I have been associated with the FIRS Inline Hockey Committee since 1994 when I petitioned the FIRS Congress in Portugal to install this sport as the newest of our four roller sports disciplines within this International Federation.

For the past 8 years I have served two terms as the CIRILH President. With your able assistance, we have together achieved remarkable progress for inline hockey development around the world.

During the period from 1995 through 2007, there have been 31 different national federations that participated with inline hockey teams at the FIRS World Championships or at Pan American Games. Among the FIRS member nations, there are now 43 countries which organize inline hockey national championships and/ or compete in FIRS Continental Championships.

At age 77 I have decided not to again stand for election as CIRILH President. It has been 8 years since I retired from a 40 year career as Executive Director of USA Roller Sports and took up this position as your CIRILH President.

I feel that it is now a good time to turn over the leadership of this sport to someone else so that I may return to being retired. Naturally I am as concerned as all of you, that this sport of inline hockey continue to expand and draw new participant teams from everywhere throughout the world.

We have all dedicated too much of our lives to this sport to stand back in idleness and watch it fail for lack of vigorous leadership. It is for this reason that I will recommend with confidence that you consider our current CIRILH Vice President GILBERT PORTIER of France as a suitable replacement for me, in recognition of the fine work he has accomplished with the organization of the Inline Hockey Program for the European Confederation, and suggest that he be elected President of CIRILH at this next Assembly. His record of accomplishments as CIRILH Vice President should speak for itself.

George Pickard.