
2. Continued development and expansion of youth rugby;
3. Strengthening the Old Boys network for social and financial support of Huns Rugby; and,
4. Development of a long-term strategy to finally give the Huns the stability of a homeland.

These are challenging goals, but reaching for these goals will ensure that the Huns continue to thrive and excel for the years to come, for the benefit of future Huns and the game that we all love.
If elected, my first task would be development of actionable proposals to move forward in these four areas, with feedback from the Huns Nation.



Harald Hofmann

Good morning Huns!

I have been a Hun since 2002 - those glorious days of practicing at Metz baseball field and digging trenches at Burnet middle school on Saturdays - and I’ve always been impressed with, and truly love, this club!

Still playing some D3 and Silverback rugby whenever possible, I’ve been more involved in our youth program lately and was a coaching assistant for my son’s 6th grade side.

I have been honored to serve on our board for the last 2 years and would sincerely enjoy serving another term. Thank you for the nomination!

-Harald

P.S. No promise of free beer but I will be there in support to help y’all drink it, with Lederhosen on!



Brian Welborn

Huns Brothers and Sisters, I have chosen to honor my nomination to the board elections this year and would like to jump out and introduce myself to those whom I have not met yet. I joined the Huns around 11 years ago and have been a highly active member since.  I played 11 years as a Division 1 forward, I was an assistant coach last season, and I have served in many other roles including club captain, club officer, and dues collector. Over the years I and my company, Welborn Woodworks, have also been consistent team and tournament sponsors. My goal as a board member is to continue to grow the amazing culture of inclusivity, brotherhood, and activism that the Huns RFC have embodied for decades. Additionally, I believe my skill sets can be of great value when it comes to growing and organizing our sponsorship and fund-raising abilities.  I would like to see a strong and clear connection between the BOD and the needs of our active players and coaching staff.  I am happy to answer any questions either in a public thread or by DM, so please feel free to reach out to me any time between now and the election cycle.  Hugs and kisses, Brian Welborn.



Ross Reynolds

Hello Huns past & present. My name is Ross Reynolds aka Red Ross aka Charles Floyd. I like many others am also honored to be nominated to the Huns BOD. There are many good choices for your vote this year and I hope that you consider me one of them.  

Many of you know me very well, I played for UT in 01'-05' and for the Huns from I believe around 2011 till present (check the files).

I love this club and if elected I promise to fullfill my duties as a Huns Board member. I pledge to  attend the meetings and to hold my fellow board members, administration, and coaches accountable to the best interests of the team.

I will focus my attention on expanding our youth rugby program because the children are the future of Rugby and they also generate funds for the club while securing the future of the club.

I also pledge to raise the funds to build a proper clubhouse.  Whatever it is that we can legally build. The Huns should no longer have no showers, no bathrooms, no changing rooms, & no trophy case.  We need to be able to escape the elements be it heat, rain, or cold. As one of the largest clubs in the nation this shouldn't be an impossible task to achieve and together we can make it happen.

I also pledge to continue to hold our coaching staff, trainers, and players to the highest level of competition that we are able. This does not exclude our team dedication to allow everyone to play at their respected level.  We have the resources to be the best team in the nation and also allow everyone to play at the many lower levels and ALL players will receive the same high level of coaching so that they can achieve their optimum levels of performance.

I will also work hand in hand with all the old Huns who although no longer play are still an integral part of the team and are necessary to passing on our traditions and culture to the future generations of the HRFC.

I also guarantee free high quality beer for all functions.

I appreciate your time and would be honored to receive your vote.

Red Ross
Aka
Charles Floyd on FB



Austin Vandiver

Hello Huns Family!

Honored to be a nominee for the BOD! My Huns journey started in the summer of 2018 where I played sevens and then made my way back for good in January of 2019. As a Hun I have had the honor of serving as an officer for the fields mainly, and have served on the 7s Scholarship committee. Before I was a Hun I served as an officer for 3 years at my college club and my final years and a half there I acted in as a player coach. I also coached the Lonestar region all stars for the NSCRO (now NCR) in 2019.

I am a young nominee for the position and am honored and up for the responsibility, I do see some great candidates that may be in a better position than me to contribute the most, but whatever I am involved in I believe I do great things. I would like to build off the success we were seeing this season, although cut short, since my time as a Hun great leaps have been made, coming into a team that had a rough 2018 but has bounced back in big ways. With the recruitment of the summer 7s program along with the trainings we have been able to get through some high level resources has contributed to some of the on field results this year. If selected I will do what is needed to keep this club moving forward and find ways to pivot with the current state of things in order to succeed in this new normal. I want to make sure all voices are heard and this club moves in a direction that promotes inclusion and community.

Thanks Fam 


Rick Dude

Hi Folks!

To my surprise I was nominated to be a member of the board of directors. I am humbled and honored, and if elected, will fulfill my responsibilities with duty and integrity.

I found this club in 2013 through my neighbor, Nico Martinez.  He had a gnarly gash on his head from a recent match and when he told me it came from Rugby, I was in. Started playing touch that summer and 7 years later I’m still loving every minute of it as yours truly beloved career D3 player.
 
In the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons I served as team manager, organizing travel and match paperwork. I would have happily continued however I had started a new business and the work hours at the time were intense. Phil took over and has done an awesome job.

My primary goal as member of the board would initially be to do whatever’s necessary to get us playing again. I imagine this quarantine and no rugby has been very rough on everyone as it’s been on me. Yes we’re all getting more time in whatever home workouts were engaging in, looking forward to seeing all your gains and weight cuts. But we have to start playing rugby again, safely.

My second goal would be to build on our club achievements that led to the 2016 championship season, that of continuing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that encourages excellence both on the field of rugby and in our personal lives. That’s a long way of saying to keep making the Huns the better choice for transplant players and college grads than the other team in town.  I think we are today, and we need to keep that obvious at every level.

So there’s my platform. May the best Hun win.

 
 
 
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Copyright © 2020 Austin Huns Rugby Club, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp