Plainfield Curling Club

Board Minutes - 2/10/2008

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
Feb. 10th, 2008, 11am

Present: Maryann Vermeulen, Roderick Black, Neil Sullivan, Eric Blassneck, Bob Fox, Bill Nickle

Also: Robin Kerr, Anne Buckelew

Absent: Jeff Pike, Tom Famularo, Bill Peskoff

1. Call to Order – 11:07am
2. Approval of the minutes of previous meetings.
Motion to accept by Eric, seconded by Bob.

3. Treasurer’s Report - Neil

Thrifty Bonspiel P&L:
- Net income of $2,900. Revenues and Expenses very similar to last year.
- Rental for the propane stove is a big part of the expense.
P&L:
- Through February the total Income is $26,760 which is similar to last year, not including 2007’s non-cash donation.
- Bar Sales and Expense are both down vs. last year, which is a function of timing.
- Utilities are better than last year, again due to timing. It is not obvious if our kilowatt usage is better this year due to better efficiency of the new compressor or due to milder weather.
- There was some discussion as the whether solar panels were an option for us. Bill N. to look into the possibilities.
Balance sheet:
- Our Cash position is $2000 ahead of last year.
- Liabilities are much better than last year with the Member loan cleared and only $6200 left on the GNCC loan. The negative $1,972 Accounts Payable line reflects a Utility bill that has been paid but the expense has not been entered on the P&L yet.

4. Committee Reports:
(a) Building & Grounds - Eric
- Roderick will be the contact for reporting building maintenance items. Roderick will establish a log book for members to record items for repair and he will provide his contact information to the membership.
- Dehumidifier – Open. Jeff to follow-up.

(b) Membership Committee update – Roderick/Eric
- Collegiate curling - Roderick
Roderick has contacted a faculty member at Rutgers who is interested. Rod will look to set-up a Rutgers curling program for next year.
- New member retention – Eric
Eric has reviewed the club calendar and has time slots to run a refresher clinic on the next 2 Sundays (Feb 17 and Feb 24) from 3pm to 6pm. Students are to attend both sessions for a total of 6 hours. The curriculum is in development but will include fine tuning deliveries with taped deliveries on the first week and video review on the second week. Etiquette will also be part of the clinic. The target audience is 1st year curlers; other curlers may be included as room permits. Eric has already alerted the new curlers to the clinic dates.
- Membership Application form update - Roderick
The new form is to be out to everyone before the next meeting. LTC sign-up will be a separate document from the application. The plan is to have hard copies on hand as well as downloadable forms on the web site.

(c) Ice Committee - Neil
Neil reported that the vendor, Ice King, was agreeable to send us a new, sharp blade and then have us ship the old one back. We pay service fees and shipping both ways. This is instead of buying a second blade. We are expecting to receive a new blade at the end of the month. Meantime, Aaron is honing the current blade to keep it usable.

(d) Bar Committee – Eric
- Eric is writing a bar procedure for both general use and bonspiel use. The intent is to help members know what to do when behind the bar. Eric also wants tighter control over the cash box during bonspiels. In addition to the normal bar receipts, the bar cash box is used for bonspiel related funds (rink fees, raffle money, pin sales, etc.) as well as keys and other non-monetary valuables and is ‘out and open’ frequently. It was proposed and agreed that a separate cash box be set-up for non-bar related funds. Neil is to get the 2nd box.
- There have been numerous issues with the Kegerator not being set properly. Eric is looking at options for better control over the Keg. He is going to try written and posted procedures first, or locking the system second. Eric also reported that we now have an extra CO2 cylinder.
- Tom Famularo will schedule a date for the inspector to come in.
- We will apply for Social affairs permits for the PCC Stone for Saturday and for the Squeal for both Friday and Saturday. We feel we will have enough club members on the Friday of Stone to ‘sign in guests’ that we won’t need permit.

(e) Bonsqueal budget
The bonspiel organizers provided the budget for board review. Maryann will provide comments and feedback to the Squeal Sisters.
Overall the budget was complete, with sufficient line item detail. Compared to previous year’s P&Ls, this budget is much less profitable. Recognizing that this budget assumes NO donations, it reflects an increase in expenses of around $4,000 over prior years. Comments:
- The T-shirt revenue is understated by $1,000, bringing the total revenue line to $13,155 and increasing Net Profit to $1,522.
- Cheaper Rentals have already been identified, bringing the line item down by $400.
- The food budget is about $1,000 higher than last year.
- Several other smaller line items looked like they could be improved upon. Committee members are to be encouraged to do better than their budgeted lines, where ever possible.
- We need to consider options to $600 for a shuttle service. In principle it is a very good idea to be able to transport curlers from the club bar to their (local) hotel, and it applies to all our bonspiels. Bob Fox will look into more cost effective alternatives. Since this is a service that is also intended to provide a benefit of increased bar sales, this cost should be linked with the bonspiel bar revenues. Since we don’t capture bar profits in the bonspiel P&Ls, we should accordingly keep the shuttle costs separate.
- Although the budget is conservative from the standpoint of no donations and in some cases maximum anticipated expenditures, it is also optimistic in that it assumes 32 teams in attendance with a ‘Fixed Cost’ perspective.

5. Unfinished Business
(a) Laptop: password – Neil
Open. The club WiFi is to be encrypted to provide a level of security. Neil is working on it. Meantime, the WiFi is working, unsecured, and the club laptop is functional.
(b) Beer Fridge repairs – Neil
Open.
(c) Curl TV
This is a free benefit provided by the USCA. Maryann distributed all the Curl TV codes to the membership.

6. New Business
(a) Junior Curling program – Bill N.
An e-mail was sent to the membership looking for new volunteers to run the Junior curling program. Rachel Henderson, Don Arsenault and Bill Nickle will transition the various duties to new leaders over the next season. The responsibilities include program coordination, coaching, instructing, and helping with bonspiels. So far a few people have expressed interest, both curlers and non-curling parents.
(b) GNCC Annual Meeting
The date is May 16-18 in Nashua. Both Roderick and Maryann are planning to attend. Notice was sent to the membership if anyone else is interested in going.
(c) New member approval – Maryann
We have 4 new members:
– Steve Nix, Paul Nix’s son, will curl on Saturdays
– Bob and Linda Pecsi will fill-in spots on Sundays
– Chris Janes, Ron Janes’ son, is sparing on Fridays
A motion was made by Roderick to approve all the new members. Seconded by Bob. Unanimously approved.

7. Additional items from floor
(a) Roderick noted that ‘Aldi’, a new grocery store, had open nearby the club. Potentially a low cost source for bonspiel/club supplies.
(b) Roderick reported on a GNCC program to sell luggage tags as a fund raiser. Roderick will post the information.
(c) Maryann reported that Dean Roth is making headway on the Board history project.
(d) Maryann has been unsuccessful in locating the club’s Marketing banner. Maryann made a motion to get a new banner, cost not to exceed $299. Seconded by Bill N. and approved. Several suggestions were made on club members who might help with this project.
(e) Maryann suggested as a summer project to do an overhaul of the Club brooms. Current ones could be inspected and discarded, or repaired and cleaned. We can also collect old brooms from members. This project to be assigned.
(f) Anne Buckelew suggested PCC could sell an event pin like Pittsburgh’s Tropicurl. Unfortunately, the number of pins to buy would be large and the profit margins too small to make it worthwhile. The Board is trying to avoid purchasing inventoried items like t-shirts, equipment, and pins. It was also noted that since we already sell t-shirts and raffle tickets at the Bonsqueal, trying to also sell pins for this event would be overkill.

8. Future meetings & Events
(a) The Annual Meeting date has been set for Sat., April 19th at 7pm
(b) The next Board meeting is Mar. 9th, at 5pm. Because of the timing of the Annual meeting, there will be no April board meeting.
(c) PCC Stone will run from March 6 - 9
(d) The Bonsqueal is April 2 - 6

9. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn by Roderick, seconded by Bob.

Respectfully Submitted,

Bill Nickle,
PCC Secretary

Board Minutes - 12/7/2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
Dec. 9th, 2007, 5pm

Present: Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Tom Famularo, Bill Peskoff, Neil Sullivan, Roderick Black, Eric Blassneck, Bill Nickle

Also: Robin Kerr, Bob Howell

Absent: Bob Fox

1. Call to Order – 5:07pm

2. Jeff motioned to approve the minutes of previous meeting. Seconded by Bill Peskoff. Approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report - Neil

• The Balance sheet and Profit & Loss statement are to be posted on the member’s side of the web site.
• Neil reported that we are in good financial shape. Current assets are equal to last year but our liabilities are much lower. $6,000 was paid down on the loan to the GNCC with one payment remaining.
• Net Income from the Founders is $1,200, not counting the bar revenue.
• Utility charges are about equal to last year. We have less electrical use, but are paying at a higher rate.
• Neil reviewed the budgeting process he used at the beginning of the season. This estimate shows $17,000 in net income. Accumulated funds will be put towards future capital projects.
• The billing for shares will go out in January. Share purchases start with 2nd year curlers.
• The Junior’s ‘Pig’ was emptied; it contained $86. The funds will be tracked as a separate line.
• We paid $2,018 for 1,100 new pins. Our costs were about $2 each. Pins will sell for $3.00.

4. Committee Reports:

(a) Building & Grounds - Bob Howell
• Groundhog proofing the enclosure around the compressor is not a top priority as they are now hibernating. This project can wait until spring (or Groundhog Day – Feb.2nd). Bill P. will take the trap home.
• Trailer removal. Tom’s contact determined that there’s not enough metal in the structure to make it worthwhile to take. Bob to continue to look for someone to take it. Meanwhile, the trailer is still used for storage and organizing the backroom is in progress.
• Two of the A/C units have had the drains fixed. One still has the old drain. All are operational.
• Neil has an associate who will talk with Bob about options for lighting in the ice house. This will be one of the bigger projects and should be done with any changes to the ceiling.
• Aaron has asked to prioritize the west wall siding and insulation project, as this will have an impact on ice conditions. The board will need to review and prioritize the list of large capital projects.
• The Fire Inspector left a notice of violation for our annual test of fire alarms and extinguishers. Interestingly, the inspection occurred prior to the actual expiry date passing. Our Fire Protection service was scheduled to come in. Fire alarm annual test has now been done. One fire extinguisher is to be replaced and a battery for the exit sign was replaced. Since we have been issued a notice of violation, we now have to provide the Town evidence of the inspection. Neil to follow-up. To prevent this nuisance in the future, we will shift the Fire Protection service to be done earlier in the year.

(b) Web Committee – Jeff

The Web Committee has expanded its membership. It now includes:
John Faraone, Jeff Pike, Mark Slivosky and Karl Lohner.
The Committee met and discussed making some needed fixes with the current site, ex. the sublist, but also discussed objectives for rebuilding the site. The plan is to make the web site more user friendly and a little less complex. At the same time, the objective is to make it easier to maintain, make it open to a wider group, and reduce demands on the ‘web master’. One strategy is to use more standard tools, available in the public domain. The committee’s target is the have the new web site evolved before next season.

(c) Membership Committee update – Roderick/Eric
• Roderick is updating the Membership application form. It will be available in both hard copy form and on web site. Bill Peskoff suggested merging Learn To Curl form with the New Member form, so we have only 1 version.
• A Rutgers curling program is still in development.
• New member retention. Eric is asking new members for feedback. So far there is interest in more instruction in January and in a ‘Newbie ‘spiel’.
• We need to be sure we get pictures of all the new members. The digital camera is not in use yet and the Polaroid needs more film. Maryann to check with Andrew Hamilton on Polaroid film. Maryann will send a request to the League coordinators, asking for new member snap shots.
• The next Open House is planned for Sunday, Jan.13th, after Little Rocks. Campaigning will include reviewing the list from the previous open house, sending out internal notices, the usual marketing with local newspapers, and using contacts from last corporate event. Depending upon response, a LTC session will be scheduled after the Open House.

(d) Ice Committee
Neil spoke with Aaron. He investigated a warm water pebbler. The device needs 3-phase power, which may be extra cost. Aaron will be coming back to the board with proposals. No news yet on a second scraper blade.

(e) Bar Committee – Eric
Eric raised concerns he has with liquor license compliance. Our license permits us to serve drinks to invited guests. Non-voting (ie. non-share holder) members of the club who curl in leagues are treated as invited guests of their Skip and sign-in on the game summary sheets as a guest. The issue arises when we hold open houses, corporate events and to a lesser extent bonspiels, when many non-members are at the club.

After some discussion, the following policy was put forward:
1) Corporate Events:
a) No alcohol will be sold, or
b) the group must secure a Social Affairs permit at least 3 weeks in advance
c) Alcohol consumption by guest participants will not be permitted either before or during their time on the ice.
2) For Open houses, no alcohol will be sold to non-members.

Eric moved to accept the proposal, Bill N. seconded it, the board approved.

It was also agreed in principle that for bonspiels with a large percentage of out-of-club curlers, we should be getting a Social Affairs permit. The cost of a permit is about $150 per day. Otherwise, the invited guests are required to sign-in with their sponsor.

Actions:
• Tom and Eric will investigate if a ‘Bring Your Own’ provision can be made for corporate events.
• Neil to put a current list of shareholders in the fire box.
• Tom to meet with the Bar Committee to cover any other compliance issues.

5. Unfinished Business
(a) Laptop – Neil
The club’s laptop is stored in the locked drawer beside the men’s room door. It has the operating system, Internet Explorer, and anti-virus software loaded. We will need to find a better, more accessible place for the laptop and digital camera.
Neil also brought up a concern with possible abuse of the club’s wireless network. It was agreed to provide security with encrypted access. Neil is to publish a password to the membership.

(b) Beer Fridge repairs – Neil
We received a check for $100 for service charges. We have not received any parts yet. The issue is still open.

(c) Group Rentals - Jeff
Twenty-three people were here for the AT&T event. They held a business meeting first, with curling following. The visitors had a great time and said they’d like to return. Six individuals expressed interest in attending the next open house/LTC. The club received $1,250, paid through Paypal.

There was a follow-up call with the Concierge Service. They made arrangements for their customer at Ardsley.

Another booking is planned for Sunday Feb 10th. This one is a church youth group. The agreed fee is $300.

6. New Business

(a) Approval of New Members
Maryann presented the list of new members and made a motion to have them approved. Seconded by Neil and unanimously approved.

(b) Bob’s Bonspiel Budget template – Maryann
Maryann had previously sent Bob Howell’s budget from the Founders to the board. It is very detailed. Bonspiel organizers can choose to use Bob’s format for budgeting their events, or they can choose to use their own method. Either way, a budget in some form needs to be completed and presented to the board prior to each event. Neil sent the last 4 yrs history of the Thrifty to Karen Thomas.

(c) World Championship passes – Maryann
The club has received from the USCA two week-long passes to the World Curling Championships in Grand Forks, a value of $450. The offer must be redeemed by Dec 31st. Several options were discussed for awarding the tickets. The board did not feel it necessary to make it a fund raiser. Maryann is to send a message to the membership to see if anyone is interested. Maryann is also to find out if the passes are transferable (the club would redeem the passes now, and transfer to the ‘winner’ at a later date, like at the Thrifty)

7. Additional items from floor

(a) Paypal. Neil reported that Paypal didn’t work well for the ATT corporate event. Neil will propose an alternate method for payments with corporate events. We want to discourage members from using Paypal, due to the fees involved, but we will keep it as a back-up.
(b) Thrifty Enquiry. Roderick reported on an enquiry about the Thrifty bonspiel from a woman in Fairbanks, Alaska. She is interested in the bonspiel but is looking for a place to stay. Roderick to forward the contact information to Karen. And no photos were provided.

(c) Social member subbing. Jeff reported on requests from Social members to be placed on sub lists. However, our Bylaws do not provide for Social members to be active curlers. Social members participate in club social affairs and can curl in bonspiels, but are not allowed to be regular substitutes in leagues. Occasional subbing, particularly when no regular members can be found, is permitted.

(d) New member bar chits. Neil and Eric brought up the fact that some of our newer members have very few bar chits. The conclusions are that they are either not buying drinks, for themselves or for their counterpart, or they’re not entering drinks in the book, or they’re paying cash. Neil and Maryann to review the list of members. League coordinators will follow-up with their new members on drink etiquette and bar purchases.

(e) Maryann brought up the Cape Cod Curling Club’s renovation grand opening event on Jan 19, 2008. An invitation was sent to all GNCC club Presidents, but as Maryann can not attend, she extended the offer to any other Board member who would like to attend in her place.

8. Future meetings & Events
• Jan. 6th next board meeting
• Jan. 12th – Plainfield MACA
• Jan. 13th – Plainfield Open House
• Jan.23-27 – Thrifty Bonspiel
• Feb. 2nd – Chesapeake MACA
• Feb. 9th – The Bridge vs. Nutmeg
• Feb.15-17 – PCC Bantam Bonspiel

9. Motion to adjourn by Eric. Seconded by Maryann. Meeting adjourned at 8:05pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Bill Nickle, Secretary

Board Minutes - 11/11/2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
Nov.11th, 2007

Present: Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Bill Nickle, Bill Peskoff, Bob Fox, Tom Famularo, Neil Sullivan, Roderick Black

Also: Bob Howell, Robin Kerr,

Absent: Eric Blassneck

1. Call to Order at 5:30pm
2. Minutes of previous meetings were read. Bob F. moved to approve, Bill P. seconded.

3. Treasurer’s Report - Neil
Neil is still in the process of final league billings. The next billing will be Nov.15th which should cover the final count of fees and shares. Eric is to provide Neil with the latest bar tabs prior to this billing.
Difference in income position versus last year is due to timing with Founders fees, bar sales and membership dues.
Payments to GNNC for dues and the loan are due at end of month.
In general, we are in good shape with cash.

4. Committee Reports:

(a) Building & Grounds - Bob H.
- No gate lock yet on the compressor enclosure. Don Baird to get the lock. Bill P to look into barb wire for the groundhog-proofing.
- The storage trailer is not empty yet. We still need to make space in the back room. Tom has a contact who may take the trailer for scrap. Bob H. also has someone who may be interested in taking it.
- There were no further water pressure issues reported. This may have been a problem only during flooding.
- Now two of the A/C units are not draining correctly. Bob and Adam will follow-up.
- Thanks to Ed Klug who painted one side of the warm room building.

(b) Web Committee – Jeff
Jeff is entering schedules, rosters & standings on the web. We need to spread the work out, in particular across leagues. Jeff is looking to add more members to the committee. Maryann to follow-up with a message to the membership. Tom noted that we should have at least 2 people serve as web master, removing the dependence on one person for everything.

(c) Membership Committee update - Roderick
- The Handbook was introduced at the Semi-annual meeting. It will be added to the web site. The handbook turned out very well with thanks to Penny, Dixon, Eric and Roderick.
- Roderick asked the board if there was interest in pursuing a Rutgers curling program. In general the Board supports the idea of establishing a collegiate curling program but we need a member to take ownership for it. Roderick to look within membership committee for a leader. It was also suggested that we find out from USCA what they can offer.
- With the success of the membership drive, Maryann asked that the Membership committee move their focus to the retention of the new curlers. We want to prevent new members from ‘falling thru the cracks’. We need to understand the needs of the new curlers and try to address them. Roderick to follow-up with the Membership committee.

(d) Leagues update – Maryann
We are relatively full. There are 8 teams on each of Monday to Thursday evenings. Fridays has 5 teams and Saturday and Sunday each have 6 teams. And the Tuesday day league has 13 people. All told, there are 211 slots taken.

(e) Training – Robin
The Advancing Curler Clinic was very successful with lots of positive feedback. There were 14 curlers on the first day and 18 curlers on the second. Everyone paid upfront.
Members would like to see the clinic done again. It was suggested that it might be more useful a little later into the season. It was also very hectic running the clinic at the same time as the Goldline rep. was on site, and on the same day as the Semi-Annual meeting.

5. Unfinished Business

(a) New laptop – Bill N/Neil
The ‘new’ laptop is here. It needs a wireless card and it would be helpful to add a mouse. Neil is looking after buying software and setting it up.
We still need a spot for the computer to be set up (and locked) – Neil and Bob.

(b) Beer Fridge repairs – Neil
We received a response from the fridge company. They have asked for pictures to support the damage claim. They will then send parts and money for a service rep to do the repairs.

(c) Wheelchair curling – Maryann
Maryann wrote to USCA with our concerns. We do not have an accessible building and ADA requirements do not apply to us as a private club. The USCA is developing a program without having the facilities to support it. If the USCA or USOC wants to provide the funding, we have offered to help find a suitable facility. Maryann received a note back from Dave Garber. He and Rick Patzke of the USCA will further pursue our questions of the potential liabilities clubs may encounter and how they will be supported
Meanwhile, Jacki is accommodating herself to what we have. She is a full member and curls in two leagues, Tuesday mornings and Sunday mornings.

(d) Group Rentals - Jeff
- Jeff reported that we will host a group of 25 from ATT on Nov.27th from 2 to 5pm. Two drink tickets will be included in the price. Under our license the people are considered guests (9 per member). It was re-stated that we are “hosting” events, not renting the ice.
- Neil to defer to John DeJong as to whether sales tax applies. We have not assessed tax for this event.
- Two other groups are expected in December, a church group of teens, and another corporate group.
- Maryann brought up the question of how we should handle groups brought in by members that are not necessarily corporate groups. Do they fall under the same guidelines? Jeff agreed to draft a policy which will address fees, staffing (ratio of members to guests), the use of the bar, waiver forms, safety measures, ice times, etc.
- A related question was public requests for private lessons, as recently occurred with an inquiry from a concierge service. Do we support it? The board agreed that we would treat such requests as corporate outings with the same full charges for the ice time and effort. If individuals were willing to pay the fee, and we could find the trainers, we would do it.
- Tom raised the question of whether or not the charging for these events affects the club’s charter. Does this make us ‘open to the public’ and affect our private or non-profit status? The funds raised helps with the operation of the club, and by bringing in new people we are in effect ‘promoting curling’.

(e) Liquor License status – Tom
We were required to complete the ‘long’ form this year. Our first submission was missing answers to 2 or 3 questions. The document is now complete and has been sent to the State. A copy has also gone to South Plainfield.

6. New Business

(a) Approval of New Members
Tabled.

(b) Bob’s Bonspiel Budget template – Maryann
Issue for comment. To be discussed at the next meeting.

(c) “Compete At” software (encore) – Neil
Brian Parsons has offered us the application for free trial for a year.
However, it still seems a poor fit for our needs. It doesn’t do draws on-line. Its strength is for an event with lots of teams. Neil advised against taking advantage of the ‘free’ tool.

(d) Fund Raiser proposal – Jeff
Jeff proposed running a Super Bowl pool as a fund raiser. The board agreed that individual members could run one, but not as a club sponsored event.
Bill P. suggested selling advertising space on the ice as a fund raiser, as other clubs have done. We would need to poll the members on this kind of topic. We will save it as a future idea.

(e) Neighbor relations: Edison Heating & Cooling – Jeff
As a good will gesture, we have offered Edison Heating & Cooling an opportunity to hold a company event at the club (nominal corporate outing value $500). They replied that they would like to take us up on the offer, and would like to schedule something in January.
In addition, Edison’s owner Lee Tran asked if we would like to donate to a charity she runs to support Korean orphans. We declined.

7. Additional items from floor
a) Rescue Squad donation - Neil
Neil received a donation request from the local rescue squad. Given the number of times we’ve needed to call them, Neil proposed a donation of $200 for the rescue squad. The motion was seconded and approved.

b) GNCC Communications - Roderick
Roderick distributed copies of the GNCC Handbook. We were only supplied with 14 copies. Board members have some of the copies; the rest are available at the club. All info can be found on the GNCC’s web site. Roderick also distributed copies of the GNCC Curling News. These copies are no longer mailed out. The box of copies will be available in the club.

c) Waiver forms - Roderick
The Waiver forms currently on-line on our web site will be changed to a PDF format.

d) Ice House requirements - Aaron
Aaron discussed the advantages and challenges of using warm pebbling water and requested that we look into buying a special heater. Maryann made a motion that Aaron be allowed to purchase a pebbling water heater, for a sum not to exceed $500. Roderick seconded. Aaron will get back to the board with his findings.
Aaron also discussed the need to have the scraper blade sharpened and the logistical problems in doing it. A second blade would resolve these problems and reduce risk should we damage the current one. Aaron is to find out what a second blade would cost.

8. Future meetings & Events
Next meeting Dec.2, 5pm
9. Meeting Adjourned 7:20 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Nickle, Secretary

Minutes from the Semi-Annual Meeting - Oct 27

Plainfield Curling Club
Minutes of Semi-Annual Meeting
Oct. 27th, 2007

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by Maryann Vermeulen.

1. Brian O’Byrne moved to dispense with the reading of the Annual meeting minutes. Seconded by Sue Sullivan. Approved. (Don Baird was absent at this time)

2. Officer and Committee Reports

Treasurer Report – Neil Sullivan

Neil reviewed the Balance sheet and the P&L on the video display. The reports will be made available on the Member-side on our web site.
- The club’s financial position is good. Although Cash is $33K vs. $38K this time last year, we have much less debt and have more member dues to be deposited than last year.
- There is $12,259 owing on a loan with the GNCC. Half of this amount will be paid-off this year.
- Neil reviewed the renovation expenses from the summer. The men’s bathroom renovation, the fence around the compressor, new locks & keys, and smoke detectors among other items came to $4,500. Neil noted that in the last 5 yrs, the club has invested over $150K in Building & Grounds.

Membership Report – Eric Blassneck

We lost 25 members from last year for a variety of reasons. As of today’s meeting we have 18 new curlers, plus some returning former members, bringing the number of active curlers to 153. In addition to the active membership, we have 19 social members.
Membership drive activities this season included the Somerville street fair, the Open House, and local newspaper announcements. Another Open House will be planned for January.

Handbook – Roderick Black

The updated handbook is complete and was available for distribution at the meeting. Roderick thanked all the contributors and Dixon Fung for putting the handbook together. A soft copy of the handbook will be available on the web site.

League Report – Maryann Vermeulen

Most returning leagues are now full. There are two new leagues this year.
- Weekday League. Run on Tuesday mornings. Terry Chumer is the coordinator. We want to make all members aware of the availability of weekday curling.
- Mixed Doubles. Dean Gemmell is the coordinator. Teams will schedule their own games during open ice time. Demonstration of the new event following the meeting.

Building & Grounds – Bob Howell

Bob summarized the projects completed over the summer
- Men’s room renovation completed, under budget. Ladies room scheduled to be renovated next year.
- Fence added around compressor behind building. Enclosure to have a lock added and will be made groundhog-proof.
- Exterior of warm room painted
- New door locks installed
- Major clean-up completed, filling a dumpster
Bob thanked all the volunteers who helped out this summer.

Future projects include the following
- The trailer beside the building will be removed
- The back room storage space will be organized
- Ladies room renovation
- Mylar reflective ceiling in the ice house and new lighting
- Insulation of the ice house walls
- Extension of the smoke detector network
- Repairing the AC unit drains
- Painting the interior of the ice house
- Replace carpet and likely the walkway around the ice sheets
The board will review and prioritize the projects list. Bob will be asking for volunteer work crews for next summer’s projects.

Ice Crew – Aaron Dubberley

Aaron announced that we have ice. He acknowledged and thanked his helpers: Don Baird, Don Greb, John Wilman, Dean Gemmell, and Mike Mraz. Don Baird acknowledged his own contribution with an obscure reference to farm animals.
Challenges in this year’s startup included locating and repairing a freon leak in one of the two compressors. The leak was fixed, the compressor re-charged, and brought on-line.

Training & Instruction – Robin Kerr

- Robin thanked all the members for their participation in the Learn to Curl program. There were many instructors on-hand to assist the new/prospective curlers. Robin is planning a follow-up LTC session after the holidays.
- There was a lot of interest in the ‘Advancing Curler Clinic’ led by Scott Edie. 14 curlers attended today’s session with 18 slotted for tomorrow. This program is planned to be repeated next year.
- There is also a lot of interest in a Strategy clinic. Robin will look into arranging one.

Youth Curling – Rachel Henderson

Junior curling will start next Saturday, Nov.3rd. There will be enough curlers to hold two sessions, Sat. at noon for newer curlers and Sat. at 2 pm for experienced curlers who have completed level II USCA certification. We potentially will also have 1 boys team for playdowns.

Little Rockers will be on Sundays between 1 and 3pm. Anticipated attendance is around 14 kids. The Little Rockers work on developing skills while keeping it fun.

Non-curling parents of youth curlers are required to hold social memberships, establishing direct contact with the club.

Corporate Events – Jeff Pike

Jeff reported that we now have a brochure to advertise the club’s availability for holding corporate events. The information is also on the web site with our contact information. There has been a lot of interest and, so far, two events have been scheduled. Entry fees are nominally listed at $500. This can be a good revenue source for us, utilizing day-time ice time.

Bar Committee – Dave Capers

“If you want it, ask Dave and he’ll try to get it”
There’s now a sign outside advising members to not take drinks outside. Drinks outside is in violation of our liquor license. Members were also reminded of the requirement to have non-shareholders (new members) signed in as guests. The league sheets have a place to accommodate the sign-in.

Web Committee – Jeff Pike/Adam Henderson

The web committee of Adam Henderson, Jeff Pike, John Faraone and Wes Nickle have been active over the summer. Jeff summarized many of the recent enhancements to the web site.
- Sign-ups for sub lists
- Calendar up to date
- League schedules to be posted
- News ticker
- Sheet 3 posted
- Apparel orderable on-line
- Bonspiel draws and brackets to get posted
A request was made for all members to provide their suggestions for improvement to the committee. Please contact Adam or Jeff for all questions on login procedures or passwords.

Don Arsenault noted that Broomstones is offering us a live scoring feed if we want to use it.

Penny Thomas asked if we could use the web site as a means to recruit volunteers for events.

Sheet 3 – Penny Thomas

The second edition is now out. Penny’s goal is to publish one Sheet 3 per month during the season. Penny will edit and publish Sheet 3, but she will not write it. All members are encouraged to contribute articles: news, historical, technical, personal interest, poems, gossip, recipes, jokes. She wants to expand the list of contributors for upcoming editions.

3. Recent/Upcoming Events

All-American
Mary Lou Mitchell reported on the Women’s All-American event held Oct.12-14. 18 women participated. Pins were awarded to Rachel Howell’s winning rink.
As the USWCA representative, Mary Lou also informed the membership of the GNCC Women’s Championship to be held Jan 10-13 at Chesapeake, and the USWCA’s National Bonspiel to be held Feb 13-17 in Duluth.
Founders
Bob Howell provided an update of the Founders, to be held Nov.7-11. There are 20 teams signed-up with 6 out of town rinks. With the large number of entries, the draw will start on Wednesday night. For future events, we should consider curling Friday during the day and starting on Thursday. Bob will be presenting an event budget to the board.
MACA
Robin Kerr presented the MACAs. The first one will be held Dec. 8th in Philadelphia. A sign-up sheet will go up next week.
Future MACAs are:
Jan. 13 - Plainfield
Feb. 2 - Chesapeake
Feb. 23 - Potomac

4. New Business

Andrea Stepnosky encouraged all members to clean up after themselves. In addition to keeping the club clean, Andrea asked that people not store things at the club (clothing, shoes, equipment, etc) as we don’t have the room.

Barb Gagne suggested a peg board be set-up as a message board; one place to go for the exchange of notes. Melanie Dubberley added that the board in the kitchen could be used.

5. Board of Directors Activity Review

Bill Nickle reviewed the key discussions, actions, and agreements taken by the Board since the beginning of the term. The minutes of the board meetings are available under the News section on the web site.

6. Meeting adjourned 8pm

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Nickle

Board minutes - Oct 9th, 2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
Oct. 9th, 2007, 7pm

Present: Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Bill Nickle, Bill Peskoff, Neil Sullivan, Eric Blassneck, Roderick Black

Also: Robin Kerr, Adam Henderson, Ed Veltre, Anne Buckelew, Don Greb, Bob Howell

Absent:        Tom Famularo, Bob Fox

1.           Call to Order 7:03 pm

2.           Approval of the minutes of previous meeting.
Motion by Bill P., seconded by Neil

3.           Treasurer’s Report - Neil

Balance sheet as of Oct. 9 was presented.
§        Our cash position of $23,411 is less than prior year, but the Total Liabilities are much less than last year as well.
§        Accounts Receivable – Members is at $43,370, reflecting the first billing going out. We have fewer membership billings than this time last year due to the timing of Learn to Curl and the delayed addition of new members.
§        Membership dues are taxable and this liability has been accrued.
§        A Long Term liability payment to the GNCC of $6,000 will be due in December.
We have cash, and should start receiving member dues in a few weeks.

A Profit & Loss statement comparing June through October 9 2007 to 2006 was presented.
§        First billing is out this week to collect Club dues and League Fees.
§        Significant summer expenditures include Social expense - $2,877 (picnic, banquet), Taxes - $2,432, Insurance - $2,416, Supplies - $1, 742 (Freon), Utilities - $1,642, Liquor license - $388, Pin purchase - $480, and Bonsqueal artwork - $722.
§        Building maintenance expense of $4,523 includes the new fence ($1,800), new locks ($531), Smoke detector maintenance ($315), the clean-up dumpster ($536), kitchen floor repair ($134), bathroom renovation expenses ($570), and pest control ($132).
We can also expect a labor charge for the recent compressor repair.

The ‘Found’ bar tabs (from last meeting) were explained. A second record book was set-up for the summer to simplify the accounting and billing process, however both the ‘summer’ and regular bar books were used. Eric will compile both sets of books and provide the bar receivables to Neil.

4.           Committee Reports:

          (a) Building & Grounds - Bob Howell
§        The fence around the compressor has been installed. We may need to add to it to make it groundhog proof. We will need to add a keyed lock to the gate.
§        Bathroom renovation is complete. Interior renovations had $2,250 budgeted. The work came in under budget.
§        Exterior building maintenance. Back room clean-up and repairs are done. Bob hopes to do more organizing and build more shelves to make room for the chairs, etc. that are still stored in the trailer. Need to find someone to take the trailer.
§        Air conditioning. The drainage piping has to be rerouted on all units. The drain pipe on the east unit needs to be re-plumbed.
§        The exterior sides of warm room need to be painted. Ed Klug to arrange a crew. We have the paint downstairs. We have about a month good weather left to do it.
§        The warm room rug needs to be steam cleaned. Bob will plan for one day of no traffic in the calendar, probably around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
§        Aaron reported that the water pressure is low and fluctuating. Bob to investigate.

          (b) Membership Committee update - Roderick/Eric
Open House
§        Notice of the open house was sent to the Courier News and the Star Ledger for their “What to Do” sections.
§        Eric has lists of interested people from Robin and from Rod from last year. He contacted them via e-mail and had good response. Eric expects 20 to 40 people at the open house. Several people already indicated they are ready to join.
§        Eric needs at least 6 people to help at the open house.
§        Roderick reported that waiver forms are available in the mail slots.
Somerville Street Fair
Held last Sunday, the event had great turnout. We made a lot of contacts (many people remember curling from the Olympics) and handed out a lot of flyers. Eric expects good turnout at the Open House.

          (c) Learn to Curl - Robin Kerr
The plan is to run the training over 4 nights. If we need to expand due to larger turn-out, we will double up the time slots (6-8pm, 8-10pm). If needed, we can fit in a make-up date on the weekend. We won’t know if we need double sessions until after the open house.
Robin has many volunteers lined up to teach.
Fees will be $40 for 4 lessons, credited toward future membership.

          (d) Leagues update – Don Baird / Maryann
1) Leagues
Don has not contacted everyone yet. There are 20 or fewer people still to be confirmed. Maryann to follow-up.
Monday & Thursday are set with 8 teams.
Tuesday is full; Wednesday is light. We may move some from Tuesday.
Sunday has 5 teams, could go to 6 with new curlers.
2) Mixed Doubles
Dean Gemmell is coordinating Mixed Doubles. A demo of the game is planned for after the Oct 27th Semi-Annual Membership meeting. Dean will run the program like a squash or tennis ladder. Curlers will have a set period of time to schedule their games around existing league times. Since the games will be played in ‘open ice’ times, there will be no league fee for Mixed Doubles.
3) Potential weekday league
Eighteen members indicated interest in a weekday league in the survey. Terry Chumer will try to coordinate it. It was agreed that weekday league fees would be the same as other league fees ($70).
Jeff suggested that for next year we could aggressively market weekday curling at retirement/seniors communities.

     (e) USCA status – Bill N
Odd dues and contact info was found on an obscure page on the USCA web site. Neil determined that correct information had been sent to the GNCC, who then sent a roster to the USCA. Our data however was passed incomplete and incorrect information was populated by default on the USCA site.

5.           Unfinished Business

     (a) New laptop – Neil
We have money donated to purchase a new machine. Neil is looking at a second hand ‘rugged’ laptop. Bill N. will investigate sourcing a donation laptop and will report back to Neil this week.

     (b) Korbel Elite Curling Challenge – Bill N
Dean Gemmell has been in contact with the USCA and things are a go for the Korbel Challenge at Rockefeller Center on Friday, Oct 26th. They have rocks and equipment but are looking for labor – 4 or 5 volunteers. Dean and Aaron will contact who they need.
Team Fenson and Team Lindholm will be looking for practice ice on Thursday daytime. The board agreed to open the club to the teams for practice time on Thursday, Oct. 25th.
Ed Veltre and Don Greb have volunteered to be team drivers.

     (c) Group Rentals – Jeff
Jeff has no report on the question of Not-For-Profit status.
There are 2 potential events in November. The brochure is up on the web site and provides more info about our facility to prospective renters.

     (d) Board history – Jeff
Dean Roth has taken the job and is working on collecting do*****ents.

     (e) Legal issue – Bill N
The letter notifying our membership of the registered sex offender near our club was sent out. Generally the response from members was that the communication was the right thing to do. The letter will also be sent to the non-curling parents of Junior members.

     (f) Advancing Curler Clinic – Robin
The clinic is scheduled for Oct 27 & 28. Twenty-four people have signed up for the Scott Edie clinic, 12 on each day. There is room for 3 more curlers on each day. Robin is going to ask all students to prepay.

6.           New Business

     (a) Wheelchair curling inquiries – Maryann
A woman in Point Pleasant has contacted the club inquiring about wheel chair curling. She is a wheelchair athlete and has been referred to us by Mark DePerno, who has been engaged by the USCA as the wheelchair curling coordinator. Mark wants to get her involved in curling and ultimately be able to compete in Nationals in Utica.
However, our facility is not well suited for wheel chair access. Nutmeg, as a new club, is an alternative but it is too far away.
A USCA brochure on wheelchair curling was distributed to the board members for information.
Maryann has asked Al Knight to talk with Dave Garber of the USCA and Steve Gutro of the GNCC to understand any insurance issues.
It was agreed by the board that we will encourage the woman to come early to the open house and to give curling a try. She would be forewarned of our building’s limitation, but we would support her efforts.

     (b) Club merchandise – Maryann
We intend to advertise PCC apparel on the web pages, in particular on-hand inventory. Going forward, we will offer select apparel for sale and take orders in advance, placing a bulk order to the supplier. We will try not to ‘stock’ items.
It was agreed that for orders with Bruce, the pricing should allow him to make some profit to cover his efforts. The club does not need to make a margin. Maryann to work with Bruce.

     (c) Expense authorization – Maryann
We need a mechanism for the board to approve major expenses in advance. The concern is when individual members make financial commitments for club-related activities. Once the expense is incurred, in fairness, the board has little choice but to honor re-imbursement. However, this takes financial control away from the board which is ultimately accountable to the membership for financial responsibility. It was also recognized that bonspiel events have many expenses and that event organizers need some freedom in managing their budgets.
Bill N. made a motion that -
“All Bonspiel budgets and any other planned expense over $300 need to be approved by the board before the expense is incurred.”
Seconded by Jeff. Approved. Bill P. abstained.

7.           Additional items from floor

     (a) Founders – Bob Howell
Sign-up sheets for the Founders are now up. We are also looking for volunteers for various duties.
Bob to distribute the budget for this year’s Founders. Costs will be held equal to prior year.

     (b) Liquor license - Maryann
We received a statement back from the State saying we had not fully completed the long form. Tom F. talked to the State rep and he will complete and re-mail the form. Tom will also advise the Town that we have resubmitted.

8.           Future meetings & Events

     (a) Open House – Oct. 14.
     (b) Semi-Annual meeting – Oct 27.
Meeting notice to be sent out by via paper mail, as per By-Laws.
     (c) Next Board Meeting
Now that the season has started we will move the meetings to the first Sunday of each month, at 5pm.
     2007: Nov. 4, Dec. 2,
     2008: Jan. 6, Feb. 3, Mar. 2, April 6.

9.           Adjourn     9:42pm
Motion to adjourn Roderick, Eric seconded

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Nickle

Board Meeting Minutes - Sept 11, 2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
Sept. 11th, 2007, 7pm

Present: Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Bill Nickle, Bill Peskoff, Roderick Black, Bob Fox, Neil Sullivan,

Also: Robin Kerr, Ed Klug

Absent: Tom Famularo, Eric Blassneck

1.           Call to Order 7:10 pm

2.           Approval of the minutes of previous meetings
Motioned by Bob, seconded by Jeff.

3.           Treasurer’s Report - Neil
¨     P&L Statement: Significant additional expenses in the last month are Insurance ($1,141), Building Maintenance, and Utilities.
¨     Balance Sheet: We now also have a First State Bank account that is set-up with the check reader, allowing us to deposit checks immediately.
Accounts Receivable is back down following payments for the picnic.
¨     An additional book of bar tabs was discovered. Neil to follow-up with Eric.

4.           Committee Reports:
          (a) Building & Grounds - Maryann
¨     Men’s room renovation nearly complete as of today; to be done by Friday.
¨     Crews have been at the club doing a general clean-up. The dumpster will be pulled on Thursday.
¨     Go ahead to contractor to install fence around compressor. Quote for $1800 and deposit paid. He will try to be done by Oct 1st
¨     The east A/C unit still needs to be repaired
¨     We need a crew to paint the sides of the building. The insulating project will be a future date.
Eric will be the board representative to the B&G committee. So far Adam Henderson, Paul Anderson, Neil Sullivan, Roderick Black, Jeff Pike, John DeJong, Andrew Hamilton, and Bill Peskoff have volunteered to be B&G committee members.
          (b) Web committee - Jeff
Various enhancements to the web site have completed including a method to subscribe to sub lists, a News ticker on the home page, a Sheet 3 section, Bonspiel events, and a place for League standings.
          (c) Calendar & Scheduling – Jeff
The calendar is up to date.
The Nutmeg friendly was moved back one week to Dec. 8th on the schedule.
The Sunday league is currently looking at 20 members for a 5-team league. If we get more players and need to add a second draw, we’ve got the space on Sunday am.
          (d) Membership Committee update   - Roderick/Eric
¨     Eric is putting together a social event for this Saturday targeted to newer curlers (1-3 yr). Content will similar to the handbook. Start time at 5pm, 1.5hr before the banquet.
¨     For important events like the Banquet, it was suggested to have the Membership Committee use a telephone chain to contact people. This will be a more thorough method than using e-mail.
¨     We are down about 20 members from last year. Upcoming recruiting events include the Open house on Oct 14th, and the Somerville Street fair on Oct 7. Robin knows of 10 to 11 prospective members for the Learn To Curl sessions starting Oct 16th. With the recruiting events, plus people contacting the club via phone or web site, and general club networking, we expect to regain about 20 new curlers.

5.           Unfinished Business
     (a) New Locks – Bob Fox
New locks have been installed and 40 keys made. Bob will keep the record of who has been issued a key. The keys are not numbered.
The key in the fire department box has also been changed.
It was agreed that a member must be a shareholder to be entitled to a key.
     (b) Member survey results – Maryann
Maryann discussed the results from the member survey. The social aspect of the club is clearly the strongest appeal. The data will be formatted and published on the web site.
     (c) Beer Fridge report – Maryann
The new beer fridge has arrived. Neil investigated several quotes. Total cost was $1656. The fridge was damaged in delivery. The vendor will pay for replacement parts and a service person to install. We may be able to make the repairs ourselves.
     (d) USCA status – Maryann
PCC has a web page on the USCA web site. Our club membership fees and contact information is incorrect. Bill Nickle to follow-up with the USCA.
     (e) Club PC and Camera location – Maryann
Neil is coordinating the purchase of the PC. We have the budget. Neil is working on specifying our needs. Bob Howell has a plan for a storage cabinet.
     (f) Compete-At Event management – Jeff
Compete-At sells service/software to help clubs run an event. Their services are suited for bigger clubs who hold cash spiels or for National level events. It is not worth it for us to pursue.
    (g)     Board history – Jeff
To be continued.

6.           New Business
    (a)     Training programs – Robin
1) One 4 night class is scheduled for Learn to Curl. Sessions are Oct 16, 18, 23, and 25, and will run from 7 to 9pm.
Robin to schedule volunteers for the LTC nites.
2) Advancing Curler Clinic.
Scott Edie’s class will include a delivery clinic, sweeping, practicing tips, and basic strategy. It will be offered on both Sat & Sun., Oct 27, 28, assuming interest justifies 2 sessions. There should be 15 people max per class.
Flyers will be made to advertise the event. Jeff to have an announcement added to the web site. This is also an opportunity to offer it to the junior curlers. $25 fee set to cover costs (lunch) and help ensure commitment to attend.
3) The member survey showed a lot of interest in more training opportunities. A refresher/delivery refinement class is planned for January. There may also be a repeat of the ‘Mixer’ scheduled for this Saturday.
     (b) Korbel Elite Curling Challenge – Maryann
We have been approached by a television production firm to assist with hosting the Korbel Elite Curling Challenge to be held at the Rockefeller Center ice rink. The filming is on Oct. 26th with several days prep work required. We have many questions about our level of involvement and the logistics of the event. It looks like they will need labor and some equipment. We agreed that our stones could not be used. While there were several concerns with this event, it could also provide a big opportunity for exposure. Bill N. to follow-up with Dean to get more information.
     (c) WCF new rules – Roderick
Roderick reviewed the latest changes to the WCF rules. Most changes will likely not be enforced in club play, but members should be aware of the new rules. Roderick will see that the rules section is amended in the handbook. One change we will follow is to add ‘courtesy lines’ to the ice surface, indicating where non-playing sweepers should stand.
The other change of significance was the addition of a release line rule for stick curlers. The USCA agreed to the new rule, but the GNCC rejected the clause. The GNCC would like to experiment with different release lines, one top of house, another midway to the hog line. We agreed that we will add these new lines to the ice as a test.
     (d) GNCC Insurance discussion
We have new participant waiver forms from Steve Gutro. All members must sign the new form. Previous forms are to be kept one year.
We have a 2007 Curling club profile questionnaire and an Insurance program update. Roderick to send both to Mickey Mangold for review.
     (e)     Group Rentals - Jeff
Jeff distributed a brochure advertising Group outings. We currently have 5 potential rentals lined up. Corporate events should be discussed by the board under the Calendar updates.
Jeff investigated the requirements for a liquor license for corporate events. He raised the question of whether we need an event license for bonspiels. The board felt that the issue had been thoroughly reviewed last year and that we were in compliance.
The question was also raised about collecting sales tax for these events. Does it have an impact on our not-for-profit status? Jeff and Bill P. to investigate.
     (f) Legal issue – Jeff
We have discovered that a registered sex offender is in vicinity of PCC. The Board agreed that we have an obligation to notify the membership.
Jeff has drafted a notification letter and has had it reviewed. A proposal was put forward for the letter to be mailed out to the membership.
Motioned by Jeff, seconded by Maryann. All approved.

7.           Additional items from floor
     a)     Plainfield Shield
Neil received input on the preferred font for the shield
     b)    MACA – Robin
Chesapeake has a conflict with our MACA date and the National Seniors event. However, we could find no better date as an alternative for the MACA. The consensus is to leave the date as planned.

8.           Future meetings & Events
- Club Opening/Awards Banquet
Schedule for this Saturday, September 15th. Bill Peskoff will distribute keys and maintain the list.
- Oct. 9 -    Board Meeting @ 7pm
- Oct. 12     Women’s All-American
- Oct. 14     Open House @ 4pm
- Oct. 16, 18, 23, 25       LTC
- Oct. 27     Annual Meeting
- Oct. 27, 28         Curling Clinic

9.           Adjourn – 10:30 pm
Motion: Bill P., Second: Roderick

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Nickle

Board Meeting Agenda - Tues, Sept 11, 7pm

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting
Sept. 11th, 2007, 7pm
Agenda

1.           Call to Order
2.           Approval of the minutes of previous meetings
3.           Treasurer’s Report - Neil
4.           Committee Reports:
          (a) Building & Grounds - Bob Howell
          (b) Web committee: recent improvements
          (c) Calendar & Scheduling – Jeff
                   - Sunday league
          (d) Membership Committee update - Roderick/Eric
                   - Mixer
5.           Unfinished Business
     (a) New Locks – Bob Fox
     (b) Member survey results – Maryann
     (c) Beer Fridge report – Maryann
     (d) USCA status - Maryann
     (e) Club PC and Camera location – Maryann
     (f) Compete-At Event management - Jeff
     (g) Board history – Jeff
6.           New Business
     (a) Training program - Robin
     (b) Korbel Elite Curling Challenge – Maryann
     (c) WCF new rules – Roderick
     (d) Group Rentals: bookings, brochure, catering, liquor license - Jeff
     (e) Legal issue – Jeff
7.           Additional items from floor
8.           Future meetings & Events
     (a) Club Opening/Awards Banquet
9.           Adjourn

Meeting Minutes August 7, 2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
August 7th, 2007, 7pm

Present:            Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Eric Blassneck, Bill Nickle, Bill Peskoff, Tom Famularo, Neil Sullivan, Roderick Black

Also:                Andrew Hamilton, Ed Rue, Anne Buckelew, John DeJong, Adam & Rachel Henderson, Robin Kerr

Absent: Bob Fox

1.            Call to Order 7:01 pm

2.            Approval of the minutes of previous meetings
                  Motioned by Rod, Seconded by Jeff, approved.

3.            Treasurer’s Report - Neil
- Reviewed profit & loss statement - June 1st to date. Largest expenditures for the period are taxes, utilities and building maintenance.
- Balance sheet – Paid taxes and utilities, lowering cash position. Accounts Receivable up due to picnic fees to be collected.
- Neil is using a check reader which simplifies and speeds up the deposit process.
- Customer Balance summary – Neil sent a statement to everyone with an amount owing, and followed up by E-mail with the top 2 on the list.
- Tax return. Sent out to Board for comment by John DeJong. No questions from the board. Jeff motioned to accept the tax return as prepared, Eric seconded. Approved.
.
4.            Committee Reports:

            (a) Building & Grounds - Bob Howell via Maryann
            Bathroom renovation - Bob is back in NJ on Aug 16th and will start the project soon after.
            Ripped linoleum floor – Bob to see if it can be patched by the installer.
            Fence - One company quoted ~$1400. This is about the same cost as the previous year’s estimate. Bob will meet with the contractor on site, and finalize the quote. The lead time will be about 6 weeks.
            Motion: Pre-approve funds for the fence project, amount not to exceed $2000. Raised by Neil, seconded by Maryann. Approved.
            Building Alarms – John DJ
            We need to provide new contacts for the alarm company call out list. Ideally someone local who can arrive on-site if needed.
       Volunteers are: Andrew Hamilton -       primary contact
                             Eric Blassneck -           secondary contact
                             Neil Sullivan -               secondary contact
                             Roderick Black -          secondary contact

            John to provide this list to Supreme Security.
            John and Bob to discuss the cost of adding to the current system with the alarm company.

            Maryann is looking for a volunteer from the board to lead a Building & Grounds committee. The committee members will help share the day to day club maintenance load. Bob has been primarily managing projects. Maryann to report back with a list of names next meeting.

            (b) Web committee - Jeff
- Price list - Jeff edited the price list down to about 10 items and it is now posted, on the member section of the website. The question was raised as to whether the price list should be on the public side and was deferred to the Membership Committee. It can be extended to the public side if the Membership Committee so chooses.
- A sub list feature was created to make it easy to sign-up as a league sub.
- Sheet 3 will be posted.
- It was agreed to have Jeff be the contact with the hosting company with which a new contact has been completed.
- It was agreed to create a board member page in the member section to inform members (in particular newer ones) of who their board members are. We will also add the committee list.
- Compete-At – Company provides on-line event management services. Jeff to present more info at the next meeting.
- Web committee is assembling bonspiel pages. Jeff will be looking for input from the bonspiel coordinators.
- It was proposed to the committee to put an online ‘help’ manual for how to use the various site features.

         (c) Calendar & Scheduling – Jeff
            Feedback was received regarding the ‘competitive’ ice time. The objection is to the blocking out of ice time for one particular group of curlers. After some discussion, Jeff made the motion that ‘All non-league activities and non-scheduled club functions will be booked as open ice.’ Seconded by Maryann. Approved. Bookings will go through Jeff (Calendar Czar). If booking too far in advance becomes an issue, an amendment will be made. It was also agreed that the web site will be the definitive reference for ice bookings, not the wall calendar, because it can be more easily updated, is more current, and can be viewed remotely.

            (d) Membership Committee update - Roderick/Eric
- Eric has signed up for a PCC display at the Somerville street fair, on the first Sunday in October (7th). Eric will recruit helpers to work the event and prepare materials to hand-out.
- Roderick will be meeting with Eric and Dixon to review the handbook. There will be a full committee meeting at the end of August to discuss recruiting plans.

            (e) Awards committee: Budget - Maryann
            Neil has identified a vendor for the pin. It is the same vendor that provided the license plate pin. We will order 100 pins which will fall in line with the approved budget.

            (f) Picnic – Bill P.
            The picnic was a very successful event. Bill’s only regret is he would have liked to have seen more new members in attendance. The picnic total cost will be approximately $20 per attendee. Bill to submit expenses to Neil.

5.            Unfinished Business

      (a) Credit card – Neil
Neil confirmed that Corporate event holders will be able to pay for use of the club by credit card thru Paypal. The board agreed that there is no need to pursue a credit card account. As for general membership, we will discourage the use of Paypal for bill payment due to the service fees incurred. (Paypal is of course preferred over NOT paying your bill!)

      (b) Training clinic: Confirmation – Bill P.
Oct 27-28th is confirmed with Scott Edie for the curling clinic. Scott will be bringing other instructors with him. The program is targeted for ‘advancing’ curlers, but there will be no limitations to entry. Bill to prepare the advertisement for the clinic, when the time comes.

      (c) New Locks – Bob Fox
      No report.

      (d) Club Archivist/Photographer – Maryann
Dave Carper agreed to be the official photographer for the club. We now need to recruit other members to assist. Ed Rue has volunteered to be a photographer.
We have a club camera, presented by Roderick. We will need to agree on a storage location for the camera and the club PC. Maryann to follow-up with Bob H on a location.
Dean Roth has expressed his willingness to compile the list of past PCC’s Board of Directors, by year, dating as far back as possible. Jeff to follow-up with Dean.

6.            New Business

      (a) Sales Tax – Neil
Neil confirmed that Sales Tax is to be charged on dues. Applicable taxes will be stated separately on the invoice and will be collected with dues payments.

      (b) Liability insurance renewal – Maryann
      Maryann asked whether the AIG liability insurance for Directors & Officers had been paid. The payment was confirmed.

      (c) Beer Fridge – Neil
It was agreed that a replacement fridge is better than attempting repairs.
Bob Graham is trying to call in a favor and may be able to get us one for the price of shipping.
      Jeff will also look at leads.
      And Andrew Hamilton will also look into possibilities.
      All to report findings to Maryann

7.            Additional items from floor

            (a) Town zoning changes. Anne Buckelew provided a copy of the new zoning for the club’s property. It is changing from Industrial to Professional. A copy is to be filed.

            (b) USCA Rep – The question was raised as to who represents us to the USCA and to make sure our status is current with them. Maryann to investigate our status with the USCA.

            (c) Andrew Hamilton proposed the idea of direct debit and monthly payments schedules to make membership fees more manageable for some (especially students). The board decided to table the topic to the Membership committee for further discussion.

            (d) Sheet 3. Jeff commented on a great job on the first issue. Thanks to Penny. All members should be encouraged to contribute to future issues.

            (e) Membership survey – A brief (8 question) survey will be prepared, covering at minimum league preferences and volunteerism. Members will be e-mailed, directing them to the web site. Survey to be ready by the end of August.

            (f) Club clean-up crew. Proposed clean-up date is Sept.8th. Maryann is looking for a coordinator. All members will be asked to help.

8.            Future meetings & Events
      - Aug 24th -      Patriots baseball
      - Sep. 8th -       Club clean-up
      - Sep. 11th -     Board meeting
      - Sep. 15th -     Club Opening/Awards Banquet
      - Sep. 16 to Oct 6 - Ice making
      - Oct 12-14 -   Women’s All-American
      - Oct 27th Annual meeting

9.            Adjourn 9:35pm
            Motioned by Roderick, seconded by Eric

Meeting Minutes - July 10, 2007

Plainfield Curling Club
Board Meeting Minutes
July 10th, 2007, 7pm

Present:            Maryann Vermeulen, Jeff Pike, Neil Sullivan, Bob Fox, Roderick Black, Eric Blassneck, Bill Nickle

Also:                Robin Kerr, Adam Henderson, Rachel Henderson, Anne Buckelew

Absent:             Tom Famularo, Bill Peskoff

1.            Call to Order 7:05 pm

2.            Approval of the Minutes of previous meeting
      Motioned by Rod, seconded by Neil

3.            Treasurer’s Report - Neil
No Profit & Loss review needed, given the limited activity in the month.
Neil presented a P&L budget for next year, normalized with the past year’s exceptional expenses adjusted out. It reflected a net income of $17,000.
As of July 9, 2007, the club’s cash position is $38,287 and the A/R balance is $3,382.
The GNCC loan balance is $12,259, with half to be paid down this season.
Neil also presented an Item price list displaying an extensive range of items. A Sales tax credit must be applied to Membership dues, but is not applied to league fees. The preferred method for handling the collection of sales taxes is to be discussed at next board meeting. A shorter version of the Item Price List is to be posted to the web site in the members section. – Jeff Pike.
Finally, a Customer Balance report was presented, displaying balances owing by members. Neil will send a second invoice to all members on the list. For those members who owe over $100, Neil or Maryann will also make a phone call.

4.            Committee Reports:
            (a) Building & Grounds - Bob Howell reporting via Maryann
      Fence - Bob wanted to do the job in June. However, Bob’s time is now limited and without Don’s presence, we need a project manager. Instead, Bob will get estimates to hire out the work and present options to the board.
      Bathroom cabinets – Cabinets to be sourced locally as a trip to Ohio is unnecessary for the number of units required. The plan to start the bathroom project in August and complete by mid-September.
      Alarm system – The smoke detectors needed to be replaced. The work is now done ($300).
            (b) Bar: Liquor License Renewal status - Maryann
      The new license has been received and is posted on the wall behind the bar.
            (c) Calendar & Scheduling – Jeff
      The calendar is up to date and is posted on the web site.
      Tentative dates to be confirmed are the Training Clinic (Oct 27-28), and Plainfield MACA (2nd weekend of January). Both are marked as tentative. Jeff will also enter tentative League dates. League coordinators will then be notified to check the web and then review and modify as needed.
      The Women’s All-America has been moved to Oct 12-14.
      The Annual meeting is set for Oct 27th.
            (d) Membership Committee update - Roderick/Eric
      There are now ten members on the Membership & Publicity committee, representing a diverse group of members:
            Penny Thomas, Trish Obara, Linda Carubia, Ed Rue, Kacy Hayner, Andrew Hamilton, Dixon Fung, Sarah McCulloh, Eric Blassneck, Roderick Black.
      The first committee meeting will be in August. The 1st Order of business will be to finalize the handbook.
            (e) Awards committee: Status & Fall Banquet - Maryann
      The Secret, Not-so-secret Haggis society met.
      Two awards were agreed upon, for first or second year curlers. The intent is to reward/encourage enthusiasm.
            1. Participated in the most PCC events during the past season (ie. bonspiels, MACAs, friendlies)
            2. Perfect league game attendance
      There could be more than one award given in the event of a tie. While the intent is to not be subjective in determining award winners, it was recognized that the league attendance award will be difficult to determine because, prior to this award, no one was specifically keeping track. For this first year, Robin will go through the league sheets and make a best guess of the top candidates. It is more important to acknowledge enthusiasm and ‘curling spirit’ than to stand on exact numerical accuracy.
      The committee proposed a pin for the awards, having selected from several designs prepared by Louisa. The board asked for the Award Committee to come back with costs and a budget proposal for the pin purchase.
      Additionally, Earle is to work with the League Coordinators on establishing some consistency in handling League awards.

5.            Unfinished Business
      (a) Credit card – Neil
Three purposes were identified for a credit card: Receiving corporate payments, selling merchandise via the web site, and collecting payments from members.
For each payment made by credit card, 2-3 % of the payment goes to the credit card company. A credit card will also require more accounting maintenance.
Currently the PayPal account averages 3% in charges, and is proportionally higher for smaller payments.
There was significant debate over whether we want or need a credit card. Our number of transactions are relatively low, the maintenance overhead is high, and the transaction cost was a concern. Card readers and related equipment will also add cost.
Adam Henderson pointed out that PayPal can be used to process corporate payments using the company’s credit card. Neil to follow-up on the implications of Corporate events paying thru PayPal. As for selling merchandise, it was agreed that the web site can be used to advertise current items for sale, but that payment would be transacted at the club by cash or check. We are not planning on on-line retailing merchandise. And Club members will continue to be invoiced for balances owing via e-mail or mail, and will pay via cash or check or PayPal. We will however, discourage the use of PayPal for member payments through communication in Sheet 3 and notices on the invoices.
      (b) Web site contact list & changes – Jeff
The Web committee has their third meeting this week. They have been making progress, working on various enhancements identified by the committee and board – contact lists, ‘new person’ contact page, banner on home page for ‘News’, etc. Next step will be to solicit ideas from the general membership.
      (c) Training clinic: Confirmation – Bill Peskoff
No report.
      (d) Club Historian – Maryann
An example of duties is to compile a list of previous board members. Paul Graebener passed on the opportunity. Maryann is still looking for an Archivist.

6.            New Business
      (a) Handbook - Eric
      A draft of the handbook was sent to all board members with a request for feedback on the content.
      Bill P. sent his comments to Roderick. As a handbook Bill felt it was too long with too much detail.
      Bill N. commented that the Handbook should be about what it means to be a member of PCC and about the spirit of curling. The sections about the game – rules & how to play – belong in a learn-to-curl document. Bill N. to send his suggestions via e-mail to Roderick & Eric.
      The question was raised of soft copy vs. hard copy. The majority opinion was for both. Limited hard copies should be produced for new curlers, especially for the “Everything you need to know about curling” seminars. The soft copy option is easy and should be posted to the web.
      Bill N. to send agenda for “Everything You Need to Know about Curling” to Roderick.
      (b) Plainfield Pin - Neil
Neil distributed the graphic. The pin looks great.
The Canadian exchange rate is currently not as favorable as previously.
Costs:         $2.08 for 1000, $2.45 for 500 pins. Plus shipping.
Neil proposed an order for 1000 pins. Accepted.
      (c) Junior Curling finances - Rachel Henderson
Fees:          Youth curling fees are $40.
Candy sales:           The Club buys the candy, profits go to Youth curling. This establishes a method to fund the junior program, increasing the club’s contribution by the margin earned. Eric reported that very few sales are recorded in the bar book; nearly all sales go into ‘the pig’.
Junior expenses: Funds have been used to buy snacks, although this is now usually picked up by the parents. Most of the funds are used to invest in curling supplies (sliders, grippers, some brooms). The more serious kids usually buy personal equipment, but since kids outgrow equipment quickly, a pool of supplies is useful. Other expenses include the year end awards party.
We need to have a method for better accounting for the money generated and spent on youth curling – “Pig in, Pig out”. – Action: Youth Curling committee.
Fund Raiser Shirts: Shirts were purchased at the end of last season with limited time for sales. We will have inventory to sell to start next year.
      (d) New locks - Maryann
It has been some time since the locks were changed and we have no controls over who has keys. It was agreed that it is time to change the locks.
We need to establish a protocol for who gets a key and a control process. Bob Fox will make a proposal for the next board meeting.
      (e) USCA/GNCC directory updates – Bill & Roderick
Roderick has received info from our members for the GNCC directory. The list includes Officers, Youth curling, and Women’s curling. Roderick will send it to the GNCC.
Bill N. has sent the 2007-2008 contact info for the Officers to the USCA.

7.            Additional items from floor
(a)    Club Photographer - Rachel Henderson
Rachel raised the need to have a photographer(s) to record the results of our bonspiels and events. This is in-line with Maryann’s desire to have a Club Historian, someone to take care of collecting, organizing and making available the records of the club’s activities.
It was recognized that this may be best broken into 2 responsibilities:
      1. Photographing and recording details of the events
      2. Collecting, organizing, and publishing the photographs and records
Jeff proposed a photography committee. With several members, no one person will be burdened with working an event. Maryann to seek members for the Photo Committee.
Bonspiel organizers must arrange for a photographer (from the Photo Committee) to capture the event and are responsible for getting the photos and results to the Archivist and GNCC rep. Jeff to work with bonspiel organizers to improve their use of the web site.
Rod to search within the Membership committee for an Archivist.

To facilitate the recording of events, the purchase of a club PC was again raised. Bob Fox volunteered to provide a PC for the club. Roderick Black volunteered to provide a digital camera.
(b)   Sheet 3 - Jeff
      Sheet 3 submissions are due on July 15th. The first issue is to be published in time for the Picnic on July 28th.

8.            Future meetings & Events
a)                  Picnic - Jeff
Picnic date is Saturday, July 28th. Event price raised to $15 to cover all expenses. No one need bring any food. If someone wishes to bring food, they are asked to bring disposable containers, avoiding any cleanup.
b)                  Patriot’s night (part 2) - Robin Kerr
      Robin plans to organize another Patriot’s night, late in the season. We may not be in the picnic area this time, but can be adjacent to it. Details to come.
c)                  Next meeting – Tuesday, August 7th., 7pm

Adjournment 9:20pm
      Motioned by Roderick, seconded by Maryann

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Nickle
Secretary

Annual Meeting - April 21, 2007

PLAINFIELD CURLING CLUB

Minutes of Annual Meeting – April 21, 2007

The President, Bill Peskoff, called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm. Forty-six (46) members were present, meeting the quorum requirement of fifteen (15). Gail Knight acted as secretary.

1. A motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the semi annual meeting was made, seconded and adopted. Copies of the minutes were available from the President.

2. The following Committee Reports were presented.

FINANCE

The Financial Report was distributed and reviewed by John DeJong.

- Revenue from Bonspiels and league dues have increased from last year.

- The club debt has been reduced, leaving $12,123 owed to the GNCC.

- Bar expenses were up as a part of the cost of renovations (no charge for those working on renovations during the summer).

- All members are in good standing.

- The final billing will be sent out shortly.

Members are urged to pay their bills promptly to help the club’s cash position which has been reduced as a result of last year’s renovations.

LEAGUE REPORT

The League Report was presented by Maryann Vermeulen.

- The club has been successful in maintaining league curling on every day of the week.

- At the end of March there were 170 active curlers representing 217 league units.

The Board will be sending a survey to members requesting input on league makeup for next season.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

The Membership Report was presented by Rod Black.

There were 48 new members and the 6 in attendance were recognized.

There was a discussion on planned summer initiatives to attract new members and club members will be asked to participate. There was also a discussion on other ideas on how to attract new members.

FACILITY REPORT

The Facility & Grounds report for summer projects and long range plans was presented by Bob Howell. Each of the major projects identified has an estimated cost range of $2,000 – $15,000.

Summer Projects:

- Fence around the compressor (Est. $2,500)

- Clean out and remove the trailer.

- Seal the kitchen floor to increase its life.

- Men’s & women’s bathrooms. The club already has the cabinetry for the women’s room. (Est. $6,000)

- Back splash for kitchen. Emily Pike has volunteered to look at this project and Bob requested volunteers to help.

- Don Baird will be installing humidistats this summer.

Long Range Projects:

- Insulate the south wall

- Install mezzanine in storage area behind the ice house.

- Install a new ceiling in the ice house.

- Replace the florescent lights in the ice house.

- Replace the side boards and carpeting in the ice house.

A suggestion by Eric Blassneck to look into off-site self storage will be reviewed by the next Board.

As these projects are undertaken there will be requests for volunteers and members are encouraged to participate.

BY-LAW AMENDMENTS

The By-Law amendments were presented by Al Knight. The members were asked to approve two amendments. They were asked to approve the insertion of a new Section V to Article 6. This paragraph defines the responsibilities of the Board of Directors and was inadvertently omitted when the By-Law revision was approved at the fall 2006 meeting.

The second proposal was to delete the last sentence of Article III C. The deleted sentence provided that notice placed in a member’s club mailbox was not effective notice. This became meaningless when the mail boxes were eliminated during the renovation of the warm room.

The amendments were voted on and passed unanimously.

TRAINING & INSTRUCTION

Bill Peskoff reported on past training and future plans.

- There was an experimental training clinic last October, along with the usual Learn to Curl program. It is planned for this clinic to be expanded to become part of the “Advanced Training Program.

- This coming fall ice will be ready for use in October and in October there will be Learn to Curl along with an Advanced Training Clinic.

3. Unfinished Business was spoken to by Bill Peskoff.

- Did the club wish to resume having a Newsletter and have a Directory in the 2007/08 season?

- The Annual Picnic will be either July 28 or August 4.

- The Banquet will be at the Club (September 8) and will be catered. Individuals that are candidates to become new members for the 2007/08 season will be notified and encouraged to come.

4. New Business

Ed Veltre accepted the position of Social Chairman and will be looking at the many ideas that were raised at the meeting – including:

- movie nights

- card/game night

- outdoor games

- Would the use of “signing bonuses” encourage members to recruit new members?

Rod Black asked for a volunteer to represent the club at the GNCC Annual Meeting to be held on May 19-20, 2007 at Lake Placid. Rod is the club Representative but will be unable to attend.

5. Elections

Leaving the board are Leanne Agaman, John DeJong and Bob Howell.

The Nominating Committee chaired by Tom Famularo nominated Eric Blassneck, Bob Fox, Robin Kerr, Gillian Murray & Bill Nickle.

There were no nominations from the floor.

The new board members are: Eric Blassneck, Bob Fox and Bill Nickle.

Bill Peskoff thanked all those that agreed to run for office.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.

Submitted April 21, 2007

Gail Knight