PRESENT: Scott Aster, Mark Blair, Bob Cooley, Nick Corsano, Evan Custer, Meg Gerstner, Steve Gregg, Hannu Haarma, Rosemary Johnson, Jeff Lanam, Debra LeVergne, Nancy Lindeman, George Minarik, Syd Reader (Stanford Orienteering Club), Chuck Spalding, Kelly Wells, Abby Wolfe.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm at the Allen Center for Integrated Systems at Stanford University.
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Scott Aster
The minutes of the December 3, 2001, board meeting were approved.
2. PRESIDENT'S REPORT - Scott Aster
Scott thanked Evan for taking on the role of Event Coordinator following Harold DeMoss's recent illness. One issue to be discussed at the meeting will be National Orienteering Day (NOD), for which we will present two meets. USOF will be sending press kits to local media concerning NOD.
3. TREASURER'S REPORT - George Minarik
George reported that because we have not had many events yet this year, our expenses have been greater than our income. This is primarily due to park permits for upcoming events. Based on recent events, including Pt. Pinole which had its largest income ever, George expects that our income will meet or exceed the budget projections. A question was raised as to whether we should drop some of the more expensive parks, such as those in the Santa Cruz mountains, but George pointed out that the permit fees constitute less than 10% of our total expenses and have not increased significantly over the years. Furthermore, the permits contribute to our fee schedule, which may be higher than other clubs with lower permit costs. Our money market account currently has about $12,000.
4. EVENT COORDINATOR'S REPORT - Evan Custer
Evan reported that we have 39 days of orienteering scheduled for this year, including 4 days of A-meets, 13 B-meet days, and 3 ski-O days. Event directors and course setters have been identified for all events and most of the dates have been confirmed. This means that during 2002, most months will have at least 3 days of events.
5. 2002 A-MEET - Kelly Wells
Kelly is in the midst of planning for the A-meet at Almaden Quicksilver Park, tentatively called "Quicksilver O Quest." The crew chiefs are set for many positions, and we have tentative approval from the park. Additional details will be forthcoming.
6. MAPPING REPORT - Bob Cooley
The maps for Fallen Leaf Lake and Almaden Quicksilver are completed pending some minor changes. Bob has investigated a number of possible sites, including Round Valley (northeast of Morgan Territory, but not available due to the presence of protected snake, fox, and frog species), Tilden Park (not useful as two-thirds of the old map is now an out-of-bounds nature area and the remainder is too small), the newly added section of Calero (on the west side of the old Calero map; it has a lot of fight but may be usable), Henry Coe (which requires a 1500-ft climb to good terrain), and the north side of Joe Grant (which probably will be mapped). Foreign mappers will be arriving this summer and will complete Fallen Leaf Lake and Almaden Quicksilver first, followed by local maps (e.g. Briones, Salt Point, Presidio).
7. DIRECTORS' REPORTS
There were no reports for Technical (Joe Scarborough), Membership (Steve Beuerman), or Event Quality (Ian Tidswell).
E-Punch Cadre (Jeff Lanam for Robert Lewis): In Robert's absence, Jeff reported on the recent Bayonet exchange concerning the use of e-punch on White and Yellow courses. Among the issues are the need to enter the names of each of the competitors in a group, although this could be avoided merely by entering the "stick" number for the group. E-punching is being used more frequently on Orange, and we have enough units (50) for normal courses for Orange and above. We have lost only one e-stick and one unit since beginning to use e-punching, and will order more finger sticks. The next-generation software from SportIdent allows a 64-control limit on each stick (compared to a 36-control limit today, of which only the first 30 will have the time). Jeff and Robert will consider purchasing another laptop for the A-meets, as the money is budgeted for this year. Jeff also reported that we need a tent with sides to cover the e-punching operation.
Juniors (Nick Corsano): Nick reported that Lauren Wolfe had been awarded part of the 2001 junior training grant, in addition to Anneliese Steuben. Evan mentioned that Gold Country Orienteering will be emphasizing beginner/youth events with White/Yellow/Orange courses.
Equipment (Mark Blair): Mark reported that he will be ordering new radios to be compatible with Evan's. Fifty new O bags without codes have been received and will be reserved for A-meets. Please notify Mark if you are aware of a good 3-sided tent to replace the type currently used. (Some of the older tents are suffering from use.) Mark has created an equipment kit specifically for ski-O, retained by Tony Pinkham. As a technical note, do not use a cell phone (or have one turned on) anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the e-punch controls, as there may be interference.
Website (Abby Wolfe): Scott reported that ESPN offered to host our website for $30/month, but Abby noted that we currently pay $25/month to Verio, so there is no need to change. Jeff Lanam's presentation on e-punching will be put on the website. It includes tips on how to set up a B-meet and do data entry. Information on National Orienteering Day will also be featured prominently on the website shortly.
Permits (Rosemary Johnson): Rosemary reported that the process to obtain permits for some of the events has been onerous. Permits for the Presidio, Lake Elizabeth, and Indian Valley have not yet been approved. (Indian Valley requires two sets of permits, one from the college and one from the Marin Open Space District.)
Training (Steve Gregg): Steve reported that he will shortly be seeking volunteers for Wednesday evening summer training sessions. Abby suggested that at some of the C-events it might be useful to have a training event simultaneously with the orienteering event.
Registration (Scott Aster for Ev and Jean Beuerman): In Ev and Jean's absence, Scott reported James Wilson will be assisting Vivian Lee in the East Bay registration events. We are still looking for a permanent North Bay registration director.
Bulletin (Jeff Lanam): Jeff reported that the most recent Bulletin had just been sent out. He is considering the use of color and/or adding part of a map to the Bulletin, perhaps as an insert. It was pointed out that the maps may be on the website, so may not be needed in the Bulletin. Jeff would like to send a copy of the Bulletin to all first-time orienteers with their results, assuming he gets the entry forms with addresses from the meet directors. Chuck Spalding volunteered to help with this. A normal Bulletin run is about 390 copies (320 go to members). He will have old issues available at the registration table for events if newcomers are interested.
Publicity (Nancy Lindeman): Nancy asked for suggestions as to where the USOF publicity kit for NOD should be sent. It was decided that it should go to Channel 2. Nancy will send information about the events to Tom Steinstra at the Chronicle. Judy Koehler will contact the Sonoma and Marin papers. It was suggested that for future ski-O events, flyers should be posted at ski rental stores, e.g. in Truckee. A flyer is needed for the Almaden Quicksilver A-meet, and it was suggested that Kelly contact Tony Pinkham for help.
USOF Report (Scott Aster for Gary Kraght): In Gary's absence, Scott reported voting for a Pacific Region representative is coming up, and that an alternate position is available. The annual general meeting of USOF will be held September 21-22 in Vermont during the Relay Champs.
8. NEW BUSINESS - Scott Aster
(a) U.S. Team Funding. A discussion was held concerning a recent proposal on Bayonet that there be a fund-raising event for the US Team, either by designating a scheduled event for this purpose, or by possibly hosting (or having the club's US Team members host) a separate event. Designating a scheduled event was not favored, due to the difficulties in accounting, the decrease in income to the club, and the precedent that would be set. The issue is whether the club wants to support people on the US Team, and, if so, how, how much, and by what means. In the past (when World Champs were held every other year), the club has supported BAOC members of the US senior Team individually and has also made a grant to the US Team as a whole. This year is not a World Championship year, but there will be three World Cup events held. (Starting in 2003, the World Championships will be held yearly.) It was suggested that it might be appropriate to establish a line item, similar to the Junior Training Grant, and that individual club members might make requests. Questions were also raised concerning what is done with money donated directly the US Team itself, rather than to individuals. It was agreed that George will head up a committee to discuss various funding options for individuals and the US Team. Evan and Syd agreed to participate, and other interested people should contact George.
(b) Elections. Scott reported that it is necessary for the Board to approve a slate of candidates for presentation at the Annual General Meeting to be held at the Stanford Meet in April. The proposed slate is Abby Wolfe (President), Evan Custer (Event Coordinator), George Minarik (Treasurer), and Meg Gerstner (Secretary). A motion to approve the proposed slate was passed. The Annual Meeting will begin at 1:00 pm, and nominations for any of the elected board positions will be accepted up to that time. Nominations of people not present at the meeting will be accepted if the proposed candidate has notified Scott in advance of his or her willingness to be nominated. As a result of the proposed slate, we will need a new webmaster. Interested parties should contact Scott or Abby.
(c) Awards Policy. At present, there is no club policy on awards for B and C meets, and in the past, such awards have generally been at the discretion of the meet director. (USOF rules are established for A-meets.) It was proposed that the club establish a policy. The board agreed to a two-part policy: (1) that any awards given for special club events (e.g. the Golden Goat, the club champs, and the sprint champs) should recognize both the top male and female athletes; and (2) that any expenses for awards for such events exceeding $50 should be preapproved by the Event Coordinator.
(d) Membership Fees. Scott reported that at a previous board meeting, it was decided that a committee should meet to discuss options concerning membership fees, e.g. a season pass, and make a proposal with the objective of encouraging people to be club members. The committee did not meet, but Scott suggested that it should meet before the June board meeting.
(e) Scott's Farewell. Scott reported that he has enjoyed being club president for the last three years. Highlights of his term included his contacts with many different people, a new appreciation for how the sport appeals to people in different ways and how the club meets those needs, and the high level of volunteerism in the club. He will be honored to stay on the board in another capacity. He said that he was particularly proud of achieving his "campaign promise": to always end board meetings by 10:00 pm.
9. NEXT MEETING - Scott Aster
The next board meeting will be Monday, June 3, 2002, at the Alta Bates Imaging Center in Oakland at 7:00 pm.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Prior to adjourning, the Board expressed appreciation to Scott for his three years of service as club president. The meeting adjourned at 9:58 pm.