Board Minutes: November 11, 2024

Nov 11, 2024 7:00 PM

Agenda

• Call to Order at 7:05pm
• Roll Call: Matt Stares (MS), Amy Townsend (AT), Emiko Bigler (EB),  David Reynolds (DR), Julia Ratchford (JR), Jody Conant (JC), Karen Ruedinger (KR),  Liz Gohel (LG), Doug Wurl (DW), Adrianna Breslin (AB), Sam Doletzky (SD)

• Standing Reports: 

• President’s and Head Coach Report (MS):
• Housekeeping: Has list of 21 people who need pavers
• Ryan Reggiani will assist with framing and plaques
• Boathouse: MS is contemplating a way to get mirrors on the walls, MS to contact suppliers for options
• Nick Kuhl to pull trailers in the spring- going to train. We will need some singles racks for cars
• Winter training: budgeted 38 kids and 38 have signed up so far. Winter training is only for athletes in the crew program.  
• Captain/VC: new responsibilities for the kids, learning new skills and taking leadership roles. Doing well in their roles.
• Feedback on coaching side: daily check in to support communications with the kids
• Social Media: MS would like SD to take over social media and/or take a larger role in posting. SD: Instagram is a wonderful recruiting tool and needs to have a youthful perspective. SD can work with the board as well. The captains should take a role and market to their classmates. Coaches will approve all student created content. MS: We need a middle ground to target a larger audience. It is important to maintain separate channels for parent-focused and team-focused communications as we cater to different audiences. 
• Recruitment Strategies: Novice group continues to have lower enrollment numbers. Future goals: Recruit students earlier to gauge interest in crew. Suggestions include showcasing trophies and medals at the middle school, and sending postcards from current rowers to interested kids to connect them to the team.
• 4 more novice girls have joined winter crew.
• Board’s Role and Parent Representation
  • MS: The Board’s primary responsibility is to support the crew team, not act as a voice to the parents. Board members represent the association rather than service as a mouthpiece for the parents. 
  • Bylaws: The bylaws state that the board’s role is to support and fundraise for the crew team. Board members should focus on operational factors that relate specifically to association functions. They are not responsible for the design or execution of the program, but have an important role in supporting the program through fundraising and volunteering.
  • EB: Stated that some parents were hesitant to approach coaches with feedback due to fear of repercussion for their children. MS: Utmost importance is to create an environment where parents feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns with the coaches. 
  • MC: The board should operate like a PTO. Goal is to support, raise money, and volunteer. No input on operations. As a board we can ask questions about the program and coaching, but we cannot do anything to initiate change, as the program is not accountable to the board. 
  • KR: the executive committee seeks more clarity to find agreement with above comments. 

• Vice President’s Report (MC):
  • MC: Spent a lot of time with fundraising this month (see report below): will be presenting the first draft of the corporate sponsorship packet. Has connected with bricks. 

• Treasurer’s Report (DR):
  • DR would like to spend some time with MC for matching payments on Zelle or stripe, people do  not always submit reason for payment. A lot of time is being spent matching payments to its source- would like to add a memo line for payment reason. 
  • MC: We can generate reports for payments. We can create an excel template to facilitate the process. 
  • MS: Endowment: long range sustainability- what would it take to create a million dollar endowment to maintain boat maintenance? 

• Recording Secretary’s Report (JR): 
  • No Updates
  • Equipment trailer: a lock will be installed to ensure security. We need to replace the tongue on the equipment trailer hitch.

• Communication Report (EB):
  • Continuing with communication for winter training

• Volunteers Report (JC):
  • Dock was taken out, and we had a great turn out to help. There was an excessive amount of zebra mussels. For the future power washing should be after the dock dries out. We still need to elevate the wooden part of the dock. Jeff Olson or Jason Chapman have done this in the past. 
  • We have not met the threshold to order dry robes. We will likely have to put that on hold. AB: as a novice parent would appreciate more information on why items might be needed. JC acknowledged. 
  • Winter goals: organize and hang plaques, pictures, etc. in the boathouse.
  • MC: how would you gauge fall parent participation? JC: There are still parents who do the majority, however, overall better for the fall. AB: Can we offer a large bulk payment to “get out” of volunteer hours. EB: Do we begin having repercussions for non volunteer families? (3 required opportunities) DW: Would support an extra fee option. MS: it’s a privilege to be able to contribute, however if you cannot there can be a fee option. This should be optional. AB: disheartening to have to be asked when we volunteer every time. MC: Can we assign specific volunteer spots? AB: would like to understand specific duties for each volunteer position prior to sign up. 

• Events (KR):
  • The same team will take on the spring banquet. KR reached out to Amie Jo Kreitzer for team dinners and how to take them on for the spring. 
  • In the off season KR will work on SOP, by next meeting will have a table of contents for procedures.
  • Implementation of a parent survey:
    • KR: Parent survey is intended to gather input from the Parent Association, which we represent, so that we can better reflect the charge to encourage, coordinate, and support rowing in EGR.
    • KR: Bylaws provide room for interpretation.
    • KR: Open to making changes to questions based on input from members of the executive committee. 
    • Discussion around having questions related to fundraising, volunteering, communications, events to help inform our work.The survey should also include questions to better understand parent engagement and preferences related to volunteering. Discussion about not including coaching and program related questions and leaving those questions to the AD and/or Coaching staff to ask.
    • KR: Executive committee members please submit question/topic ideas to KR by 11/22.

• Fundraising (LG):
  • We have raised 2K through 50/50 and donut sales. Boosters will pay 50/50 funds at the end of the season
  • Low registration for learn to erg- with 12 people signed up we will move it to January 25th, 2025. Some issues- not much parent participation, and it was on a 3 day weekend. Need to target the community for involvement. 
  • Winter fundraising: bulk of fundraising. Packet to go out to families and businesses (team sponsors): banners on trailer, food tent. Event sponsors, family sponsoring at different levels. Compiling list of businesses. Plan is to send out information/phone calls. 
  • MC: Sales process of fundraising and making good on our commitment to sponsors after they donate. Many parents connected during the banquet for community connections, speaking on our behalf. 
  • Boosters meeting: Christmas tree sales spots have been assigned. This is the biggest team booster fundraiser. 
  • MS: Learn to Erg: Can we consider an extra Saturday session for middle school kids to ramp up engagement?

• Travel (AT):
  • Spring regattas: just needs to stay updated. 
  • Recruitment: AT has been emailing with Brian Chorney regarding things that have worked/not worked in the past. Starting earlier has helped in the past. Dialogue with captains to recruit has been helpful. 
  • MC: Suggests making a SOP to the next travel board member to pass down 

Meeting adjournment at  8:45 pm

Next Board Meeting: , Dec 9th, 7pm Community Center Room 107