Pace Setter : September 2016

HMRRC Club Minutes (August 10, 2016)

Attendance: Tom and Marcia Adams, Maureen Cox, Ed Neiles, John Parisella, Jon Rocco, Cathy Sliwinski, Lara Stelmaszyk, Ken Skinner, Jim Tierney

Call to Order (John Parisella):

1. Approval of July 13, 2016, minutes. Motion to approve minutes made by Marcia Adams, seconded by Cathy Sliwinski. Motion passed.

2. Reports of Officers

2.1 President (J. Parisella):

Has tax-return packet from CPA.

Received note of acknowledgement from Girls on the Run of the Capital Region for Workforce Team Challenge donation.

Will now be proceeding with the Race Review Committee.

Discussion of succession of HMMRC officers.

Conflict of interest policy needs to be discussed and developed at the September meeting. Will convene a committee; Maureen Cox will provide model text for the policy, from a document she has.

2.2 Executive Vice President (F. Broderick): (Not present; no report)

2.3 Executive Vice President – Finance (R. Newkirk): (Not present; no report)

2.4 Secretary (L. Stelmaszyk): No report

2.5 Treasurer (J. Golden): (Not present; report e-mailed) See attached report. Total of accounts: $350,470.60. See attached report.

3. Reports of Committees

3.1 Membership (D. Fisher-Golden): (Not present; report e-mailed) See attached report. Discussion followed about needing to define what a family membership is and reaching out to people who might not fall within that definition (e.g., adult roommates who are joining as a family).

Total membership: 2,849

Change in membership: 8 (-50 from May)

New memberships: 27

Facebook followers: 2,662 (+15)

Twitter followers: 249 (+7)

3.2 Volunteers (M. Adams): Still haven’t gotten volunteer lists from some races. She needs the official sign-in lists or other volunteer lists from race directors or race volunteer coordinators.

3.3 Public Relations (R. Moore): (Not present; report e-mailed)

3.4 Race Committee (J. Rocco):

Races since last meeting:

43rd Hour Run (July 14): Although there were downpours and thunderstorms in the afternoon, the weather cleared in time for the start, but the heat and humidity hung around. 12 runners competed; there were 28 in 2015 and 31 in 2014. We have a new addition to the 10-mile club: the winner was Kevin Dixon, age 22, who ran 10.05 miles. Martha DeGrazia was the female winner and 1 of 2 females to compete (the other was Anny Stockman). Martha repeated and has won this event 6 times, a record.

40th Pentathlon (July 16): 16 competed, compared with 23 last year and 18 in 2014. Winner was 18-year-old Kevin Gideon. 2 females competed; the winner was Diana Davis.

21st annual Indian Ladder Trail Run 3.5M and 15K (Sunday, July 31): Total of 125 finishers for the 2 races, compared with 163 in 2015 and 225 in 2014. There were 43 in the 3.5M, down from 63 last year; 82 in 15K, down from 99 last year. Patricia Gundlach and Teal Reeves were the female winners; Gaven Richard and PJ Gorneault won for the males.

Colonie Summer Track finished up its 8 weeks on Aug 2; Frank Myers said they had the most participants ever. Ribbon Night (July 26) was very successful, with 90 blue ribbons awarded, meaning we had 90 separate races for kids 12 years and under in the 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m.

38th Dynamic Duo (Saturday, August 6): 162 competed, compared with 142 last year and 168 in 2014. Roughly 36 percent of the teams were in the 36-and-under combined category; it remains a popular event for local high school kids. Fastest times: Jacob Andrews (15:11) and Megan Kellog (17:17).

Tawasentha #1 (Monday, August 8): 135 finishers, compared with 125 last year and 109 in 2014. Two weeks remain, with next week (August 15) being a Grand Prix event. USATF Adirondack Association received a $2,000 grant from the USATF National Office to develop a series of three XC races with the goal of stimulating and increasing USATF ADK membership. They had asked to piggyback on the HMRRC series rather than competing with it by creating their own. They have advertised the series to their membership, will cover chip timing for the three weeks, and are providing giveaways such as USATF plastic cups. HMRRC sneaker cozies are among the giveaways.

Upcoming between now and September meeting:

Tawasentha XC: Two weeks remain, with next week being a Grand Prix event (as indicated above). Registration through AREEP.

SEFCU Labor Day 5K on Sept 5. Registration open on HMRRC.com as well as mail-in. All has been firmed up w/ OGS.

In the next month, will firm up RDs for 2017, to get the schedule ready. The Delmar Dash will be losing its RDs due to family commitments.

3.5 Race Committee Treasurer (C. Sliwinski): See attached report.

3.6 Pace Setter and website (E. Neiles): Phase two processes will begin in the next few months; the next thing is being able to accept credit card charges on the website.

3.7 Conflicts Committee (R. Newkirk): Not present; no report

3.8 Safety Committee (VACANT):

3.9 Grants Committee (R. Newkirk): (Not present; report e-mailed)

3.10 Long Range Planning Committee (E. Neiles): Meeting of the Long-Range Planning Committee was held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 30, at the HMRRC clubhouse. It lasted two and a half hours. With regard to the Workforce Team Challenge: there’s a need for five additional coordinators in order to relieve some of the burden from the race director. Mohawk Hudson River Marathon: has a nearly full field of coordinators but are looking to do succession planning when people currently in the positions step down. Talked about ways to bring younger people into the organization as volunteers, which is critically important to the functioning of HMRRC.

3.11 Just Run Program (K. Skinner): Cross-country meet is planned for Thursday, November 2. (Daylight Savings Time ends late this year.)

4. Unfinished Business:

5. New Business:

Cathy Sliwinski spoke with the asst. principal and athletic director of Watervliet Junior-Senior High, who indicated that their modified cross-country and spring track and field programs have been cut for budgetary reasons. These cuts directly affect about 20 to 30 kids. Cathy suggested that HMRRC offer them a grant to restore the program for the year, so that these kids have to opportunity to run. She indicated that the town of Watervliet has been very, very generous with policing during the marathon and half-marathon. Cathy Sliwinski made a motion to allocate up to $5,000 to bring back the modified cross-country and track and field programs for the 2016–17 school year. Marcia Adams seconded the motion. The motion has been tabled until the September meeting.

Ken Skinner was interested in getting a report from Abby Atkins of USATF about the Junior Olympics events this summer, and getting feedback about the grant HMRRC made to USATF.

6. Announcements:

Adjourn:

Motion to adjourn made by Marcia Adams at 9:03 p.m. Seconded by Maureen Cox.