There is some confusion in our membership about dues
and our relationship to the British Columbia Pipers' Association,
which I wish to clarify here.
The BCPA is doing an excellent job of representing the
best interests of pipers, drummers and pipe bands in our
region as piping and drumming becomes more global and
less regional. We have seen the formation of the Alliance
of North American Pipe Band Associations, a movement that
is well underway, powered mainly by professionalism and
musicianship among pipers and drummers across North America.
You can read more about these changes on the ANAPBA's
web site www.anapba.org.
Highland games associations work very closely with regional
piping and drumming associations across North America,
like the BCPA, which provide the events, grading, and
adjudicating infrastructure for individual piping and
drumming competitions and band contests. The Games associations
in our area recognize the contributions of the BCPA and
its members with a financial incentive when you enter
events at their Games.
However, you are not required to be a member of the BCPA
to enter Highland Games events. But, once you become a
member of the BCPA you may compete at any sanctioned games
in North America without having to become a member of
that region's piping and drumming association because
of the reciprocity agreement among the ANAPBA pipe band
associations. For example, if you want to compete in sanctioned
competitions in California you will not need to become
a member of WUSPBA if you are a member of the BCPA.
Membership in the BCPA will also allow you to compete
at the BCPA Mini-Gatherings and the BC Pipers' Annual
Gathering, also known as The Indoor. You will also receive
the BCPA Newsletter and, for Active and Pipe Band members,
voting rights. And the BCPA is investigating how it may
be able to aid local organizations, like the WPA.
To the leaders and members of the BCPA I give my hearty
thanks and congratulations. The BCPA has taken on the
responsibilities of leadership while at the same time
making it very clear that smaller local organizations,
like the WPA, should be supported and need to thrive within
the bounds of their influence.
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