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Neil Breen: "The Man Who Kept ITFNZ Running Smoothly"

18 December 2024

Is it possible to feel sad about saying goodbye to a piece of software?

I found myself feeling a bit nostalgic the other day as I entered my last set of grading results into the Breen/ITKD database. The overwhelming feeling, however, is gratitude — gratitude to Neil Breen, who has served our organisation tirelessly for 35 years.

Back in 1990, he not only helped me purchase our first computer for ITFNZ (an XT!) but also set up the First Choice Database for managing our members. Over the years, the database has evolved and been instrumental in helping us grow and thrive as an organisation. It’s been remarkable to have such a reliable, custom-built system serving us so well for so long.

Neil is probably the nicest and most patient person I know. Goodness knows how he has put up with all our requests and questions over the years without ever showing any annoyance.

But today marks the end of an era. At 10 p.m. tonight, the database will be locked down to make way for a newer, and hopefully better, system. Farewell 'Database', and thank you Neil, for your incredible contribution.

Paul McPhail

*Neil Breen, a 2nd Dan black belt, is the father of Master Matthew Breen, 1st dan Bekki Bennett, and husband of the renowned former Counties Manukau Regional Director Sue Breen. Neil began his Taekwon-Do journey in 1988 at the Meadowbank club under Master Peter Graham.

Over the years, he has worn many hats in ITFNZ, including Assistant Instructor, Director of the Tournament Committee, and IT System Administrator. His exceptional contributions have earned him the President's Award and the honour of Life Membership. In the early 2000s, Neil successfully lobbied the ITFNZ Executive to establish a formal subsidy for a dedicated World Champs journalist.

Many in the organisation will have had the pleasure of working with Neil, whether through his unwavering support for tournaments or his expertise in mantaining his system. His dedication and contributions have left a lasting impact on ITFNZ.

End of an Era: Vivienne Holmes Retires from Gup Certificate Calligraphy

ITFNZ Life Member Vivienne Holmes has officially retired from writing the calligraphy on our gup certificates, a role she has diligently fulfilled since 1990. Her dedication over the years is something we have all greatly appreciated.

Viv began her Taekwon-Do journey in July 1983, joining the same beginners' class as Master Rimmer, taught by Grandmaster Paul McPhail. She quickly became part of the Wellington TKD gang in the early 80s, constantly training, organising events and helping to spread Taekwon-Do around New Zealand. She was a key member of the Khandallah club and later served as the Treasurer of ITFNZ.

In February 1991, after moving to Auckland, Viv took over as the instructor of the Mt. Albert club. She was awarded a Life Membership in 1997 for her outstanding contributions to ITFNZ. One of her many important roles included being a proofreader for every issue of TKDTalk during its time as a printed magazine (sigh... the good ol days).

Viv spent many years living in the South Island, where she was a vital member of the Mosgiel club. Next month she and her husband Colin are relocating to Carterton.

Our long-standing friendship and history with Viv is treasured, and we extend our deepest thanks to her for all her hard work and the wonderful memories we've shared.

Written by GM Paul McPhail on behalf of all ITFNZ members.

Left: James Rimmer, Viv Holmes and Paul McPhail in their Wellington flat in 1984.

Right: ITFNZ Executive Committee early 80s: Mike Lowe, Peter Graham, Evan Davidson, Sony Ooi, Viv Holmes, Paul McPhail, Harry Hemana and Steve Mulholland.

Voice of the Participant Survey Report 2024

The board is pleased to release the 2024 survey results. The purpose of the survey is to better
understand the experiences of Taekwon-Do members and their needs, by understanding what is
working well, not so well, and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Thank you to those who completed the survey, which represented 15% of the total membership.
The respondent profiles represented a broad range of ages, gender and Taekwon-Do experience.

Key Metrics Summary

The results are consistent with the 2021 survey, and Taekwon-Do’s performance remains
significantly above the average for all sports, comprising cricket, golf, rugby union, rugby league,
netball, and futsal.

These results reflect the many years of commitment by instructors and the wider volunteer group
to teach and promote the benefits of Taekwon-Do, the art and its values.

Sometimes it is too easy to reflect on the negatives without acknowledging and celebrating the
successes.

As well as the overall report, there are regional summaries.

There is a lot of information in the report to digest and prompt discussions.

Some key takeaways are:

As in 2021, those aged 5-12 years have the lowest overall satisfaction. This age group
represents 50% of the membership. Improvements here will be directly reflected in
membership numbers – it is easier to retain a member than recruit a new one.
Students would like more help achieving their potential, which links to a secondary priority
on providing development programmes.
Comments on club venues and facilities were more prominent in 2024.
10% inappropriate behaviour is not acceptable. We need to better understand the drivers
behind this behaviour. We would encourage all members to call out inappropriate behaviour
and report it.
We need to educate members better around Concussion, including the introduction of a
Taekwon-Do specific concussion protocol.

The Strategic Plan’s initial focus has been on governance and infrastructure reform to modernise
the organisation. These projects will be largely implemented by the end of the year. The board
has started focusing on the next tier of priorities within the Strategic Plan and the survey results
will help with prioritisation and discussion with the Technical Panels.

To encourage members participation in the survey, a gift of $500 worth of gear would be made to
the club of one member selected at random by Sport NZ.

Congratulations to the Silla club in Tauranga.

Links to the reports are below.

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