FT at MOAB is OFF!

Hello All

To those on this list who were thinking of taking part in the FT comp at
MOAB,
or have actually entered, I must regretfully inform you that the
competition has
been cancelled. As of yesterday evening there had only been two(2)
official
entries, plus a few others who had contacted me by email, some of whom
said they
were playing, others who said they were "interested". Given that four
days out
from the comp I only had two definite starters, cancellation was the
only viable
alternative.
To any out there who wanted to enter, who perhaps were just going to
turn up on
the day, you should have put your entries in! I have organised quite a
few comps
in the past, and have found that the informality that often
charcaterises
Australian comps of this kind makes the orgainser's task impossible. I
have had
people phone me and assure me that ther would be "four players from
Smithville
for sure", and then only one turns up on the day, or people who phone me
a few
days before as a "definite", then don't show at all, when later queried
, thay
say "something came up at the last minute". 
It is unfair and unreasonable to expect a comp to be oraginsed withpout
definte
entires; the orgainser's task is impossible - how many tables are
needed, how
much spaces, how much terrain should be supplied, what draw system will
be used
&c &c?	Filling out a form and paying your money shows you are in
earnest,
anything less shows, to my mind, that you aren't serious, or at least
want to
keep your options open, which isn't good enough.
An FT comp will be on offer  next year at MOAB, perhaps we will do
better then.

Yours Sincerely
Geoffrey Stewart