State of the WFJF 2008

LaGrange, GA, USA, 1 February 2008 - Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the WFJF:

“My fellow finger jousters, we have seen great strides taken on the path of greatness by the Federation this past year. It is almost impossible to imagine that in our two and a half years of existence, we have reached the current position we are in today in the obscure sports and online community. Though with great achivement comes concern.

"Yes, this past year was full of landmark events. First, our website, FingerJoust.com, won a Georgia Educational Technology Consortium state championship for website design, something I am very proud of. Our Majigger at the Mall video hit YouTube and was not only a daily feature on YouTube for sports but also has nearly twenty thousand hits. We held our first official sanctioned tournament which was a huge success and would not have been possible without our competitors, staff, and sponsors; it truly was an amazing event and that can be seen in our LaGrange Invitational video which also has had some success online. I inducted the first official member into the hierarchy, Aaron Contreras, to serve as the Chief Marshal; it has been difficult to figure out how the hierachy is to work, and I hope for it to be truly realized soon. Finally, the magnum opus of the WFJF, the Unabridged Rules and Regulations, was completed. This was an incredible achivement and was another rung climbed on the ladder of professionalism.

"However, the year was not entirely perfect. The Federation faced and is current still facing a period of trial and tribulation most organizations experience after the introductory grandeur of the novel and new has worn off. We have encountered a lack of new memberships as we have exhausted the surrounding areas of Federation Headquarters, and the internet is proving to be a lackluster market for our memberships. As they are our principal source of income and gaining volunteers, this has pained the WFJF, and we urgently need new members soon nationally and internationally especially in Canada and Great Britain. Financially, the same goes for partners and sponsors; without the necessary funds and resources the WFJF can not survive and that is why we are looking for any and all companies to become partners to the Federation in exchange for marketing services and the benefit of helping philanthropically. Though a couple scores of packets for our Support the Sport campaign were sent out to various large companies to test the market, we have been mostly unsuccesful with finding corporate partners. If you are interested, please let us know.

"We have had some good coverage in the media and have some large venues planned soon, but we need much more help by the media. This past year we appeared on some large websites, a couple radio programs, podcasts, newspapers, and even a few television shows. We need much more assistance by the media for us to grow and survive, so if you are interested in doing a story on the WFJF, again let us know.

"To combat these inadequacies and further our acclimation to greatness, we have been planning a couple big improvements to correspond with this speech. First of all, the membership system has been revitalized for the first time since its unveiling in 2005. We have all new cards, bumper stickers, and acceptance letters. We also have finally unveiled the WFJF Shop. You can order an official membership, one of our premium t-shirts, and more products will be coming soon. Previous members also will have the option of getting the new cards and bumper stickers. Finally, a contest has been made for fans of finger jousting. We are looking for the most epic photograph of finger jousting in the most unique places and situations; the winners will receive prizes and information can be found on our contest page.

"With your support, the Federation will meet our goals and exceed them with a renewed vigor and fortitude. I see that the state of the WFJF is steadfast and eager for advancement. May the joust be with you all.”

Further information from:
WFJF Media Department
media(at)fingerjoust.com