Pace Setter : March 2016

HMRRC Club Minutes (February, 2016)

Attendance: Tom and Marcia Adams, Abby Atkins, Karen Bertasso, Ed Neiles, Ray Newkirk, Brian Northan, Chris Nowak, John Parisella, Jon Rocco, Ken Skinner, Cathy Sliwinski, Lara Stelmaszyk, Anny and Wade Stockman, Jim Tierney

Call to Order (John Parisella):

1. Approval of January 13, 2016, minutes. Motion made by Marcia Adams to approve minutes, seconded by Bryan Northan. Motion passed.

2. Reports of Officers

2.1 President (J. Parisella): (1) Recap of USATF ADK Grand Prix funding issue; the question has been resolved for the present. Discussion followed. Abby Atkins, the current board president of USATF ADK, participated in the discussion.

(2) Albany City Track and Field Classic, a high school invitational track meet, with a morning 5K as a fundraiser, both to be held April 23, 2016. Coach Barnes, the track coach from Albany High, is looking for HMRRC participation in some form; if it’s money that’s being sought, a special-purpose grant would be the appropriate avenue for that (the club’s general grants need to benefit runners in general and cannot go to a particular school; funding for 5K could potentially be handled through a general grant). John Parisella will get in touch with Coach Barnes to get more information.

(3) The race schedule for 2017 is up for review. Next month, John Parisella will be announcing members for the Race Review Committee.

(4) The HMRRC banquet was a success.

2.2 Executive Vice President (F. Broderick): (Not present) Communicating with Section II about the Schraeder Scholarships.

2.3 Executive Vice President – Finance (R. Newkirk): Assembling the final balance sheet for 2015; it will be available next month. 2016 should be a break-even year.

Full audit planned at the end of 2016. Still consolidating the club’s 11 bank accounts into 3 or 4 monitored by a single club accounting system. Being able to scan receipts into QuickBooks will facilitate the audit and also allow real-time snapshots of the club’s finances.

2.4 Secretary (L. Stelmaszyk): No report

2.5 Treasurer (J. Golden): See attached report. Total of accounts: $389,493.46

3. Reports of Committees

3.1 Membership (D. Fisher-Golden): See attached report.

Total membership: 3,081

Change in membership: -44

New memberships: 81 this month

Facebook followers: 2,547

Twitter followers: 223

3.2 Volunteers (M. Adams): Needs volunteer forms back from race directors so she can enter it names and contact information into a database. This information can be used to contact those volunteers the following year.

3.3 Public Relations (R. Moore): (Not present) Still needs a volunteer coordinator for the HMRRC booth at the ADK Sports and Fitness Spring/Summer Expo.

3.4 Race Committee (J. Rocco):

CDPHP Workforce Challenge: Registration is open. Still need: Course entertainment coordinator, Team captain coordinator, Event set-up coordinator.

Police strongly encouraging limiting number of runners for WTC, though they gave no specific number; there is a safety issue with runners fanning out off the road and onto the sidewalks. About 8,200 finishers last year (10,200 entrants); entry capped at 10,000 this year. Maybe more volunteers, barricades, and signage would help as well.

The charities of choice for the race will be Girls on the Run and Schenectady ARC. CDPHP sent out a press release and created a Facebook page for the event; HMRRC will send out an e-mail blast and create a Facebook page as well.

Winter Series: The series has concluded. Attendance records show that races this year achieved record numbers.

Winter Marathon and Relay: Set for February 14 but very cold temperatures forecast. For the second year in a row, it will be rescheduled for the safety of runners and volunteers.

Mohawk Hudson Marathon and Half-Marathon: Registration opens March 7 for members, and March 10 for everyone.

Extra Mile Awards: Tracy Callaghan, Patrick Cremmins, Mike Lee, Clay Lodovice, Brian Northan, Todd Rowe, Rob Sliwinski, David Tromp, Vince Wenger.

3.5 Race Committee Treasurer (C. Sliwinski): Please see attached report. WS race budgets had to absorb a wayward bill from SUNY left over from the 2013-2014 Winter Series. Also, SUNY’s fees are increasing every year, for facility rental, etc.

3.6 Pace Setter (E. Neiles): Cyndy Allen is now the managing editor of the Pace Setter. The new website is up and running but remains a work in progress. Much more planned for it.

3.7 Conflicts Committee (R. Newkirk): No report

3.8 Safety Committee (VACANT):

3.9 Grants Committee (R. Newkirk): Have received 4 grant applications; all have been favorably disposed. HMRRC’s policy has been to award grants to new events; two of the events are now well established and turn a profit. The Grants Committee approved these grants but will be contacting the organizations to say this is the last year.

3.10 Long Range Planning Committee (E. Neiles): No report.

3.11 Just Run Program (K. Skinner): (1) Just Run Will start in March, possibly indoors. Two news schools will be participating, an elementary school in Fonda, NY, and Pine Bush Elementary in Guilderland. Hoping to get more programs in Troy and Schenectady. End-of-season track meet will be at Guilderland High School, which has an 8-lane track; Union College had only 6 lanes, so the larger track will reduce the number of heats and make the meet move along efficiently.

(2) Looking for a matching grant (not from HMRRC) for a program called Run, Jump, Throw—a half-day clinic for kids who have not had exposure to track and field.

4. Unfinished Business: None

5. New Business: Eric Taylor, membership director for Best Fitness, wants to be an event sponsor; he has previously sponsored the HMRRC Mother’s Day race at $1,000.

6. Announcements:

Adjourn:

Motion to adjourn, made by Marcia Adams. Seconded by Chris Nowak at 9:11 p.m.