Montgomery
County Road Runners Club
Minutes
of Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting
of June 3, 2004
Called to order:7:00 pm
Present: Jean Arthur,
Marty Horan, Gary Resnick, Craig Roodenburg, Cathy Blessing, Janet Newburgh,
Jim Rich
Invited Guests: Frank
Pierce, Kimberly Thorpe
Minutes Prepared By:
Gary Resnick, Secretary
- Review Agenda
- Remove #7 h, i,
j
- Addition to 7 f
(AARC Meeting Summary)
- Add Pike's Peak
Report #6 d
- Marty suggested
that, based on Dennis Steinhauer’s e-mail recommendation, future agenda
items need a short description of the nature of the item (one line),
along with an estimate of the amount of time. Board unanimously agreed.
- Review Current
MCRRC Calendar
- June 20 Volunteer
Picnic, Board members should be there at 12:30
- June 6 Capital Crescent
Trail
- June 19 Run for
the Roses
- June 20 Burning
Tree Race
- Minutes of the
previous board meeting
- Review motions passed
at previous board meeting
- motions were read
and accepted as is
- Issues Raised with
Previous Minutes
- Regarding the policy
on financial contributions, item 4d, did we define impact as it applies
to the statement in the minutes: " suggestion: revised “that
the club should give to organizations where there is an impact"
to add “impact that promotes running in the community”
- Item D (club clothing):
statements attributed to Lyman Jordan should be identified
- Item 2 - f (equipment
truck): add “weight is an issue due to handling of truck by volunteers”
- Item H. 1. b) (Halloween
Young Run finances): add “errors included errors in the deposit slips,
money incurred for the run that was not deducted from the race”
- suggestion: to send
out revised minutes prior to next meeting
- MOTION: Minutes
approved with changes, motion was withdrawn pending new version to be
sent to Board members
-
Business involving invited guests
- MCRRC Book
- Frank Pierce brought
copies of the book and wanted to discuss ways of marketing the book
- Frank said it is
hard to get the book reviewed, he contacted editor of Running Times
who was not able to review the book (he gets too many books to review)
- There will be an
article/review in the July Rundown by Meredith Rainey Valmon.
- Frank suggested
we focus on the membership
- Board members suggested
a number of ways including adding flyers to race packets, making books
door prizes at races, having a table at large races
- Frank will look
into finding someone to organize book sales at races
- Frank indicated
that a booth at Marine Corps Marathon would be costly, although if there
was a more general booth promoting the club the costs could be spread
around
- Suggestion made
was to discuss the possibility of a club booth at MCM as part of discussion
about public relations for the club, advertising the club's larger races
- ACTION ITEM: Jean
will talk with Irv Newman who will talk with Rick Nealis about a booth
- ACTION ITEM: Marty
will talk with Richard Stukey about incorporating a booth into the club
PR plan (not just the book but also advertising club races and activities)
- MOTION: Purchase
50 copies of the book from the printer for Frank to store and have available
for selling books at events, Marty moved, Jim seconded, unanimous
- Halloween Young
Run
- Kimberly Thorpe
discussed the run, especially sponsorship: we have a new sponsor, DARCARS
Volvo, same sponsor as for Pike's Peek
- She said she will
have to spend more time for advertising due to school policies restricting
backpack mail, now will have online registration, running an ad in the
Rockville recreation guide
- Kimberly said she
was contacted by the MCM re: their kid's run, how we reach kids, wanted
to work with Halloween Young Run and wanted to hear Board's opinion
- Kimberly estimates
that she may have as many as 2500 children for the next race
- Question arose as
to links with other races, whether this is the same as links with commercial
groups whereby there are not direct links on the club's main web site,
but rather links to other races are on separate sites
- Board recommends
not having a race link to the club web site, to maintain the general
advertising policy, but that in general we should encourage cooperation
with other races
- Accounting: There
is now a separate account for HYR, with a report added to the Treasurer's
Report
- Treasurer’s
Report
- Account Detail (as
of May 31)
- Checking $17, 791.87
- Savings $15,546.28
- Savings - Clubhouse
$3,448.16
- Merrill Lynch $31,211.31
- Total Bank Accounts
$67,997.62
- Marathon in the
Parks $16,054.82
- Pikes Peek $36,471.86
- May Financial Information:
- The May financial
statements indicate net income of $731.71.
- Significant income
was received from:
- First Time Marathoner's,
$2,800.00
- Pike's Peek cones
$2,000.00
- RMS $4,227.78
- Mailing list rental
for Pike's Peek $1,501.68
- Significant expenses
included:
- Rundown $5,754.94
- KOTR $1,935.22
- Tax preparation
$1,327.50
- Community outreach
$536.00
- Running Book (costs
associated with producing it) $599.74
- Audit
- Requested a quote
for the audit but has not received response to date
- Old Financial Action
Items
- We need a signed
copy of last month's meeting minutes indicating John Sissala's credit
limit can be increased; ACTION ITEM: Gary will send signed minutes from
May meeting to Christina
- Comparing budget
to current accounting to ensure proper recording. Christina will change
Quickbooks to reflect the approved budget on the website
- Christina has not
yet addressed action item of how postage is accounted for in our prepaid
postage account
- Internet Banking
Status
- No progress made,
other than there are several vendors where checks over $100 need a second
signature from Board, would need to override this requirement
- The other problem
is that, with Internet Banking, there is not a second set of eyes looking
at the checks and signing off
- Apportionment
/ Committee Reports
- Picnic
- Jean discussed June
20 picnic
- Food will be delivered
, we will determine a budget
- Gary will be game
MC
- Janet will buy extra
supplies/food
- Jim will be in charge
of getting the ice
- Jean will look into
whether a van rental used for races that weekend can be used for the
picnic; Craig volunteered to drive the truck, Gary will assist
- All board members
should be available to help setup
- We need to make
sure the moon bounce is properly supervised, and also to coordinate
with the moon bounce guy
- Awards Dinner
- Cathy sent out an
email indicating we need to decide about the format
- Issues: cost of
the awards dinner and also the timing being close to the Holiday Party
- Craig suggested
an "awards cocktail party" format, whereby it is a party with
music, punctuated with award presentations, but without seating arrangements
or long speeches
- The issue arose
as to who will champion the Awards dinner
- ACTION ITEM: Christina
will talk with a subgroup of the Tuesday-Thursday running group about
coordinating the Awards Dinner
- 2005 Calendar
- Jean wanted Board
members to suggest items that should be put on the Calendar, as well
as items that should be deleted
- Consider races for
next year
- ACTION ITEM: Suggest
items to be put on Calendar, and to discuss any changes in club races
with George
- Pike's Peek
- Jean announced that
we will be getting a $10,000 distribution from Pike's Peek (this is
more than what was budgeted)
- Unfinished Business
- Website Name Change
- Jean investigated
changing domain name to MCRUN; the advice she received was that it was
not in our interest to change it, due to all the links to our site,
and issues of branding. We should not make MCRUN the primary domain,
keep MCRRC as the primary domain and register MCRUN as a secondary directing
to MCRRC
- MOTION: that we
add MCRUN.ORG and MCRUN.COM as domain names with directed links to MCRRC.ORG,
Craig moved, Marty seconded, unanimous
- Fundraising section
of website
- No new information
yet
- Clydesdale/Athena
Runners
- Craig presented
a proposal that, rather than create a distinct race division, the club
establish a “Clydesdale/Athena Runner of the Year” award. Eligibility
would be determined at the start of the year through registration at
the Awards party for runners wishing to be considered in this division
- Advantage is that
it is becoming a popular division, and it would be an additional draw
for the Awards party/dinner
- The administration
of the division would be done by a committee, using some sort of proof
of weight
- Craig also emphasized
that there should not be a division for the championship series, but
rather to encourage race directors to offer this division to specific
(larger) races
- ACTION ITEM: Craig
will approach Lyman about having a division in Pike's Peek, to try it
out
- Handicap race for
2005
- Use of age graded
tables to handicap runners based on their ages and genders
- ACTION ITEM: Craig
will talk with George about selecting a race (either existing or new)
to be made into a handicap race
- Apportionment Positions
- This is a complex
topic as it requires involvement on the Board members' part, not just
liaison role
- There is also an
issue as to whether these are the categories we want: list had some
modifications
- ACTION ITEM: Board
members to send comments to Craig about categories (this is a continuation
of previous Board meeting)
- AARC Meeting Summary
- Craig attended second
annual business meeting in Philadelphia, AARC voted to accept an agreement
with RRCA setting performance milestones and deadlines for RRCA. If
these goals and deadlines are met, then AARC will vote to dissolve and
fold its funds into RRCA. We need to anticipate that the club's administrative
fees paid to the umbrella organization (currently AARC) will increase
from $0.80 to over $2.00. Issue of what constitutes a member was resolved
in an earlier business meeting, members overruled board and return allotment
to definition of membership according to household
- Middle School Track
Challenge
- Marty discussed
his attendance at the event, was impressed with it and with the large
number of parents and fans who attended.
- Marty had a brief
discussion with race director and offered to post the results, and these
were posted online at RunWashington and on our web site, would like
to build on our relationship with them to see how we can complement
their efforts to improve the event, such as posting results but also
potentially helping with equipment
- ACTION ITEM: Marty
will investigate ways of working with this event in the future
- MOTION: Officially
authorize posting race results from the 2005 Middle School Track Challenge,
Marty moved, Bill seconded, unanimous.
- ACTION ITEM: Put
on agenda for next month what constitutes club sponsorship
- New Business
- Suggested Board
Improvements in Handling Club Business
- MOTION: Wording
in “Club Business” on website should be changed to say "posted
minutes are last approved minutes" (or something to that effect)
instead of "minutes from the last meeting". Gary moved, Jean
seconded, unanimous
- ACTION ITEM: Gary
will give new language to web person and will sign minutes of meetings
- Equipment Needs
- Janet sent out email
about needs and received several items:
- repair of clocks
- a new sound system
- scaffolding for
finish line (Janet will check with Lyman)
- more vests for course
marshals (and a system in place to ensure their return)
- ACTION ITEM: Janet
will check on a new sound system
- ACTION ITEM: Janet
will check with Lyman and the city regarding lightweight scaffolding
for finish line
- ACTION ITEM: Jean
will investigate purchasing of additional vests
- ACTION ITEM: Janet
will look into repair of clocks
- American Running
Association Gala
- Marty gave a report
on the 2nd annual ARA gala event. Several club and Board members attended
the gala; everyone who attended was impressed with the event
- Club members were
invited because a member of MCRRC generously donated money to the event
- Marty mentioned
that the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
had talked about HHS's new Small Steps Program. ACTION ITEM: Jim
Rich will follow up on the possibility of our assisting in this program.
- ACTION ITEM: Marty
will investigate following up with ARA on opportunities to work with
them
- MOTION: Board recognize
our 2004 Volunteer of the Year award winner and guest with tickets to
the 2005 ARA gala (assuming it is local), for a cost comparable to the
current year's gala tickets, Marty moved, no second, motion withdrawn
- Janet made an alternative
suggestion that we consider sending the Volunteer of the Year to the
RRCA Annual Convention, with expenses partially covered by the club,
which was done in the past. No motion was entertained at this
point. The Board agreed to look at the overall rewards given club
awardees (including Volunteer of the Year) at a future meeting.
- AED Program
- Terry Adirim is
no longer able to lead this program. We need a new champion of the AED
program.
- We need to find
a doctor in the club who is willing to have the AED registered to them.
Either this person will champion the program or we find another champion.
- Craig also raised
the issue of how to handle assignment of AED responders. One possibility
is to ask the race directors.
- ACTION ITEM: Craig
will get list of AED responders and will solicit a champion.
- ACTION ITEM: Jean
will work on identifying the doctors in the club.
- Announcements
- Marty will be unable
to attend the next Board meeting on July 1
- Closure
- Reviewed Action
Items:
- Gary will revise
May minutes and send to Board members for approval
- Gary will send a
signed copy of the revised May meeting minutes indicating John's credit
limit can be increased to Christina
- Christina will address
old action item of how postage is accounted for in our prepaid postage
account
- Jean will talk with
Irv who will talk with Rick Nealis about a booth at MCM
- Marty will talk
with Richard Stukey about promotional activities for the club tying
in to marketing of the book
- Christina will talk
with a subgroup of the Tuesday-Thursday running group about the possibility
of coordinating the Awards Dinner
- Board members to
suggest items to be put on the 2005 Calendar, and to discuss any changes
in club races with George
- Craig will talk
with George about selecting a race (either existing or new) to be made
into a handicap race for 2005
- Board members to
send comments to Craig about apportionment categories (this is a continuation
of previous Board meeting action item)
- Marty will investigate
ways of working with the Middle School Track Challenge in the future
- Put on agenda for
next meeting what constitutes club sponsorship
- Janet will check
on a new sound system
- Janet will check
with Lyman and the city regarding lightweight scaffolding for finish
line
- Jean will investigate
purchasing of additional vests
- Janet will look
into repair of clocks
- Marty will investigate
following up with ARA on opportunities to work with them
- Jim Rich will follow
up on the possibility of our assisting the U. S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ new Small Steps Program.
- Craig will get
list of AED responders and will solicit a champion from them.
- Jean will work
on identifying the doctors in the club.
- Motions Passed:
- MOTION: Purchase
50 copies of the book from the printer for Frank to store and have available
for selling events, Marty moved, Jim seconded, unanimous
- MOTION: Wording
in “Club Business” on website should be changed to say "posted
minutes are last approved minutes" (or something to that effect)
instead of "minutes from the last meeting". Gary moved, Jean
seconded, unanimous
- MOTION: Officially
authorize posting race results from the 2005 Middle School Track Challenge,
Marty moved, Bill seconded, unanimous
- Next Board Meeting:
The next meeting is July 1, 2004, at 6:30 PM at 101 Maryland Avenue,
Rockville.
Meeting adjourned at 10:49
PM.
Secretary, Montgomery County
Road Runners Club