Hingham Little League-Board of Directors
Meeting Minutes
Rec Center September 11, 2006 8:00 PM

Meeting called to order without a quorum at 8:10 pm

Attendees: Ed Anderson, Rob Blomberg, Melissa Flanagan, Skip Jenkins, Rick Linehan and Elliot Sherman

Secretary’s Report

· Approve 6/12/06 and 7/10/06 Meeting Minutes
o No quorum at either the 7/10/06 or 9/11/06 meetings; will need to approve them electronically

Treasurer’s Report
· Current Balance
o Balance is 28,901.49
· Outstanding Expenses
o Misc. small expenses remaining for Rockland Sporting Goods
· Financial Reports
o Public Charity Filings for 2004 and 2005 signed and forwarded
§ Public Charity Filings for 2005/2006 season due by 2/15/07
o Tax Returns for 2004 and 2005 signed and forwarded
o Annual Report to Comm of Mass for 2004 and 2005 signed and forwarded
· Credit from LL International of 6.20 acknowledged due to overpayment in 2005/2006 and ASAP approval and will be applied to the 2006/2007 fees

Business Related Issues

· National Little League Business Filings
o Filings are up to date

New Business

· Player/Manager Registration-Membership Committee Report & Team Schedules
o Outstanding Issues?
· Potential scheduling changes for all Major’s games and some Minor’s games to Saturdays in 2007
· Leave Sundays open for rainouts and make ups
· Evaluate the impact of this potential change on HLL players who play soccer on Saturdays vs. those that play lacrosse on Sundays
(Defer to the new 2006/2007 HLL Board to resolve)

· Sponsorships and Donations-Committee Report
o Outstanding Issues
· Status of Verizon sponsorship (2004-2006)
· Partial balance remains outstanding

League Rules and Local By-Law Issues

· Player Agent Report
· Outstanding Issues?
· Hold registration and tryouts in the fall vs. the spring
o Issue is that the 2006/2007 HLL Board hasn’t been elected/selected nor have the new registration rates been established
(Defer to the new 2006/2007 HLL Board to resolve. Consensus was to hold registration, tryout and draft earlier)


· Major League & Minor League Committee Report
· Outstanding issues?
· Pitch Count-will be governed by Little League International’s final decision

· Farm League and TBall Committee Report
· No issues

· Manager’s Committee Report
· Outstanding Issues
· For 2007 consider manager/coach evaluation by parents immediately at the end of the season
· Training-Boys of Baseball/Other Programs in Hingham?
· 9/06 program was cancelled at HLL’s request
· 5/07 program with Boys of Baseball is doubtful
· BOB likely will be replaced with one weekend per year with Denny Doyle, former Red Sox second basemen, who conducts a national baseball school
o Report from Joe Craven who explored potential dates and financial arrangements including a flat fee for the manager/coach clinic and player clinic
o Recommendation to check on Denny Doyle’s availability for the weekend of 3/30/07-4/1/07
§ Mandatory HLL manager/coaches’ clinic indoors at a TBD location. Charge a nominal fee.
· Expectation that all managers or coaches must attend either a Friday evening or Saturday morning session
§ Player session would be held Saturday afternoon at a TBD location (South Shore Sports Center?). Charge a nominal fee.
(Defer to the new 2006/2007 HLL Board to make an early, final decision)


· Equipment Committee Report
o Minor’s Trophy status
· Ed has trophy and is coordinating the details with Mitch Paine and Dunkin Donuts
o Status of returned equipment
· Ed and his committee have completed a “blitz” over the next 3-4 weeks to return all equipment
· One outstanding equipment bag. Excellent job by Ed and his team.
· Consider deposit by managers in 2007
o Update on Castle Storage
· Have a 9x10 storage facility through 9/30/07
· Will prepay storage costs

· Umpire Committee Report
o No issues

· Safety Committee Report
o ASAP Program (A Safety Awareness Program) Approved
· Accident Reports

· Buildings, Property and Grounds Committee Report
o Outstanding Issue?
· Early planning for fields will be needed due to the loss of the two PAL fields
· Will be a key issue for the 2006/2007 HLL Board
· Consideration of HLL’s involvement with Hingham Rec and Hingham DPW regarding field maintenance in 2007
· Hersey Field-Melissa and Rob attended meeting on 7/25/06 with Frank Jones and Bob Keyes from Hingham Rec; Board of health and Hersey neighbors to review potential options. Most promising option was to remove the fill, replace fill with gravel in the center of the parking lot and fence the area by the playground. Awaiting next scheduled meeting.

· Cross-Hingham Baseball Liasion Committee
· Scholarship selection process
· Due to additional expenses regarding the Cronin/Haley batting cage the recommendation will be made to have the first scholarship recipient be from the HHS Baseball Class of 2007 rather than the HHS Baseball Class of 2006
· Agreed to defer first 0 scholarship until 2007

· Summer Baseball
§ Potential changes for 2007
· Creation of Ad Hoc Summer Baseball Committee
· Impact on HLL Constitution?
§ Progress has been made.
· Quasi-reporting of game results & schedules are part of the HLL website under a disclaimer.
(For the 2007 season agreed that the new 2006/2007 HLL Board needs to make a decision as to the extent of involvement they will have with summer baseball in Hingham.)

· Fundraiser
o Melissa will coordinate gift certificate for the Nielsen’s

New Business

· Annual Meeting
o Notification to members and others
· Email blast/Letter with membership application
· Elliot and Melissa will coordinate this. Carol Ryan will distribute using HLL’s address list.
· Tim D. will send email blast once Elliot and Melissa complete the language of the announcement.
· HLL website
· Tim D. will update the HLL Website once Elliot and Melissa complete the language of the announcement.
· Hingham Journal
· Melissa will provide notice
o Schedule of location
· PRS at 7:30 pm on 10/23
· Melissa will confirm date and time
o Recruitment
· All current Board members are asked to solicit and recruit potential nominees due to the expected turnover of this year’s HLL Board
o Selection process for new 2006/2007 HLL Board

· Additional Hingham Little League Information offices who would be in charge of HLL Website and communication
o Potential position but agreed that is the role where we use HLL Secretary

· Schedule for Upcoming Meetings
o 10/23/06 (Annual Meeting)

Meeting adjourned at 9:18 pm

Rob Blomberg, President