Michigan Blind Athletic Association

Board of Directors’ meeting minutes

April 9, 2008

 

Directors present:  Mike Branch, Frank Wolf, Tom Coyne, Richard Hodges and Sherry Gordon

 

There was not a quorum present; therefore, we discussed the following:

Athlete John Kusku had inquired through Gordon the possibility of obtaining some financial assistance through the MBAA for his participation in the 2008 Boston Marathon.  Total cost of the trip, plus registration, is $595. 

 

Hodges reported we currently have $29,743 in our treasury.  This does need to last us until we get the Gilmore and Upjohn grants in the fall—assuming we will get these grants.  Costs through the fall will include the already approved New Jersey tournament (around $1700), Sports Ed Camp (around $17,000), the youth national goalball tournament (approximately $2500), $300 for athlete John Kusku (for the Boston Marathon) and the national bowling tournament (cost not determined at this time).   

 

Motion was made by Wolf to fund the Sports Ed Camp funding request for $16,629.  All five Board members present approved this request.  Paul and Sue Ponchillia are having Scott and Leanne Ford be the directors of the junior and senior camps respectively this year.  This is part of the transitioning activities which the Ponchillias talked with the MBAA Board about a couple of years ago.

 

Coyne made a motion to fund John Kusku $300 for his trip to Boston for the marathon.  All five Board members present supported this motion.  Kusku will be asked to submit his airline ticket stub to Hodges in order to receive reimbursement for his costs.

 

 

Hodges brought up the approximately $400 per year of reoccurring administrative costs to the MBAA Board.  The idea behind this proposal is that for the following costs, when these reoccurring costs are due, they would not need to be approved by the MBAA Board, unless there is a change in the amount of these costs:

  1. State of Michigan/CIS  $20 (usually due in September)
  2. USABA membership ($25)—usually due in January or February
  3. Tandem bike club liability insurance premium $45 (usually due in March)
  4. MBAA Board general liability insurance ($166)—usually due in ??
  5. what is this one?

 

All Board members present approved this motion.

 

Gordon will send out three different e-mail messages which will ask our Board members, who are not present, to vote on these three funding requests.  It was noted that Bill Welke, through Tom Coyne, had expressed his approval for all three of these motions, by proxy vote.  Therefore, in order to have a majority of Board members approve these funding requests, we need just one additional vote of approval for each.  (Secretary’s note—both John Hulsebus and Tyler Merren voted “for” the three funding requests.  Therefore, all three motions passed).   

 

It was discussed that once we pay money for the costs mentioned earlier, we would have approximately $8000 remaining in our treasury.  This amount does not include what we would pay toward the bowling and goalball national tournaments.     

 

Gordon reported that at the New Jersey goalball tournament, Michigan took one mens team and two womens teams.  The men’s team finished in fourth place; one of the women’s teams (Kalamazoo Chaos) finished in third place; the other women’s team (WMU Broncos) finished in fifth place. 

 

Coyne asked when a decision would be made for the teams going to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.  Gordon indicated that sometime between the New Jersey tournament and the May 17 Utah tournament—these teams would be announced.  Gordon also noted Tyler Merren and Steve Denuyl, as well as Asya Miller and Robin Theryoung were very good possibilities to make the teams.

 

Gordon reported the tandem bikes will be taken out to Breakaway Bikes next week, in order to be maintained.  Although the bikes are now 8 years old, they are not at all “nickel and diming” us.  Gordon was requested to speak with Paul Wells, owner of Breakaway Bikes, in order to get his recommendation on how these bikes are looking and if we should consider replacing any of them at this time.    

 

Meeting was adjourned. 

 

Our next meeting will be held at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center on Wednesday, May 14 at 4:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Sherry Gordon, MBAA Secretary