Too Old To Ref ?
THE WORLD TAEKWONDO FEDERATION
Reference number 99/210

Mr. Robert Lee Perry
255 Woodsdale Drive
Monroe, Ohio 45050
USA

Ref: 38th IR. Seminar

Dear Mr. Perry:

We are sorry to advise you that the WTF did not accept your application to attend the 38th International Referee Seminar to be held in Edmonton, Canada from May 29 to June 1, 1999, due to the age limit (25 through 50 years olds are eligible). The WTF has applied the same age limit to all applicants of the 38th IR. Seminar and their are several others who cannot participate for the same reason.

We highly appreciate your effort for improving your Taekwondo standard although the participation in the seminar is not possible. We hope you will continue to train yourself through the sport of Taekwondo as you have done so far.

Thank you very much for your concern.

Sincerely yours,

Kim, Chul Oh
for Kum Hong Lee
Secretary General
cc: Mr. Sang Lee (President, USTU)
--
Dear Grandmasters Lee, Kum Hong   Cc. Mr. Kim, Chul Oh:

Maybe it is time for a rule change. Maybe people live longer healthier lives now than when the rule was written. As I breathe deeply and wipe the sweat pouring from the back of my head pondering the rule. Oh yes, my Kick Jazz, killer hardworkout includes Taekwondo, boxing and aerobics.

At my bon kwon I teach Traditional and modern Taekwondo, and Hapkido. We are currently including a new department of Kumdo, and the small stick. I also present the Korean culture and language to the over one hundred adults and children. In addition to this to keep our adults at a high level of fitness provide an intensive cardiovascular workout, three times a week.

I went through the twenty-two referee seminars, refereed for 13 years now, with Ten thousand matches under my belt   (SEE http://members.aol.com/COMPETFORM/index.html ) In addition I have taken the 36th IR. referee seminar at age 48 and two refresher courses. Was selected and refereed the first U.S. Open and the next to last one both international events.

I can contribute, will continue to referee internationally and request you approve a rule change, or grant a variance.

Sincerely.

Bob Perry
WTF 5th Dan

                                                           How Old Is Old?
By the editors of Roper Reports. It's vital to avoid irritating people by using terms they deem offensive. In the case of Americans of a certain age, some prefer senior, while others prefer mature, golden, or nothing at all. It's also important to know whether or not people feel they belong to a particular age group. It's generally understood that people's definition of old age rises as they themselves get older. But exactly how old is that?

Almost one in three 18-to-29-year-olds say people attain old age before their 65th birthday, compared with 7 percent of those aged 60 and older who think people get old before they turn 65. For those under age 30, "old" comes about ten years sooner than for those closer to it, at an average age of 67 years versus nearly 77 years for those aged 60-plus.

Women give people the benefit of a few extra years before they consider them truly old. Women aged 18 to 49 think of as "old" is 71.5 years; for men, it's 69 years.

Seventeen percent of adults refuse to pin down old age. They say it varies too much from individual to individual. Westerners are a little more likely to offer this response, 21 percent, as are Democrats, African Americans, and those aged 60 and older, at 20 percent each. An additional 4 percent of adults flat out say they don't know how old is "old." This share peaks at 7 percentfor those aged 60 and older.

Although baby boomers have entered late middle age in the past decade or so, they have not yet raised the bar on old age nationwide. The average age American adults consider "old" is 72 years, unchanged from 1982. This is likely to move up as boomers enter their 60s.

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