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Executive
Committee members Dave Rosekrans, Ted Everingham, Bruce Eissner, Stephen
Jeffries, John Ross, Fred Hagedorn, Pat Seidenspinner, Charley Cook, Don
Durant, Mike Schoettle, and Linda Kessler were present. Also present
were Interim Executive Director William Placke and, at the invitation of
the president, Budget Chair Donna Hobbs. 1.
Approval of the
Minutes from September 18 and October 9. ·
Motion: a motion to
approve the minutes of September 18 and October 9, as amended, was made,
seconded and approved. 2.
President’s
Remarks. No remarks. 3.
Budget.
Donna Hobbs stated that the budget report will include a
recommendation that the Budget Committee does not support the use of
credit at this time, even though it recognizes the importance of
expenditures for strategic initiatives. 4.
Treasurer’s
Report. Stephen Jeffries
reported that a break-even or slight surplus is expected for the year
2001. This was noteworthy because of the extraordinary expenditure of
$160,000 resulting from the
departure of the executive director and search for a new director, as
well as the additional $30,000 for the improved Rule Book. 5.
Interim Executive
Director’s Report. 5.a.
Membership Report. Bill Placke reported that
new adult membership applications are above last year, while renewals
total about 1,300 members less than last year. Overall, on a revenue
basis, membership is ahead of budget. In a year with a membership price
increase, this is a significant accomplishment.
For the last three months, Membership has worked closely with
Harborwatch to clean up the membership lists, including e-mail
addresses, which will be important for meeting US Post Office
requirements. An e-mail
appeal sent to 2,200 lapsed members offering a 15 month-renewal rate and
a mug yielded a 2.2% response to date, which is considered a strong
response in direct mail. Also, staff is developing a questionnaire for
use in market research focused on membership and renewals.
5.b.
Work Plan.
Bill Placke reported on the progress of the staff’s work plan,
Operation Hullspeed. He noted that one task is complete, regarding
improving volunteer and staff relationships, and will be presented at
the Board Meeting on Thursday. Charley Cook volunteered his law firm to
develop policy guidelines and an agreement regarding the dominion over
business property (such as contracts, memoranda and electronic messages)
as it relates to staff and volunteers. The Executive Committee applauded
Bill Placke on his efforts. 6.
Recommendations Needed from Appeals Committee. 6.a.
Appeals and Referrals of Rule 76.1 Decisions.
The issue of whether or not appeals of Rule 76.1, which addresses
eligibility, should go directly to the US SAILING Appeals Committee,
bypassing the association appeals committees. Currently, only appeals of
US SAILING Championship protests and Rule 69 protests are heard directly
by the US SAILING Appeals Committee. The Executive Committee determined
that the process of appeals should be supported and exceptions to the
process should be minimized. ·
Motion: a motion was made, seconded and approved that, as a matter of policy,
the Executive Committee supports the current process of handling appeals
of protest committee decisions regarding US SAILING Racing Rule 76.1 and
the related prescriptions. 6.b.
Fees for Appeals. Given that charging a fee
to file a protest is no longer permissible, the question has been asked
if fees for appeals should also be eliminated.
It was noted that, unlike protests, significant costs are
associated with the administration of appeals. ·
Motion:
a motion was made, seconded and approved to refer the issue to the
Council of Sailing Associations for its advice regarding the impact of
such a decision on Regional Sailing Associations and association appeals
committees. 7.
Fund Raising.
Dave Rosekrans noted that US SAILING must move forward on
fundraising, with the full support of the Executive Committee and the
Board. Fred Hagedorn, chair of the Fundraising Task Force, reported that
two Requests for Proposals have been disseminated. One requested a
feasibility study of the fundraising opportunities and potential for US
SAILING. The second focused
on identifying a development professional to do fund raising. After
interviewing a number of individuals and firms, the field was narrowed
to two local and one national fundraising firm, all of which are capable
of supporting both the feasibility study and the direct fundraising.
Bruce Eissner noted that he strongly supports the feasibility study, but
asked that this study not be perceived as a prioritized donor management
program.
Fred Hagedorn noted that other countries are spending significant
funds on youth 8. Recommendation Regarding Adams and Mallory Event. Dave Rosekrans noted that the Adams and Mallory Cup Championships began just after the September 11 tragedy in Rush Creek, Texas. The decision was made not to designate the event as the official championship, as only five of the teams participated due to flight cancellations. However, at the time it was felt that those sailors, who through extraordinary efforts, were able to be there should have the opportunity to sail. The Executive Committee determined that their efforts and accomplishments should be recognized through the awarding of trophies. ·
Motion:
a motion was made, seconded and approved to ask the Mallory and Adams
Cup Committees to recommend an appropriate name and trophy for the event
held in Rush Creek. This name cannot include the names Mallory, Adams or
National Championship. 9.
ISAF/ORC/IMS
Discussion. The Executive
Committee agreed that US SAILING would not take a position in the
discussions between ISAF and the ORC. However, if IMS should be made a
class within ISAF, Bruce Eissner is authorized to negotiate the terms
under which the IMS controls and data would be transferred to the new
IMS class. 10. Orbidex
Disclosure.
Dave Rosekrans reported that discussions regarding our strategic
use of technology could possibly occur with the firm Orbidex, and that
Bruce Eissner has disclosed an interest in this firm. 11.
New Business.
11.a. Anti-doping. Fred Hagedorn reported that the Olympic Sailing Committee, with the
endorsement of the Sports Medicine and Bylaws Committees, has drafted a
new Regulation 3.60 regarding Anti-Doping and would like to forward it
to the board on Thursday, so that discussions can continue during the
weekend before a vote is requested at the Sunday board meeting. ·
Motion:
a motion was made, seconded and approved that the change to US SAILING
Regulation 3.60 be recommended to the Board of Directors. 12.b.
Injuries in Sailing. Dr. Gary Fisher
has requested support in doing an epidemiological study of injuries in
sailing. Bruce Eissner noted that the organizations connected with
sports medicine and sailing do not support this study, as presented. ·
Motion:
a motion was made, seconded and approved to decline the offer by Dr.
Fisher, with gratitude for his interest. 12.c. International Foundation of Disabled Sailors. Fred Hagedorn reported that the IFDS will be holding its Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg next week. On behalf of the Olympic Committee and Sailors with Special Needs, Fred Hagedorn recommended that US SAILING appoint a representative to the IFDS. ·
Motion:
a motion was made, seconded and approved that Paul Callahan be
designated as the US SAILING representative to the International
Foundation for Disabled Sailors for 2001. 13.
Executive Session (Executive Committee members only) The meeting was adjourned at 12:05 a.m. The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be held on Sunday, October 21, 2001 at 7:00 am (Eastern standard time), St. Petersburg, Florida. Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Alger |