Dean Of Officials

The membership card for the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials that is on display at the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame reads as follows:

“This certifies that Roger McTavish (sic) is a member of this association in good standing for the year ending April 1, 1956 and is hereby recognized as an approved official.”

The assigned number on that card for MacTavish — that is the correct spelling of his last name, by the way — is “3849.”

But to anyone in local IAABO Board 39 — or any chapter for that matter — he was always No. 1.

To that end, Meredith MacTavish, Roger’s daughter, was joined last Saturday morning at the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in downtown Jamestown by IAABO Board 39 officials Tom Heppeler, Ray Spacht, Chip Johnson and Scott VanStee. The purpose of the gathering was to present Meredith with the “Foundation Chair Award,” which her late father received from IAABO in September. The award is in recognition of “lifetime service to IAABO and the game of basketball.”

In addition to that presentation, Heppeler announced that Board 39 officials will wear a “RM” patch on their jerseys to honor Roger’s memory; and that a legacy award — by Board 39 via the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame — is being established in his name.

MacTavish, who passed away in August at 89, was no stranger to the basketball community or to IAABO, having officiated his first game in 1951 at 17 years old.

Along the way, MacTavish became a life member of IAABO, the highest honor the organization can bestow on one of its members; was the past chairman of the Rules Executive Committee, which meant that he was responsible for making up a refresher test and a candidate’s exam for all IAABO members and potential members; and made up the exam for all NCAA basketball officials. He was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

“We wouldn’t be a Board 39 without Roger,” Heppeler said.