BAOC Board Meeting Minutes

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

Date: June 2005
Location: Internet
Event Director: – 415.681.7075
Type: Club Board Meeting

Via discussion on the Board's email list, it was informally decided to cancel our scheduled meeting in Oakland and to instead conduct a "virtual" meeting by email. President Ian Tidswell requested that all Board members submit a report by June 7, and that discussion take place during the week June 12-19.

Below are all the reports submitted by the evening of June 19. No discussion took place except for a single comment on the mapping report. Our next meeting has not yet been scheduled.

Respectfully submitted,

Terry Farrah
June 19, 2005

Table of contents


3-YEAR PLAN FOR A MEETS – Gary Kraght

At the last Board meeting, a task force was put together to draft a 3-year (rolling) plan for BAOC "A" meets and special events. Contributors to the task force were Evan Custer, Bob Cooley, Tony Pinkham, Steve Beuerman, Ian Tidswell. Here is what we came up with:

2006:
June - Day 1 Short Course orienteering at Fallen Leaf Lake, Day 2 Long Course orienteering at Spooner Lake. Dan Stoll-Hadayia has already agreed to be course setter for at least one day.
Fall - Big Basin - two days of Classic O. We will need to sound out permission from Big Basin, and should approach them soon after our event coming up in August.
2007:
Winter - U.S. Ski Orienteering Championships and festival - Tony Pinkham is leading this effort.
Fall - Morgan Territory west side - two days of Classic O.
2008:
Spring - U.S. Sprint Championships and U.S. Trail-O Championships, probably at the Presidio. We can use suggestions from the Board on how to flesh out this weekend. Perhaps also the U.S. Short Course Championships, or two days of Classic O?
Fall - ??????? - this is wide open and open for suggestions. It would be good to use a new venue with a new map. Candidates?

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

REGISTRATION – Ev & Jean Beuerman

  1. The new self registration feature (including Trinka's e-punch upload system) seems to work well, as over 50 members have used it at both Joe Grant and Briones. We've looked for a printing source for the two-way remittance envelopes and the printing cost is 8.5 - 9 cents ea (min 1000) using off set printing.

    We're willing to print them at home until a more reasonable source can be found, if the club will reimburse the ink cartridges (approx. $40/1000 cy).

  2. New entry forms with the new fee structure are now in effect.
  3. 1000 new whistles have arrived.
  4. The hot line has been disconnected.

EQUIPMENT – Mark Blair

Only one item of any significance to report from the Equipment Directorate: I've put together a bare-bones equipment kit consisting of obsolete O' stuff that we no longer use (some prehistoric control bags, a few of the old Accupoint digital clocks, etc.). This kit will be turned over to Mark Prior and the Adventure Race folks for their exclusive use, in much the same way that we assembled a special kit for the Ski-O' folks. AR event organizers had been borrowing little bundles of equipment from the 3 regional kits and this had been creating some logistical difficulties.

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

ENVIRONMENT – Terry Farrah

I am working on scheduling a fall "giving back to the land" project with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. I have submitted an application, which will be reviewed in late July. We should have a date to put on the calendar in early August. Unfortunately, this is how their scheduling works; we can't get a date any earlier.

My application lists the following possible dates: "9/24, 9/25, 9/30, 9/31, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 11/5, 11/13, 11/19, 11/20. October preferred." I am requesting that we work in Monte Bello or Skyline Ridge. Our annual Monte Bello & Skyline Ridge orienteering event is already scheduled for October 30 (no permit yet, but they have the date reserved for us).

I am keeping in mind Steve Gregg's proposal that the work day also include some kind of O' recreation. I will feel out the receptiveness of the ranger we are assigned to work with.

The work project would be designed for 20 participants. This is the maximum they can handle at once.

MEMBERSHIP – Steve Beuerman

258 memberships (4 are Juniors), 511 members, 373 USOF count.

I'll be sending out a bunch of renewal cards this month for expired memberships from April to August.

Membership subteam that was sanctioned at the last board meeting, hasn't met yet.

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

A-MEET REGISTRAR – Steve Beuerman

No one has entered yet.  :-)

Van is working on an online registration page that will hopefully be finished by the end of the month.

Need prices established for meet, t-shirts, dinner, old maps, etc. so that web page can calculate fees.

I can take flyers to Mt. Pinos if they are ready by then.

PayPal will charge us, not the entrant. So we need to decide whether or not we will pay that charge, or charge a "convenience fee" for online payment. Should be able to calculate the exact charge based on the entrants total payment. There will also be a "print the form, sign and send the check" option to avoid the fee for those that want to.

JUNIORS – Nick Corsano

Following up on a suggestion from Tapio Karras, I created a Yahoo group for BAOC juniors. Tapio and I are the owners of the group. We are in the process of compiling a list of club members with kids who might be interested in joining.

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

EPUNCH – Trinka Gillis

BAOC is now using only v7 controls. This is much more convenient because they all turn on the same way- with a SI Card. This will prevent the problem we had at several meets this year where the start and control units were on different times, and I had to fix all the results by hand.

The numbered units are pre-programmed with numbers 31 to 81, plus 100 (skipping 66 and 68). So far, all course setters have complied with the numbering system.

LAOC purchased our v6 units and batteries for $923. This was half the price of the new units, plus the cost of extra batteries.

No one has been able to donate a laptop, but the new registration system has made one less necessary. I love the new registration system!

I am looking into purchasing a laptop with a 17" screen, so we can have all four EPunch windows visible at once. That would be so nice! I have found several in the $1100 range.

Several new people have volunteered to help with EPunch and they are quick learners. Thank you!

MAPPING – Bob Cooley

I have expanded the Dimond map, using USGS and photos, to Lake Temescal and Skyline. It is now 25 sq. km.

Vladimir Zherdev is field checking Tilden. He probably will not draw it until Jan 2006. This project may run a little over the present budget. Though the exact quality of the terrain will remain a mystery until we know exactly how much inpassable fight there is, it looks like it might be ok for a one day A meet.

I am still adding stuff to the potential area to map list. I should release it later this week. Maybe we should treat it like a wiki.

Dan Greene comments: Now that the IOF has released mapping standards for Sprint maps, it might be worth investing a little funding in getting our Berkeley and Stanford maps to conform to the standard. I think they are close.

Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

WEBSITE – Van Boughner

The web site continues to use the wiki software to a greater and greater degree. What this means is that the site is becoming increasingly editable using just a web browser, and no knowledge of HTML or FTP is required. For example, Chuck is able to place results onto the web site and make corrections directly. Brad and I still work on the parts of the site that are not in the wiki, but these are typically the older pages that don't need to receive updates, and there are fewer and fewer these days. We have added a "Recent Changes" box on the home page that shows which pages in the wiki were edited recently, to draw attention to whatever changes are most recent on the web site.

Incidentally, any club member can now make corrections or additions to the web site if they are interested. Unlike soup, web site content typically improves when you add more cooks, because more eyes on the pages keeps the quality and freshness up. Just click on "Create an account or login" in the up right corner of the home page to sign up and read http://baoc.org/wiki/Help:Editing about how to do it. It's always possible to return to a previous version of any page, so don't be scared to try things.

I am working on an A-meet registration form with Steve Beuerman, and I'm keeping running notes on this project at http://baoc.org/wiki/On-line_Registration_Brainstorming, the goal is to get it working by the end of the month of June.

EVENT COORDINATOR'S REPORT – Evan Custer

I thought the schedule was pretty well set for the year until Dennis Wildfogel proposed to have a summer sprint series. It looks like we will have 2 or 3 sprint events in the South Bay (Bayfront, prob. Vasona Lake, and possibly Emerald Hills) and one at Chabot this summer. The events will be announced once ED, CS, and park approval have been finalized.

Also, I am still looking for a event director for the Coyote Hills event scheduled for Sept. 11.

Chuck, Mark, and I will probably start working on the 2006 schedule in August.

Finally, this will absolutely be my last year as event director. In fact, if a volunteer can be found to replace me, I would appreciate it. I find it is harder and harder for me to get motivated to do what I should be doing.