Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Meeting

July 19, 2007

Stuart Pollock, treasurer, addressed the financial status of the league.  We are showing a small profit. Mike Sladicki presented a preliminary budget for next year.   See attached.

Concession Stand:  Claire Lakatos volunteered to chair the concession stand for the 2008 season. 

Defibrilator:  Mike Umerich has the league’s defibrilator.  Bill Carlin will see that it is returned.

Joint Rec Board:  The Joint Rec Board meets the 3^rd Thursday of every month.  The league needs someone to go to these meetings to represent our interests.  If the league has a subject they wish to discuss, it must be e-mailed to the rec board before the meeting.

Grants:  Jim Wancazk is in a position to help us get a grant for the fields.  However, we need details and an estimate of cost.  Bill Carlin will get the figures and forward them to Joe D’Amato so we can start the process.

Fields:  There was a general discussion of the fields.  Some teams mix Diamond tek with sand to make it go further.  There was also discussion about engaging the HS masonry class to work on the dugouts.  No decisions were made.

New Board Member:  John DeMatteo was nominated by Stu Pollock for a board position.  Bill Carlin seconded the motion.  The vote was unanimously affirmative.

8U – There was much discussion on how to run the 8U level, especially concerning pitching.  Many of the girls were not prepared to pitch, having had no prior experience.  There was discussion about teaching them properly, and maybe having a clinic of some kind, perhaps with help from the HS team.  However, in the past, when clinics were held, not many girls took advantage of them.  The issues were tabled for the time being.

Schedules:  We need a schedule coordinator for the fields.  This person would handle schedules for games and practice fields.  This would alleviate conflicts over use of the fields.

Equipment:  We have many helmets which do not meet the standards of the ASA and cannot be used.  The league is looking for a place to donate them.  We will need an equipment committee to keep track of everything next year.

The next meeting will be held on Sunday, August 19^th at the VFW at 7 pm.  Coaches and perspective board members are invited to attend.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.

Members present on July 19

Bill Carlin

Diane Schumacher

Alexis Gilmore

John DeMatteo

Mike Sladicki

Stuart Pollock

Tom Davis

Joe D’Amato

Jim Brown

Karen Kane

Colleen Wrobel

Claire Lakatos

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Meeting

August 19, 2007

Bill Carlin sent a note, effectively retiring as President on this date.

Sal Santoli nominated Mike Sladkicki to be President – Stu Pollock 2^nd the motion

Vote was unanimous to elect Mike.

Sal was nominated to be 1^st VP by Tom Davies and seconded by Joe D’Amato.  Vote was unanimous.

Tom Davis was nominated to e 2^nd VP by Diane, seconded by John DeMatteo.  Vote as unanimous.

Treasurer will remain Stuart Pollock.

Secretary will remain Diane Schumacher.

Jack Henzes and Bill Blaum were voted onto the board and as league commissioners.

Current commissioners are:

 6U- Jack Henzes

 8U – Bill Blaum

10U-John DeMatteo & Joe D’Amato

12U- Mike Sladicki

14U –open

17U – Sal Santoli

Commissioners’ duties will include: Picture distribution, uniform distribution, equipment issues, & coaches questions

Sal will help with registration until we have a 14U coach.  There is usually only 1 team so a separate commissioner is not needed.

Tom Davis will be Web site coordinator.  He will upload registrations, and be schedule coordinator.

As last year, U10, 12 &14 rules are set by the turnpike league.  U8 & U6 rules will be set by the AAGSL board.

Joe D’Amato will handle sponsors.

We need a field maintenance supervisor who will be responsible for lime, dragging the field, backstops, field clean-up, pitching rubbers, and handling problems as they arise.  The JRB cuts the grass several times a week.

Mike Sladicki will oversee equipment and uniforms but we need a permanent commissioner for this job.  League Commissioners will assist Mike.

Concession stand decisions have been tabled while we concentrate on other league business.

Sal will look into getting the league’s defibrillator into our possession.

We are hoping to have use of South Abington Park field – at the end of the parking lot- for 2 nights a week starting in early May.  We will contact the South Ab rec board in early January to submit our formal request.

Our next meeting will be Sunday, September 16^th at 7 pm at the VFW.  Registration & player development will be the topics.

                                                                                      Diane Schumacher

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Meeting

September 19, 2007

Registration was discussed.  Along with the registration form, we are considering sending out a letter with commissioners names and numbers, season start dates, important dates during the season (tournaments, pictures, all-star try outs, etc.), and a date by which girls can expect a call from their coach.

We hope to have registration forms out by the end of October.

A late season start for the 6U and 8U is being considered.  Mid-May, after Communions and Dance recitals may be better for the girls.

There was discussion on holding an umpire clinic in house since we had a difficult time getting coverage for all of the games last year.  Mike Sladicki will look into this.

All-Star tryouts will be held this year- maybe the first week of June.  This would give all of the girls on all teams an opportunity to participate.

The snack stand issue was tabled until the next meeting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Diane Schumacher

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Meeting

October 21, 2007

Minutes from the last meeting were read.

Registration forms were discussed.  Several changes were agreed upon.

1. Remove the space for special requests and add in a space for sponsors.
2. Add a note that there is no guarantee of team placement after the March 1 deadline.
3. Include the sponsorship registration form in the mailings.
4. A possibility of including a list of officers and league commissioners with contact information in the registration mailing.

Other registration issues were a possible ad in the local newspapers, a registration night for walk-in registration and sending the registration form to the schools.

Mike Sladicki presented a list of possible dates for the league.  (in attachment)

Insurance – Bill Blaum informed the board that the current release on the registration form is not valid.  He will rewrite it properly so it can be included on the back of the registration form.

                    Bill also informed the board that they need to be covered, as individuals, by liability insurance.  Stuart will check with our insurance company to implement this coverage.

AAGSL Website – Bill Fontanella is still listed as a contact.  His name will be removed as he is no longer affiliated with the league.  Diane voiced a concern that the board members names on the website were not correct.  Bill Carlin’s name was omitted although he was still on the board.  A new member’s name was on the list but had not been voted upon at that time.

Yahoo e-mail – Mike wondered if this e-mail address was still used.  Diane informed him that she receives e-mails with questions during the registration process.  We will keep the address and Diane will be responsible for answering messages on it.

Diane suggested that the meeting minutes be posted on the website each month.  She promised to have them completed within a week of the meeting so there would not be outdated information on the site.  No decision was made.

Several options for the upcoming season as well as next year were introduced s possibilities.  They were:

1. An AAGSL opening day where all of our teams play at home.
2. A play-off tournament for 10U either as part of the Turnpike League or on our own.
3. A fundraiser for the Joint Recreation Board
4. A 14U tournament
5. A possibility of playing on the South Abington field after May 31^st
6. Pictures on opening day for the 2009 season

League Commissioners – Tom Davis will be 12U, Mike Sladicki 14U

Concession Stand – Diane made a motion to form a committee to run the concession stand for the AAGSL. She volunteered to chair the committee so a board member was directly involved. Jack Henzes seconded.  Motion was passed. 

Financial Records – Diane asked that a review of our books be completed so we know where we stand and what issues we need to address.  Stuart, our treasurer, said that is not a problem.

Umpires – Mike Sladicki said there should be an umpire clinic in March or April.

New Board Members –

Gayle Plevyak was nominated to be on the board by Gerald Mahler.  Seconded by Jack Henzes.   Motion was approved .

      Ron Jarocha was nominated to be on the board by Joe D’Amato.  Seconded by John DeMatteo.  Motion was approved.

Next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 18 at 6 pm.  6U and 8U rules will be discussed.  10U, 12U and 14U – TGSL affiliation will be discussed.

Meeting adjourned.

                                                                                                Diane Schumacher

                                                                                                 Secretary

Abington Area Girls Softball League

Monthly Meeting

November 18, 2007

The meeting started with a recap of jobs and responsibilities as well as clarifying executive board positions and board members.

Board Officers are:

President – Mike Sladicki

1^st Vice-President – Sal Santoli

2^nd Vice-President – Tom Davis

Secretary – Diane Schumacher

Treasurer – Stuart Pollack

Board Members are:  Joe D’Amato, John DeMatteo, Bill Blaum, Jack Henzes, Ron Jarocha, Gerry Mahler, Bill Carlin, and Gayle Plevyak.

Number of Board Members- Discussion was held on whether or not there should be a cap on the number of board members.

     Motion was made by Sal Santoli to limit board to 13 members.  Motion was seconded by John DeMatteo. Passed unanimously.

Board Member Attendance – Discussion was held about board members responsibility to attend meetings.

    Motion was made by Stuart Pollack - “Any officer who is absent without excusable cause for 3 consecutive meetings or 4 total meetings in a year shall forfeit his right to hold office.”  (Excusable cause is a phone call or e-mail to the board stating an inability to attend a meeting.)  Motion was seconded by Gayle Plevyak.  Vote was unanimous.

Jobs & Duties

Commissioners:

U-17 – Sal Santoli (if needed)

U-14 – Jerry Mahler

U-12 - Gayle Plevyak (Tom Davis, John DeMatteo and Gerry Mahler will assist as necessary)

U-10 – John DeMatteo & Joe D’Amato

U-8 - Bill Blaum

U-6 – Jack Henzes

Age Commissioners duties include, but are not limited, to the following:

Note:  All listed duties are your responsibility ONLY for your age group.

1. Answering questions from the parents of players in a timely fashion.
2. Overseeing all coaches in the age division.
3. Handing out equipment and uniforms to the coaches and dealing with the issues that arise from it.
4. Overseeing the scheduling of games and timely make-ups.
5. Overseeing any tournaments.
6. Attending TGSL meetings if needed.
7. Overseeing the draft.
8. Making sure background checks on coaches have been completed.
9. Keeping track of any necessary paperwork on players.
10. Handing out trophies.
11. Overseeing the formation of an All-Star team (if needed).
12.  Scheduling umpires (if needed).
13. Dealing with commissioners of other towns, as needed for the TGSL.
14. Any other duties as directed by the board or president.

In addition, commissioners are responsible for seeing that ALL registrations go to the registration chair – in this case – Diane Schumacher.

Age Commissioners are encouraged, but not mandated, to get an assistant to help them fulfill all responsibilities.

Other board responsibilities:

1. Registration – Diane Schumacher – responsible for overseeing all aspects of registration.

1. Web Site Supervisor – Tom Davis – Maintains web site with league information as well as schedules of field availability.

1. Field Maintenance Supervisor – Joe D’Amato – Responsible for supplies at the field including lime, pitchers’ plates, tools, etc.  as well as making sure the fields are dragged several times a week.

1. Equipment & Uniforms – Mike Sladicki – Works with age division commissioners to make sure that all teams are legally equipped per new insurance regulations and makes sure that all uniform info is coordinated with commissioners.

1. Sponsors – Joe D’Amato – finds appropriate sponsors for the league& distributes plaques to sponsors

1. Snack Stand Chair – Diane Schumacher – Sets up a committee to run the snack stand within board guidelines.

1. Insurance – Stuart Pollack – Handles all aspects of insurance coverage on players and coaches.  Coordinates background checks.

1. AAJRB Liaison –No official policy has been adopted on this issue but it is agreed that the AAGSL needs to have a presence at these meetings,

Equipment:

   1. We have bags for 17 teams but are anticipating as many as 23 teams this year so new equipment will have to be purchased.

   2. All equipment needs the ASA seal on it.  Unsanctioned equipment can not be used as per insurance regulations.  Umpires also have the power to check equipment and ban it from the game if it is not ASA sanctioned.

3.      As of the 2008 season, all bats have to have an ASA 2004 sticker.  We need to check our current inventory of bats and be sure the U-6 and U -8 are also compliant.

Discussion was held on the direction we would like the league to move in the future.  Consensus was that we want to help each girl progress at her own level, prepare girls who are interested in being competitive players for travel teams as well as high school, but retain our recreational status.  We’d like to offer clinics to interested girls in the off- season. We also would like to give coaches tools to teach as well as lists of expectations for each level.

Registration Form:

     Two changes were made to the registration form.

1. A motion was made by Joe D’Amato to raise the registration fee by $5 to $65 for he fist girl and raise the other family members by $10 to $35.  Motion as seconded by Sal Santoli.  Passed unanimously.
2. A motion was made to add a release to the parental responsibilities section of the form.  It will read. “Softball is a contact sport and injuries occur.  I, as the parent and/or legal guardian of the child being registered hereby release players, coaches, commissioners and Board members from any and all bodily injury that the child being registered suffers as a result of participation in softball.”  Motion was made by Sal Santoli and seconded by Ron Jarocha.  Passed unanimously.

Registration forms will be printed by Bill Blaum and mailed to last year’s roster list by Diane Schumacher.

Budget:

Preliminary budget was discussed.  Several changes were made. 

1. Fee will be $65 for the 1^st child and $35 for any other family members.
2. Snack stand profits are estimated to be about $5,000 and can be included as tentative revenue for the budget.

3.   There was some discussion on whether to omit coaches hats and uniforms at a cost of $900. but no decision was made.

 4.   There was discussion on the number of practice balls we need to purchase.  Some coaches stated they have practice balls from last year.  No decision was made.

A motion to accept bids for uniforms – pants, shirt and hat – was made by Stuart Pollack and seconded by Bill Blaum.  Vote as unanimous.

A final budget will be submitted by Stuart Pollack.

Next meeting will be held on January 13 at 6 pm at the VFW. 

Agenda items will be: rules for 6 & 8 age groups, affiliation with other leagues, discussion on goals for competency at each level as well as suggestions for practices for coaches.

Meeting adjourned.

                                                                                        Diane Schumacher, Secretary AAGSL

Abington Area Girls Softball League

Monthly Meeting

January 13, 2008

Treasurer’s Report – Stuart Pollack presented a report on the league’s finances from 1/1/07 to 12/31/07. (attached)  A correction on the amount of registration fees per child was made as well as a change in the wording for the safe deposit box which should read Post Office Box.  Also discussed was the fact that not all All- Star Fees were collected by the league.

  A tentative 2008 budget was presented and voted upon with the understanding that some costs are estimated.  The Board has not decided on the purchase of coaches’ hats and shirts. Some costs may change due to the number of teams formed.  Also on the tentative budget were unknowns for field maintenance, possible rent and dugout maintenance.  A report next meeting on the field conditions will help to clarify the figures.  Motion to accept the tentative budget was made by Joe D’Amato, seconded by Bill Blaum and approved.

Snack Stand – Both Jerry Mahler and Bill Blaum indicated they may have access to another refrigerator if we need it.

Registration – Diane Schumacher reported that we currently only have 29 registrations.  Some more forms are being mailed out this week to girls who were not listed on the original roster from last year.  Diane asked the board to be sure all registration forms go to her to avoid problems with insurance and to be sure there is a complete list of players.

Mike Sladicki suggested the board contact those who played last year but did not register this year.  Those calls would be made after the February meeting.

Gayle Plevyak questioned the registration fees for the travel teams for girls who are not registered on a team in the AAGSL.  Those girls pay $7 which covers the cost of their insurance.  There was discussion that those teams don’t use the same fields we do or get anything else from the league.  Gayle looked at raising the fee to $10 to help generate income for the league since we raised the fee on the girls in the league; Mike Sladicki said travel teams would just register with a different league if the AAAGSL raised the fee for them.  There were no motions.

Upcoming Events – Several dates were set for the future.  They are (tentatively):

February 17 – AAGSL monthly meeting.  Registration, field maintenance and         presentation of uniform costs will be discussed.

March 2 – the Board will meet to decide on number of teams based on registrations as well as coaches for those teams.*

March 16 – Team Draft

April 6 – Turnpike League may set schedule for season to start about April 20. (10U, 12U, 14U)

*Coaches – Discussion ensued as to how to choose coaches.  Relevant points which may be considered are:

            1. If coaches are returning from last year and are in the same division, they will coach.

            2.  Returning coaches who have moved up a division could be given first choice in empty spots.

            No formal decisions were made on this issue.  It will be decided at the next meeting based on the number of teams and number of people interested in coaching.

Starting Dates – 10U, 12U, 14U – governed by Turnpike League – season & playoffs are usually done by June 28^th

14U – starts Mid May according to Turnpike rules

6U & 8U – start sometime in May to avoid conflicts with First Communions and Dance Recitals – season will end later and a tournament will be played

Tournaments – Jack Henzes will decide on a date for a 6U tournament at the end of the season.  Bill Blaum will do the same for 8U.

The board would like to run a 10U tournament, possibly in the end of June.

Rules – There was much discussion on the 8U and 6U rules.  Jack Henzes will write the rules for 6U and Bill Blaum for 8U based on the discussion that took place.

Fields – Diane Schumacher volunteered to go to the South Abington Township building to see about field availability in South Abington Park.

Outfield Signs – There are many questions for this issue.  Discussed were: amount to charge sponsors, cost of making them, size and where to hang them.  John DeMatteo said he may be able to get some made at little or no cost to us.  Before any decision can be made, we need a definitive answer from the Joint Rec Board as to whether or not they will allow us to put the signs on the fences.

The next Joint Rec Board meeting is Thursday, January 17.  Gerry Mahler and Joe D’Amato both expressed an interest in attending.  There was a question of the AAGSL having a formal policy of board members attending Joint Rec Board meetings on a rotating basis.  No decision was made.

A motion to adjourn was made by Stuart Pollack at 9:10 pm and seconded by Bill Blaum.

Submitted by Diane Schumacher

The meeting began at 6:10 with a presentation by Sunset Photo.  Their representative showed samples of their work and gave us a price list.  He said he has different backgrounds and prices vary depending upon delivery of the pictures – Sunset mailing them to individuals vs. giving all of them to us to distribute.  Another variable is the ability of the league to make a small percentage of the cost as profit.  He said he would give us a team plaque for each team as part of the package.  Information was retained and a decision will be made next month.

Registration- Registrations are still coming in.  Some board representatives will call girls who played last year but did not send in a registration this year.  Diane Schumacher suggested callers wait a week or so since many applications come in at the last minute.

     Several members of the board offered to sit at girls’ basketball games this Saturday so they can hand out applications.

     Gayle Plevyak asked if girls can play on two teams in two different age levels.  Her daughter Alexa would like to play in 14U and 17U.  It was decided that this situation was acceptable with the understanding that the 14U team is part of the AAGSL while the 17U is in the Dupont league under the coaching of Sal Santoli.  Our league does not currently have a 17U team.

Upcoming Dates –

       March 2 – We will have our next meeting at 6pm at the VFW.  We will decide on number of teams, coaches, uniforms and preliminary snack stand info.

       March 9 – Turnpike meeting for administrative details – how many teams, policies, etc.

       March 16 – coaches meeting – draft for teams – equipment may be distributed after team picks

       April 6 – Mandatory meeting for all coaches involved with the TGSL – scheduling will be done Current times are:    14U – 2pm

                                                     12U - 3:30

                                                     10U – 5 pm

Season Dates – April 27 – this week 10U & 12U will start games.  Season should end by June 23

-         May 20 – June 20 – 14U season

Playoffs – There will be a vote to decide whether or not there will be a 10U play off in the TGSL.

-         12U and 14U playoffs will start on June 25

-         The TGSL will decide where they will be held

TGSL Rules – 10U & 12U – 1 ½ hour time limit.  This means that no new inning can be

              started after 1 ½ hours.

-         Games must be rescheduled within 3 days of the rain out – it doesn’t have to be played in 3 days – just rescheduled

Umpires – April 27 will be an umpire certification class

-         Umpires must be 15 years old

-         The fee for the class is $25 which the league will pay

-         Jim Schumacher volunteered to be responsible for scheduling the 10U & 12U umpires for the season ( in games played on the Abington fields)

Joint Rec Board – Mike Sladicki and Joe D’Amato will attend the meeting on Thursday.  We need to put dirt on the fields.  We will ask the Rec Board if we can pay for dirt and see if any of the involved towns will help with heavy equipment.  We need about 2 truckloads of dirt.  Each truck is 25 tons x $40 a ton =$1,000 for each field.

OLP – Monsignor Lewis will allow us to use the field but we must fix it up to make it usable.

Teams – There was much discussion on 10U teams.  A motion was made by Gerry Mahler and seconded by John DeMatteo to make Joe D’Amato the coach of the 4^th 10U team.  The vote was unanimous.

-         Tom Davis will take over the coaching duties of Bill Carlin and retain that team.

Clearances –Coaches and assistants must be cleared legally.  Anyone going on the field to help out must be cleared.  The cost is $8 per person and the league will cover it in an effort to encourage parents to participate with their daughters.

The concession stand will need to be open for the April 27 umpire clinic.  Diane Schumacher will see that it is open.

A motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 9 pm.  Motion by Stuart Pollack, seconded by John DeMatteo.  Meeting adjourned.

                                                                               Submitted by Diane Schumacher   

Abington Area Girls Softball League

Meeting

March 16, 2008

Draft – There were some questions about the draft system – specifically girls on one team being drafted to another and parents deciding what team they wanted their daughter on.  After some discussion, it was decided that Bill Blaum would write some preliminary by-law changes to clear up misunderstandings and prevent problems in the future.

Dirt for the fields – a motion was made to spend $2500.00 to fix the fields.  Dirt will cost approximately $2100.00 with the remainder to be used for tax and miscellaneous expenses associated with it.  Motion by Ron Jarocha; Second by John DeMatteo.  Passed.

Field work needs to be done as soon as possible.  We are looking at some help that may be available on April 12.  Rain out day could be April 26 & 27.  The last possible date would be May 3^rd.  Mike will check to see what date works for all.

OLP – We need to work on this field.  It needs to have the dirt turned over so rocks and grass can be removed.  It will basically require a tractor and a lot of hands on help.

Tractor – Gerry Mahler has volunteered to get rid of our old tractor and store the new one until we need it.

Umpire Training – There will be an umpire training class sometime in the near future.  Mike Sladicki will let us know the date as soon as he knows it.  This will be followed by a day of outdoor training in real game situations.  Info to follow.

AAJRB – Grass cutting info – The AAJRB has insurance to cover individuals cutting the grass but not organizations.  They have told Mike Sladicki that their first priority in field use is softball and soccer.  They are currently taking bids for grass cutting based on each field and each cut.  We use the fields from April 1 to the second week of July.

Donation; Mike Sladicki spoke to a representative of the AAJRB about a possible $1000.00 donation to their organization.  He explained that this was not a promise – it must be board approved by the AAGSL.  There was some discussion and concern over the amount and the fact that it was discussed with the AAJRB before it was approved by the AAGSL.  There was also concern that this would set a precedent for the future.  A motion was made to give them $1000.00 accompanied by a letter about our financial concerns for next year. Our financial position is reliant on number of registrations and league expenses for equipment, insurance, etc. Motion was made by Sal Santoli and seconded by Gayle Plevyak.  Passed.  Bill Blaum will write the letter.

Mike Sladicki said he would send an e-mail detailing what still needs to be done before the season begins.  He suggested everyone check their e-mails on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week.

The meeting was adjourned to be followed by the team draft for the 10U and 12U.

                                                                            Diane Schumacher

AAGSL

MINUTES

BOARD MEETING JULY 15, 2008

Meeting called to order @ 8:30 pm by President Mike Sladicki.

Board members present,  Stuart Pollack, Joe D’Amato, Ron Jaroka, Bill Blaum, and John Dematteo.

Equipment return policy was set up for all commissioners’.

All commissioners’ are to request all equipment bags from their coaches by August 10, 2008.  They are to bring them up to the Stroney Field Shed by that date.

Bill Blaum requested that all coaches return all registration forms in order to stay in compliance with hipaa laws.  We are not supposed to maintain any personal information on the girls in the league. 

John D & Joe D volunteered to take down the signs at the field by Friday of this week.

We are required to take them down according to our AAJRB agreement.

Gerry M. spoke to Mike S. over the phone and volunteered to get rid of the 2 tractors that were donated to the league.  We didn’t have any luck with them this year.  They both only worked for a very short time!

Gerry M. also volunteered to empty the shed behind the snack stand and bring all our equipment up to our Stroney Field shed.

Stuart Pollack gave a preliminary financial report to the board minus the snack stand information.  The final financial report will be voted on at our next meeting once the snack stand information is incorporated into the numbers.

Our final meeting of the 2008 season will be held on Wednesday August 27^th or Thursday August 28^th.   Time to be determined depending on every ones schedules.

Meeting Adjourn motion made by Ron J. and seconded by Joe D. @ 8:50pm

Respectfully submitted,

Stuart Pollack Treasurer

AAGSL Meeting

Sept. 7, 2208

Equipment return was discussed.  Much has not been returned yet.

Stuart presented a treasurer’s report.  Motion was made by Bill Blaum 

to accept it. Second by Tom Davis.

 Approved.

Upcoming softball events – Mike Sladicki said there are going to be 

some changes in the  Turnpike League.   Other teams from other towns 

may be interested in joining.

Lights for the Abington Joint Rec Fields were discussed by Mike 

Sladicki.  He said cost may be approximately $100,000.  Joint Rec Board 

may write a matching grant if the AAGSL were to raise the $50,000. 

needed.

There was discussion on board members for next year.  Gayle Plevyak 

suggested we accept resignations for this year and have a 

reorganization meeting – open to the public – to solicit new members 

and then elect officers .  Diane Schumacher said this would help get 

some new people with new ideas involved.  Gerry Mahler mentioned 

several other towns had recently posted  similar notices in the 

newspaper.  Mike Sladicki said the board should elect new officers and 

let the next board decide on reorganization.  However, there were no 

new board members elected or invited to appear so the board will remain 

basically the same.

Bill Blaum made a motion that the board be limited to 8 members – 

achieved through attrition.  Seconded by Ron .  Approved by a vote of  

6 -

4.

Mike announced that Sal Santoli was resigning as his daughter is too 

old to participate.

Diane Schumacher resigned with an explanation that she thinks the board 

is not serving all of the Abington girls and feels strongly things 

should be done differently.

Elections:

President:  Joe D’Amato

1st VP – Tom Davis

2nd VP – John Dematteo

Treasurer – Stuart Pollock

Secretary – No board member volunteered to take over this position.  

Mike Sladicki will temporarily fill the position

Gayle Plevyak abstained from voting due to her strong feelings about a 

reorganization of the AAGSL.

Diane Schumacher did not vote due to her resignation.

 Submitted by Diane Schumacher

AAGSL Board Meeting, September 28, 2008

The first business meeting of the 2008-2009 AAGSL Board was held at the VFW.

Members present were Joe D’Amato, Stuart Pollack, Bill Blaum, John DeMatteo, Mike Sladicki, and Gerry Mahler.

Members absent were Ron Jarocha, Gayle Plevyak, Tom Davis, and Jack Henzes.

The first motion was made by Stuart to amend the September 7, 2008 minutes as follows:

1. The meeting shall be listed as the final 2007-2008 year end business meeting, pursuant to the league by-laws. 2^nd by Bill (as were all meeting minute amendments).
2. Mike Sladicki called for the election of officers as described in the existing by-laws. A person had to be on the previous board to become an officer. Elections were held according to these by laws.
3. The vote to limit the board to 8 members was voted 6 to 3, not 6 to 4. Yes votes were Bill, Joe, Stuart, Ron, John, and Tom. No votes were Gerry, Diane and Gayle. Mike Sladicki did not vote. However, this vote is being set aside since it was not proposed in the original meeting agenda. This is being re-voted on at the next board meeting tentatively set for October 19 (see other League by-Law notes below).

Next, Joe D’Amato presented his 27 item agenda for review and discussion.

First item was the budget, presented by Stuart and Joe. The operating budget was approved with the following additions / changes:

1. A line item addition for a tractor for our league was added for $1,000, if we are unable to use the new tractor that the AAJRB is buying. A heavy duty tractor is needed to pull the drag screen. The tractor last year wasn’t strong enough to pull the screen. Vote approved 5-0.
2. Money was approved to buy trophies for u-10,12, or 14 teams if they won the TGSL. The TGSL does not supply trophies if a team wins the league. The amount was $150 per team if a team wins the league. Vote approved 5-0.
3. Umpire fees were adjusted from $2,700 to $3,000, to include umpires for u-8 tournament at the end of the year. Approved 5-0.
4. Field Repairs at OLP were adjusted from $2,000 to $3,000 since major work will be needed there if we intend to use the fields. Vote approved 5-0.
5. Money was included in the budget for clinics. Joe D’Amato is going to try to find space and dates to have these. U-10 & 12 clinics will try to be held in January and February. U-6 & 8 clinics will be held in the spring at a time TBD.
6. Field repairs at the Rec Fields were added to the budget in the amount of $3,000. What we will do with that money is still to be determined. Vote approved 5-0.
7. Joe discussed the AAJRB’s need for money for the 2009 year. They are buying a large tractor for grass cutting at the fields. They are under a September 30 deadline to buy the tractor. Joe suggested that we make a pledge to give them $1,500 in lieu of our grass cutting expense for 2009 to help them raise their needed money. Motion made to accept by Bill. Second by Stuart. The vote was approved 4 to 1 in favor of giving the AAJRB a donation of $1,500. (Mike Sladicki voted no since all of the board was not present. He also felt that we should discuss different ways of giving the money to the AAJRB instead).

Motion to accept the budget with the additions was made by Bill Blaum & 2nd by Stuart Pollack. Vote Approved 5-0.

Registration forms were then reviewed. Several changes were discussed and made. Stuart will finalize the forms with the changes to be printed for the end of October mailing. The registration fee will remain the same. Motion made by Gerry & 2^nd by Mike. Vote approved 5-0.

Equipment- Age commissioners still have not made sure that all equipment is returned. The u-8 is fully returned. All other age groups still have equipment out. Jack will check on u-6, John will check on u-10, Gayle will check on u-12, and Gerry will check on u-14.

League By Laws- Changes to the by-laws were discussed. Bill Blaum will make adjustments to them, and present them to board members before the next meeting for their review. There were several changes to them presented, including the size of the board, and the Player Draft. These will all be voted on at the next meeting. The size of the board is being re-voted on since it was not presented to board members as an agenda item prior to the last meeting.

Fall League Softball was discussed next. Through the 2008 season, fall softball has not been an AAGSL sponsored event. If a coach was interested, they would either get a sponsor or ask for money from the families involved. Until recently, there was not much interest in it. In 2008, coaches were told by the commissioners that they could form a team if they wanted to. However, for the 2009 season, it will be made known league wide to the players that “Fall Ball” is available. We will not put it solely in the hands of the coaches to inform all of the kids. We will either do a mass email, general mailing, or a posting in the snack stand.

Meeting adjorned 9:51 pm.

Submitted by Mike Sladicki, Temporary Secretary

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Monthly Meeting

January, 11, 2009

The meeting was called to order by President Joe D’Amato at 6:10 PM.

Attendance:

Joe D’Amato

Mike Sladicki

John Dematteo

Tom Davis

Gayle Plevyak

Stuart Pollack

Jack Henzes

Gerry Mahler

Bill Blaum

The minutes from previous meetings from August of 2008 thru November 2008 were sent via e-mail to all the board members over the past few months.  Mr. D’Amato asked if any changes needed to be made to any of the minutes.  No changes were requested.  Mr. Dematteo made motion to accept meeting minutes.  Mr. Henzes seconded the motion.  All were in favor.

Sponsors

Mr. D’Amato stated that he had handed out 15 “Sponsor Registration” forms to sponsors of last season.  Mr. D’Amato stated that 2 sponsors will not be sponsoring this year.  Mr. D’Amato will continue to pursue additional sponsorship for teams and fields.

On January 3, 2009, the AAGSL, with help from the Abington Heights High School softball team and coaches, held a clinic at Riverfront Sports Complex.  Everyone in attendance felt the clinic was a success.  A second clinic will be held on February 7^th from 1:00 to 3:0 PM. Originally this clinic was advertised for “Pitchers and Catchers” but will now be advertised to include “Defensive Skills” to allow more girls to participate in the clinic.

A third clinic will be scheduled for March 14^th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.  Both of these clinics will be held at the Riverfront Sports Complex.

Advertising for the clinics was also discussed.  Mr. D’Amato will place ads in the Abington Journal and The Scranton Times.

Mr. D’Amato talked with Dave Gable, current President of the TGSL, about the upcoming season.  Mr. Gable said there will be a meeting in the near future.  Discussion was held amongst board members about joining other leagues such as the Valley League or Tripps Park or possibly combining leagues with other local areas such as Christy Mathewson.  Mr. Sladicki stated that the Christy Mathewson league plays under Little Lewague rules and the Tripps Park League plays under different age groups then the AAGSL.  The Valley League had their organizational meeting in the fall but Mr. Sladicki stated if we really wanted to pursue getting into the league, we would probably be able to do it.  At this time, the AAGSL will remain with the TGSL.

Mr. D’Amato asked the board about selling a coupon book called “Enjoy the City”.  Mr. D’Amato had brought this book up at a previous meeting but has since had a chance to look into the book some more and feels it is not worth using as a fund raiser.  Discussion was held on selling T-shirts with the league name and logo.  Mr. D’Amato will look into prices for T-shirts.  The league will also look into other options for fund raisers.

Moving Up Rule

Discussion was held on the rule allowing girls to move up and play in the next higher age group.  Questions were raised about who should be allowed to move up and who should not.  Mr. Blaum stated that the by-laws state that if a player wants to move up, then the appropriate form must be filled out by the girl’s parents and approval must be given by the girls coach of last season and then the request must be approved by the League Board.  This rule will remain in effect for this year.

Logo

Mr. D’Amato asked if the board if the league would like to adopt a new logo.  A logo was created by a friend of Mr. Blaum.  Mr. D’Amato showed the logo to the board.  Some members asked if some minor changes could be made to the logo.  Mr. Blaum said he would talk to his friend.  This topic will remain on hold until next meeting.

Mr. D’Amato stated that the South Abington Joint Rec Board may be willing to fix the dugouts at the rec fields.  Further discussion with the Joint Rec Board is needed. 

Mr. D’Amato is still looking into getting grant money to fund the installation of lights at the softball fields.  He is doing this in conjunction with the Joint Rec Board since they own the fields.  Motion was made by Bill Blaum to appoint Mike Sladicki as head of the “Light Committee”.  Gayle Plevyak seconded the motion.  Board voted unanimously in favor.

Motions were made by board members for the following individuals to be heads of the following committees:

Registrations:  Joe D’Amato

Web Site: Tom Davis

Concessions: Gayle Plevyak and John Dematteo

Field Schedule:  Tom Davis

OLP Field Committee:  Tom Davis and Bill Blaum

Umpires: Open

Uniforms:  Joe D’Amato and Jack Henzes

Equipment: Joe D’Amato

U-6 Commissioner: Jack Henzes

U-8 Commissioner: Bill Blaum

U-10 Commissioner: Ron Jarocha/ Asst. Stuart Pollock

U-12 Commissioner: Gayle Plevyak

U-14 Commissioner: Gerry Mahler

A motion was made by John Dematteo to accept the nominations as a whole.  Jack Henzes seconded the motion.  The board voted unanimously to accept Committee Heads.

Mr. Mahler returned the rest of his equipment.  A motion was made by Mrs. Plevyak that all equipment should be inventoried before and after the season.  A discussion followed with no formal answer being resolved.

Mr. Davis will speak with MSGR. Louis at St. Gregory’s and will also talk with The Diocese of Scranton about using the fields at OLP and he will make a proposal of what work the AAGSL will do to the fields to make them playable.  Mr. Blaum stated he would assist Mr. Davis in this venture.

The next monthly board meeting will be held on February 8, 2009 at 6:00 PM at the Abington VFW.  A tentative date of February 22, 2009 has been set for a coaches meeting.  This will be confirmed at the next Board Meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM.  Motion made by John Dematteo and seconded by Stuart Pollock.

Respectfully Submitted,

Thomas Davis

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Monthly Meeting

April 19, 2009

The meeting was called to order by President Joe D’Amato at 7:00 PM.

Attendance:

Joe D’Amato

John Dematteo

Stu Pollack

Gerry Mahler

Tom Davis

Jack Henzes

 SIGNUPS

To date, there have been 225 girls sign up to play softball in the AAGSL this year compared to 230 last year.

SPONSORS

To date, there are 18 sponsors signed up to sponsor teams.

14U

As of today, there are 18 girls signed up for 14U.  If no other girls sign up, then there will be one team which will be playing in the Valley League.

UMPIRE CLINIC

On Saturday April 25, an umpire clinic will be held at Sloan Field in Scranton. ( This was later changed to 4/26 at the Abington Fields).

FIRST AID KITS

Ice packs and bandaids will be given to all the coaches.  Other medical supplies will be in the snack stand.

UNIFORMS

Uniforms have been ordered and should be ready for the first games.

ALL STARS

10U and 12U commissioners will decide with coaches on rosters.   

CONTACT LIST

Tom Davis will develop an AAGSL Contact list of Coaches, Umpires, and Snack Stand.

MOVE UP LIST

All teams will supply a list of players from their teams that would like to play up in an age division if a team is short a palyer.  The list will be distributed amonst the coaches of the upper age group.

NEWSPAPER

Joe D'Amato will get the contact information to call games into the newspapers.  This will be added to the Contact List.

COACHES SHIRTS

Coaches will wear the same type of shirts that the girls are wearing with the team name on it.

6U and 8U OPENING DAY

Bill Blaum and Jack Henzes will decide on Opening Day for the 6U and 8U age divisions.

10U ALL STARS

Abington will host the 10U All Star Tournament the weekend of June 27.

DIRT

Tom Davis will order extra dirt for the fields.

Next Meeting will be held on May 17th at a time to be determined later.

Meeting wa adjourned at 8:15 PM.  Motion made by John DeMatteo and seconded by Tom Davis.

Any questions should be directed to Tom Davis concerning these meeting minutes.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tom Davis

Secretary

Abington Area Girls Softball League

General Monthly Meeting

September 13, 2009

The meeting was called to order by President Joe D’Amato at 6:00 PM.

Attendance:

Joe D’Amato

John Dematteo

Stu Pollack

Gerry Mahler

Tom Davis

Jack Henzes

Board Member Report

Current board members Ron Jarocha and Bill Blaum have decided to resign from the board.  This leaves the AAGSL with six active board members.   It was discussed that the board would be more effective if it added four new members to it.  A discussion was held, and a list of potential candidates were discussed.  These candidates will be contacted by different board members and will be asked to attend the next meeting to be voted onto the board. 

 Treasurer's Report

Stu Pollack reviewed finances from the 2009 season. 

Registration

Discussion was held to determine registration cost for the upcoming 2010 season.  An average cost/player was given by Joe D'Amato.  Board members will examine registration cost and vote on it at the next meeting.

League Play for 2010 

There is a possibility that the TGSL may not have enough teams in the league for the 2010 season.  Discussion was held to determine on whether or not the AAGSL will participate in the TGSL for the 2010 season or play in either the Valley League or Tripps Park League.  A vote was taken amongst participating board members.  The vote was 5-0 in favor of playing in the Valley League.  Joe D'Amato will contact Dave Gable to let him be aware of the AAGSL intentions if there is no TGSL. 

Next Meeting will be held on October 4th at 6:00 PM.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM.  Motion made by John DeMatteo and seconded by Tom Davis.

Any questions should be directed to Tom Davis concerning these meeting minutes.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tom Davis

Secretary