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Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association

Minutes for the Board Meeting Held 7:00pm, October 7, 2009

At Common Bond. 172 West Napa Street, Sonoma

Directors Present (**): Lynn Abaté-Johnson, Jean-François Ducarroz, Vikki Griggs-Demmin, Sam Honey, Teri Miller, Edwin Richards, Dino Rossini, Stacey Schoeningh, Jim Van Sickle, Mike Verdu, Phylis Wakefield.

Absent: Antonio Alvarez, Karen Cline, Rick Hicks, Deidre Verdu

Also Present: Randy Petersen, Renee Caruso, Jennifer Rochlin, Greg Volker

Apologies: Karen Cline, Rick Hicks, Deidre Verdu

Public Comment None

Mission Moment

Sam reported that Tim Power is coaching a U16G team. 75% of his players have never played soccer before on a team. The players are mainly Hispanic and apparently everybody is having a great time. The coach is getting a terrific response from his players who appear to love soccer.

Phylis reported that the U10G won Sebastopol Apple Classic and commented that it was great to see the players win a tournament for the first time. Sam had gone to Sebastopol to see the team play in the tournament.

Sam and Lynn attended the Stay Local Event 9.16.09 – and gave out a flier with information about the SVYSA. People are interested in improving the sports facilities in Sonoma: a lot of people want to have a public swimming pool in the city, people would also like a sports center.

Approval of Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes for the September 2, 2009 Board Meeting proposed by Phylis, seconded by Jim. Carried without a dissenting vote.

President’s Remarks

Sam noted that a Church volunteer group from St. Andrews was coming to do some improvement work on the Field of Dreams soccer fields. The work was to indicate appreciation that the SVYSA had made an effort to schedule fewer games on Sundays.

Vice-President’s Report

Bathrooms at the High School Field

Vikki had been exchanging emails with Paul Tuohy, Deputy Principal at Sonoma Valley High School: the bathrooms were supposed to be cleaned every Wednesday by a custodian, but so far there was no evidence of cleaning.

Tatton Case

Detective Jake Vivian has taken over from the Tatton case for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department. Formerly the case was being investigated by Sergeant Dave Thompson. The investigation is ongoing, but not yet ready to go to trial. According to Detective Vivian, said Vikki, “this is going to be a huge case.”

Parental Complaint

Vikki reported she had relayed a parental complaint about U10B teams to Coaching Coordinator Mike Verdu.

Waste Disposal

Tom Young (Waste Disposal) needs someone to deputize for him on October 17 and 18 as he will be in Fort Bragg with his team, which is playing in a tournament then. Interested parties were invited to contact Tom.

Secretary’s Report

The Secretary having nothing to say, he gave his spot to Phylis. Phylis suggested the structure of agendas be altered to accommodate an “old business” section in which there would be follow-up reports on action items from the previous meeting. She had follow-up questions on several of the action items from the September meeting. Firstly, had Sam and Vikki come up with an Emergency plan? Sam replied that while he hadn’t discussed the matter with Vikki, he had contacted Pamela Wiley regarding the High School’s Emergency Plan and had learned in the event of an accident on the High School Field, the ambulance/ paramedical team were to access the field via Davila Court.

Phylis had another follow-up question as to whether a universal key for locks to secure goals etc. had been obtained, as had been put forward at the September board meeting. Jim reported that Tom Young had ordered 10 locks and was going to order 10 more. By next year there will be one key for everything. The equipment manager will track the locks, keys etc.

Movement of Conduct Signs – It had been proposed that the first and last (home team) coaches with games at Adele be responsible for putting out and putting away the conduct signs. Sam reported that rather than do this, he had worked things out with Alison (Referee Scheduler) to take care of this issue (Sam and Alison were taking care of the signs).

Also, Vikki suggested that during meetings, action items and due dates be noted. These could be then circulated via email soon after the meeting. Vikki volunteered to record the action items and the due dates.

Phylis noted the minutes could also be restructured, using a numbering system, for ease of reference.

Public Comment

(Because some board members had been running team practices and had indicated they would be arriving late, Public Comment had been moved down the agenda to ensure as many people as possible would be present.)

Randy Petersen came to address the board. Mr. Petersen has seven year old son playing for the U8B Sharpshooters team. Mr. Petersen told the board that he was uncomfortable with the fact that after games, members of his son’s team had been given candy, sports drinks and sodas. Mr. Petersen was of the opinion that the children should just play soccer, not be given post-game snacks of dubious nutritional value. Furthermore at the last post-games, U8 Sharpshooter players had been given “goody bags” containing candy and toys; Mr. Petersen felt this to be inappropriate. Stacey noted that at the Team Parent Meeting prior to the 2008 season, attendees had been given hand-outs containing advice on appropriate nutrition for players. The general consensus of the board was that healthy eating habits were to be encouraged, since for many board members a main advantage of soccer was that it is healthy activity.

Action Item – Phylis to write a letter making people sensitive to soccer as a healthy game with healthy diets and snacks to be encouraged.

Outreach

Vendors/ Concessions

The general understanding was that the School District did not allow vendors on school property, so soliciting vendors to come to soccer fields in exchange for a financial contribution was not a fundraising option for the SVYSA. Vendors were apparently allowed at tournaments, since tournaments were staged under a different permit than regular games.

(The Outreach report was interrupted so Scott Miller could give his report on the upcoming Halloween Tournament)

Halloween Tournament

Scott Miller, organizer and Director of the Halloween Tournament to be held October 24 and 25 gave an update. He anticipated the tournament schedule would be ready by October 8; trophies and pins had been ordered. 62 teams were registered, 14 more than last year. There would be a U10G competition, but there had not been enough entrants for a U10B competition. Games would be held at the High School complex, Arnold Field and Maxwell Park.

Greg Volker had a couple of questions on nets – did we need to provide nets at Maxwell? The answer was “yes.” Did we need to buy special nets for U10? The answer was “no,” as we could modify the larger nets we have to fit the goals

.

Outreach (Continued)

Concessions - Continued

Lynn presented the idea that we have Scholarship Fundraiser Booths at the Halloween tournament, these being a photo booth and a tattoo booth.

Sam had met the owner of the photo booth at the recent “Stay Local” event and asked Lynn to follow up with them. Lynn reported that at a cost of $5 per photo (all takings going to the SVYSA) it would take ten photos per hour for three hours to get back the $150 fee. The timing of the booth’s presence was somewhat flexible and Jim suggested that we check the tournament schedule to make sure the booth was present at the same time as the most likely customers (thought to be U16 Girls and U16 Boys). Edwin asked if anyone had a sense that the booth would be a success. The consensus was that it would be.

A vendor of selling easy to remove tattoos had emailed Stacey having received a flyer about the Dora Lucatero snack bar. The vendor wanted to sell tattoos at the Halloween Tournament. Lynn had liaised with the vendor. The SVYSA’s take in this case would be 30% of the tattoo booth’s takings. Both booths would be promoted with flyers and in the program.

Motion proposed by Lynn and seconded by Jim: to raise money by having a photo booth and tattoo booth at the Halloween Tournament. Carried unanimously.

Ads Sales for Printed Programs

Lynn said additional advertisements were needed for the tournament program. They were due now.

T-Shirts

Stocks of Coaches’ T-Shirts were declared as follows: medium: 29, large 18. Lynn asked if we should try to sell them off or keep them till next year. The reply was to keep them and top up the supply next year.

Because response to the newly-designed T-Shirt had been very positive, the possibility of producing generic SVYSA T-shirts (that didn’t say “Coach” on them) was seen as a good fundraising opportunity. Jim and Dino said they would talk with the owners of Soccer and Sports in Santa Rosa to find out how much shirts procured through them would cost.

Testimonials and Recreational Candid Photo Pages for the Website

Lynn suggested that we post testimonials that the SVYSA received to the website. This would give website visitors the opportunity to see positive comments about the organization, which would be good for general morale.

Lynn also suggested that a recreational candid photos page for the website would be good for community building.

Resolved: Mike to send notice to coaches soliciting appropriate candid photos. Lynn to liaise with Jean-François regarding testimonials on the website. Lynn to contact those who had submitted testimonials to ask permission to use them on the website.

It was also posited that an alumni page on the website, showing where former SVYSA players were now, would be a good idea.

The Epicurean Connection

Lynn announced that Sheana Davis, the owner of The Epicurean Connection, would be hosting a special reception for the SVYSA from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday November 5, 2009. Attendees would be offered a complimentary appetizer and glass of wine (if they were old enough). In addition the SVYSA had been invited to be the Epicurean Connection’s “Non-Profit of the Month.” A collection jar for the SVYSA would be present throughout the month and 10% of the proceeds on November 5 or $250, whichever was the greater amount, would be donated to the SVYSA. Lynn encouraged board members to attend the reception. A motion to accept the invitation to the SVYSA to be the Epicurean Connection’s “Non-Profit of the Month” was proposed by Lynn and seconded by Stacey. Carried without a dissenting vote.

Banners

The suggestion emailed from Mary Lee Ebert that the League collect and store any banners at the end of the season for re-distribution the following year had been discussed at the last board meeting. The issue of storage remained unresolved however. The equipment sheds were likely to be full of equipment at the end of the season. It was suggested that instead of trying to store the banners en masse, team banner custodians be asked to bring any unwanted banners to a swap meet (or the first registration) the following season. Resolved: Mike to email coaches asking them to save banners and bring them to the swap meet next year.

Athletic Director Discussion

Lynn had initiated an online discussion regarding the possible appointment of an Athletic Director/ Club Director. Responses had been fairly limited. At the meeting she suggested that such a position would be paid and create a go-to person for the SVYSA who might take on many of the tasks currently being carried out by volunteers. Based on collective knowledge of non-profit compensation, it was estimated that such a position might command an annual salary of $30,000 to $50,000, with $40,000 suggested as a realistic figure for local conditions. Sam mentioned that about three years ago, the League had employed a Systems Manager to try to get the SVYSA more organized, but things had not worked out as hoped. Phylis wondered whether we were approaching the issue in the best way. The position of Athletic Director/ Club Director had been offered as a solution, but the “problem” to which it was the solution had not been clearly defined. What was the problem? No vision? Too much work for board members? Inefficient use of volunteers? When we addressed these questions, we might get a better idea of what the solutions were. Phylis offered to facilitate a “vision hour” at the next meeting in which board members discussed their vision for the SVYSA’s future. She also offered to bring pizza to fuel the meeting. It was generally agreed that a general discussion of the board’s vision would be a good idea, especially since the next meeting would be the last meeting of the current board. The prospect of pizza was greeted by some with enthusiasm.

Registrar’s Report

Renee noted that the League One registration software used by the SVYSA does not deduct drop-outs, so although League One indicates 1,266 registrants, the total is actually less. League One shows a total of $111,526.00 collected. This total does not included refunds to players who have dropped out. There is also some money still to be collected. Additions to rosters are being continually made, with a number occurring in the past two to three weeks. Tim Power, the coach mentioned in the Mission Moment section, is “great at recruiting people” Renee remarked. Renee noted she had sent out final deadlines for registrations to all coaches. The board was appreciative of the fact that Renee had continued to register new players even as the season grew quite advanced. Lynn proposed a vote of thanks to Renee for her work as registrar. Phylis seconded. Carried unanimously with a round of applause for the registrar.

Election of Treasurer

Edwin informed the board that they were obliged to have a treasurer per the by-laws, and, as best he knew, per the California State Law governing corporations. The SVYSA had sometimes operated without a treasurer. Edwin explained that in online communications during September, Jennifer Rochlin, the new bookkeeper, had expressed willingness to be treasurer. She had been assured that the duties would not extend much beyond those of bookkeeper. She wouldn’t have to attend entire board meetings, but she would be expected to attend Finance Committee meetings, or at least have a close knowledge of what happened at those meetings. Given the small size of the SVYSA it seemed inappropriate to have the treasurer be a different person from the bookkeeper, particularly given the fact that the treasurer position had remained opened for the duration of the current board and had attracted no applicants.

Jennifer was elected unanimously as treasurer.

Bookkeeper’s Report (Treasurer’s Report)

Jennifer reported that she had been working on cleaning up the SVYSA accounts in the accounting program Quickbooks. Becky, the previous bookkeeper, had made sure the actual bank accounts were in good order by referring to statements, but she hadn’t reconciled the accounts in Quickbooks. In fact, the accounts had not been reconciled in Quickbooks between 2004 and 2008. Jennifer was now working on this time-consuming task. By the next board meeting she hoped to have everything correctly documented. Vikki, the Vice-President, said she would make notes so that whoever was the Vice President in 2010 would know to add to the bookkeeper’s contract the stipulation that the bookkeeper had to keep accounts within Quickbooks reconciled and up-to-date. (The Vice-President is responsible for drawing up contracts.)

Also,

By April 1 (the new financial year), Jennifer wants Team balances to show on the books as assets rather than income.

Money can be transferred from one team to the same team year to year (e.g. Jimenez U14B last year can be transferred to Jimenez U15B this year).

Currently registration income is lumped together with other money received from registrants as donations. These donations need separating from the registration income and dividing into “scholarship” and “general” categories, to reflect the wishes of the donor. Renee would email Jennifer the various amounts received in the appropriate categories. Lynn undertook to follow-up with Jennifer to clearly demarcate donations for scholarships received so far this year.

It wasn’t clear to Jennifer which accounts should be used to pay referees when. (Compensation to referees officiating in U.S. Club games needs to come from a different account from that used to compensate referees officiating in CYSA games.) It was posited that the Referee Coordinator (Karen) needs to coordinate with Jennifer to make it clear what accounts to pay what referees from.

Risk Management

Phylis had followed up with Deidre regarding having Jeff of “We Print You” give a risk management talk. Phylis relayed that Deidre reported that Jeff was busy and unavailable. Deidre would stay on the project and would follow up with any future dates.

Any Other Reports

Code of Conduct – Select Teams

These are to be kept with team managers rather than handed-in to the select committee.

Photographs

Photographs taken on Opening Day have reached Sam’s house. Dino said he would pick up the photos of select teams. Mike was asked to email age group coordinators to tell them to pick up the photos for onward distribution to teams.

Bill Hammett

Lynn will present a letter of thanks to Bill Hammett for allowing the SVYSA to meet at Common Bond. In addition, Sun or Sol will be given a free advertisement in the Souvenir Program as a gesture of thanks.

Equipment

Greg has about 500 old soccer balls to give away. It was suggested he contact schools to ensure the balls reached those who needed them. He would also find out which schools needed goal posts. Greg would also devise a plan for equipment collection. He would pass the plan on to

Sam, who would email all the coaches.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 9.40 p.m.

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Supplement:

Below is the Action Item list compiled by Vikki during the 10.07.09 board meeting and emailed to the board, Greg, Renee and Jennifer on 10.14.09.

These are in the order they occurred during the meeting.

1) Vikki to send out calendar for board members to sign up to be an "SVYSA presence" at the fields.  [done]

2) Phylis to draft letter to everyone about game snacks/drinks/nutrition, circulate to board for approval.  [done]

3) Sam to send out final version of Phylis's letter to all.

4) Dino and Jim to assign Select teams their duties for the Halloween Tourney.  [will happen tomorrow evening at Coaches' meeting]

5) Greg to try out nets on the goals at Maxwell.

6) Lynn to re-send the wish list for the Dora Lucatero snack bar to Stacey.

7) Dino and Jim to talk with Soccer and Sports, get samples to show us and prices for shirts.

8) Lynn to get permission from the four (? so far) people who sent testimonials (about the things we are doing right this year) to post those letters on the website.

9) Mike to send out email reminding coaches to save their banners and explain that we will have a "Banner Swap" next year.

10) Edwin to set aside time in the November agenda to discuss the issues around the idea of a paid Director position.  [this is in flux - some people have proposed tabling this discussion until the old and the new board have their joint meeting]

11) Phylis to provide pizza for the November board meeting.  [Should we still do this, discussion or not?  It might be a nice way to finish a year of a lot of hard work!]

12) Scott to send out schedule of Halloween Tourney to Dino and Jim.

13) Jen to finish reconciliations back to 2004.

14) Vikki to make notes about changing Bookkeeper's contract in 2010 so that it includes keeping everything reconciled and up-to-date (so that whoever is VP will know to include that).

15) Renee to send Jen the amounts that should be separated out of the registration income and delineated in two new accounts as scholarship donations and field development donations from online registration.

16) Lynn to follow up with Jen to "find" the 5K that has already been raised for scholarships this year.

17) Jen to merge Jimenez U14B and Jimenez U15B into one account.

18) Karen to coordinate with Jen so that Jen knows which games are US Club (otherwise Jen does not know which account to take ref pay out of).

19) Dino to get photos of Select teams from Sam, bring to Coaches' meeting.

20) Mike to let all AGCs know that they need to pick up their photo packets from Sam.

21) Greg to figure out the plan to collect equipment this year and send it to Sam; Sam will send it out to all the coaches.

22) Lynn to communicate with the Sun/Sol people to let them know that, as a gesture of gratitude from the Board for the meeting room, they will be in the Souvenir Program.

23) Greg to find out which schools need some goals.

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