Notes from the Commissioner

The BOD met today and I thought I might share some of what was discussed. The first is the results of the recently completed election of two new board members, who will begin their terms on 8 October. They will be replacing Russ King, who has done a fantastic job over the last two years, and Reggie Barnes, who will continue on the Board as an appointee for another two year term so that he can continue serving as our Secretary. The new Board members are Freddie Gonzalez and Larry Powell. Congratulations to both of them.

Membership for this year is consistent to past years. While we expect somewhere around 150 players, we currently have 74 registered as of today. I need to remind returning players that their applications and registration fees are due by  October 15 if they want to pay only  $30 verses the $40 that a new player is required to pay. The other date associated with registration is October 29. If any player (new or old) registers after that  date, we will not be able to assign them to a team for the beginning of the season and they will be assign as a pool player until a rostered position comes available with a team.

This date is important as we have to determine league composition at our November BOD's meeting. Also on that date we will require players that desire to play up or down in one of the leagues to submit a request to the BOD indicating their desire. If we use last years criteria, the cut off for the National League is anyone born in 1944 or earlier. The BOD will consider all requests and make a decision based on the needs of the league. If you have questions, please see a member of the Board for further clarification.

Another couple dates to put on your calendar are  27 September,14 January, and 12 March. The first (27 September) is the date of our summer pizza party. Refreshments will be provided immediately following  the end of the games on that Friday.  The second date (14 January) is the start of the new season. The last (12 March) is the date of the annual Hall of Fame Dinner.

Regarding sponsorship for the upcoming year we already have five sponsors committed. I want to encourage anyone who knows a potential sponsor to contact him/her and ask them to sponsor a team. Letters of introduction and explanation of the sponsorship program are available on the web or from a Board member. Sponsorship is critical to funding our program for the year. As part of our budget the funds received from the sale of the Enjoyment Books are equally important. That drive will start around the first of November. Please plan on purchasing one or more for yourselves and your friends. Last year this fund drive resulted in almost $1500 going into the treasury.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that the new time for the posting of game cancellations due to weather is 0730.  This seems to be a very effective way of getting out the word to everyone in a timely manner. To those with smart phones, you can download our app and get the latest information direct to your phone.