New England Swimming
Wellesley Community Center, Wellesley, Massachusetts
October 21, 2003
Present:� Members:� Pam Warner, Kathy Dacey, Priscilla Davis, Thomas Bailey, Caitlin Grant, Fred Catalano, Carol Healey, Laura Matuszak, Mariella Allard, Dan Warner, Ray Grant, Harriet Kinnett, Bill Geary, Bob Gauvin, David LeBlanc, Amy Parratto.�� Guests:� Mary Riddell, Rick Osterberg, Janis Gately, Joseph Bernal, Paul Bennett.
Chairperson this evening is Pam Warner (OSS).
Secretary�s Report:� Kathy Dacey (BGSC): �minutes read from September 2, 2003 and adopted with no revisions.
Budget:� Fred Catalano (BGSC):� reviewed budget and explained why there is a deficit.� Awards were purchased for 2 years, with the cost being absorbed for this year, which explains the deficit.� Motion made to accept the budget as proposed by Dan Warner (NSSC), 2nd by Priscilla Davis (NE), motion passes.
Reimbursement:� Mary Riddell (NE):� Discussion regarding Zoe Crowley�s request for reimbursement for the Australia Junior National Disability Games (held 4/2003), which are not a named meet in our reimbursement policy.� Motion made to allow reimbursement for this meet by Ray Grant (SEEK), 2nd by Dan Warner (NSSC), motion denied.�
Motion made to allow all other reimbursements listed on the Reimbursement sheet dated October 21, 2003 by Priscilla Davis (NE), 2nd by Harriett Kinnett (MAG), motion passes.
Discussion regarding reimbursement amounts for coaches and athletes to top level competitions.� Discussion regarding rising costs and supporting New England�s top athletes as they compete with the finest in the world.� Motion made to raise the reimbursement amount for the US Open to $300.00, and Senior Nationals to $500.00.� Motion made to raise the allowances by Amy Parratto (SSA), 2nd by Dan Warner (NSSC), motion passes.
Motion made by Ray Grant (SEEK) to increase coach�s reimbursement for Senior Nationals, US Open, World Cup and National Disability Championships to go from $150.00 to $300.00, with a limit of 1 coach�s reimbursement per team.� 2nd by Dan Warner (NSSC), motion passes.
At Large- Appointments:� Motion made by Dan Warner (NSSC) to appoint the following people as members of the Board with At-large appointments:� Mike Parratto (SSA), Bill Geary (MAG), David LeBlanc (YNS), Bob Gauvin (SCA), Mariella Allard (NE), 2nd by Priscilla Davis (NE), motion passes.
Convention:� Priscilla Davis (NE) � Safety Coordinator � 3�6� minimum has been raised to 4 ft. for dive starts.� Anything shorter must be started in the water.
Junior Nationals will return to the USA Swimming Calendar in the summer of 2005.
Coach�s Report: Laura Matuzack (GMA):� there was a small coaches meeting at the Boston Coaches Clinic, discussion included Zones, championship meets and how to involve more coaches in the overall process.
Calendar:� Ray Grant (SEEK):� New England will be going with the Open Championship meet format this season.� No one bid on hosting 13 & Overs on the requested weekend.�
Discussions regarding the selection of a host team to run the Open meet vs. the Age-Group meet.� The Calendar committee believes the Open meet at Harvard will be the best format available.
Motion made to accept calendar as proposed by Priscilla Davis (NE), 2nd by Ray Grant (SEEK), motion passes.
The Open meet will be hosted by BOSS at Harvard, there is no meet director named at this time.
Ray Grant (SEEK) presented a lengthy, detailed explanation of the breakdown of the Regional meets and how he developed qualifying time standards.� He is adding events to 12 & Unders and changing time standards.� Motion made to accept these standards, motion passes.
Zone Meets:� Ray Grant (SEEK): �explained why New England is opting out of
the Short Course Zones meet in the spring, and will instead concentrate and
develop New England�s support of the summer long course meet as the big meet
for New England swimmers.
Banquet:� Tom Malchow is the guest speaker; approximately 400 people are planning to attend the banquet.�
By-Laws:� Discussion regarding whether coaches can be the safety coordinator listed on a team�s information sheet.� NE By-Laws require an individual member of USA Swimming, other than the coach be listed in this position.� There was discussion regarding this requirement, as many teams list the coach as the safety coordinator.� New England should either enforce the rule, or change the By-Laws.� Discussion tabled until the annual meeting when this may be amended.� Discussion regarding swim meet marshals � marshals need to be members of USA Swimming and be educated by the Safety Coordinator.
Technical Committee:� Dan Warner (NSSC):� Wants all sanctioned meets included in the Top 10; Mary Riddell to get qualification from Rosemarie Meisner (MAG) to see how to import this information into Swims, which is the computer software Rosemarie Meisner (MAG) uses to keep these records.�
To qualify for New England Championship meets, a New England registered swimmer must swim at least two (2) sanctioned meets during the season.
The NE Open will be short course.�
Officials:� Bill Geary (MAG):� many officials� clinics are posted and there are more to come.� Check the website frequently, and encourage your members to attend these clinics.
Athlete�s Representatives:� Caitlin Grant (SEEK):� more information is going up on the athlete�s page on the website.
Other Business:� Bob Gauvin�s team (SCA) is using on-line registration and it is going well.� Feel free to call him if you have any questions.
The next meeting of the Board of New England Swimming will be December 2, 2003.� The first meeting in 2004 should be the 2nd Tuesday in January.� Check the website to confirm dates.
Meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Dacey, Secretary