This letter is to communicate requests from the Southern California Kendo Federation Board of Directors regarding two areas: AUSKF finances, and the new AUSKF membership management system.

AUSKF Finances. Recent announcements in the AUSKF newsletter and news pages reported AUSKF's decision to significantly increase membership, menjo, and testing fees in order to maintain fiscal stability despite 20% across the board program cutbacks. We would like to understand what all of this entails. We therefore request to receive AUSKF Board meeting minutes as well as copies of financial budgets and reports for all AUSKF committees for the last five years.

New membership management system. We sincerely appreciate all the hard work going into developing the new AUSKF online membership management and database system. However, we hope there is enough time available to the developers to ensure the system is thoroughly vetted and tested. Furthermore, we at SCKF would like the option to transition to online registration by individuals when we ourselves feel ready. We therefore present the following requests and recommendations:

• support batch input with the initial release of the system
• take whatever time is necessary to thoroughly develop and test the system, including multiple stages of pilot testing
• provide use cases, including
  • online input
  • batch input
  • database administration
  • paying by check instead of online payment
• security recommendations
  • Enlist the help of some penetration testers or the use of a vulnerability scanner during the QA to validate the implementation
  • Get cyber-insurance. It's becoming common for insurers to exclude cyber as part of their liability coverage. Check the AUSKF policy. Even a "small" breach can be very expensive.
  • Get AUSKF lawyers involved. Stories of data breaches continue to show up in the news. Knowing, ahead of time, what to do in the event of a breach can greatly speed the recovery and reduce costs. Getting the lawyers to help identify the data protection laws involved and create incidence response plans can help minimize future potential costs.

Jean Kodama
President, Southern California Kendo Federation

Dear Jean Kodama, SCKF President:

On behalf of Yoshiteru Tagawa sensei/AUSKF President; on behalf of the AUSKF board of directors, Tagawa sensei has decided that in order to provide an appropriate formal reply to your/SCKF 2-5-17 e-mail concerns and requests regarding the AUSKF Finances and New membership management system, will require a full and formal review by the AUSKF board of directors at the next scheduled AUSKF board of directors meeting to be held on April 8 & 9, 2017.

Initially it appears without having conducted the full and formal review of your/SCKF 2-5-17 e-mail concerns and requests by the AUSKF board of directors at its meeting to be held in April 2017, that the AUSKF by-laws will provide the authorization for the request for AUSKF board meeting minutes for the last five years; however, as to some of the other requests, this will require the full and formal review noted above.

Thank you so much for your/SCKF understanding that in accordance with the decision made by Yoshiteru Tagawa sensei/AUSKF President as referenced above; your/SCKF 2-5-17 e-mail concerns and requests will receive a full and formal review at the April 8 & 9, 2017 AUSKF board of directors meeting, and a further AUSKF update reply will be provided to you/SCKF, as to the decisions reached regarding these matters after completion of the meeting.

Sincerely,

Norman K. Otani, AUSKF Secretary-Historian for:
Yoshiteru Tagawa, AUSKF President

• 2/24/17 2nd letter to AUSKF (intention to use spreadsheet-based registration)
• 4/06/17 3rd letter to AUSKF (prior to AUSKF April meeting)

Dear Presidents of AUSKF Member Federations,

I would like to explain recent raise of membership dues and fees regarding promotion exams. I greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support to improve Kendo in the United States.

Sincerely,

Yoshiteru Tagawa
President of AUSKF

Attachment: letter explaining fee changes

Dear Jean Kodama, SCKF President,

UPDATE: On behalf of AUSKF President/Yoshiteru Tagawa and the 2015-2017 AUSKF board of directors, first of all, thank you for your/SCKF patience to allow the AUSKF board of directors to review and discuss the requests made on behalf of the Southern California Kendo Federation ["SCKF"] Board of Directors, in the 2-5-17 email [see below] sent to the AUSKF Board of Directors.

After a full discussion at the April 8 & 9, 2017 AUSKF board of directors meeting, of the above referenced matter; the decision reached regarding the requests to receive AUSKF Board meeting minutes as well as copies of financial budgets and reports for all AUSKF committees for the last five years, was to provide a letter from Yoshiteru Tagawa/AUSKF President, which explained the background information, as to the rationale which resulted in the 2015-2017 AUSKF board of directors approving increase in the 2017 AUSKF membership dues and the AUSKF promotion examination and testing and menjo fees.

On April 23, 2017, Yoshiteru Tagawa/AUSKF President, sent the letter that provided the detailed information regarding the SCKF Board of Directors concerns RE: 2017 AUSKF Membership Dues increase and 2017 AUSKF promotion Testing and Menjo fees increase.

Secondly, regarding the online New membership management system; we hope that the SCKF board of directors concerns regarding this matter are also now resolved, as a result of the approval by the AUSKF to allow each AUSKF member federation to use either the online New membership management system or the old batch Excel manual system for payment of the 2017 AUSKF membership dues.

Thank you so much for bringing the SCKF board of directors concerns, as noted above, to the attention of the AUSKF board of directors; if there are any further matters that remain unresolved, after further review by the SCKF board of directors, please notify the AUSKF, and any additional review and discussion can be addressed at a future 2018-2020 AUSKF board of directors meeting.

Sincerely,
Norman K. Otani, AUSF Secretary-Historian for:
Yoshiteru Tagawa, AUSKF President and 2015-2017 AUSKF Board of Directors