WINCHESTER YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. Monday, March 27, 2006

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1 WINCHESTER YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Monday, March 27, 2006 Attendees Directors Tom Troiano, Hugh Mullin, Chris Goodyear, John Addonizio, Erik Knutzen, Denis O Donnell, David Hennessey, Joe Sacco, Scott Fusco Tim Smith, Mark Robinson WYH Members Bill Redler Guests Jack Fitzgerald, President of the Middlesex League President Tom Troiano opened the meeting at 7:10 PM. By a poll of WYH Board of Directors members present, it was determined that a quorum was present to allow for the transaction of business. Minutes of February 27, 2006 BOD Meeting On reading of the Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting of February 27, 2006 there were no corrections or changes made. A motion to accept the Minutes of February 27, 2006 Board of Directors Meeting was made by Joe Sacco and seconded by Erik Knutzen. The motion was unanimously approved and the Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting of February 27, 2006 were entered into the record. Registration/USA Hockey/Mass Hockey/District 9 Chris Goodyear reported the following; Steve Palmacci is running for state office and if elected will no longer serve as District 9 Registrar. A proposal to make mandatory the wearing of helmets by coaches is one of many articles being proposed by USA Hockey that will be voted on at a national level. Chris said that an individual program can vote to adopt this policy on their own as their have been numerous head injuries to on-ice coaches reported. Ice Committee Tom Troiano reported that there is not a lot going on in this area. Tom said that current ice conditions at the Cambridge rink are poor and he has been on the phone with rink management and is looking at possibly relocating the balance of our placement sessions to other rinks such as Arlington or Harvard. He said Harvard will be still running for a few more weeks and it might make sense to switch the placements there if possible. The facility manager at Harvard that is normally contacted has left the position causing some delay. Tom said that the Flynn Rink closed down for the season yesterday. 1

2 Treasurer s Report Hugh Mullin presented the March Report as follows; The Winchester Savings Bank on-line statement showed as of today, a $89,653 checking account balance and a $100,884 balance in a Certificate of Deposit. For Total Cash of $190,537. Hugh explained that the 2006 Cash Flow Statement shows revenues and expenses for both the current hockey season and the next hockey season The bolded total numbers at the bottom of the 2006 YTD Column correspond to the numbers reported on the bank statement. Hugh reported that there are still some outstanding expenses for the current season including expenses relating to the end of season banquet and skills sessions that have yet to be billed. There is also an outstanding payment of $3,000 to 4,000 for the balance of the cost of jerseys that were recently purchased. Hugh reported for the season that the program has received $42,177 in registration fees. Major expenses reported for next season include $2,800 in deposits for the Valley League and a $1,084 expense for credit card processing fees. Hugh said that he will be able wrap up the current seasons reporting by May and projects a budget surplus between $10,000 to $15,000 This can be attributed to 1) an unplanned $5,000 refund from the Valley League from the previous season, 2) much higher participation in the Tri-City Program than anticipated, 3) successful collection of overdue accounts that is budgeted at 2% of projected tuition and collected all but approximately $1,000. There will be additional expenses related to the adjustment in tuition for the Squirt C team, for games not played as a result of some scheduling/parity issues by the Valley League. We told them we would look at costs and a make an adjustment to their tuition. We determined that they were overcharged $300 per player and all families agreed to have this amount deducted from next year s tuition. Joe Sacco asked how the $300 refund number was determined. Hugh said that they used the tuition model that has been used for years. The original tuition was calculated with # of skaters equal to 15. The $300 refund number was the net result when 19 skaters were entered into the model. Tom Troiano said that we do not do this in all cases because we can end up with teams of less than 15 skaters and this situation is an exception. David Hennessey asked for a clarification on the $13,000 being reported for the season as a Hockey Equipment expense and if it includes pucks and socks? Hugh said that it does include pucks, socks and goaltending equipment for the Girls U10, Mite A and Mite B teams. The existing Mite goalie equipment will be moved to the Tri-City level. The cost for the new GT equipment will be a little over $1,000. This number also includes a $5,000 deposit for new jerseys. 2

3 Denis O Donnell made a motion to accept the Treasurer s Report. Chris Goodyear seconded the motion which was unanimously approved by the Board. Middlesex League Jack Fitzgerald from the Middlesex League was present and agreed to talk to the Board about the league. Jack presented the following information; The Middlesex League will expand for the first time in many years. The league has an agreement in place with the Ristuccia Ice Center and has contracted significant amounts of ice at different locations. Slots will be offered without ice requirements, which was a primary reason for WYH exiting the league. Wellesley and Cambridge have already committed to enter the league. League hopes to expand with 75 additional teams. Will answer any questions from the Board. Tom Troiano asked if there are any restriction on what teams from a program can be placed in the league. For example if we have 4 teams at an age level, can we put our 1 and 2 team in one league and our 3 and 4 team in the Middlesex League? Jack said that there would be no restriction in this case. Denis O Donnell asked if there are plans for girls-only teams. Jack Fitzgerald said since Ron Cincotta is now running a new girls league (MYCGL) and he would be hesitant to compete with him. Denis asked Jack Fitzgerald if he could share where the game ice would be for the league? Jack said that games would be scheduled at the usual places such as Woburn, Arlington, Watertown, Lexington-Bedford, West Roxbury, Everett and East Boston. They will try to schedule the games to reduce the travel time for the participants. Jack Fitzgerald said that the league plans on continuing the Inter-league schedule with the Greater Boston League. The format includes the top 5 Squirt and PeeWee teams play a series of inter-league games from December to the end of February on Sunday mornings in Waltham. The games were competitive and we will continue to participate. He said that at this point in time, the league next season, will be the same as this season with the addition of Cambridge and Wellesley. Erik Knutzen asked about the quality of officiating. Jack Fitzgerald said the issues with officials have been addressed. He said that they have a new referee supervisor and have begun evaluation of officials via their website and have eliminated some dead wood. Erik asked about the Website in comparison to other leagues. Jack said that improvements will be made to make their website comparable to the Valley League. Jack Fitzgerald said the league is looking to expand the number of games per season and games per teams would be ideal. 35 would work if a team chooses to play in one league. 3

4 Tom Troiano asked if there are plans for league playoffs and will there be any changes to the Braves Program? Jack Fitzgerald said that the top four teams in each division would be entered into the playoffs. He said that a different organization will staff and manage the Braves program. Dynamic Skating is currently running the tryouts for next season. Jack Fitzgerald reported the league cost per game will be $170, which is a rate based on ice costs. David Hennessey asked if the requirement of supplying ice will change over time. Jack said that as time goes on he will look to our member programs to allocate ice to the league, but right now it will not be a requirement. Tom Troiano said that when Winchester Youth Hockey was participating in the Middlesex League we had a member participate on your Board. Jack said that this would happen again. Tom asked if of the programs selling ice to the league, are they reluctant to give up 1 hour per week for two teams. Most programs have a hard time managing their ice. Are you at risk of losing these sheets? Jack Fitzgerald said that everything is pretty consistent before the high school season, (with lots of ice). Once the high school season starts, it becomes a little more difficult. The league s gaining of additional ice next season should offset this. David Hennessey said that in the past the league has been thin on game ice and recalls a Bantam team being scheduled only 4 or 5 games from Thanksgiving to March. Jack said that the benefit of the additional ice that has been contracted, is that league can schedule at least one game per week per teams and maybe 2 in some cases. After Jack Fitzgerald left the meeting, Tom Troiano said that although our program was one of the founding members of the Middlesex League, over time meeting the league s ice commitments became very difficult. The league wanted contiguous, 60 minute sheets which we had limited supply of. We also had concerns about inappropriate officiating resulting in a safety issue. Our program grew rapidly over a 5-6 year period and ice became a larger issue. The Valley League, does not require members to provide ice which offered us an adequate alternative. David Hennessey said that he wanted to note that the Middlesex League was the best league between September and November. Tom said that we do not have to make any decisions now but should consider this option in the future. Girls-Only Program Denis O Donnell reported that placements for next season have been completed and went well. We ended up with four age appropriate teams. We will have one U14 team, two U12 teams and one U10 team. This was made possible by appropriately moving up 3 or 4 U10 players to the U12 level. Each team will have between 13 and 15 players. Denis said that he saw the fruits of our labor recently with the U14 teams participation in the first state tournament U14 Tier III. He acknowledged the efforts of Glenn Mills, Jim Leo, Ed O Donnell and Mark Robinson and everyone else involved to get this program going. The teams ended up playing to a tie with the eventual tournament champion and also advanced to the semi-finals. Eric Knutzen thanked the coaches for their efforts and said it was a great weekend for the girls. 4

5 Dual State League David Hennessey said that the league has pushed out the deadline for make up games from April 2 nd to April 6 th. Coaches should keep an eye on the standings in regard to their teams playoff seeding. We should be getting a call from the league on the playoffs and the brackets will be posted on the website. Valley League Report Erik Knutzen said that although the playoff brackets are posted on the Valley League website the teams have not been inserted. Learn to Skate John Addonizio reported that the program is over for the season and overall everything went well. Learn to Play Hockey (Tri-City) Scott Fusco said that we have completed the season and said that the Woburn in-house program is interested in joining the league and can provide ice. Tom Troiano said that he received an from a person who was injured at the Flynn Rink during a Tri-City game. Tom said that the issue is with the state not with the league or program. Tom noted that the Tri-City League is not an official 501(c)(3) with appropriate articles of incorporation and insurance and so we may be placing our program at risk. One proposal to reduce this risk is make it part of the member programs for 2 to 3 years at time on a rotating basis. If a player is injured in the current setup we may be more at risk. Chris said if we register our players and play other teams that are not registered; it nulls and voids all our registration. Tom said that depending on what happens with the Flynn Rink, we can see if we can get this league more formalized. Coaches Committee Report/ACE Director David Hennessey reported that as of 5:30PM today we have an issue to report on at our next meeting. Squirt Tier II State Tournament Tom Troiano sad that Winchester Youth Hockey co-hosted the Squirt Tier II Large State this past weekend. Tom said that all went well and wanted to thank Chris Goodyear for her efforts. Tom said that we should consider hosting or co-hosting state tournaments in the future. Chris Goodyear said that member teams are asked in September by District 9 of any interest in hosting tournaments. There is not a rule in the state guide allowing host teams from participating in the District Play-downs, but it is confirmed that Mass Hockey will try to add this rule back in the guide. 5

6 Placements Tom Troiano reported that placements are complete for the girls-only teams and ¾ complete for everyone else. As reported earlier, we are experiencing some ice issues at the Cambridge rink. Dates have been set for placement meetings. Numbers are good for all age levels. We can project 3 Mite teams, 4 Squirt teams, 3 PeeWee teams and 3 Bantam teams. The Bantams may shrink but the numbers are fine. We are healthy with goalies with 4 each registered at the Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam levels. Banquet and Trophies John Addonizio said that he is working with Mary Ducharme on the banquet. John said that we are using D Agostino s as the caterer and have a list of people who will be volunteering their time. Denis O Donnell said that trophies are on autopilot as we use a local person (Michael Creane) to supply them. Hugh Mullin said that we should be sure to take care of the janitor again this year. Tim Smith said that he wanted to remind people that it is usually not the best choice for a coach to award his own child the Galvin Award. Tom Troiano said that we still need Galvin Award names for the Mite B and Girls U12 team. Denis said that the PA system is not working well and suggested that we rent a system for the night. Allowing 9 th Grade, 2 nd year Bantam players to participate in the Midget Program Tom Troiano stated that this issue has been taken off the table due to lack of interest by the members who original proposed this. Flynn Rink Privatization Denis O Donnell said that that we had a very effective working lunch with the representatives from our state senator and representative s offices, the Mayor of Melrose and the Winchester Town Manager. The group was very agreeable and supportive in this process and believes we are ideal candidates. Representative Casey has drafted language in a bill that would give this group first right of refusal as longstanding tenants to ensure that WYH-MYH is considered. We have also obtained copies of what were successful bids from Newton Country Day and East Boston, which should help us in the process. Denis said that he has met with officers at the Winchester Cooperative Bank regarding the types of Municipal Loans that are available. He got positive feedback since 1) we have the state working with us, 2) Melrose and Winchester are cooperating, and 3) we have support of the Board of Selectman by a formal vote. Tom Troiano said that Denis gave a very effective presentation at the luncheon and wanted to thank him for the nice job he did. Tom said that proposals will be put out in June or July for next season. They could put out a RFP tomorrow. Language has already been attached to an amendment giving WYH-MYH first right of refusal. Tom Troiano made a motion to recognize Representative Casey actions and presenting him with a plaque. Chris Goodyear seconded motion and it was unanimously approved. Tom Troiano made a motion to allocate $1,000 to the Friends of Flynn foundation group. After discussion, the motion by Tom was modified to a $5,000 line of credit now and an 6

7 additional $5,000 if required and approved by the Executive Committee of WYH. Denis O Donnell seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved by the Board. Other New Business: Chris Goodyear inquired about a WYH presence at Town Day. She said that we are the only youth group in town that does not have such a presence. Denis O Donnell said that historically when we held placements in September, our registration took place in May and we could use Town Day for pre-registration exposure. Our present schedule does not make this practical John Addonizio asked since we are a non-profit organization, do we have to run our books down to zero every year. Hugh Mullin said that a 501(c)(3) does not have to run its books to down to zero. Any budget surplus has to go back into the operating program. There is no distribution. Tom Troiano said based on a guideline provided by Board member Ron Martignetti, a non-profit youth organization should have 50% of its budget in endowment. High School Awards The Board voted on the following awards for the season to be presented at the end of season banquet. Anthony Martignetti Award (Unsung Hero Award) High School Girl- Jennifer Cutler High School Boy- Bobby Carson Bill Cruyws Award (Most Valuable Player) High School Girl- Michele Mills High School Boy- Sam Robinson Denis O Donnell made a motion to re-align the Shirley Griffin Award and resurrect the Herb Wood Awards as follows; Herb Wood Award - The Herb Wood Award goes to a last year Bantam player who over the course of his entire Winchester Youth Hockey career best exemplified the ideals of Winchester Youth Hockey - hard work, dedication, sportsmanship, honesty and integrity while at the same time competing at a high level regardless of the teams that the player participated on. Shirley Griffiths Award - The Shirley Griffiths Award goes to a last year Girls U14 player who over the course of her entire Winchester Youth Hockey career best exemplified the ideals of Winchester Youth Hockey - hard work, dedication, sportsmanship, honesty and integrity while at the same time competing at a high level regardless of the teams that the player participated on. 7

8 David Hennessey seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved by the Board. Tom Troiano said that this will be voted on next meeting to allow directors time to nominate a player for this award. Nomination of Directors Tom Troiano said that our revised By Laws are very specific in regard to keeping separate the nomination of our Directors from the voting process. They require that the Board solicit and accept nominations for Directors from members in good standing of the organization no later than April 15th either by mail or electronic mail to the Secretary or nominations can be presented in person at the April Board meeting. No nominations will be accepted at the Annual Meeting in May. Next Meeting The next scheduled meeting of the WYH Board of Directors is scheduled for Monday, April 24, 2006 at 7:00PM in the cafeteria at Winchester High School. Adjournment Mark Robinson made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Denis O Donnell. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 PM. 8