Darryl MacArthur now president of fractured OHHA

VP MacArthur takes over Presidency of Ontario Harness Horseman's Association

Less than a week after the resignation of OHHA President Bill O'Donnell and eight Directors including Collen Belore, Bob Young, Jennifer Duncan and Doug Hie, Darryl MarcArthur is filling the role of President until the next elections.

Here's the Standardbred Canada story on Darryl MacArthur new President of OHHA

Darryl, you have landed in one smokin' hot seat, so here are some genuinely friendly suggestions for your busy May schedule:

A) Analyze the divisive votes and either schedule a full membership vote or explain publicly why such extremist positions (eg. cooperating with legal action against our biggest business partner) should be supported. A compromise may be that the party in question is protected for costs up to June 30, 2009, but is asked to withdraw the opposition in exchange for a mutual agreement for OHHA and WEG to either agree on a contract or go to arbitration.

B) Extend an olive branch to WEG and ask for discussions to resume first on the topics that are closest to agreement, with the 2 or 3 most difficult issues being worked on by committee members from both parties initially, and added to the main menu a few weeks later. If the vote on the access agreement action is publicly under review, then WEG is likely to be far more willing to move forward in good faith.

C) Learn to delegate and empower. OHHA has eleven committees and somehow you managed to get on ALL of them. Reduce this to six or seven max and you'll have more time to focus on the bigger issues facing harness horsemen in Ontario.

D) Emrbace Innovation - The OHHA website is both dated and sadly out of date, with breaking news from January and March. Let's work together to make the OHHA web presence a communication forum and a valuable information and links resource for members.


Peace 2 All,


Joe Trainor