All leagues and play-offs are well under way at the present time keeping all players and executive busy. To the successful players who will be travelling to P.E.I., I hope you are as excited as I am. I have never been to P.E.I. but have heard some very fine comments about our smallest province and am looking forward to viewing it for myself.

Hello everyone – well it’s getting closer to another National Championship and for the first time PEI will be hosting this event. I know you will all enjoy this beautiful province and I hope some of you will be able to enjoy some time sightseeing before or after the championships.

On the international front I have some good news to pass on to you all. As you may be aware, the PDC passed on an invitation to our reigning Canadian Champion, Rory Orvis, to participate in the World Professional Championships in England this past January. Rory did extremely well, his loss of 3 sets to 0 didn’t truly reflect his performance, and in fact most of his sets went the distance. The reports of his play were very position, so much so that the same offer will be made to this years champion.

The 2^nd Americas Cup is being held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from July 5 to 9. This early date poses problems for us getting the information to the organizers. Once the qualifiers have taken place we will need to know the next day if the winners will be attending as we will need to get the team roster and pictures to the organizers right away and get the uniforms ordered. Please pass this information to all prospective entrants so they will be informed well in advance of the qualifiers.

"Communication" -I must sound like a broken record on the same subject, however, the situation is not improving, only getting worse and it seems as though everybody is having problems with communication. If you receive a communication requesting information, PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE IT – forward a timely response. Everybody’s time is of value and there is nothing more frustrating than keep forwarding e-mails and finally having to make a telephone call. I have heard on numerous occasions "I don’t check my e-mail that often". That being the case, there is not much point in having it and even less point having it listed as a contact method. PLEASE, respond as quickly as possible when you are asked for specific information.

At this time I don’t have anything further to pass onto you. Good luck at your upcoming Provincial Championships and look forward to seeing you all in Summerside.

I am happy to announce the return of the Port City Open Tournament in NB on April 9-11, 2004. Three new tournaments are coming on line. They are the K-W Tri City Open in Drayton, ON on Feb.6-8, 2004. The Dan Cruikshank Memorial in Ottawa on March 19-21, 2004 and the George Ramsey Memorial on October 8-10, 2004 in NB.

I am asking all Directors to please submit a complete list of their nationally ranked tournaments from May 1, 2004 to April 30, 2005. Make certain that dates, contacts and location are all included. Also required are the dates for the Adult and Youth Provincials. All dates should be forwarded to:

David Quelch

2753 Meadow Lane
Regina, SK S4V 1L7, or

Fax: 306-789-5323, or

to reach me by no later than April 30, 2004 so that the schedule for 2004-05 can be completed.

Once again I have been frantically working to put packages together, making tons of photocopies, sealing envelopes and trying very hard not to forget anything, and hoping that everyone receives them in a timely manner. Our Canadian National Championships are so important and I really feel that all the time and energy that we put into preparing for this event is well worth it.

This year, 2004, is the year of the Americas Cup. We will be holding a qualifier event on Friday afternoon following completion of the Nodor Cup and the awards presentations.

The schedule for the Canadian Open will be the same as last year. The Host Province will hold a Blind Draw Doubles Event on Friday evening beginning at 8.00 p.m. The NDFC will host the Men’s and Ladies Singles Events that will be held on Saturday with the format of playing being a modified round robin. On Sunday, there will be Men’s and Ladies Doubles, which will be hosted by the Prince Edward Island Sharpshooters Association. The total guaranteed prize money for this year’s Canadian Open is $7,000.00.

The Sharpshooters Association is also hosting a pre-Nationals tournament with a guaranteed purse of $3,000.00. This tournament will consist of a blind draw, ladies and men’s doubles, mixed triples, mixed doubles, men’s and ladies singles. The dates for this tournament are June 4-6, 2004.

If you have any comments or concerns, please contact me. It is only when we are made aware of the problems that we can work together to try and solve them.

I wish you all good luck with your Championships and I look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s National Championships in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

I hope all the member bodies appreciated how early the membership packages were dispatched in the fall of 2003. The membership packages for 2004 will be sent out by at least mid August this year because I will be leaving for a vacation in England on September 2^nd. For this reason, PLEASE let me know of any changes to Directors and MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORS so that I send the packages to the correct location. If I don’t receive the changes and if they are sent to the wrong person, there will be nothing I can do about it until mid October, so be warned.

I would like to extend a big Thank You to Nova Scotia and Alberta for keeping me up-to-date with their membership renewals and new members on a regular basis. I have received two submissions from each of them and it sure makes my life so much easier. This is something that I requested about four years ago and these two provinces are the only provinces that continue to do it. Thanks a lot Debbie and Kathy (NS) and Lori (AB).

All players are requested to check the latest Ranking List. If there is not a "Y" beside your name this means, that although you may have renewed your membership, verification has not been submitted to me. It is recommended that you contact your Membership Director to ensure the required information is forwarded as quickly as possible.

Change of Address: I continue to run into problems when players who are among the top on the ranking list move and do not notify us of the change of address. As a result mail, posters and newsletters are returned and this costs both the NDFC and the provinces.

The majority of people now have access to e-mail and it is strongly recommended that changes in address are forwarded to the:

There are a number of top ranked players whose membership renewal has not been verified. If your deadline date for submission of membership is AFTER April 1^st, Membership Directors MUST forward verification to me that these players have renewed their membership. If this information is not forwarded to me prior to April 1^st. these players will be removed from the Ranking List.

To the Players – If there is not a "Y" beside your name and you have renewed your membership, it is recommended that you contact your Membership Director immediately to ensure that the information is forwarded to me.

Take care and looking forward to seeing you all in Summerside, PEI in June.

May 21^st 2004 will be here before we knot it, hopefully with lots of sun and memories of this cold and snow long forgotten. Once again, teams from across the country will be travelling to participate in the National Championships – we look forward to having as many as possible of you at this year’s event.

Hotel arrangements must be made through Marjorie Smith, the Ontario Youth Director. She can be contacted at:

394 Davis Drive

Kingston, ON K7M 8L9

Phone: 613-544-5360

At the June AGM the positions of Vice President and General Secretary will be up for election. I will also be including the intent to stand information in your package.

At the June 2003 meeting, a motion was made and passed that no nominations can come from the floor – profiles must be submitted in advance. Please make sure that if you are interested that you follow the procedure. At present we are still covered by the main Code of Practice for Duties & Nominations and need to follow it for this meeting. If you want a change made to this procedure, then submit this for discussion at your AGM.

You must also consider that you may want to make some changes for our program in the future – these suggestions/ideas need to be submitted to be included in the AGM Agenda.

At the end of September, the NDFC President Phil Robertson attended the WDF Annual Meeting, however, due to a clerical omission our request to address the youth age at the WDF World Cup was not addressed. Phil did advise me that he spoke to some of the participants after the meeting and did not get much verbal support. This item will be re-submitted to the next WDF meeting where we have official representation to ensure the matter is addressed. Meanwhile, I will put something together that can be distributed to all member countries.

I look forward to seeing all of you in May.

***********************************************

I was recently "surfing the web" and was impressed by the information contained on the Alberta page about their executive members. Although everybody knows who the NDFC Executive are, (they’ve been there forever!), there are probably things they are not aware of so we decided to give you a little additional information.

Phil Robertson – President – currently lives in Whitehorse YT with his wife Dolly and, oh yes, Phil and Dolly have recently become grandparents with the birth of his their granddaughter Victoria Elaine. Phil works for the Yukon Government as a Finance and Administrative Director for the Executive Council Office (that does sound important!). He has been a resident of Whitehorse since 1983 after retiring from the military in 1982. Phil started playing darts in 1977 while stationed in Bermuda. He became the Yukon Director in 1994, NDFC 1^st vice in 1995 and President in 1996.

David Quelch – 1^st vice – lives in Regina, SK. David was born in the north of England and came to Canada in 1947. He had played darts a few times but started playing in leagues in 1981. Was a member of Team Saskatchewan in 1991. Has spent many years working for dart players as a member of the S.D.A. from 1992 – 1997 and the NDFC Executive from 1994-96 and 1997 – 2004. David taught school for 30 years in Indian Head, which is just outside Regina. He has a number of degrees from various universities in Canada and the U.S.A. David has clearly stated that he will not be running for re-election this year as he has many other activities that are keeping him otherwise engaged. We will miss David’s valued experience and knowledge. Became a Lifetime Member of the NDFC in 1998.

Maggie LeBlanc – 2^nd vice – resident of Lachine, QC. Married to Buddy (Air Bud) and has four children, two of whom play darts (Donna and Terri). Maggie began playing darts in 1978 and at the same time began working with the QDA. She is still involved with the QDA as President. She became a member of the NDFC Executive in 1995 in the capacity of Second Vice President. Made a Lifetime member of the NDFC in 2000.

Mary lives in Ascot, QC with her husband Bryan (Perrault – not to be mistaken as Bryan Dezan - this is because of a crazy rule in QC about name changes). Mary has 3 children (2 daughters and a son) and 3 stepdaughters. She has also been blessed with 9 grandchildren.

Mary first started playing darts in 1977 in a local league and became a member of the NDFC in 1982 and has been a member ever since. Mary began playing in the provincial play downs for the first time in 1982 and continued until about 1997. Unfortunately, she was never a member of Team Quebec having finished only in the top 16 a couple of times. So, not being able to make that last hurdle onto the team she contented herself with being the team manager instead.

Served as a member of the QDA Executive in the position(s) of Regional Director for Estrie Region, then the QDA Secretary for a few years and then as Provincial Director until 1998. Elected to the NDFC Executive in 1998 as General Secretary and does a wonderful job of keeping us all in line!

Don came to Canada from Northern Ireland in 1967 and settled in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife June. They have three children and two and a half grandchildren (the third is expected at the end of February).

Don started playing darts in 1980 and served on the Darts Ontario Executive for a number of years at both the President and the Director. Don was also known for his Dart Supplies business, which he had for many years, starting in 1986.

Don was elected to the NDFC Executive in 1997 in the capacity of Financial Director and is the "keeper of our books".

Kip Morrish – Membership Director –

Resident of Winnipeg, MB. Started playing darts when she was about 8 years old in England. Emigrated to Canada in 1957 after serving four years in the RAF and completed another 7 years in the RCAF. After leaving the military, went to Winnipeg (for a short stay) and has remained. Worked for the Manitoba Provincial Government for almost 30 years. Forced into an early retirement in 1990. Took up darts again in 1968. Became a member of the NDFC in 1979 and has been a member since that time. Was a member of Team Manitoba on three occasions. Held numerous positions on the Manitoba Executive, including Provincial Director, President, Publicity etc. and has been a member of the NDFC Executive since 1991. Received a Lifetime membership in 1998. Being the oldest member of the executive both in age and length of service, it does my heart good to see our young players finally making a name for themselves on the international scene. Keep up the good work!

Carol Collett – Youth Development Dir.

This is the lady who has a "funny" accent but who says she is a Canadian by birth! She was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia but went to Scotland when only a babe in arms. Didn’t return to Canada until 1974, hence the Scottish accent. Is married to Ian and has three children and five grandchildren and resides in Brampton, Ontario. Involved with darts in Ontario in a working capacity since the early 80’s and qualified to participate in the Provincial play-downs in the Mixed Doubles with her hubby. Unfortunately, didn’t make it to the Nationals. Has been the Youth Development Director since 1991 and continues to do a great job for the youth in our country. Received a Lifetime membership in 1998.

Elections that will take place in June 2004 are as follows:

• In the absence of the President, acts in that capacity.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the NDFC Ranking List. For this reason, ability to work in Excel on the computer is mandatory.
• Send the Ranking List to all Executive Members and the Top 16 Men and the Top 16 Women four times a year.
• Maintaining a list of tournaments across the country and ensuring that the list is sent to the NDFC Web master for inclusion on the web site.
• Mail out tournament packages to all persons holding ranked tournaments.
• Provide approval of posters for ranked tournaments.
• Act as Tournament Director at the National Championships.

• Type the Minutes from the Executive and Annual General Meetings during the week of the Nationals.
• Prepare any amendments to the Constitution and Rules and Regulations.
• Prepare and mail all appropriate documentation to the Executive for their semi-annual meeting in January.
• Prepare and mail all appropriate documentation to the Executive and Directors prior to the Annual General Meeting in June.
• Keep all Guidelines up-to-date making amendments as and when required.
• Maintain up-to-date list of Executive and Directors.
• Is a signing authority for the NDFC
• Makes travel arrangements for teams travelling to international events.
• Prepares all appropriate correspondence for the Federation.
• Prepares Guidelines for Directors for the National Championships.
• Make the draw for the National Championships the week prior to the Nationals.
• Make amendments to the draw as they occur.
• Knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel Spreadsheet and MS Access mandatory for this position.

A fine of $250.00 will be levied against any tournament permitting a suspended player to participate. Failure to pay the fine will result in the tournament losing its ranking and the Province/Territory will be "non-financial".

Effective July 1, 2004 the bonding fee for ranked tournaments will be dropped to $50.00 in lieu of two dartboards that has previously been provided.

The date for the 2004 America’s Cup is July 5-9, 2004. This gives us very little time to complete the paperwork and submit all the documentation on time.

The play-off for this event will be held on Friday, June 11^th in the afternoon.

All players who intend to play in the qualifier for this event should, therefore, have established that they can get time off work, have sufficient funds available and be able to proceed proceed to Florida. This confirmation will be required "before you leave Summerside in June".

Changed to Top 2 Men and Top 2 Ladies.

In 2004 this will be October 22-24, inclusive.

A young man playing in the Victoria Club #1 Steel Tip Dart team in Regina, stepped up to the toe line for his 301 game. He had won the toss so he shot first – triple 20, triple 20, triple 20 for a score of 180. His opponent shot a 22. Up to the line again: triple 17, single 20, double bull. A six dart perfect game. Congratulations to Shawn Solomon on his achievement. Am pleased to mention that Shawn is a member of the NDFC and we had better watch out if and when he becomes a member of Team Saskatchewan!

May 14-16 2004 – Prize $25,000+ Canadian.

June 13-14, 2004, Summerside, P.E.I.

The NDFC is responsible for the Singles event which will be held on June 13^th and PEI is responsible for the Doubles which will be held on June 14^th.

Three dead bodies turn up at the mortuary, all with very big smiles on their faces. The coroner calls the police to show them what has happened.

"First body: Frenchman, 60, died of hear failure whilst making love to this mistress. Hence the enormous smile Inspector", says the Coroner.

"Second body: Scotsman, 25, wone a thousand pounds on the lottery, spent it all on whisky. Died of alcohol poisoning, hence the smile".