MINUTES: Feb 16 2015

Mabel League Team Rep and Executive Meeting

Alma Blackwell Common Room, 1656 Adanac Street Vancouver, B.C. V5L 2C6

Present:  From the Executive: Tammy, Rebecca, Shelley, Emma, Bri, Allie and Meg; Team Reps: Paige (Tanks), Shawna, Sophie and Rachel (Rebels – formerly 50 Shades), Amanda (Heartbreakers), Romy (Beavers), Katie (DITB), Shelby (Ballerz), Gianna (Reckless), Pia, Jena and Deanna (Team Sway), Clare (Plan B), Alana (Wombats), Suzanne (Isotopes), Crystal (Oddballs), Jodi (leonard.)

Called to order at 7:00

Chair: Tammy

1. Welcome and Introduction (round) – everyone introduced themselves.
2. Team rep job description – we need a team rep from each team to attend these meetings. Please contact Tammy if you need a copy of the job description for details on who is eligible and the responsibilities. (chair@mabelleague.com)
3. Important dates – are being finalized and will be sent out shortly.

Co-Chair: Elan was unable to attend, Tammy presented on her behalf.

1. Insurance coverage prior to roster submission: we are covered by the league’s insurance for practices held before the season begins.
2. Skills clinics: will be held again this year.  Stay tuned for dates.

Stats: Allie

1. Anticipated teams and divisions: Last year’s end of season rankings have proven difficult to determine exactly as the finals were partially rained out. A provisional ranking has been done.  Once all teams have registered for 2016 (due at the next meeting) we will be in a better position to rank them for this season.
2. Competitive division: We have received information that the 2015 competitive division teams will not be registering for the 2016 season.  We are working on strategies for where this leaves the rest of the league.  Once all teams are registered, we will be in a position to decide on how many divisions there will be and who will be in each.

Fields: Emma

1. LIL: Bobolink, where we held the LIL in 2015, had fields damaged by last year’s drought and the Parks Board won’t allow play on the fields this year.  Emma has secured Trout Lake (home to the tournament for many years) for the LIL dates (June 3, 4, 5).  We are exploring other options and will report back if any of those pan out.  Trout Lake has not allowed an outdoor beer garden in the past, so we are not expecting they will this year either.  This is part of the reason we’re exploring other options.  You’ll know as soon as we do if we’ll be at a different field and if there will be a beer garden.
2. Selection of fields for 2016: Historial bookings are all in, so we have all the same fields as we did last year.

UIC: Shelley

1. Rules Clinic/Umpire clinic: We encourage everyone to take the Umpire training course.  Mabel leaguers who become accredited umpires, and umpire at least 5 Mabel League games in that season, will have their course fees reimbursed to them by the Mabel League.  So please keep your receipt for payment and submit it to the Treasurer no later than the AGM.  Dates for clinics will be released soon.  Please contact uic@mabelleague.com if you’re interested.

Registrar: Meg

1. Team registration forms due March 7^th: Please pick up a form and return it, filled out, at the March 7^th meeting (along with your $250 deposit).
2. Any teams with significant changes to their roster for 2016, please advise so that we may take that into account when assigning rankings and making division decisions for 2016 (registrar@mabelleague.com).
3. SPN/Roster forms due May 9^th (players can be added after this date): please take a roster and have your team members sign it. There will be a google form coming out this year as well, that all players will be required to submit.
4. Lil registration and forms due May 9^th (fees are expected to be $350 again this year).
5. New team guidance package is available for anyone interested in starting a new team. And we encourage you to start a new team.
6. New players list: has a few names on it. It will get emailed out to team reps.  We encourage you to pick up players from this list.  Please advise the Registrar if you do, so that the name can be removed from the list (registrar@mabelleague.com).
7. Policy/Procedure committee: A new committee is being struck this year to address the necessity of having clear procedures to accompany the league policies, such as the Zero Tolerance for Violence policy.  Anyone interested in sitting on this committee please contact Meg or Emma (registrar@mabelleague.com, fields@mabelleague.com)

Treasurer: Rebecca

1. 2016 Budget: proposed budget was handed out.  We tend to make money every year, whether we budget to or not, so the proposed budget has been prepared showing a deficit of $2,970.00.  It is not expected that we will actually run a deficit as potential income from merchandise sales and events is not included in the draft, and forfeit bonds that were not returned in time to come out of the 2015 budget (contributing to the $4,965.91 year end surplus) will be coming from the 2016 year ($2400).  The proposed budget runs very close to last year’s year-end actuals, and is based on assumptions that the same number of teams will register this season, and all costs will remain the same.  The budget will be updated after registration is complete and those numbers are more concrete.  Some things to note:  In 2015 we purchased more softballs than required as we got a good deal on them.  This year we will only need to buy half that many.  In 2015 we purchased enough year end prizing for two years, so we are not expecting to need to purchase any for 2016.  The website is the only line item that has significantly increased for 2016, this is due to changing over to a safer (more expensive) hosting site, hiring a site administrator and increasing the storage space on DropBox.  Expenses for holding a Meltdown and a Beer Garden are budgeted for, even though we are not sure we will host either this year.  Any questions, please contact treasurer@mabelleague.com
2. Forfeit Bonds: Not all teams requested return of their 2015 forfeit bonds (and 2 teams exceeded the number of forfeits and did not have their bonds returned).  For ease of accounting, the teams who didn’t request theirs back can roll it over into 2016.
3. Team fees. We anticipate fees to remain the same at $1200, however this does depend on the number of teams who register. That $1200 is payable in two instalments.  $250 deposit due when you register your team at the March 7^th meeting, and the balance (likely $950) is due on May 9^th.  You will also be required to provide a $200 forfeit bond when paying the balance.  This is NOT part of league fees, but is required for each team.  The bond will be repaid at the end of the season if your team has not recorded forfeits in excess of the stated number (2).  Please also note that LIL fees are not included in league fees.  If your team will be entering the LIL Tournament, fees for that will also be due on May 9^th.  In years past these have been $350 and we expect that to remain the same in 2016.

 Special Events: Bri

1. Contribution Points: the points have been calculated for the 2015 season.  The teams who place 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd enjoy reductions in league fees for 2016.  1^st  somethin’ naked ($500); 2^nd  Oddballs ($300); and 3^rd  Plan B ($200) – Congratulations!
2. Meet Mabel Information Session/Social: We’re looking at a new format this year.  Feedback from past years is that it is a bit overwhelming for people who want to join the league to attend what can seem like a party for existing teams more than a recruiting event.  If your team is looking for players, please attend the information session with a sign for your team that states your team name, probable division, and positions you’re looking for.  Hopefully this will facilitate the match-making of potential players with teams who need them.  The executive will also be working to encourage the starting up of new teams, and will have new team guidance packages available.  The event will be held at Cedar Cottage on February 26^th, from 7:00 – 9:00.
3. Meltdown: There may not be a Meltdown this year.  It has not been terribly well attended in the past (even though Marla Hooch put on a great party last year).  We are looking at a different approach for a party, perhaps holding it at the LIL Tournament this year.  If you have any ideas, please forward those to mabel@mabelleague.com or use facebook.

Secretary: Rebecca

1. Team rep and executive contact info to be emailed out: Please ensure we have the correct contact person for your team as that information will be given to other teams in order that they know who to contact, just in case.
2. Sign-in: Please remember to sign in on the team rep sign in sheet (only one rep per team is required to sign.  You can have more, but your team will only get one participation point regardless of how many people attend.)

New Business:

1. Call out for coaching: please help us to help new teams.  If you are interested in coaching or mentoring a new team, please contact us (chair@mabelleague.com or mabel@mabelleague.com). We are hoping to offer enough resources to new players that they can start new teams rather than just relying on there being enough space on existing teams to absorb all interested new players.
2. Recruitment: We are very open to any suggestions you may have to help us recruit new players to the league.  The mass retirement of the competitive division emphasizes how much we need to reach out to new players to keep the league at the numbers it has enjoyed in the past.  In doing so, we also need coaches and mentors as mentioned above.
3. Team Sway advises that their pitching machine is available for rental again this year.
4. A concern regarding the number of intermediate division players also playing on recreational division teams was brought up from the floor. Discussion ensued around finding the balance between making sure teams don’t forfeit games and making sure everyone who wants to play has a team to play on.  It was suggested that the concern raised was divisible into two concerns:  1) making sure there are opportunities for everyone who wants to play in the league; and 2) making sure that the level of play is fair within each division (no one is stacking a team with higher division players).  The executive agreed to include these concerns on the agenda for the next executive meeting and take into account all the points raised by the team reps, both for and against players registering on more than one team.

Meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m.