OVERVIEW OF THE STATE ORGANIZATION

The California Senior Games Association (CSGA) was formed in 1992 to meet the National Senior Games Association's (NSGA) mandate that requires each state to have one organization responsible for coordinating and/or overseeing their qualifying State Championship Games. The various California Games, in operation at that time, formed the initial CSGA State organization. The CSGA Board is responsible for all the Senior Games conducted in the state of California. In addition to overseeing the State Championships, the CSGA provides resources and training for its member organizations and promotes the development of new games throughout California.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
During the formative years, while developing the By-Laws and Procedures for conducting the State Championships, the full CSGA Board of Directors met approximately five times per year. Those meetings were held to conduct the official business of the Association and offer workshops and informal networking opportunities for coordinators of the local games. The Board was composed of twenty-one elected members of which only one-third needed to be coordinators or designated representatives of local games. In March of 1998, the Board met to evaluate the effectiveness of the state organization. Following that meeting, amendments to the By-Laws were made which led to the current operating structure.

LOCAL GAMES
Each local organization, current in their dues and surcharges, selects its representative to serve on the CSGA Board of Directors. While this person is usually the Games Coordinator, the local organization may opt to choose a different representative. In addition to the Designated Representatives, there are "At Large" Board Members from throughout the state.

REGIONAL COUNCILS
Regional Councils (North and South) were formed to support meetings of the Board Members, Games Coordinators, local games staff, volunteers and representatives from communities considering starting new games. These meetings usually are workshops on methods to improve the games and the state organization.

FINANCIAL
Financially, the CSGA is supported by member dues, participant surcharges and a sanctioning fee paid by the Host Community for the State Championships. It operates on a $10,000 -15,000 annual budget with the primary costs being the expenses of the Board and Regional Council Meetings and those associated with participation at the NSGA annual meetings.

CALIFORNIA SENIOR GAMES CHAMPIONSHIPS
The CSGA selects a host for the State Championships by soliciting RFP's from current local members. The selected host city then conducts the State Championships as part of their local games. The biennial California Senior Games Championships, held in the even numbered years, are the qualifying games for the biennial National Senior Games held in the odd numbered years.

NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES ASSOCIATION (NSGA)
California is a voting member of the NSGA. One of its Board members also has an elected seat on the Board of Directors of the NSGA. The National Board consists of twenty members, ten of which must be coordinators of local and/or state games.