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East Region Hockey Association:  History and Structure

Following two years of planning by a joint Steering Committee, EGM's of the EAWHA and ECHA approved the formation of a new merged Association and the appointment of Senior Officers in January 1999. The ERHA became the first joint region in the country when the ERHA came into being in June 1999, with Bernie Cotton as the first President of the Association and Ann Cunningham the first Chairman. Also in June 1999 a one day festival was held at Redbridge Sports Centre to celebrate the founding of the Association, the first Council meeting of ERHA was held, and the East website was established. The structure of the ERHA has developed since 1999 and now consists of an AGM held in July of each year to which all Clubs, County Associations, County Umpire Associations and Schools are invited.  Subject to the overriding powers of the AGM the Association is then governed by a Management Committee of the President, Deputy President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association;  the Chairs of the Coaching & Youth Competitions Committee, the Men's and Women's Leagues Committees, and the Umpiring Committee; and a Senior Competitions Co-ordinator, a Public Relations & Sponsorship Officer and the East Development Manager. Committees are very much responsible for their own areas of work, with the Men's and Women's Leagues working very closely together, and the Umpiring Committee being the Management Committee of the East Region Hockey Umpires Association.  There are three Coaching & Youth Committees, with C&Y Competitions responsible for the programme of Inter-County and Club and School competitions, C&Y Performance leading player development and the organisation of East teams, and C&Y Development supporting the EH Development Manager, considering the training of coaches, encouraging participation in the game, and developing school to club links.  An Appeals Committee is constituted anew for each appeal, but has a standing Chairman and Secretary. The meetings schedule for 2004/5 is given at the bottom of this page.

East Hockey Archives
Minutes Books and other information from the old Eastern Counties Hockey Association (formed in 1908 and responsible for men's hockey) and the old East Anglian Women's Hockey Association (formed in 1906) are deposited with the Archive Centre, Norfolk Record Office, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DQ (01603 222599, Fax 01603 761885, norfrec@norfolk.gov.uk). To access the ECHA archives please quote reference ACC 2006/59 and to access the EAWHA archives please quote references ACC 2006/95, 2007/278 and 2009/83 - the last being mainly records of the EAWHA's umpires' sub-committee.