Location: Lasell College, Gym, Room 101

Start time: 6:30

End time: 7:45

(Followed by draft)

Attendees: Jonah Mytro, Lynn Kerr, Jay Flynn, Samantha Lampert, Jeff Sinnamon, Mark Archibald, Daniel Chen (late – not present at votes before budget in notes below)

Absent: Jeffry Powell, Chuck Blake

Guests: Mark Robarts, Judy Katalina, Darcy Duke, Dave Castanon (late), Tom Olson, Bruce-RVC, new Salem State TD

Approval of Past Minutes

• Completed via email vote and posted minutes online
• Mark Archibald motions to approve
• Jonah Seconds
• For: Jeffry, Sam, Lynn, Daniel, Jeff S, Mark
• That’s a majority!

Reports

• NERVA Report
• Set up for online credit card payment next year
• Dave Castanon suggests that we should discuss fees for next year ($1.30 a member per credit card)
• Money comes through us, so we are not losing control over it
• Suggests we may want to increase paper membership fees for next year
• Treasurer Report – Jay Flynn, “On budget so far”
• Registrar Report
• Judy still needs a list of everyone who joins at each tourney (remind at draft later tonight)
• 1,250 full members, about 150 behind last year (excluding the Pierce)
• Ratings Report
• Men
• Art Palmer and Dave Rind stepped down as committee members
• Jeff Sinnamon and Jeffry Powell have joined
• Looking for more
• Have been sending out updates every two weeks
• Web Editor Report
• Working on online scramble registration page
• Sam recommends Tom Sweeney checks in with MIT women’s club as to how they do theirs
• Available to make additions for weather updates, etc. to online team registration pages
• “Newsletter” Report
• 48% open rate on December’s newsletter
• GRC Report
• Scrambles
• Last Coed did not run (not enough men signed up)
• Men’s filled, women’s 8 teams
• Last minute (Friday night) sign ups have continued to be an issue
• 10-12 new people
• Daniel would like to take over as the scramble co-ordinator
• Jan 12 scramble is cancelled
• We’ll have 3 in the next session
• Team organizers
• Rita Cook will help organize women’s teams via Stray Cats
• Lynn will follow up with her to see how its going
• Bylaws Committee Report - None
• Rick Pierce Award Committee
• Brian Kangas and Julie Robarts won
• Announcement was posted on bavp

Old Business

• Set 2008 Board Meeting Schedule
• 7:30 at Lasell
• Jan 28
• Mar 3
• Apr 7
• Meet in May if needed
• Assign a new tournament coordinator
• Jonah will look outside the board
• Championships
• Jonah working with Chet on gyms and dates
• Ratings Freeze Date Change?
• Was March 15 last year
• Jeff S, Jay suggest leave where it is
• Discussion ends
• Stipend Adjustments
• Newsletter Stipend
• Blog Stipend
• Sam motions to separate the fee in two for the two separate positions
• Jay Seconds
• For: Unanimous
• Motion Passes
• Jay Motions to increase the stipend according to Jonah’s budget proposal and split that in half for each of the positions
• Mark Archibald seconds
• For: Jay, Jonah, Mark, Jeff S, Sam
• Abstain: Lynn
• Motion Passes
• Vote on “OPEN” money and Hayson Group participation
• NERVA is on board with splitting the fee
• Hayson Group will send contract to NERVA (Dave) and Jonah
• Hayson Group will write the bid
• NERVA and Yankee will split the $5,000 cost
• Jay Flynn motions to approve the money for the bid
• Sam seconds
• For: Unanimous
• Vote on AVP money
• Jay says our budget is looking tight
• Jeff S motions to cut the $10,000 AVP expenses from the budget
• Jay seconds
• For: Unanimous
• Motion Passes
• 2007-2008 final Budget Review and vote
• Jay suggests we table the discussion of Nationals gifts until we see where we are fiscally later in the year
• Jonah mentions we lose money on scrambles
• Jeff Sinnamon thinks we run too many
• Yankee has decreased the number of scrambles to 3 for this next session
• Jonah motions to approve the proposed budget without AVP or Nationals Gifts included
• Jeff S seconds
• For: Unanimous
• Motion Passes
• Planning Calendar for Board
• See handout; will be posted online
• Draft Rules/Policies review
• Handling of “special tournaments”, eg. Rick Pierce
• “Special Tournaments” are currently Rick Pierce, Bean Pot, Baby Emily, Brenda Freese
• Sam motions that any site running a Yankee approved special tournament does not lose it’s first round draft pick
• Mark seconds
• For: Sam, Daniel Jonah, Mark
• No: Jay, Jeff S
• Abstain: Lynn
• Motion passes: rule will be changed
• Drafting one date rule
• Suggested by Darcy that groups with one date could have their one date already on the calendar so people are aware of date/size/level – just so people are aware and not as an actual draft date
• Rick Pierce Tournament
• TD met the deadline that Jonah gave him regarding announcing accepted teams
• Start times were not given out until late Friday night
• Tournament has existed for 35 years
• TD Cancellation issues per this past weekend’s snowstorm
• Members suggested there should be a cancellation guideline/policy in the TD handbook
• TDs should be calling captains or offering means of communication to captains/teams when a tourney is cancelled.
• TDs should include their inclement weather policy with their contact information
• Jonah will email TDs regarding this issue and suggest that they have a clearly stated policy or procedure along with their contact information on the Yankee website

Pushed to next meeting:

• Proposal to raise offline membership fees for next year
• Only simple memberships are online renewals
• Start planning ahead for online payment next year
• Per new calendar
• Decide on Picnic
• Decide on Nationals gifts
• Reminder to order championships and MVP prizes
• Review nationals mappings