No 2009 July minutes








Greater Edmonton Lacrosse Council

July 7, 2008 Minutes

Board Meeting

Attendance:

Donna Haggstrom , GELC                         Liz Roberts, Westlock

Keith Talbot, President                               Forrest Thompson, Titans 

Bill Clark, Rams                                      Doug Frost, Discipline

Carla Nelson, Westlock

Michelle Weldon, Girls Box    

Kent Proctor, Rebels                     

Shaun Cunningham, Wizards                                                                    

Daryl Hill, Leduc  

Rob Davidage, Coaching Director

   Guest: Stu Begg                            

1. Call to order:

            Meeting called to order by President, Keith Talbot, 6:35 pm

2. Adoption of Agenda:

            *Rob Davidage/Daryl Hill moved the adoption of the Agenda. 

            Carried. .

3. Adoption of previous meetings minutes: June 1, 2008

            .Shaun Cunningham/Bill Clark . Carried

4. Business arising from minutes:

a)     Office Move: Donna will get a hold of the real estate agent in July and go see what is out there again.

b)     September 6^th Meeting Red Deer:

-10-4 with lunch, planning session i.e. Tiering, Junior 2 and 3, Strategic Planning Document, Review of the season, girls

-Need to have confirmation to Donna, expectation of all club presidents in attendance or a representative that is knowledgeable

-Topics for meetings: tournaments, tiering, field, girls, provincials

We would like to car pool to the meeting everyone meet at the GELC office and go down together meet at 8.

5. Reports/Correspondance:

a)     President's report:

-    Keith thanked those who came out to help with presentations playoffs , Bill Clark, Michelle Weldon, Kent Proctor, Darlene Anders, Bud Fagrie.

-   

b)     Vice Presidents Report:

-                                 Planning meeting was held in regards to a summer league, The Razorbacks said they would help but the problem was there was on one to co ordinate the league therefore nothing was put in place. Several people have expressed an interest in it.

c)  Discipline Directors Report:

Doug commented on the year how things worked well this season, and need to look at our process. Wizards, had one issue with the authority of the GELC RIC and the ALRA RIC.

Process if nothing appears on the game sheet. ALRA needs to have two separate RICs one for the province one for Edmonton.

ALRA still needs to make a ruling on the two officials who where involved in an incident at Confederation arena.

Doug will be gone for a couple of weeks upon his return he will plan for 2009, including written records.

6.                Adjournment:

     Business part of the meeting was adjourned at 7:15.

     Members and invited guests joined Keith for  a Chinese Buffet.

Minutes of the GELC Meeting July10 2006

Attendance:

Bill Clarke Rams                                               Jim Andrews, Wizards                         

Harry Anders, Box Chair                                  Harley Lawrence, Blues           

Elaine Zwack, Registrar                                    Darlene Anders, President

Forrest Thompson, Titans                                 Daryl Hill, Leduc

Ken Hansen, Warriors                                      Keith Talbot, Vice President

Lori Zdrill, Treasurer                                         Donna Haggstrom, GELC Adm

Greg Lintz, Discipline

Regrets Denise Neidileski, Bingo, Tim Schrader, Rebels, and Adam Crowe RIC

Meeting Called to order by the President Darlene Anders at 6:32 pm.

Adoption of the Agenda:

Additions: Winter Lacrosse, Provincials, Combo teams Keith Talbot/Jim Andrews carried.

Adoption of the minutes of June 5th 2006:

Keith Talbot/Daryl Hill moved to adopt the minutes of June 5^th. Carried.

Business Arising from the Minutes:

a) Bylaws –  A committee was formed to work on the bylaws over the summer.

Greg Lintz to chair the committee and Darlene Anders, Keith Talbot, Calvin Zwack Jim Andrews and Darryl Hill to help with them.

Greg has suggested that Keith do up an email with the concerns of the group forward it to the club presidents and then have concerns go back to Greg and he will work on the bylaws and do the work over drafts.

He has requested that he receive the committee email addresses.

b) Letter to the ALRA:

After the last meeting Keith Talbot on behalf of the board send a letter to Adam the RIC in regards to the position being taken in regards to helmets. The response was not positive to the GELC position and work is required between the ALRA and the ALA to resolve some issues prior to the commencement of the next season.

Prior to the ratification of the 2007 RIC they will be a sit down meeting between the GELC and the appointee to discuss the GELC regulations and requirements.

c)      Blues and Athabasca concerns over lack of attendance. Responses where received

           from John Frame of the Blues and Karon Friesen of the Athabasca club.

Reports:

President Report

City playoffs went well. Thanks to Donna for her help. To the volunteers who helped, Keith Talbot, Calvin and Elaine Zwack, Lori Zdrill, Ken Hansen, Daryl Hill, Bob Posluzney and Barb Chrapko of the Rams. We have had some very positive feed back this season from players, parents and coaches on the new format.

Mike Sherbanuk cup for the most part was successful. No shows where a head ache. And the Junior A and Junior B coaching staffs felt that players missed opportunities to be seen by not coming out to the game. With no stats, it would be good to send your best players. It takes a lot of time and effort to put the game in place it would be nice for the club presidents or reps from each club be present to support the event as well.

Donna Easson, a former Rams member of the discipline committee, Gord Brittain, a former Warriors discipline committee member and Canada Day tournament director for the GELC and finally Brett Lewis, former player with the Rams passed away in the past month.

Darlene asked each club to remark on their season. This will be compiled at the end of the minutes.

Vice President – Keith Talbot

Keith wished to thank the GELC club presidents who showed up at the playoffs. He attended provincials this past weekend, is willing to work on the bylaws.

Keith felt maybe we should encourage the Rush to hold a coaching event, where the Rush coaches would do a session with the GELC coaches and the GELC coaches could then attend a Rush game Work on the development of the game at skill development at the younger levels.

Secretary: vacant

Treasurer: Lori provided a copy of the trail balance and balance sheet more details will follow when Donna finishes up the billings for the season.

RIC: regrets is in Ontario at World Fields see his email comments below:

I won't be at the meeting as I am out of town for the Field World Championships. 

I would like the playoff format discussed.  I feel that the current playoff format has far too many games in it.  For example the regular season had 723 games over 10-11 weeks and the playoffs had 201 games over 1 week.  We had numerous teams’ forfeit, which indicates to me that they were not interested in playing anymore.  Another example that I have is that the Peewee B team that I was coaching played 12 regular season games and as a result of losing our first playoff game (had we won everything after that) we would have had to play 8 playoff games.  That is too many games over too short a period of time.

I would like to be involved in the Bylaw writing process, if volunteers are needed feel free to put my name forward.

I would also like to say the I feel the season went very well.  Better then last year.  We had less scheduling changes and there were zero games cancelled because referees didn't show up.  We had half a dozen occasions when the refs did not show up for one reason or another but those games were covered by qualified referees anyway.  I also feel that there was less referee abuse this year then last year which is a good sign but we must continue it.

Adam Crowe

One other thing that I could use suggestions on is referee retention.  By and large I don't feel that recruitment is our issue although I would like to see some referees in Fort Saskatchewan and Leduc.  Our biggest issue is retaining the referees and therefore increasing our numbers of senior referees.

Our largest group of new referees each year is 14 year olds.  I feel (If last year is an indication) that a majority of these referees can be retained for a second year however they seem to drop off after that as they reach about 16 or 17 years old and are just becoming good referees.  We lose them for the same reasons that we lose those age groups as players, they have other jobs and things going on in their lives. 

I like the idea of Adult referees (parents) however then we have the problem that they quit when their kids quit playing and they don't develope into really good referees.

Always looking for suggestions.

Adam Crowe

Box: Harry Anders

  It was an interesting and eventful season. Major success with some qualifications.

  The Box committee needs to resolve some of the issues arising out of teiring. B level more touching of the ball occurred and more develop of their skills. Ratio’s probably box committee has to force clubs to put a team in where there are quantity of qualified players. E.g. would have been these years’ midgets.

Make common approach either tryouts or tiered to ability.

Coaching is an issue of the clubs in respect to the A program taking more developed coaches as the parents are going with their players.

Facilities Chair: Jim Andrews

The attendants hired for the city facilities over all did a good job for the season.

Discussion occurred on the state of the floors, the Miners bought a floor cleaner and are looking at getting a trailer and are willing to clean the GELC arenas next season if a trailer is purchased. Floors get to slippery and they need to be maintained more. The city says they would maintain to our desired levels if we hired the arenas with their operators at a rate of approximately $62.00 dollars an hour.

Bingo: Denise Niedzilski

Donna attended the bingo meeting on behalf of the GELC, bingo revenues are climbing slightly, and they are having a hard time with staffing of floor workers. And wanted suggestions and approval to pay more to get the staff required.

Promotion and Development: vacant

Tournaments  - vacant

Discipline: Greg Lintz

Last meeting for the season will be held tomorrow evening.

Need to work on improving the officiating, get some of the pervious member s of the ALRA to return and do evaluations and support of young officials.

There has not been a blues representative out at any discipline meeting this season.

Field: no report

Administration: Donna

Thank you to all who helped at the tyke and mini tyke windup. The Titans did a great job securing donations and making the weekend a success. The kids all got t-shirts but we should consider getting medals for this event as well.

Arenas are not as busy this summer, as they should be with cancelled provincials there is not as much booked time occurring.

Spoke about the Bill Hunter renovations they will be constructing an 36 foot extension on the south end of the facility it will have six dressing rooms on the bottom floor, the washrooms will be moved upstairs, improved handicap viewing will be provided a glassed in front viewing arena will occur at the end of the arena. Downstairs existing dressing rooms will remain for referees and storage or rental. A new committee meeting room will be build downstairs, upstairs a coffee room will be created, new concession area etc.

Rush will be at the September meeting with their plans for the upcoming season.

I will be on holiday at the end of August.

Flowers where purchased for the Easson, Britton and Lewis families on behalf of the GELC.

I was out and got jackets for an appreciation for board members they where sized and will be ready for Septembers meeting.

.

New Business

a)      Gord Brittain recoginzation

As a long standing volunteer involved with the Warriors, GELC and RMLL there was much discussion about an appropriate way to recognize Gords many years of service to lacrosse in Edmonton.

Suggestions:      Name the Junior B trophy in his honour.

                        Name the Canada Day tournament after him

                        Name a volunteer of the Year award in his memory

b)      Committee planning meeting for September

Reminder to clubs and to committee chairpersons that each committee should hold a meeting in September to make recommendations to the planning meeting in October.

c)      Referee Helmets:

Check to see if we can take the remainders back there are 13 medium and 1 large left over.  Next year referees will have to purchase helmets on their own if they are required.

d)      Canada Day Tournament

Concerns raised by the Wizards due to the lack of teams from the GELC and what could be done to encourage teams to attend the tournament.

Also concerns about the levels of officials doing specific games over their heads.

Suggestion to hold a meeting specifically about tournaments in the GELC.

e)      Winter Lacrosse

Is there support in the GELC for a winter lacrosse program that encompasses all clubs. Keith Talbot would take the lead on it.

Winter lacrosse an email will be sent out to the clubs in this regard.

f)        Provincials

Provincials this weekend was not well attended, there where problems with the officials and quality of official, there was a problem with parents and coaches.

 A message from the GELC should be sent to the ALA in regards to provincials in that changes need to be made or the GELC will not support provincials.

g)      Combo teams

Lori wanted to thank the Warriors and the Wizards for making the team successful. There are things to be discussed in future about combing teams prior to doing it but it was a good thing to do.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm. 

Next meeting:

Please note the next meeting will be September 11,2006 6:30 pm.