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Minister on Sport & Recreation 2012 Strategic Plan
Sports, Arts and Culture
13 March 2012
Chairperson: Mr R Mdakane (ANC)
Meeting Summary
The Minister of Sport and Recreation gave an overview of the Strategic Plan 2012/16 and highlighted that sport had been elevated in the Government programme of action from an activity to a specific sub-output and was recognised as a tool for advancing social capital. The Department's Strategic Plan was a road map detailing planned programmes and activities for the next five years and beyond. For the first time the country had a National Sport Plan which would show the path to be followed in order to achieve transformation in sport as well as ensure equal access to sport facilities. Preparations for the schools sport programme were at an advanced stage and the Department was awaiting the finalisation of the schools policy by the Department of Basic Education. The schools sport programme would culminate in the National Schools Competition at the end of the year and the South Africa Youth Olympics were earmarked for 2013. The Department was going to pursue the transformation charter and the scorecard vigorously to measure whether targets were being met in terms of accessibility and empowerment. The Minister lamented greed and misappropriation of resources by sport administrators who were concerned much about personal gratification at the expense of transformation and development. Corruption in all federations small and big would be rooted out and the law would be applied without favouritism.
The Department presented its Strategic Plan 2012/16 and the Budget vote for the financial year 2012/13. The Plan aimed to achieve six goals: to ensure that citizens had access to sport and recreation activities, a transformed sport and recreation sector, that athletes achieved international success, an integrated system of enablers supporting the delivery of sport and recreation, to use sport as a tool to support relevant Government priorities and to achieve an efficient and effective Department. The Plan sought to address the issue of National Federations structures that were not aligned with the geo-political constitutional boundaries at national, provincial and local levels. National Federations would be given two years to do the realignment as determined by the Municipal Demarcation Board and as per the Indaba resolution. The Department would use the conditional grant as a precondition for funding and federations that failed to comply would receive the smallest funding from the Department while the ones that showed transformation and development in their programmes would be given priority. The Department would continue throughout the Medium Term Expenditure Framework period to promote sport and recreation and the mass participation grant would be used to develop sport at various levels by supporting school sport, club development, hubs and sport federations. Funding was biased towards school sport and rural initiatives and the Department was inviting federations and provinces to indicate their rural initiative strategies.
The geographic information system of the facilities was nearly complete and would be used to finalise the costing of the National Sport Plan. 52 infrastructure hubs would be build in 52 districts. Funds allocated to the Department declined rapidly between 2008/09 and 2011/12 from R4.9billion to R820.9 million. This translated into an average annual rate of 45%. The budget of the Department was beginning to increase and expenditure was projected to increase from R848.4 million in 2012/13 to R967.6 million in 2014/15 - an average annual rate of 5.6% mainly due to the increase of municipal and office accommodation charges, transfers to sport federations and the Mass Sport and Recreation Participation Programme Conditional Grant. The Department received additional allocations over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework period of R1.9 million, R4.2 million and R5.5 million for improved conditions of service within the Department and salaries, Boxing South Africa and the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport. Boxing South Africa also received R3 million for spending on basic operational requirements. In the current financial year R3. 4 million had been transferred to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and an additional R3 million would be given in the new financial year to complete the turn around strategy. Cabinet approved budget cuts of R20 million were made over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (R5.8 million in 2012/13; R5.8 million in 2013/14; and R8.3 million in 2014/15). The cuts had been attributed to the economic turmoil in the world and all conditional grants had been cut. The amount included a reduction of R13.1 million over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (R4.9 million in 2012/13; R3.1 million in 2013/14; and R5.1 million in 2014/15) to the Mass Sport and Recreation Participation Programme Conditional Grant. A slide showed allocation of funds per programme in the 2009/15 Medium Term Expenditure Framework periods. There was no budget for the 2010 FIFA World Cup since the work had been completed and the report would be brought to the Committee. The Mass Participation Programme budget had increased significantly as a result of expenditure on school sports. In the last financial year the programme received R470.758 million, which had since increased to R500.821million in the current financial year. Funding for facilities coordination had been increased significantly from R 7.2 million in the 2010/11 financial year to R8.741 million in 2011/12. Another increase was in International Liaison and Events whose budget increased from R14.504 million in 2010/11 to R40.528 million in 2011/12. The increase was to account for the Government guarantees for the 2013 African Cup of Nations games in January. The transfers to the Non-Profit Institutions had been increased from R76.062 million to R 101.695 million in 2011/12, which accounted for transfers given to sports trusts in order to administer the Inter-School League programme and other interventions. For the first time funding to municipalities was stopped. Generally the budget had stabilised over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and there were no longer any significant increases. Medium Term Expenditure Framework allocations to provinces including transfers showed that administration costs had decreased from 47% last year December to 13 %. The Mass Participation Programme received the highest share with 62% of the total budget including transfers to provinces. Facilities coordination received 1% as it was a prerogative of provinces and municipalities and amounts were earmarked for facilities audit, geographic information system system and classification of facilities. The International liaison which used to receive 0.7% was allocated 2% of the budge to cover the African Cup of Nations and other smaller tournaments.
The Department's spending on allocations per economic classification including provinces was R848.524 million, with compensation taking 10.82%, goods and services 17.5%, public entities 2.16%, provinces 55.35%, capital goods 0.29% and non–profit organization accounting for 13.86% of the total allocation. The budget estimate over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework per economic classification excluding transfers was R 378.886 million. Non-profit institutions accounted for 31%, capital goods 1%, compensation 24%, public entities 5% and goods and services for about 39%. The allocations were informed by equitable distribution of resources but care was taken to include smaller and challenged provinces particularly the Northern Cape where schools were far apart. As such it was very expensive to run tournament or play inter-school leagues.
Members were generally happy about the presentation, which answered some of their concerns particularly around transformation. Members welcomed the building of facilities in the rural areas but asked how the Department was going to ensure the ownership of facilities and prevent them from being vandalised. They also disputed the benefits of the ring-fencing of Municipal Infrastructure Grant funds. A Member suggested that the Department develop fallow facilities in some former model C schools so that they could be shared with others. The Minister was asked if he had managed to secure Funds from the National Lottery.
Concern was expressed about the schools sport programme which was mainly about young people, yet even the old required fitness programmes.
Meeting report
Minister of Sport and Recreation 2012 Strategic Plan briefing
The Hon Fikile Mbalula, Minister of Sport and Recreation, presented the Department's Strategic Plan 2012/16 and the 2013 Annual Performance plan. The Hon. Gert Oosthuizen, the Deputy Minister, was also present.
The Strategic Plan was aimed at giving the nation a clear picture of the planned programmes and activities of the SRSA, the budget allocations and estimates for the next 5 years. The Strategic Plan was divided into Annual Plan and the activities aimed at realising the objectives of the 2012/16 Strategic Plan. On an annual basis the Plan would position itself to integrate the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) 2030 as was adopted by the National Sport and Recreation Indaba (NSRI) in November 2011.
The Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) had a legislative mandate to take overall responsibility for sport and recreation in South Africa. It included the promotion and development of sport and recreation, coordinating relationships between National Federations (NFs), intervening to correct the imbalances in sport and recreation and to promote equitable access to facilities and proper governance in sport.
In terms of the National Sport and Recreation Act (No. 110 of 1998) (NSRA), SRSA was empowered to facilitate and regulate all sporting disciplines. The presentation emanated from the January 2011 Strategic Planning Workshop for SRSA, Members of the Executive Councils (MECs)and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) together with the Sport Federations.
The Strategic Planning workshop saw extensive discussions and conclusions on issues related to transformation, school sport, and facilities and funding. These were finalised at the National Sport and Recreation Indaba held last year where stakeholders and role-players committed themselves to evolving transformation discourse in sport aimed at levelling the playing field and creating participation opportunities for all.
The Department would continue to contribute towards transformation, job creation, rural development, health lifestyles, peace and economic growth. The most significant contribution, however, would be the promotion of social cohesion. The Department was a signatory to the Outcome 12(b) delivery agreement under the guidance of the Department of Public Service and Administration.
Sport had been elevated in the Government Programme of Action from an activity to a specific sub-output and was now recognised as a formidable tool of building social capital. The Department committed itself to ultimately deliver on the Outcome 12(b): increasing opportunities for participation in sport and recreation and facilitating intra-governmental support for major international events hosted in South Africa.
The activities provided citizens with opportunities to interact, to share a common purpose and contribute to nation building. Opportunities for participation in sport would be boasted by seeking to implement the resolutions of the Sport and Recreation Indaba (SRI). The Strategic Plan gave impetus to the implementation of the NSRP by integrating it into the Government Planning Cycle and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. At the heart of the plan was the transformation Charter and Scorecard, which would enable the sport system to measure whether it was achieving the agreed goals and reaching targets in terms accessibility and empowerment. The Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) would drive the process on transportation on sport and recreation, which would be appointed soon to monitor and evaluate performance in achieving targets.
The Department recognised school sport as the bedrock or development in which a large pool of resources would be invested. A Memorandum of Understanding had already been signed with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to define roles and responsibilities. Work was in progress to implement the 2012 school league, which would culminate into the National Schools Competition at the end of the year.
Three pillars would underpin the roll out of the Programme: Capacity Building, the Top School League and the Youth Olympics.
Mass participation would be pursued vigorously as it encouraged community activeness and created opportunities for identification of raw talent in the most remote areas of the country - the rural areas. The programme helped with clubs development while at the same time exposing the realities of underdevelopment, lack of facilities for sport and recreation. A lot of attention would be focused towards transformation, mass participation and schools sport.
The Department was in the process of engaging municipalities on ring-fencing of the 15% of the public municipal service infrastructure component of the infrastructure grant towards building sport facilities in the rural areas as was gazetted in May 2011. Working together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Department would conduct a national facilities audit to ascertain the state sport infrastructure and was hoping to establish a Geographic Information System (GIS) that would assist in the implementation of the national facilities pan. Currently, the Department was developing 52 infrastructure hubs in 52 districts around the country in line with the Demarcation Board so as to allow municipalities to join resources and built a single vibrant infrastructure facility.
Recreation, which had not received attention in the previous years, was to be fully integrated and a Ministerial Advisory Team would be appointed in the next two weeks to engage society on feasible projects and programmes so as to speed up the process. In addition through recreation the Department aimed to drive the campaign on healthy lifestyles working in close cooperation with the Department of Health with a broader view of attacking social ills prevalent in the country, for example, substance abuse. In order to achieve the objectives the Department would build sustainable partnership with different stakeholders as indicated in the Indaba. Some of these would include SASCOC, National Federations, Sport Councils, private sector and non-governmental organizations. The Ministerial programme aimed to mobilise society into sport activeness and also to generate dialogue with the stakeholders in defining the new sport landscape. The Minister said the citizens of the country were encouraged to take in the work of NFs through establishing strong provincial and nation sport councils. Among other resolutions taken at the Indaba, it was agreed that there should be a re-structured sport landscape in South Africa which, emphasised access and optimal performance. It recognised the steps taken to improve the performance of athletes and teams through own access integration efforts and coordination of all sport structures and systems. It was a collective responsibility of all to embrace the campaign and provide proper leadership in order to realise the dream of a qualitative and sound sport system. Also, excellence would be rewarded through well-organised South African Sport Awards and the SRSA had been committed to ensure that 2012 ceremony was bigger and better. Progress made since 1994 was recognised in the Indaba and all stakeholders had been called upon to redouble their efforts and commitments in addressing persistent disparities in sport and recreation. As the SRSA moved towards its 18th anniversary, reflections on the road traversed occupied its core business and it was palpable that the vistas gave way to lessons learnt and the long road that lay ahead in order to achieve a better life for all.
The Chairperson thanked the Minister for the presentation that addressed critical issues of transformation and development and would help the Committee in holding the executive authority accountable. The presentation would help the Committee to have an effective oversight of the Department at a political and leadership level.
SRSA 2012 Strategic Plan briefing
Mr Alec Moemi, Director-General, SRSA, presented the Strategic Plan 2012/16. The three-year plan put much emphasis on the 2012/2013 programmes in ruling out the projects that had been presented by the Minister. The Department had designed the Strategic Plan and complemented it with an annual performance plan (APP) as required by the law. The plan was aligned tot the new Sport and Recreation Plan which was adopted in November last year.
The plan covered the Administration programme, Sport Support Systems, Mass Participation, International Relations and Facilities Coordination. The structure had not yet responded to the new mandate in terms of the national plan hence the Department had begun a restructuring programme. The restructuring process would be finalised in 2013 and National Treasury and the Auditor-General had agreed with the Department that such a move was necessary. To improve on the implementation of the plan SRSA had also identified risks for each Strategic Goal, current management controls were considered and where appropriate, mitigating strategies had been developed to improve control deficiencies.
The 2012/16 Strategic Plan was comprised of three sections: part (a) dealt with the strategic overview of SRSA which covered-the Vision, Mission and Values of SRSA as well as Constitutional, legislative and policy mandates and situational analysis of disparities. Part (b) was the most important section that dealt the five major programmes of SRSA and would be the key focus area for the Department; and part (c) was mainly about links to other plans and how the Department had managed to reformulate its relations with municipalities, provinces and major role players in sport fraternity.
The Department was using the conditional grant to deal with issues related to the implementation plan. The mandate of the Department was premised on the Sport and Recreation Act 1998 which would be amended to allow for the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Some of the policy mandates that guided the Department included promotion and development of sport and recreation, coordination of the relationships between NFs and other agencies, provision for interventions to correct imbalances in sport and recreation, and to promote equitable access and proper governance in sport and recreation.
The majority of resources were channelled towards ensuring equity and proper governance in sport and recreation. It was envisaged that the NSRA could be amended to appropriately align with the revised White Paper and the NSRP that was approved at the National Sports Indaba in November 2011. SRSA would continue to contribute towards transformation, rural development, job creation, a healthy life style, peace, economic growth and social cohesion. The new framework for funding NFs was now dual linked –Federations that sought to promote transformation and development of previously disadvantaged groups would be given more funding as compared to underachievers and this was the only tool the Department had at disposal in pursuing the transformation agenda. As a signatory to the outcomes 12 (b) the Department sought to increase opportunities for participation and facilitation in intra-governmental support for major international events hosted in South Africa (SA).
The Strategic Plan aimed to achieve six goals: to ensure that citizens had access sport and recreation activities, a transformed sport and recreation sector, that athletes achieved international success, an integrated system of enablers supporting the delivery of sport and recreation, to use sport as a tool to support relevant Government priorities and to achieve an efficient and effective SRSA.
The programmes would target mainly the youth through the school sport programme. All role players should rally behind the plan towards common objective. Efforts were being made to get funding from the National Lottery and for the Government to allocate more resources to sport development.
The said goals would be implemented through the APPs in the form of strategic objectives, which linked to the goals. The achieve the goals brad partnerships need to be established with provincial departments, SASCOC, NFs, NGOs and the two entities (Boxing South Africa (BSA) and South African Institute for Drug- Free Sport (SAIDS). The conditional grant framework for provinces had been revised thereby aligning their work with the funding allotted.
The Department was in the process of negotiating with NFs on how they would be funded and relations were being strengthened with NGOs working in the sport sector. Discussions were under-way with the National Treasury to re-prioritize funding to LoveLife so that other NGOs such as the Sport Trust could be strengthened to complement Government work.
A turnaround Strategy had been instituted to help Boxing South Africa to become more viable and strengthen the SAIDS through amending legislation to enable it to carry out its mandate in schools. Roles and responsibilities between the Department and SASCOC would be properly delineated - the former was responsible for sport at primary level and the latter concerned with Team South Africa and high performance sport.
The NFs were the key delivery agents for the Department and as such about 25% of the budget was allocated to them, about 50% to provinces and the 25% remained with the Department. The Department would rely on the system of prioritisation in dealing with NFs and all federations would be funded equitably based on potential and contribution to transformation. The focus in many federations tended to be on elite participation at the expense of holistic sports development.
There were no new athletes who were under tutelage or were being assisted under development programmes as most federations concentrated on high performance sport with more commercial value. There was need for a fair balance between continuity and success, which the Transformation Charter and Scorecard sought to achieve, and objectives of the Charter were now linked to the funding formula for federations.
Further focus would also be on the National Sports Volunteer Corps that the Minister introduced in February 2012 - a programme aimed at engaging former sports legends and talented community members to assist in developing sport. A registration process for all volunteers was under-way and could be finished by April and by July the volunteers would be in schools and in different clubs to assist in developing the sport. Volunteers who had been used for campaigns such as the 2010 world cup and All Africa Games (AAG) would be integrated and considered for utilization at the impending African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games in 2013.
The Strategic plan would seek to address the issue of NFs structures that were not aligned with the geopolitical constitutional boundaries at national, provincial and local levels. NFs would be given two years to do the realignment as determined by the Municipal Demarcation Board and as per Indaba resolution.
The boundaries were important in the redesigning of the sport system for easy allocation of funds by provinces and municipalities and to prevent federations from overlapping provincial and municipal boundaries or even districts. Alignment with political boundaries would be used as a condition for funding going forward.
To prevent the problem of fragmented club development and support the Department working together with federations had introduced initiatives to support and strengthen existing clubs which would joined under one programme to maximise the impact of the interventions. This was intended to ensure a uniform flow in supporting hubs, teams and community clubs.
It had been discovered that the majority of clubs remained informal and some did not have even a constitution. Federations would be tasked with identifying the clubs and training them to run their affairs professionally - the more the number of disadvantaged clubs mentored by a federation the more they received. While the Strategic Plan was for the next coming three years the Department had a template looking to 15-20 year period of transforming sport.
School sport remained the bedrock for mass participation and talent identification programmes, which would help the Department to achieve its dual mandate of an active and winning nation. The biggest challenge was how would the talent identification programme be able to capture all talented individuals and ensure that they could be supported going forward.
An MOU signed with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in December in December last year had improved relations between the two Departments. The Minister of Basic Education had gazetted a school sport policy which would receive final input from the public at the end of March and, if finalised, would be enforced from June onwards. The policy would among other things compel students to participate in sport in schools and would make it mandatory for each school to have one sporting code in 2012.
SRSA would continue to focus on empowering educators in code specific coaching, technical officiating, team management and sports administration through the federations and in line with the SA Coaching Framework. SRSA was on the verge of signing an agreement with Culture, Arts, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSETA) and 16 priority sport codes had been identified.
Training for leve1 coaching would commence in the coming financial year beginning with teachers so that they became extensions of federations. Three pillars would underpin the roll-out of the schools programme: namely, capacity building, the Top Schools Leagues and Youth Olympics.
SRSA would coordinate a Top School League Programme, which would involve schools registering their teams to participate in the Leagues' five competition levels, leading to the National School Festivals. These competitions would be at the levels of Intra-School, Inter-School, District, Provincial and National.
The South African Youth Olympics would focus on talented individual athletes who would have been identified by professional talent scouts, sports clubs and Federations during the roll-out of the Top School League. In 2013 the South Africa Youth Olympics (SYO) would begin and athletes who would demonstrate outstanding performance would be given the opportunity to compete for selection for international championships.
The programme would not be limited to schools only but would see out-of-school youths until the age of 28 years taking part in the competitions. The system would assist SRSA in growing and broadening the pool of new talent from which selection of the best performing individuals would be undertaken. To address challenges of infrastructure backlog the Department had begun an audit process of school facilities together with municipalities. A meeting was scheduled for June to discuss schools infrastructure with municipalities and the Department of Cooperative Governance would be roped in.
The issue had to be attended to as a matter of urgency as the SRSA had no certain statistics of the facilities that belonged to the state at the moment. Strong anti-doping measure would be introduced and the SAIDS Act 1997 would be amended to give the entity power to enforce the law so as the reduce doping in schools.
In mass participation programmes SRSA was using the conditional grant as the key tool to ensure that provinces adhered to regulations and laid down expectations and all provinces had supported the grant tool. More ways of monitoring the provincial grant were being considered and the Department had established a focused task team to manage and monitor the process as well as provide support to provinces that were struggling with spending their allocations.
The Mass Participation Programme would ensure the creation of jobs. Provinces were allowed to utilise 6% of their allocated funds from the conditional grant to employ officials to assist in the management of the grant and the implementation of the Mass Participation Programme at a grass roots level.
SRSA would continue to support Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) service providers through purchasing of gym equipment, sport attire, catering, consultants, information technology (IT) equipment and other services. The Geographic information system (GIS) of the facilities was nearly complete and would be used to finalise the costing of the National Sport Plan. 52 infrastructure hubs would be built in 52 districts. The facilities programme was expected to develop a national facilities plan and to establish the GIS which would assist with the development of the plan.
In rural areas, it was envisaged that the sports hubs would be furnished with a library, a clinic and a youth centre whilst centres located in urban areas could include restaurants, hotels and shops, amongst other necessities.
Organisational Environment of SRSA
The Department had a total of about 210 posts, all of which were funded positions and a total of 6 vacancies that would be filled soon after the finalization of the restructuring process. The number of post could increase with an addition 100, as more staff would be required to man the sport hubs and provincial offices. The restructuring process would be finished by end of April 2012.
Mr M Rabotapi (DA) welcomed the building of facilities in the rural areas and in townships; however, he sought clarity on how the Department was going to ensure the ownership of facilities and prevent them from being vandalised.
Mr Moemi replied that prior to the sport money being integrated into the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) grant the Department had an infrastructure development grant for building infrastructure. Most facilities that existed since 1994 until the grant was integrated were in a state of disrepair, which prompted National Treasury to take away the grant and allocate it under the MIG. The Government had since learnt a lot of lessons from the arrangement and challenges associated with the grant remained. In the past the National Facilities Plan was largely about the roll-out of facilities without looking into how the facilities were to be maintained, as that was the preserve of the municipalities.
Unfortunately most of the municipalities could not afford to look after the facilities but the new facilities plan spoke to the fact that a portion of the total expenditure allocated for infrastructure should be dedicated towards maintenance. The same problem of failing to take care of facilities would be addressed with the building of sport hubs that would allow municipalities to pull resources together towards developing one common facility. The private sector would be pulled in to be part of the developments so that apart from Government subsidies the hubs generated their own income.
To solve the issue of ownership of facilities the Department had formalized the role of sport councils and in future provinces would be required to spend 10% of their grant on the councils to support their everyday operation and talent identification programme. Sports hubs and sports councils would be linked, with the later taking ownership at local level through municipalities.
Mr M Dikgacwi (ANC) said the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) was not going to work. He had been to a number of municipalities where he had asked about facilities. People asked if it was logical to build facilities when people were toyi-toying [demonstrating]. Before the ring-fencing there were visible facilities, which disappeared when the system was introduced. What action would the Department take against federations that would not comply with the scorecards on conditional grant specifications and the transformation agenda because some of the federations were able to raise their own money without the SRSA? Was there a tool that could be used to deal with non-compliers?
Mr Moemi said it was a fact the funds allocated to bigger federations such as South African Football Association (SAFA), Rugby, and Netball, were very minute as opposed to what they received from sponsors. While the federations did not depend on the Department to do their operations they needed political premium to host their tournaments without which they could not take part in international competitions. The premium would be issued on the condition that the federation linked high performance with development in sport and in some cases the Minister had the power to de-register a federation only in extreme cases. Although there was enough leverage for dealing with stubborn federations, SRSA preferred to work well with all federations by motivating to do things properly.
Minister Mbalula said it was the first time in the history of South Africa that a transformation commission was adopted which would monitor, develop guideline and ensure that all federations were signatory to the new arrangement. Federations had tended to treat transformation as optional and could decide whether to impalement of leave a transformation requirement. The commission would at the end of each year give the Department a report. Previously, the country had been paying lip service to development without a proper plan, which integrated everything that ought to be achieved. The National Sport Plan sought to achieve that by setting targets. The country needed a Strategic Plan for the next twenty years and the Cabinet was busy costing the plan. Scorecards would be reinforced but balance would be ensured between merit and whether federations followed an outcome to ensure that there was transformation in sport. The majority of people who paid lip service to transformation were instead concerned about serving their interests. All the youth must be afforded an opportunity to develop their talents in sport. The biggest problem was that administrators were not seized with transformation but were concerned about money; most of the battles being fought in sport had nothing to do with transformation but much about mismanagement of resources. Instead of attending to development issues the Minister spent time mediating greediness in sport.
Mr G MacKenzie (COPE) thanked the Minister for the outline of the sport plan going forward and for recognising the importance of schools sport. He suggested that the Department develop fallow facilities in some former model C schools so that they could be shared with other schools that did not have any facilities at all. He questioned the practical reality of the strategy of rewarding better performing federations arguing that swimming had won the highest number of medals for the country but finance was chaotic.
Mr Moemi said that the Department had pans to upgrade dilapidated facilities. Existing infrastructure would be reintegrated into regional hubs where the land allowed for expansion. The Minister said that it had not been brought to his attention that Swimming South Africa was in financial crisis but he was aware that funding had been withdrawn. A meeting had been held with SASCOC to set up a Committee between it and the SRSA to foresee funding for athletes that would be going to the Olympics. It was imperative that resources be channelled to supporting Swimming SA as it had brought a lot of medals to the country. He had been asked to look at the matter. The Government could not invest much in sport since it had competing priorities nonetheless; a number of people had indicated willingness to sponsor sport. Going forward the Government would have to sponsor sport as it was addressing both social ills such as crime, poverty and teenage pregnancy, and encouraging social cohesion. The Minister was not responsible for running federations; the fact that matters were being directed to him indicated that SASCOC was not doing its job. Corruption must be rooted out in sport irrespective of federations; the law was to be applied consistently.
SASCOC must be strengthened to be able to run sport in the country. The Committee was urged to empower the Minister to take decisions so that federations did not behave, as they liked. The game of people protecting themselves with flimsy autonomy was over and the law must be enforced to transform sport. Money must be given to the athletes to support them so that they could bring medals to the country.
Mr S Mmusi (ANC) wanted to know if the Minister had managed to secure Funds from the National Lottery, how serious was sport in creating jobs and whether the Department was working together with sport councils in conserving facilities.
Mr Moemi said that the Minister had asked the lottery to provide R200 million for the school sport programme and the Sport Trust had been chosen to be the receiving agent and administer the fund. The lottery had indicated that the term of office of other members of the sport chamber in the distribution trust had expired and the Minister had requested that the term of office be extended or that the resolution be passed to the incoming Board. The Department was making constant follow-ups on the matter and the appointment of the new Board was in the process and the Minister had made his nominations already.
The Minister added that the Department was on top of the lottery question because the school sport programme should have had been rolled out. School Olympics would be held this year but the Department was still waiting on the Minister of Basic Education. Little resources had been allocated to the programme, which would be complemented by funds from the lottery.
Ms G Sindane (ANC) thanked the Minister for the political overview and the Strategic Plan in particular. The reference to school sport emphasised health lifestyles for the youth, but how could the old be accommodated because they had problems associated with fitness?
Mr Moemi replied that the Department had decided to start at an elementary level and that justified the emphasis on the school sport system. However, 40% of its budget would be spent on school sports but other responsibilities would not be overlooked. The Department aimed to implement the issue of recreation vigorously in the coming financial year. The Minister would announce a new advisory Committee on recreation in two weeks time. Regulations pertaining to the fitness industry were being finalised.
The Chairperson said the Minister had addressed issues that had been worrying the Committee. There was very slow transformation in sport and most of the noise had nothing to do about development. The Minister and the Deputy Minister accounted to the Committee. It would be appreciated if they would attend strategic meetings to answer political issues in sport. There were questions that when posed by Members would require political answers. There would be nothing personal between the Committee and the Department but there would be healthy tension about issues of development and transformation in sport. The Committee would work together with the Minister to ensure that there was transformation in sport. The idea of a school of excellence was important so that every South African child passionate about sport must have access to the facilities. He was happy that there was a sport plan in place to address critical issues affecting sport.
Mr Moemi said the idea of schools of excellence was very important and the Department had embraced it but he had decided not to go into detail as part of it had been presented on before. The Department was classifying schools into three tiers after conducting a though evaluation of what schools had and did not. The designation of five major codes sport codes had been stated and two schools would be assigned one code bur eventually all the codes would be designated. The tier one school would play any codes of their choice but tier two which consisted of regional support schools with facilities would be accredited and given additional support and would be expected to share facilities with nearby schools that did not have any. In addition, the regional sports hubs would have centres of excellence and universities would no longer be given money to run programmes at their institutions; rather they would be expected to reach out to the community through the regional hubs. The system was also being implemented by Cuba and China. Community based centres of excellence would be established and the Department would be working on the Doctor Khumalo Academy with a view of accrediting it for various sporting codes. Others include the Aaron Mokoena Foundation and the Department would work with such formations through the legends programme.
Schools would also be designated at tire three levels which would deal with specialised schools and coaches coached at level 4 and 5 would be used for the programme and exceptional students would be given a ministerial bursary to enrol at the schools of excellence.
SRSA Budget Vote 2012/13
Mr Moemi reported that SRSA had hosted a National Sport and Recreation Indaba during November 2011.The Indaba adopted a new National Sport and Recreation Plan. Therefore the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) did not take into account all the resources required to roll out the plan because of limitations related to the costing of the sports plan. Other key elements of the sports plan had been costed but Chapter 5 which dealt with facilities was proving to be a daunting task because the facilities audit was still under-way. The Department would continue throughout the MTEF period to promote sport and recreation and the mass participation grant would be used to develop sport at various levels by supporting school sport, club development, hubs and sport federations. Funding was aligned to be biased for school sport and rural initiatives and the Department was inviting federations and provinces to indicate their rural initiatives. Sport hubs were different from regional hubs - the former referred to a programme where community activists and children were recruited to play specific games and were provided with equipment to do so as part of recreation, whilst the later referred to actual facilities.
Funds allocated to SRSA declined rapidly between 2008/09 and 2011/12 from R4.9 billion to R820.9 million. This translated into an average annual rate of 45%. The decrease was attributed to the completion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums because the bulk of the budget was placed with the Department which appointed the Premier Soccer League to manage the fund and currently it indicated a shortfall of R3 million from the stadium building fund programme. The money would be requested when the Department tabled its report. The budget of SRSA was beginning to increase and expenditure was projected to increase from R848.4 million in 2012/13 to R967.6 million in 2014/15 - an average annual rate of 5.6 per cent mainly due to the increase of municipal and office accommodation charges, transfers to sport federations and the Mass Sport and Recreation Participation Programme Conditional Grant (conditional grant transferred to provinces constituting about half of the entire budget transferred).
The 2012 MTEF allocations include amounts already in the baseline. Management effected some technical adjustment and reprioritisation in terms of the budget baseline. This was important to respond to restructuring, prioritisation of school sport, and the new tier system that would be implemented.
The Department received additional allocations over the MTEF period of R1.9 million, R4.2 million and R5.5 million for improved conditions of service within SRSA and salaries, Boxing South Africa (BSA) and the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS). BSA also received R3 million for spending on basic operational requirements. In the current financial year R3.4 million had been transferred to BSA and an addition R3 million would be given in the new financial year to complete its turn around strategy.
Further savings and Cabinet approved budget cuts of R20 million were made over the MTEF (R5.8 million in 2012/13; R5.8 million in 2013/14; and R8.3 million in 2014/15. The cuts had been attributed to the economic turmoil in the world and all conditional grants had been cut. The amount included a reduction of MPP Grant of R13.1 million over the MTEF (R4.9 million in 2012/13; R3.1 million in 2013/14; and R5.1 million in 2014/15) to the Mass Sport and Recreation Participation Programme Conditional Grant. A slide showed allocation of funds per programme in the 2009/15 MTEF periods. In 2011/2012 financial year administration received R108.832 million but actual estimate was R13.196 million. There was no budget for the 2010 FIFA World Cup since the work had been completed and the report would be brought to the Committee. The MPP budget had increased significantly as a result of expenditure on school sports. In the last financial year the programme received R470.758 million, which had since increased to R500.821million in the current financial year. Funding for facilities coordination had been increased significantly from R7.200 million in the 2010/11 financial year to R8.741 million in 2011/12. Another increase was in International Liaison and Events whose budget increased from R14.504 million in 2010/11 to R40.528 million in 2011/12. The increase was to account for the Government guarantees for the 2013 AFCON games in January. The transfers to the non-profit institutions had been increased from R76.062 million to R101.695 million in 2011/12, which accounted for transfers given to sports trusts to administer the inter-school league programme and other interventions. For the first time funding to municipalities was stopped. Generally the budget had stabilised over the MTEF and there were no longer any significant increases. Of the 25% that remained with the Department after transfer, administration costs were reduced from 47% last year to 13 %, which had allowed the Department to fulfil other commitments and allocate resources where they were needed most. MPP received the highest share with 62% of the total budget, including transfers to provinces. Facilities coordination received 1% as it was a prerogative of provinces and municipalities and the amount was earmarked for facilities audit, GIS system and classification of facilities. The International liaison which used to receive 0.7% was allocated 2% of the budge to cover the AFCON and other smaller tournaments.
The SRSA's spending on allocations per economic classification including provinces was R848.524 million, with compensation taking 10.82%, goods and services 17.5%, public entities 2.16%, provinces 55.35%, capital goods 0.29% and non –profit organizations accounting for 13.86% of the total allocation. The budget estimate over the MTEF per economic classification excluding transfers was R 378.886 million. Non-profit institutions accounted for 31%, capital goods 1%, compensation 24%, public entities 5% and goods and services for about 39%. The allocations were informed by equitable distribution of resources but care was taken to include smaller and challenged provinces particularly the Northern Cape where schools were far apart. As such it was very expensive to run tournaments or play inter-school leagues. Money had been taken from bigger spenders Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to subsidy projects in the Northern Cape. The Department would continue engaging with business to amass resources to build the sport hubs, run the school sport and hold the sports awards.
Further engagements were planned with local government to ensure co-ordination and alignment of funding and programmes for Sport and Recreation.
Mr Rabotapi was satisfied with the presentation as it addressed accessibility to facilities in the rural areas.
The DG replied that the majority of the spending would be used on rural biased programmes.
Mr Dikgacwi wanted to know if the R3 million given to BSA was going to get it out of its financial crisis and he sought clarity on why the allocations to Gauteng (R74.705 million) and KwaZulu-Natal(R 92.079 million) were so big as compared to the Eastern Cape (R66.749 million) and the Northern Cape (R27.691 million) which had more problems.
Mr Moemi agreed with the Member that the R3 million would not solve all of BSA's problems; however the Department' preoccupation was not to continue giving hand-outs to BSA but was to put it on a pedestal where it could unlock commercial value which would help it to begin licensing and authorizing fights. The Department was insisting that all promoters to register with BSA and no fights would be staged without a license issued by the regulator and all broadcasting rights must be surrendered to BSA. The Minister was putting pressure on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to finalise an agreement for the broadcasting of boxing matches. The Department was sending officials to help it prepare for auditing and to strengthen the implementation of the turnaround strategy and since that programme BSA was no longer a going concern. The major concern was to make sure that BSA retained its commercial broadcasting rights and should legislation be necessary to achieve that it would be considered.
Ms Sindane sought clarity on what Mr Moemi had referred to as further savings in budget allocations.
Mr Moemi clarified that savings were not classified as under-expenditure. Cabinet had issued a directive that all Departments were expected to indicate savings where possible. A good example was on Love life, which obtained almost R30 million each year. The Department had made it clear that the entity would no longer get that amount of money and should the Department decide against issuing the funds they must be surrendered to Treasury and that was one area through which the Department realised savings by withholding transfers. The Department was engaging Treasury to allow it to cut the spending and redirect resources where they were needed most. Savings occurred also through transfers to federations. Should a federation fail to provide a business plan, commitment to good governance and consistent reporting the funds would be withheld in accordance with an agreement between the Department and it. Once that had happened, while the Department no longer had the luxury to re-allocate the funds to other federations, it could withhold the money and that amounted to savings. The Department would stick to its dual funding model. Federations would be given money for operation and administration but those that failed to demonstrate ability to transform or achieve certain targets would not get the conditional grant. The only risk of the model however would be under expenditure but it was better than wasting resources when the federations were under performing.
The Chairperson noted that the Department was managing a lot of money but money was not the important issue. Rather the issue was what impact the money had in influencing change in society. He reiterated that it was important that the Minister or the Deputy Minister attend meetings on critical matters so as to prevent Parliament from being unintentionally addressed by officials who accounted to political appointees. He was happy that the political leadership had attended the meeting and managed to shed light on some of the contentious issues that troubled Members. It was clear that the Department was committed to transformation and the Committee would give it the necessary support to ensure that there was transformation in sport. He implored the Department to take seriously the concerns that Members usually raised so as to maintain a healthy tension between it and the Committee. The Committee was going to evaluate the Strategic Plan and where necessary the Department would be invited to clarify issues. The Committee would be conducting an Oversight visit so that it qualified reports of facilities that were in the three provinces (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng) and the Department would be expected to send an official to explain issues. It was important that volunteers be encouraged to take part in the Department's programmes to help with the turnaround strategy.
Committee oversight visits and study tour
The Committee Secretary informed Members of the planed oversight visits to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In the Eastern Cape, Members would spend two days evaluating sports facilities in Lukhanji Municipality, Queenstown, then proceed to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to weigh up progress on facilities that were build as part of the 2010 legacy and SAFA Football For Hope Centres. Lastly the Committee would visit Msinga Municipality in KwaZulu Natal where Members would assess infrastructure and access to facilities. The Committee would also visit Westonaria Municipality and Emfuleni Municipality in Everton, Gauteng, to look at the state of facilities in the areas. The Department of Sport would be expected to arrange a match for the occasion. The application to Parliament for the visits had been made and the Committee was expecting feedback by the end of the week. Study tours would be conducted in July during the constituency period and the Committee management had already decided on vesting Argentina and the United Kingdom. Arrangements had been made with the South African Embassy in Argentina. The visits would be about studying schools sports models in the two countries with a view to see how the models could help in the Minister's flagship programme to revive School Sports.
Mr Dikgacwi wanted to know if the provinces and Sport Councils been informed of the oversight visits.
The Committee Secretary was in the process of communicating with national sport forums in the identified provinces and municipalities as well as with the MECs.
The Chairperson said that in order for the Committee to correctly exercise oversight function there was need for coordination between departments, and between provincial and national Federations. Members were encouraged to dedicate seven days of their constituency period time to the oversight visits in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The meeting was adjourned.
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The Benefits of Investing in Real EstateDaniela Andreevska Follow |
Image uploaded by Daniela Andreevska with permission/license.
Each type of investment comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, millions agree that real estate is the best type of investment as the pros clearly outnumber and exceed the cons. If you are considering whether you should diversity your investment portfolio with a couple of real estate properties, here are the most important benefits which real estate offers over other investment types.
Diverse Options
One of the main advantages of real estate investing is the endless opportunities which it provides. You can choose from different types (residential vs. commercial vs. industrial), different strategies (rental properties, fix-and-flip, buy-and-hold, wholesaling, etc.), different locations (any market in the US and beyond), different property types (single-family homes, multi-family homes, townhomes, apartments, condos, etc.), different rental strategies (traditional vs. short-term rentals), active vs. passive investments (being a landlord vs. investing in a REIT), and the list goes on.
Regardless of how much capital you have, what return on investment you expect, and how involved you want to be with your investment – real estate has the right solution for your needs and expectations.
Minimum Knowledge Required
You don't need to hold any particular degree in order to enter the real estate investing business. Moreover, there are thousands of online sources as well as books and guides which will help you to get started and build your knowledge as you go. Indeed, the real estate business is very much a learning-by-doing endeavor, so you are guaranteed to expand your knowledge base and improve your performance over time.
Part-Time Investment
You can decide to leave your current job and start a career in real estate investing. However, you can also be a part-time investor as the majority of people in the industry do. Part-time is the recommended option for beginner investors as your job will provide you with the financial resources to live comfortably and take care of your family until your real estate business takes off.
Tangible Assets
Real estate properties are tangible assets. Moreover, all of us have at least a basic understanding of real estate as we all see it and live in it. In this sense investment properties are very different from stocks as the vast majority of people don't encounter stocks and shares in their daily life. That's one of the reasons why real estate does not seem like a scary business endeavor.
Low Risk
One of the two major indicators which investors look at when deciding where to invest their money is risk (the other one obviously is return). Real estate is known as a low risk investment. First of all, since you are buying tangible assets which are highly insured, you can't lose your money. You will always have your physical property or its worth in money. Moreover, although the real estate market goes through seasonal as well as unexpected ups and downs, it is also set to bounce back. If you wait for long enough, you will make money from your investment property due to real estate appreciation.
Hedge Against Inflation
Another reason why real estate is such a low risk investment and business endeavor is that it is protected against inflation. To begin with, if you decide to invest in rental properties, you can increase your rent in proportion with the general rise in the price level. In this way you will never lose money as a landlord due to inflation.
In addition, on average the rise in the price of real estate (appreciation) is higher than inflation. In recent decades the average annual real estate appreciation has been over 6%, while the inflation rate rarely exceeded 4% per year. So your money invested in real estate is protected in the long run as well.
Multiple Financing Options
Just as you don't need a lot of knowledge to start investing in real estate, you don't require lots of money to do so. Actually, some go far enough to claim that you can invest in real estate with no money. Because of the various options which real estate offers to investors, they can adjust their choice to the budget they have at their disposal. If you invest in a REIT, you can use as much as a few hundred dollars. If you enter a partnership or a syndication, you can also start out with very little initial capital. When you buy rental properties, you can make a 20% down payment and get a mortgage loan for the rest of the price of the property. Even if you don't qualify for a mortgage, you can find appropriate private money or hard money lenders.
Passive Income
Many decide to stay away from real estate investments as they associate them with becoming a landlord. This assumption is wrong as real estate can be a passive investment. One option is to invest in a REIT, which is very similar to buying stocks. Another option is using professional property management services with both your long-term and vacation home rentals. In this way, you will be receiving passive income while working your 9-to-job or traveling the world.
Growing Your Investment Portfolio
Most investors look for opportunities to expand their investment portfolio as soon as possible. Real estate properties give you this option. You can use the equity of your existing rental properties and/or the rental income from them to buy a new property. As a matter of fact, most successful real estate investors buy a new property every 2-3 years.
Ongoing Income
Everyone invests in order to make money, that's the main objective of any investment activity. However, few investments offer a source of immediate and ongoing income. As soon as you buy a rental property, you can start renting it out and making money from it. As long as you are able to find tenants, you will receive rental income on monthly basis.
Long-Term Appreciation
The short-term financial benefits are not the only way in which you make money with real estate. Natural appreciation is a fact, which means that the value of your property will increase over time, regardless of temporary housing market fluctuations. So once you decide the right time has come to sell your property, its value will be significantly higher than what it was worth when you bought it.Just as any other investment, real estate is not 100% perfect, but the related advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages. So, if you are looking for areas in which to diversify your portfolio, real estate properties should be among your top priorities.
I have included two contextual links to blogs published on Mashvisor, a real estate data analytics company, where I work as Marketing Director.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer.
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Historic Site of Interest on Mackinac Island - Fort Mackinac
Some good friends of ours made plans to visit the very scenic Mackinac Island (pronounced like Mac - in - awe) this past summer. While Lisa was taking a break from the non-stop sightseeing, her husband Doug decided to visit the historic Fort Mackinac one afternoon since he likes history and also architecture. Doug is an architect.
It is a site I have yet to visit but remember my grandparents telling me about this amazing Mackinac Island that is situated in Lake Huron which is one of the five interlinked fresh water Great Lakes separating the countries of Canada and the United States in the upper northeast portions of our country. The only one of the Great Lakes that is completely within United States confines is Lake Michigan.
The Canadian province of Ontario borders Lake Huron to the east with Michigan in the United States forming the western boundary. A very narrow body of water called the Straits of Mackinac separates Lake Huron from Lake Michigan and because of this passageway between the Great Lakes, this location became historically significant and gave reason for the establishment of Fort Mackinac which will be addressed in this post.
This name refers not only to the second largest of the Great Lakes but also the native Indian people found living there when at the time of French exploration they were assigned the name Huron by the French.
These native people were great navigators of the waterways and also hunted, fished and farmed. The fierce Iroquois Indians frequently battled with them and between that and diseases which were introduced by the Europeans...ones in which they had no resistance...their numbers were decimated.
Small numbers of descendants from the Huron tribes live in Canada and the United States today.
Painting of Indians camping on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
This is the second largest fresh water lake of the five Great Lakes and in the entire world it is considered to be the third largest fresh water lake. It is no wonder when the French explorers discovered Lake Huron they thought that it was a fresh water sea.
Just like the sea one can view nothing but a seemingly endless horizon of water meeting the sky when one is on the shoreline gazing out at its vastness.
There are thousands of islands in Lake Huron and also thousands of shipwrecks have taken place in the sometimes turbulent waters when storms whip up the wind and waves.
All of the Great Lakes were sculpted by glaciers stemming from the Ice Age. In the case of Lake Huron, the deepest part of the lake is at 750 feet or 229 meters.
Visiting Mackinac Island located on Lake Huron is like stepping back into history.
Great Lakes System
Notice how the border between Canada and the United States goes right through portions of the Great Lakes in the map featured below.
In addition to my grandparents telling us how wonderful a vacation they had while visiting Mackinac Island we heard it from others as well.
Once while on vacation in Utah and talking with fellow travelers we compared places that each of us had visited and loved. While most of the discussion was focused on national parks of which Utah has five plus a number of wonderful state parks as well...Mackinac Island was mentioned by the other vacationers as a favorite place. They said that even their children seemed to love it as much as they had.
Quite possibly it was the stark contrast that differentiated it from most places that struck a chord in their memories. No automobiles are allowed on the island except for the rare emergency vehicle. People get around on foot, bicycle or horse drawn carriage for the most part.
Our friends who recently visited Mackinac Island loved this aspect of the island as well as the sheer beauty of the place. It is truly like stepping back in time when life was lived at a slower pace and special moments are savored.
Things to do while on Mackinac Island include some of the following:
- Watching a sunrise or sunset.
- Walking amidst beautiful gardens and taking the time to smell the flowers or watch the butterflies flit from one blossom to another.
- Reading a book on a lazy sun splashed afternoon.
- Exercising one's limbs while riding bicycles along rows of elegant Victorian cottages or watching the many yachts skirt the colorful waters of Lake Huron.
- Visiting the famous Grand Hotel with its magnificent long porch facing the water and having drinks or high tea.
- Seeing historic places like Fort Mackinac.
- Playing golf...this and so much more makes Mackinac Island a truly memorable place in which to vacation.
Topographic map of Mackinac Island
Fort Mackinac
Now we come to the crux of this post which is some information about Fort Mackinac and its part in history.
The narrowing of the passageway between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is called the Straits of Mackinac. Fur trading was important back in the days of the Huron Indians and continued with the early French explorers and even enabled John Jacob Astor in the early 1800s to become one of the wealthiest men in the United States.
The French had built a fort on the mainland but when it was transferred into British hands they decided to construct a stronger stone one on Mackinac Island that would be less vulnerable to attack and command a better view of the Straits.
Thus in 1780 on a 150 foot southern bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac this stone walled fort was built during the time of the American Revolutionary War. Several fierce battles were fought there and at the end of the War of Independence between the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain the fort was turned back to the Americans after the Treaty of Ghent.
It was a United States military post but as westward expansion was taking place it became increasingly less important. Fort Mackinac held a few Confederate prisoners during the Civil War but was decommissioned in 1895 and has become a museum and historic site within the Mackinac Island State Park.
This state park accounts for about 74% of the entire land mass of Mackinac Island which is only a total of 3.78 square miles in area. Now perhaps one can understand why it is fairly easy to get around the island by walking, bicycling or by the horse drawn carriages.
A point of interest...Mackinac Island National Park was the second national park created in the United States in 1875 following the first which was Yellowstone. But after Fort Mackinac was closed in 1895 the park was turned over to the State of Michigan and it became their first State Park.
Personally I know of no other United States national parks that have in effect been decommissioned as such.
Fort Mackinac is open for viewing from May 3 to October 7 each year from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the last allowed admission at 6:00 p.m.
One could probably spend quite a bit of time at Fort Mackinac.
They have many seasonal employees who replicate what it was like to live and work there when the fort was operational. Costumes of soldiers and civilians as would have been worn during the 1860s and 1870s are to be seen.
Thick stone walls surround the fourteen original buildings within the fort. Those buildings include the following:
- Barracks
- Blockhouses
- Guardhouse
- Bathhouse
- Commissary
- Schoolhouse
- Hospital
- and Officer's Quarters.
Some of these original buildings date back to over 225 years ago.
Dioramas portray things such as episodes from...
- War of 1812
- British capture of the Island
- American blockade of the Island for a time and more.
Mock court-martials are held as well as muskets and cannons being fired by the "soldiers" who entertain visitors during the summer while teaching them some history regarding those days in the past when Fort Mackinac was one of the most important of military sites located in the Great Lakes region of the country.
Films are shown in an on site theater and there are displays that would interest kids as well as adults. Places to enjoy snacks are provided as well as restroom facilities. Pets are even allowed if kept on leashes.
Medicine at Fort Mackinac
Here is an interesting bit of trivia concerning military medicine at Fort Mackinac.
Dr. William Beaumont made great strides in experimenting and recording information about the human digestive track. This happened because of an accident to one person who survived being shot in the stomach but who ended up having a gaping hole from which the good doctor could see and study the workings of the digestive system.
Sometimes that is how medical progress is made...by happenstance in this particular example. Dr. Beaumont was the author of "Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and Physiology of Digestion" published in 1833.
Someday I hope to get to visit Fort Mackinac on the very scenic Mackinac Island as my grandparents and now some good friends of ours have enjoyed while on vacation.
© 2011 Peggy Woods
Comments are welcomed!
Good morning Peggy
The Great Lakes area of our country is a place that I want to visit. My sister and I were going to travel extensively this summer up through that area but personal family issues have caused that to be put on hold. But we still plan to do so. Reading about interesting historical places such as this always make it more meaningful when we arrive at a destination.
Thank you so much for sharing this piece of history with us.
Angels are on the way to you this morning.
@Peggy W...Great Hub about Fort Mackinac and its area!
As I am a Great Lakes lover in northwest Ohio who often visits another great -- Erie -- I love viewing historically loaded GL Hubs.
Young people looking for places to visit with their children would do very well to take advantage of these stress-free locations during the summer months. They are fun history lessons!
The pictures are so beautiful I would love to visit!
This is one of so many awesome hubs of yours Peggy and a most appropriate one for Memorial Day!
Dear Peggy,
At the risk of offending anyone else, your nursing background is so apparent and beautiful in this hub.
The maps are especially assistive; the pictures are absolutely beautiful (especially the art) and the information so interesting and comprehensive. Of course, I was attracted to your inclusion of the medical history!
Bookmarked to review again- so cool! UP & UABI, mar.
An absolute superb and comprehensive hub. It really gives a complete idea about the area and the island. Thank you.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all my best wishes for the New Year.
this place looks amazing.. You did a wonderful job. and this HUB.. I voted up and awesome.. plus I like the videos...
Thanks for sharing a piece of history of beautiful Mackinac Island. Great photos and videos. I would love to ride on the Arnold Line Ferry, and visit Main Street and Fort Mackinac and to see the beautiful treasures and historical monuments on Mackinac Island. Great history and hub. I will include Fort Mackinac on my future list of vacation sites.
Peggy W - you welcome. David
In the 1960's, our family lived in Detroit & we visited often. Loved the ferry ride, walking the stoney shore, riding in a horse drawn coach on the car-less preserve, sitting on the broad white porch among the rich and elite, being able to afford dining room lunch, which, though our girls were behaved, still drew stares and sneers from retired money queens. We once saw Gov. Romney there, bringing us full cycle to his son trying to double talk his way in the Rep. race. Thanks for the memories. David Russell
Very beautiful and well presented as always.
I vote up up and away here.
Take care
Good hub Peggy. I always loved this place and have fond memories of taking my girls there when they were young. We stayed in a hotel there where the floor in our room sloped toward the water. The kids had a blast rolling down hill while in bed!At the time it was tghe only place wde could afford and still eat!
Hello Peggy, I am sorry to say that I didn't know anything about the island. However, I do now. Thank you so much. Thanks again for the cookes, and have a great Holiday.
Wow, easily one of the most comprehensive location articles I've seen. Voting this Up and Awesome.
You know this ones right up my alley Peggy. Thanks for all the neat history on Mackinac, Huron and the fort. Doug took some very fine photos. Here's something interesting that just came to me: Lake Huron's depth is 750 feet and there's a small man-made lake called Fontana in the Smokies that goes down over 900 feet. Anyways hope you get to visit the island someday, I know I'd like to!
Looks like a place I should visit.I think seeing the uniforms used in the Civil War period could be useful to me. We were pretty close to there on a trip a few years ago.voted across except for funny.


text:
Reasoning-Supported Robustness Validation of Automotive E/E Components
- Publikationstyp
- Konferenz
- Autor(en)
- Jan Novacek, Alexander Viehl, Oliver Bringmann, Wolfgang Rosenstiel
- Zeitschrift
- IEEE 11th International Conference on Semantic Computing (ICSC)
- Jahr
- 2017
- Abstract
- This paper presents an ontology-supported approach to tackle the complexity of the Robustness Validation (RV) process of automotive electrical/electronic (E/E) components. The approach uses formalized knowledge from the RV process and stress, operating, and load profiles, so-called Mission Profiles (MPs). In contrast to the error-prone industrially established manual procedure, we show how component characteristics are formalized in OWL in order to form the foundation of an efficient automated analysis selection and decision support during the RV process. The proposed approach is based on the idea of mapping MPs to an OWL representation so to allow to perform semantic queries against MP data to improve their integration into the RV process. The resulting ontology-supported application framework has been applied to an industrial use-case from automotive power electronics. We present experimental results showing that the RV process can be significantly improved in terms of reduced design time and increased exhaustiveness by automating the analyses selection step and the provisioning of all the relevant data to be used.
- Link
- http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7889531/
- Forschungsfelder
- Sichere und intelligente Fahrzeuge
- Projekt
- autoSWIFT
- Download .bib
- Download .bib
- Eingetragen von
- Jan Novacek


text:
Instagram's New Terms: Should You Bail?
The other day, Instagram released new Terms of Service, which has everyone running for the hills. Essentially, the new terms allow Intagram to use your photos for commercial purposes and keep the money. You have until January 16 to decide if you'll agree with the new terms or bail, or pull all of your photos from the service and delete your account.
Surely you're joking. This sounds like something a bunch of completely clueless lawyers came up with in order to purposefully shoot themselves in the feet. Seriously? We go through this kind of thing again and again.
Here's exactly how the term reads in the new agreement:
"To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you." The new legal terms also specify that the use of Instagram after the terms take effect on January 16 "constitutes your agreement to the updated terms."
Of course, the day after these terms were released, a small, yet extremely vocal percentage of their 100 million users threw their arms up in disbelief and threatened to give up our beloved Instagram. And you know what? That was the right thing for us to do.
Mind you, I'm not ready to bail on Instagram just yet. In fact, I'd advice that we all just sit tight for a few days. That said, the freak out was totally called for. We needed to let Instagram know how we feel about this, and that it's unacceptable of them to swing out such huge rights grab contracts in our faces and demand that we sign them or quit.
Or is it?
Instagram is a very nice company who has let us use their service completely free of charge for how many years now? They're a business who has said all along that they "intend to make money someday," they just haven't been totally clear about how they'd go about trying to monetize the app. Or rather, the new owners who just shelled out a billion dollars for the app hadn't yet decided how to turn their outrageously large investment into something, oh, I don't know… we'll call it 'profitable.'
To be fair, they have every right to try and make money in any legal way that they see fit. So does a guy who knocks on your door and kindly asks for your car keys so that he can drive away, sell it and keep all the money. Chances are, you may not buy what he's selling, but he's if he's up front with the terms of his request, there's nothing that says he can't try.
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He may settle for offering to rake your leaves for money, which is much more reasonable. With the incredible uproar by photographers, my guess is that Instagram may decide to settle on raking your leaves as well. The reality is that like any other business, Instragram will need to come up with a model that is attractive, or at least sellable to the masses if they're going to succeed.
They've already backed off and released a statement that explains what they really meant. They're now saying, "thank you for speaking up, we're listening and still tweaking things." You see, as it turns out, it wasn't so much your photos that Instagram was planning on marketing, as much as your data.
My guess is that they'll make adjustments and rewrite the terms to make them sound not quite so scary and it will all blow over. Lawyers often come up with this kind of stuff. That's what lawyers do, and then to PR people follow closely behind picking up the pieces, listening to customers and then telling the lawyers that they need to reword things, because us regular people read complicated legal stuff that we don't quite understand and then freak out.
It will probably turn out that whatever money making schemes Instagram comes up with will, in the end, not really affect us as much. It will probably be in the same line as all the other content and user based marketing that we're getting used to in our modern online world. After all, most of us are still using Facebook and Google.
Or, maybe they'll decide to go the way of 500px and Flickr and charge a nominal yearly fee for their service. Combining this with content marketing and ads makes the most sense, and for those photographers who make heavy use of Instagram, whether for professional social media use or simply for fun, paying, say $25 a year, doesn't sound so bad. After all, it's a great app.
On the other hand, perhaps Instagram will decide NOT to rewrite their terms, in which case, everyone is free to bail and go find some other photo sharing service. Flickr just released a super new iPhone app, and Twitter's latest iOS update features Instagram-style filters. App loyalty only goes so far these days, but before doing anything rash, let's just wait and see how this one plays out.
Edit- 12/20/2012: After the uproar and apparent misunderstanding, Instagram has changed their terms back and said that they never meant to market user photos in the first place. They'll go back to the drawing board to try and figure out a new income model.
In the meantime, let me know: Would you pay to use Instagram or just find some other service for your iPhoneography? Share your thoughts.


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by Jesse Mast
For cycling fanatics of all ages and all skill levels, the annual Raccoon Rally Cycling Festival is the place to be June 29-30. The weekend-long event will be held at Allegany State Park's Camp Allegany, inside the Red House area.
Allegany State Park Manager Gary Quattrone said the Raccoon Rally has been held at the state park since the early 1990s, and people come "from all over" to participate. Not only is it a good time for the athletes, the event is beneficial for the park as well, as many people stay in cabins and campsites and "spend the weekend," Quattrone said.
The action begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with a road race sanctioned by USA Cycling. Cyclists in this race will share state park roads with other vehicles in a 25-mile circuit. One-day USAC licenses for the race may be obtained on-site.
Cyclists opting for more rugged terrain may be interested in mountain bike events throughout the weekend. Mountain bike trials will be held Saturday morning at Thunder Rocks. Cyclists of varying classes, including Beginner, Sport, Expert and Pro, will test out their skill against the unrelenting rocks.
The mountain bike trials begin at 10 a.m. Thunder Rocks is located five miles from Camp Allegany off ASP Route 2.
Mountain bike events continue Sunday with a cross-country race along the Art Roscoe Trail. The hilly trail is sure to be a challenge for Beginner and Expert classes alike. The Beginner class race is 13 miles and begins at 10 a.m. Start time for the 30-mile Expert class race is 10:30 a.m. The Sport class races 25 miles and begins at 10:32 a.m.
An awards ceremony will follow the mountain bike race. Medals will be awarded three deep in age groups for each division in the mountain bike race, and cash prizes will go to the top five Experts. In addition, the first male and female racer to reach the Summit Area water station will be awarded prizes and declared King and Queen of the Mountain. The awards ceremony will also include raffle and door prizes.
The weekend will wind down with children's races at 2 p.m., which are free for all children to participate. Registration for these races is at 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to overall finishers.
Event T-shirts will be on sale throughout the weekend until sold out.
Helmets are mandatory in all events. Entry fees are $30 per race, except Beginner class in the mountain bike race, which is $25. Athletes who preregister may race in two events for $50. Proceeds from the Raccoon Rally will be used to support HEART animal shelters, as well as the Allegany Nordic Ski Patrol, an association of skiers who work to improve the Art Roscoe Trail.
Registration for the Raccoon Rally is available online at www.heartrateup.com or at Camp Allegany the day of the event. Registration for mountain bike trials is at 9 a.m. at Thunder Rocks.
No one will be turned away from participating, so get ready for an intense weekend of racing.


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Sunburst Gold Ring
Sunburst Gold Ring
You'll be brighter than a ray of these sunshine wearing this stunning gold Sunburst half moon gold earrings. Cast from solid sterling silver with 14 Karat gold bonded over the top, these NEW striking gold earrings will turn heads. Stack 2 together to make a full moon!
A gorgeous statement jewellery piece that adds impact these starburst gold earrings are the perfect transitional accessory taking you with ease from daytime to evening.
All our jewellery is hypoallergenic and Nickle free
Why not treat your self to the matching Sunburst Necklace and gold sunburst earrings too to complete the look!


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Job Type
We run an authoritative home & garden website and have open positions for writers.
If you are a passionate home improvement, gardening, DIY or BBQ expert, please apply.
Each article needs to be well-written and include relevant photos throughout the article.
We will let you use your name and you will have an author page as well.
There are no hard deadlines and you can pace yourself - the sooner you complete an article, the sooner we can review / pay and assign you the next article.
We have a long pipeline of articles so if you write well you can count on long term work / income from us.
We will be providing ideas but will also be counting on you to brainstorm with us.
To apply, fill in the form here: https://forms.gle/EMadKEaFRyGVTewB7


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Dropleaf is Like the Netflix of Indie Gaming!
Dropleaf wants you playing allll of the games!
Seattle, Bellevue and beyond are putting Washington on the map for gaming thanks to some juggernauts like Microsoft, Bungie, and of course Valve, but like anything that is a behemoth of an industry, outliers will step away from the big names and try to find their own niche. I had little notion of just how huge the indie gaming industry is in the Pacific Northwest, or really just in general!
Catch dropleaf at Ge2 this weekend
In our case, it's like when indie music took some much-needed spotlight with the accessibility and affordability of home recording. Sure we still got stoked for a big new Foo Fighters record, but now someone could realistically write and record their own album in their closet - someone who previously might never have their voice heard without the advance.
Now, the same revolution has happened in the gaming world.
Dropleaf.io wants to help the indie developer focus on making great games at whatever pace they want by tackling the marketing and promotion of the games themselves. For a small monthly fee of five to ten bucks, they want you to access dozens of new games. As a creative person myself, the marketing and push of a product alleviates all that acid reflux inducing stress I would otherwise experience handling all aspects myself!
I had a chance to speak with the CEO of dropleaf, Vikram Rangraj and one of the indies getting his game in the faces of dropleaf users, the developer of Warcube, Craig Zaock.
Make sure to stop by the Indie Gaming Zone at Ge2 this weekend to check out dropleaf and other awesome indie games from our hood!
With networks of game developers working how they want on what they want, the future of gaming will have to consider the way the indies push the industry. We'll still clearly have the massive AAA games, the Fallout's, Skyrim's, and Witcher's, but the cable television revolution, someone with a savvy recognition of opportunity can change the way we buy and play games!


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One of the reasons why people get into the keto diet is to help their bodies achieve a metabolic state. This state is called the ketosis state. Generally when your body starts to generate more ketones, you can say that you are in the state. This is one of the ways people when losing weight, it actually works better than most methods. Other ways of losing weight could be tiring or maybe come with a lot of hustle but ketosis is one of my personal best. The following are some of its benefits.
The first and also the main aim is weight loss. As overweight people hustle to run around their neighbourhood for certain hours in a day, you just place yourself in a diet by ourpaleolife.com and you are good to go. Many people may not know this but it is one of the best ways you can use to lose some weight. Many people have lost weight using this way for some time now, it has been proven to be 100% functional.
You also be gaining control of your eating without knowing it. Most people are overweight because they did not watch what they eat, others because they eat anytime they are free. When placed in a diet, you will find out that you do not feel like you want to eat at certain times of the day. This is because during ketosis state your body will be releasing the foods that you had stored. For instance someone is used to eating any time of the day, when they refrain and wait for meal time, they will not feel like they are hungry.
Another vital gain is that you will have a focused brain. When you are in ketosis stage your body uses ketones as fuel. This will facilitate good thoughts and make certain that you are much productive when in the state. Most people when in the stage work more precisely and also handle issues better than when they are in their normal state. Visit this website at https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fad-Diet-and-Weight-Loss-Obsession-The-1887697 and know more about diets.
Another thing is that you will have more energy. As seen above, when overweight, you were making energy and not using it. When in the state, this energy is released, this will make you a very active person. You will feel like you want to walk for long distances and maybe play. For most people this comes like a shock because they are used to sitting down and watching other people do their stuff.
You will also be fighting type two of diabetes. You may not know this but there are two types of diabetes. When in the diet at https://www.ourpaleolife.com/what-is-the-keto-diet/, you will be fighting this type of diabetes. This is something that has been proven beyond reasonable doubt, there are many testimonials on the same. With this and many other gains, you should try the keto diet.


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EKHS Guidance
EKHS Guidance Department
Guidance Updates 9/27/16
The guidance department is here to support students with a variety of issues. There are 3 basic domains that the guidance counselors address. Use the links at the right under Guidance to learn about:
- General Information
- College Readiness
- External Links
• Schedule changes
• Course planning
• Study skills assistance
• Advice about standardized tests
• Graduation requirements
• Credit recovery options
• Peer relationships
• Family issues
• Conflict management
• Substance abuse
• Grief
• Learning difficulties
If a student needs professional counseling beyond the scope of the school, the guidance counselor can refer the student or family to an outside agency.
Career Planning:
• Course selection for specific careers
• College application process
• Scholarship searching/scholarships available
• Financial aid
• Vocational preparation
This is a very limited list of the guidance responsibilities. There is more information available by contacting the Guidance Department.


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MilesWeb has started this web hosting venture to support the ever growing online business and meet the expectations of business users at an affordable price. It has designed it's products and services in such a way so as to ensure best of customer experience and satisfaction
MilesWeb has product and service offerings from basic hosting account to complex dedicated server clusters on multiple platforms. It offers managed services on it's entire product line from Shared Hosting to Dedicated Servers, leaving you to focus on your business.
MilesWeb Hosting Solutions:


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Where to shop in seattle
Collected by Stephanie Perry , AFAR Local Expert
Save Place
5332 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107, USA
A charmingly decorated paper-goods store in Ballard's shopping area, Lucca has a touch of gothic style, between the black walls. lavish chandeliers, and mounted animal heads, but it's done with a distinctly playful feel. The mismatched tables and...
Save Place
5408 22nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107, USA
Venue Studios & Boutique is a combination of work studio spaces for artists and designers, and a consignment boutique for over 40 Seattle artists and designers. You'll find local art, notecards, hand-thrown ceramics, photography, jewelry, bags,...
Save Place
4306 SW Alaska St, Seattle, WA 98116, USA
For a great selection of art, jewelry, apparel, and decor from local Northwest artists, it's hard to beat Twilight Gallery & Boutique. Their spacious West Seattle gallery/shop at the Alaska Junction carries leather goods, modern jewelry, quirky...
Save Place
608 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Chinatown, aka the International District, isn't all souvenir stores and dim sum; there are museums, galleries, and indie boutiques like Tuesday Scarves. Owner/designer Rian Robison's tiny shop is brightly decorated with long, looped infinity...
Save Place
2300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Endless Knot is a fun and stylish women's clothing boutique in Belltown carrying mostly independent and local designers, including Seattle label Prairie Underground. Expect boutique prices, but you can find colorful, pretty separates and dresses...
Save Place
603 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
If you're traveling with a little one (or you just like games), you'll definitely want to make a stop at Magic Mouse Toys in Pioneer Square. It's sensory overload the moment you walk in, with every shelf and surface in this two-floor store crammed...
Save Place
1521 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122, USA
The Elliott Bay Book Company is the Seattle bookstore and, thankfully, survived its move from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill with soul and towering cedar bookcases intact. Elliott Bay lost a significant chunk of square footage during the move...
Save Place
1914 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
Just down the block from Schmancy (get it?), Fancy is a charming little jewelry boutique with gorgeous, modern jewelry and art. They're a Seattle-based company focused on producing high-quality jewelry that is 100% handmade of ethically sourced...
Save Place
1535 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
It should come as no surprise that Seattle has an umbrella boutique downtown. What might be a surprise is the fact that you can rent umbrellas by the day (and that a single day's rental might be what you were expecting to pay to purchase one...
Save Place
1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
For over 30 years, Seattle's Made in Washington store has brought the best of the state's locally produced food and gifts together in one convenient spot. Build your own gift basket with smoked salmon, coffee, fruit preserves, and flavored oils...
Save Place
310 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Bigger isn't always better. Clementine is no shoe warehouse, but it doesn't need to be; owner Linda Walsh carefully selects bold and colorful shoes, clothes, and bags by Northwest designers and beyond to fill her shop. We love the made-to-order...
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The unrecorded squares near, Llanbaddarn Fynydd & Llanwddyn are still unrecorded.
Click on the maps below to download a pdf of each square.
SJ0417 is near the visitor facilities for Lake Vrynwy at Llanwddyn. The B4393, the main route to Lake Vrynwy passes through this square for which BIS holds zero records.