Catholic Athletic Group Votes to Transfer Power

The general membership of the Catholic Athletic Assn. passed an amendment to its constitution Monday that shifts much of the decision-making for realignment from its executive committee to parochial school principals.

The vote brings the organization more in line with the re-leaguing process used within geographic areas that make up the Southern Section. It’s a minor first step toward the formation of an all-parochial league to include four Orange County high schools that could begin play by the fall of 1999. Previously, the executive committee wielded most of the power over realignment issues.

“The direction is clear that there will be more meetings where principals are voting for the new re-leaguing plans and less decisions by the CAA executive committee,” said CAA President, Sister Cheryl Milner of Burbank Bellarmine Jefferson.

No realignment proposals were discussed, but 54 schools, including Mater Dei, Rosary, Santa Margarita and Servite, sent representatives to Los Angeles Archdiocese headquarters for the brief meeting.

The procedure for presenting proposals were also ironed out.

Father Robert J. Gallagher of Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, a CAA executive committee member, said that the next CAA general membership meeting in the fall is expected to deal with more specific realignment plans.

Mater Dei Principal Patrick Murphy, who is backing a plan that would place the four county schools into one of four, four-team leagues that would include interleague play, said the meeting was mainly uneventful.

“They brought us up to speed on our re-leaguing procedure, step by step, and cleared up all the differences about things and how the process is going to happen,” he said. “It was a very friendly, cordial meeting.”