US SAILING Executive Committee
August 16, 2004 8:00 p.m. E.D.T
Telephone Conference Minutes
President Janet Baxter called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. E.D.T.
Executive Committee members present were: Janet Baxter, Dean Brenner, Paul Callahan, Jim Capron, Ruth Creighton, Bruce Eissner, Fred Hagedorn, Dick Hanneman, Tom Hubbell, Leslie Keller, Patty Lawrence, Jim Muldoon, Bill Munster, and Bill Ross. Absent were Don Durant, and Joni Palmer. Also present were Executive Director Nick Craw. Kirk Brown, chair of the US SAILING umpires subcommittee and Bruce Cook, member of the Judges committee, were present for a part of the meeting.
Action Item:
A motion to approve the Executive Committee Minutes of July 19, 2004, was made, seconded and carried.
Race Administration Chair Jim Capron led a discussion of applicants for submission to ISAF for International Judge and for International Umpire. Kirk Brown, chair of the Umpire Sub- committee and Bruce Cook, member of the Judges committee, participated in the discussion.
Action Items:
A motion to accept the recommendations of the Umpires Sub-committee and submit to ISAF the following applicants for International Umpire: Donald R. Becker, Deborah S. Schoenherr, Steven A. Wolff and Stephen Wrigley, was made, seconded and carried. Ruth Creighton abstained.
A motion to accept the recommendations of the Judges Committee and submit to ISAF the following applicants for International Judge: Bruce A. Cook, and Stephen Wrigley, was made, seconded and carried.
A motion to accept the recommendations of the Race Management Committee and submit to ISAF the following applicants for International Race Officer: Tom Duggan and Bruce Green, was made, seconded and carried.
A motion to submit to ISAF the application of Carla Scheifer, for certification as International Measurer, was made, seconded and carried.
Executive Director Nick Craw reported that a year end surplus it still being projected, that although membership is down slightly, it is still ahead of budget for the year, that revenue is on target and that initial 2005 budget requests also predict a surplus. President Baxter asked that Committee chairs be contacted to participate in the budget discussions.
US SAILING Olympic Committee Chair, reported from Athens (around 4 a.m. local time) on the first days of competition at the Olympics. He noted that Finn sailor Kevin Hall came in second in voting for the honor to carry the US flag in opening ceremonies.
President Baxter led a discussion on ways US SAILING can be of additional benefit to the various Classes, both inshore and offshore. Inshore Chair Patty Lawrence will set up a work party to explore ways for US SAILING to help strengthen Class membership, coordination, education and participation. The subject will be discussed at the Portland AGM and at the November 12-14 One Design Seminar for Class leaders.
General Services Chair Ruth Creighton announced that while membership remains flat, the losses that were expected from ending the relationship between Sailing/Cruising World and US SAILING have not materialized. A new membership brochure has been prepared, Susan Epstein has agreed to serve as an Event Volunteer coordinator, Junior Membership is up in spite of a dues increase, and we should experience the usual boost in membership when the new RRS appears at year end.
Bruce Eissner reported on a study to determine any relationship between the new ISAF sailor classification system and membership in US SAILING. It appears that fewer US sailors are seeking classification from ISAF, largely because the system is not being aggressively enforced by the various Classes. Membership will contact US sailors who apply for ISAF classification with an invitation to join US SAILING. Director Eissner remarked that the study could not have been completed without the full cooperation of the US SAILING staff.
Jim Muldoon, chair of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council, and Vice President Joni Palmer will attend a forum sponsored by the National Transportation Safety Board concerning requirements for wearing life saving equipment. He reported that there is political pressure building to require that life saving equipment be worn be all persons on board boats of less than 21’ in length.
Executive Director Craw presented the proposals of the Site Selection committee for US SAILING meetings in 2005.
Action Item:
A Motion to accept the recommendations of the Site Selection Committee to hold the Spring 2005 meeting in Newport, R.I., and the Fall, AGM in San Diego, Calif., was made, seconded and carried.
Tom Hubbell presented an update on Structure Task Force activity, which has recently generated a good deal of discussion from Community Sailing groups.
Action Item:
A Motion to accept a Deed of Gift for the Harman Hawkins Trophy was made, seconded and carried.
The Trophy is to be awarded annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing in the field of Race Administration, including judging, race management, appeals and racing rules. The Trophy has been donated by Mrs. Janet Hawkins and her sons, Christopher Hawkins and Jonathan Hawkins.
A Copy of the Deed of Gift is attached to these minutes.
An Executive Session followed.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 p.m. E.D.T.
Dick Hanneman
Secretary
SEE HARMAN HAWKINS TROPHY DEED OF GIFT ATTACHED BELOW:
Deed of Gift
HARMAN HAWKINS TROPHY
I, Janet Hawkins, of Shelter Island Heights, New York, with my sons, Christopher and Jonathan, are honored to present to the U.S. Sailing Association a perpetual trophy described a bronze 12” Herreshoff signal canon mounted on a teak base to be so named “The Harman Hawkins Trophy.”
Harman Hawkins (1919-2002) was a past president of the North American Yacht Racing Union (now US Sailing Association), a commodore of Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, a president of the YRA of Long Island Sound, and a commodore of the Storm Trysail Club. His extraordinary involvement in sailing and his numerous chairmanships of the Appeals, Judges and Legal Committees brought him many honors and awards including the Nathanael H. Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING’s highest award. It is most fitting that this award be named after Harman, a man that gave back so much to the sport he loved.
This trophy will be awarded yearly, at US SAILING’s Annual General Meetings Awards Dinner, to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing in the field of Race Administration (Judging, Race Management, Appeals and Racing Rules). "Selection of the recipient will be made by the Race Administration Committee from nominees sought and submitted by the Judges, Race Management, Appeals and Racing Rules committees."
The recipient will be responsible for the trophy and its shipping case and is required to sign the official US SAILING Trophy Accountability Form which outlines his/her responsibilities. Should the recipient not sign this form, the trophy will remain with US SAILING where it will be engraved with the awardee’s name and stored at the US SAILING office until the following year’s presentation.
To maintain and care for the trophy and its shipping case, we also present a check in the amount of $ 3,000.00 to create a fund that will cover the expense of caring for and promoting this award in the future. It is my understanding that this fund will be used exclusively for this purpose.
Date:_______________
By Donors: By US SAILING:
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Janet Hawkins Christopher Hawkins US SAILING President
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Jonathan Hawkins Witness Witness