Michigan Squash Racquets Association.

MSRA Board Meeting minutes from Sep 1st, 2010

Thank you for everyone you attended and participated. Thank you Mick and DAC for hosting. The meeting was a bit long but very productive. Here are some minutes, please let me know if I have missed or misstated anything. I would like to publish these minutes to the membership so please use a critical eye with that audience in mind.

Cashflow
Total MSRA funds are $28,000, $18k in money market and 10k in cash
2009-10 Inflows: $3587 ($3050 membership dues and shirt sale+ $537 interest on MSRA Account)
2009-10 Outflows: $2858 ($1585 shirts/awards, $493 tournaments, $380 fees, $400 MCO)
Positive 2009-10 cashflow: $729
These figures do not include the Junior Benefit Event amounts.

Junior Benefit
The Board committed $6283 to Racquet Up Detroit! Funds include: $630 1st Junior Benefit, $1000 Mr. Rose donation, $1500 Deroy foundation, $1000 MSRA donation, $450 Kahn auction proceeds, $2703 2nd Junior Benefit.
The Board recommends having an annual fund raising event that will combine fund raising and awards/recognition. Hugh and Phil will organize.

Racquet Up Detroit!
The Board invited the new Executive Director of Racquet Up Detroit!, Derek Aguirre. Derek was raised in Michigan, graduate of U of M and Harvard Business School MBA Candidate and ran the youth program in Boston. He has recently relocated back to Detroit to run this new program.
The program will start in Jan 2011. The focus will be on Detroit School system youth, interviews are currently underway. The program will be held at the Northwest Activity Center.
Derek is looking to the MSRA to assist in networking, fund raising, and volunteers/mentors.
The Board supports the program and will place Racquet Up Detroit! information on its website.

MSRA Doubles
Paul Gebrael introduced the new MSRA Border City Doubles League. He and John Dunwoody has signed up almost 50 players and will start in a few weeks.
Doubles league play will be scheduled Sunday mornings primarily between the Windsor and DAC venues. Franklin and BAC may be sites used as well.
To play in the league you must be a MSRA member.
The Board agreed to supply the doubles balls for the season

Membership & Clubs
2009-2010 had 121 listed paid members, 18 teams were fielded (7 3.5 and 11 4.5) from 12 clubs
$25 membership fee was voted to remain the same
Issues were noted with US Squash. Many members had paid their local MSRA dues through US Squash but none of those funds have been returned to the MSRA. The MSRA relationship remains strained with US Squash over their insistence that all of our members become US Squash members. The Board refuses to mandate this membership but promised to encourage membership.
The Board agreed to the idea of a preseason membership drive. This event would be held late September, early October at a larger club, perhaps BAC? The event would be an open house type where during an afternoon members and potential members could stop by pick up a game, enjoy a beverage, learn about the MSRA and Racquet Up Detroit! See 2009/2010 results, pick up awards/shirts from prior year, pay their dues, make a donation, try out the new Prince racquets, purchase/pick up new equipment, and be eligible for a raffle of MCO tickets, shirts, memberships etc. Hugh, Phil and Brad Steel agreed to organize.
Some club issues have surfaced. The Lifetime Commerce has closed a court and has been difficult to gain access to. As a result many squash players have moved to Franklin Athletic Club. The good news is that Franklin will now be back into the league with possibly two teams.

Awards and Trophies
The Board discussed last year awards and noting the less than ideal delivery of the item to the awardees. Individuals were identified as to not receiving their shirts and Phil will take inventory and work with Hugh to get those delivered.
It was suggested to re-instate trophies. The Board like the idea on a limited/specific basis. We will poll the membership through the website to see what the members think. The Board is inclined to perhaps have a traveling trophies that stays at the winning club and perhaps a few smaller ones for tournament winners.
Again for 2011 most of the awards will be shirts, Hugh will meet with Prince to coordinate.
The Board felt there was lack of recognition for winners for the 2009-2010 season. Remedies include having a year end awards banquet (rolled into the Annual Junior Benefit Fund Raiser), more timely delivery of awards (order shirts/Trophies early and hand out at the event), better communication and posting of results on the website. Bobby and Dave agreed to work on the website content and Hugh and Phil agreed to work on the awards portion.

Website and Communications
The Board felt the need to improve communications and delivery of information is paramount and is where the Board should focus its efforts. The Board wants timely posting of results, a web site that is interactive, uses multimedia and user friendly.
Bobby noted he can assist with these goals but needs content. Dave and the Board will work to provide this.
Josh Slominski agreed to work with Mick and Bobby in building a rankings ladder. The Board viewed this as an important benefit it could offer its membership. Josh and Bobby will explore the ability to make its scalable/flexible for club owners to use for their own in-house leagues.
Bobby noted that currently the web site is being hosted for free and ask for the Board to consider nominal contribution to the company hosting the site. The Board agree to $300 ($25/mo.) to send to our gracious host.
Phil and Paul will work with Bobby to get league and tournament events posted earlier and post the results more timely and ensure they are easily found on the site.

MSRA Singles League and Tournaments
The Board discussed the timing and format of the 2010-2011 year. The Board approved to quickly explore the feasibility of changing our format to one weekend day a month. In this format all teams in each skill level would play at a different club one Saturday afternoon. For example 3.0 would play the 1st Sat. of the month at DAC, 3.5 2nd Sat. of the month at WSF, 4.0 the 3rd Sat. of the month at BAC, 4.5 the 4th Sat. of the month at FRC. The next month the clubs would be switched up. This format is less time commitment and promotes the social aspect of the sport. It would also be easier to coordinate, and record and report scores. Results and rankings would also be immediate. We would have core teams and one pool of subs for each skill level which would be team/club blind. Captains would draw from this pool to help fill ranks and fulfill commitments. Phil is socializing this idea and exploring its feasibility.
Phil discussed with all present possible times and venues for tournaments and will report out shortly

Prince Affiliation
Our affiliation with Prince will continue for 2011. Hugh is to meet with Gus Giltner and report back.

Board Members 2010-2011
The Board discussed the need to have regular and scheduled meetings. Hugh has agreed to set these up.
Hugh Stalker, President
Warren McAlpine, Vice President
Bill Brucker, Treasurer
John Dunwoody, Co-Treasurer, Doubles Tournament Director
Phil Blagdurn, Event & SinglesTournament Director
Paul Gebrael, Doubles League Director
Paul Begeman, Singles League Director
Dave Guthrie, Communications Director
Bobby Macedo, Technology Director
Josh Slominski, Ranking & Reporting Coordinator

Hugh Stalker, MSRA President