Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

January 20, 2021 

 

Meeting Date, Time and Location - Wednesday, January 20,2021 – 6:45 p.m. –Zoom

In Attendance – Mike Alexander, President; Lee VanDiver, Vice President; Doris Warpole, Secretary; Ron Petre, American League Commissioner; Rick Rhodes, National League Commissioner; Gary Mastrodonato, Team Sponsorship/Past President; Harvey Schulman, AL Member at Large; Eurskine Lyons, NL Member at Large; Christine Scheurich, Treasurer

 

Non-Profit Status / IRS Tax Issue

• Mike gave an overview of where we are at as it relates to the Form 1024 and the league non-profit status.  

• Since we are unable to get the original Form 1024 from Mike G. Mike contacted the IRS and requested a copy of the original.

• If we cannot get it, Gary and Doris offered to try and complete a new one.

• It will cost the league $600 in order to get our non-profit status reinstated.

 

Gwinnett County Meeting 

• Terra Branch will get with us to set a meeting with County officials to go over Gwinnett County rules/policies.  

  • For now, she said the league can ahead and start setting up for the First Half. 

  • We just need to send her a 2021 Plan of Action and Insurance coverage before the league starts.

• No restrictions from County on play – permits requested for practices and league play.

• No increase in out of county ($90 per OCC player) or light fees ($9 per hour per field) for 2021 (per Stacy Fowler)

 

First Half Season – Start first week in April

• Deadline to sign up March 12

• List of Players to Managers by March 19

• Draft – AL Tues (March 23) In Person or Zoom

• Draft – NL Wed (March 24)  Zoom

• American League – Start Monday, April 5 (Memorial Day – Monday May 31)

  • Per Ron AL managers will be the same except he has not had confirmation from Chuck Williams on if he will continue as Manager.

• National League – Start April 13 

  • National League will start 1 week later - Spring Training Tournament will be held the week of April 5.

  • Rick follow up with 2020 Managers to see if they will manage.

  • Number of players signed up will determine how many managers will be needed.

• Ron and Rick will create their first half schedules using the league web site.

 

Registration Form / League Fees

• No change in League Fees ($30 member fee, $98 per season fee) 

• Do not have anything on registration form stating 20 or 24 games or an end date.

• 1/22/21 – Per Mike, only allow members to sign up for First Half and Practices due to uncertainty of the current situation since Gwinnett County could make changes that might impact the rest of the year.

• Once John Gordon creates the 2021 online registration form and Plan of Action, Doris will send out the blast email for sign up.  

  • Attached blast email approved by Mike Alexander to send out.

  • Send out blast email once 2021 Registration Form and Plan of Action have been approved and online.  Send out the email the week of February 1.

Plan of Action/COVID Waiver

• There will not be anything added as it relates to the COVID vaccine.  Players cannot be asked if they received it or not – it violates HIPPA law for privacy.

• Take off item 11 sunflower seeds.

• Board agreed to add guidelines regarding temperature checks for both league play and practices. 

  • Temperature is required before players are allowed on the field. 

  • If player refuses to have temperature taken, they will be asked to leave the park.

  • If temperature is over 100.4, ask make player to wait 5 minutes and then retake temperature.  If still high, player will be asked to leave the park.

  • Temperature checks/rechecks will be at entrance to field or at concession stand area.

  • Kathy said she would be doing temperature checks for the National League and she would also help out the American League the first couple of weeks of the season.

    • Do we allow players to take their own temperature? No – self checks are not allowed.  All temperature checks must be taken by the designated League Representative.

    • Do we want to keep the outer gates locked for first 30 minutes to make sure players are getting their temperature checked or do we rely strictly on the managers to make sure their players have gotten their temperature checked? Gates should be kept locked until game time. Managers are responsible to make sure players coming in late get their temperature taken.  

    • Who should resolve issues related to temperature checks if a player argues about it?  League Commissioners

 

  Insurance ($1,095 in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-was not paid) – 

• Harvey volunteered to handle the 2021 insurance and asked that Doris send the vendor contacts.

• SSUSA Team Insurance – $520 - 13 teams ($40/team – same as 2016-2020)

  • For 2021, only look at 10 teams to start at $40 per team; League can always purchase insurance for more teams.   

• Directors and Officers Liability Insurance – 2017-2020 $575; 2016 - $558

  • Harvey will follow up with vendor about renewing for 2021

 

Softballs (Ron/Rick) – Already Purchased in 2020

• Managers in both leagues have the softballs from 2020.  

 

New equipment

• Pitcher Masks – Each pitcher should be encouraged to have their own mask. 

  • League should have some face masks in the concession room for players who only pitch every now. But the masks need to be cleaned before each game.  

  • Kathy has purchased 6 bottles of hand santizier that will be kept in the concession room for cleaning the masks.

  • Per Bob Morrison, he purchased 4 Face Masks from Mizuno in late 2019.  The masks are in the concession stand room.  

• Wind Screens for both fields 

  • Per Ron/Lee, the Screens are in 6 x 6 boxes in the concession room.  

    • Doris will follow up with Jim Hannah to verify if they are in the concession room or the room behind it.  Per Ron, the wind screens are in the concession room.

    • Gwinnett County will hang the screens right before the season starts. 

      • Stacy Fowler said the wind screens will at the standard height.  

      • Ron said they should be the same height as the screen on the softball field now.   Doris will follow up with Terra.

 

Any SSUSA Rule Changes / Disapproved Bats (Eurskine) No rule changes 

• All bats must be BPF of 1.21 or less.

 

Team Sponsors (Gary)  

• Decision was made not to increase sponsor fees for 2021.

• Doris will follow up with Gary to verify who wanted their sponsor fee rolled over.

• Clif and Chris stated they are willing to pay more – additional $100 for softballs, etc.

• Lee would like to step down as a sponsor but is willing to donate $100 for softballs.  

 

Final 2020 Financial Statement

• Decision was made to use October 20 statement as final for 2020.

• Per Doris, Mike has only paid 2 small checks before year end so the statement should not be substantially different.

 

Suggestions / Rule Changes discussed at Annual Meeting 

• League did not receive any suggestions/rule changes for 2020 except a request for a change to the 2020 Plan of Action by a player to have all players wear a mask in common area, bathrooms, etc. at practices.

• Board made the decision not to make the change to the Plan of Action. Decision was relayed to the player and 2 Practice Managers.

 

Forms for Review 

• Manager Rules of Conduct

  • Rick will send out the Manager Procedures during COVID 19 guidelines he created for the National League in 2020 to Ron for review to see about incorporating for both leagues.

  • They will be an addition to the Manager Rules of Conduct.  

• Umpire Rules of Conduct – No change

• Player Movement Guidelines – No change

 

2021 Nights of Play and Field Specs 

• Permits received from Terra for practices

• Permits for nights of play requested – Should have in late February/early March

 

Tournaments During Year

 

One Pitch Annual Players Memorial Tournament  

Stay with late September (Tentative 3rd week)

Bob Morrison requested if he could continue to run it.

Board agreed.
 

National League One Pitch Spring Training Tournament Before First Half Starts

• Spring Training Night – First Tuesday/Thursday before season starts

• National League will have tournament the week of April 5.

 

American League Playoff Tournament between Seasons or end of Season - top 3 teams and bottom 3 teams

• Per Ron, it is hard to schedule between seasons if we have a lot of rainouts.

• Ron will be on point to set tournament if it can be held.

 

Annual Bert McDade Gwinnett Stripers Night Out (Gary Mastrodonato)

• Gary will continue to work with Gwinnett Stripers for a Night Out in June xx (Friday or Saturday)

• $100 deposit will need to be paid by League