SITE REMOVAL NOTIFICATION!

This site has not been updated and will be removed from the LeagueLineup network shortly. If you'd like to keep the site active please log in to the administration section.

Board Meeting Minutes, Bylaws & Local Rules

Subscribe to our Newsletter

May, 2017

Click here to view.

April, 2017

Click here to view.

Click here to view.

February, 2017

click here to view

January, 2017

Click here to view

December, 2016

Click here to view.

November, 2016

October, 2016

September, 2016

February 2016

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

September 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

October 2014

September 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

October 2013

September 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

October 2011

September 2011

February 3, 2011

January 6, 2011

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

January, 6 2011

  • December meeting minutes approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report & Budget updates delivered by Jeff Jackson.
  • Key Dates Discussed:
    • In-person Spring Registration: Lincoln St School 2/16
    • Spring Evals: 3/12 (Rookies need not try out; Babe Ruth Players will be contacted regarding separate Eval)
    • Fields Clean Up Day: 4/2/11
    • Team Pictures Day: 4/6/11
    • EJBL Opening Day: 4/16/11
      • Troy took action to ensure the building is reserved.
  • Coaches Selection Committee Appointed by President, Troy Gilbert:
    • John Brescia, VP & Clinic Coordinator
    • Terri Hersey, Secretary
    • Jay Swett, Field Manager
  • Tournament Hosting Discussion – Andy Singh
    • Will further research tournament availability and update at February Board Mtg (District, Invitational, AAA Tourney – Discussed benefits of all types)
  • Registration Update – Tom Daly, Registrar
    • Online registrations in process; 23 registrations as of 1/6/11
  • Field Update – Jay Swett, Field Manager
    • Field needs discussed for Walsh, Currier, TLC field, Brentwood infield, Newfields
    • Jay/Troy/John/Don to meet with Dick Wendell
    • Don P took action to get update on E Kingston/Foss Field
  • Sponsors Update & Discussion
    • Walsh Scoreboard – Exeter Hospital to sponsor
    • Signs Inventoried
    • Brett Elmore discussed signage & web advertising costing
  • Coaches Background Checks via Protect Youth Sports – Troy G
    • Logins being set up and Troy will distribute to Coach Selection Committee
    • Form needs revision to include birthdate
    • Coaches Clinic discussed; Bruce Joyce volunteered to deliver coaches clinic
  • Capital Spending Update – Jay Swett
    • Several options discussed
    • All:  Please submit any ideas to Jay S, Dave A, Brian H or Terri H
  • Babe Ruth Update – Don Perreault
    • Ensuring insurance in place with Great Bay prior to BR Evals.
    • Don P took action to collaborate with Matt Carbone on uniform needs
  • Adjourned 9 pm via motion by Bob Stephens and 2nd by Lee Rollick.

December 2, 2010

December 2010 Board Meeting Minutes

  • Meeting convened 7:40 p.m.  Motion to approve Nov minutes by Lee Rollick, 2nd by Matt Carbone. Approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report – Jeff Jackson
    • Babe Ruth check to EJBL received
    • Capital Improvement Plan will precede any considerations for lending pursuit through local Banks
  • Registration Update – Tom Daly
    • In person registration location secured for Wed, 2/16 6-8 p.m.
    • School Flyer will be ready for distribution in January per plan
    • Online registration procedure will continue 2011 season – Deadline 2/19.  Rookie Deadline 3/19.
    • Motion to retain previous season standard registration fees by Brian Hoyt, second by Jay Swett.  
    • Late Fee/Rookie:  $10.00 Late Fee voted in for Rookie registrations.
      • Rookie Fee: 60.00
      • A, AA, AAA, Majors:  110.00  
      • 13+: 150.00
      • $20.00 credit for siblings
      • $25.00 late fee for non-rookie registrations
  • Coaches Form – Jeff Dickenson to provide .doc version of document for 2011 updates
  • Draft/Evaluation discussion
    • Positive feedback on impact of banded draft’s to creation of equitable 2010 A, AAA League Teams
    • Motion to continue banded draft approach for A, AAA + encourage novice coaches to bring an additional assist during future draft sessions; seconded by Andy Singh.  Approved.
    • Draft clarification on league precedence, Terri Hersey took action to draft the guideline for future drafts clarifying player does not automatically get drafted into same league as previous year, drafts continue to be based on evaluation scores
    • FAQ document placed previously Seasons on web, per Jeff Dickenson, is helpful aid to EJBL parents and players, President Troy took action to ensure FAQ will continue to be placed on EJBL Web.
  • Process Documents – EJBL Procedural documents distributed to previous-year Board members for input.  Any documents not already-updated need to be returned to President Troy Gilbert.
  • Field Plans – Troy and Jay will connect to discuss next steps.
  • Babe Ruth Update – EJBL scope includes Rookie, A, AA, AAA, Majors + Babe Ruth 13-18 year old players.
    • Don Perrault summarized how teams are built and how games are coordinated with other towns
    • Don & Matt took action to compile list of equipment needs.
  • Sponsors Update (Brett Elmore)
    • Walsh scoreboard co-sponsorship, web sponsorship ($100), field signage $250/year, $200 subsequent) discussed
  • Coach Background Checks – In process per Troy Gilbert
  • Dick’s Sporting Goods Partnership – Per Troy Gilbert, Dick’s can provide EJBL with equipment bags, balls, scorebooks
  • Fundraising – Brian Davis attended to summarizing fundraising opportunity which he will pursue further with Board Member Lee Rollick
  • Motion to adjourn by Jay Swett, second by Lee Rollick.  9:45 p.m.

November 4, 2010


  • Meeting convened 7:05 p.m.

  • October Minutes Approved: Motion to approve by Dave Allen, seconded by Andy Singh. Board approved.

  • Treasurer’s Report: Jeff Jackson summarized minimal activity in October, forecasted upcoming debits and opened brief discussion on consideration of loan for future EJBL improvements

  • EJBL absorption of Exeter Babe Ruth Discussion: Board discussed absorption of the 5 additional Babe Ruth Team (ages 14-18) under EJBL infrastructure


    • Ernie Fuller was in attendance summarizing structure of Exeter Babe Ruth which comprises approximately 75 players.

    • Exeter Babe Ruth had voted to disband if EJBL approves absorption and disperse remaining Exeter B.R. funds to charitable organization being EJBL.

    • Jeff Dickenson was in attendance summarizing how, similarly, Exeter Babe Ruth 13-year-olds were absorbed into EJBL in 2010 season.

  • EJBL Board unanimously voted in Exeter Babe Ruth to be absorbed under EJBL bylaws without condition.


    • Additional league coordinator, Don Perrault, was appointed per EJBL President Troy Gilbert.

    • EJBL’s absorption of 14-18’s will require bylaw change to represent player ages 7-18 (EJBL currently stated as players ages 7-13).

  • Background Checks: EJBL will coordinate 2011 season background checks with “Protect Youth Sports” per Troy Gilbert.

  • Field Maintenance:


    • Newfields – Local landscaper agreed to put Field under a maintenance schedule. NYA will fund cost and will split with EJBL.

    • Newfields – Troy will obtain access to Newfields brick building at Field

  • Capital Spending 2011


    • Creation of a Capital Spending Committee proposed by Brian Hoyt, individuals with ideas for 2011 are to submit to Jay Swett

    • Committee: Jay Swett (lead), Dave Allen, Brian Hoyt, Terri Hersey

  • Draft/Evaluation Changes – Tabled for December Meeting

  • Rookie Coordinator confirmed: Dave Allen appointed by Troy Gilbert

  • Safety Coordinator confirmed: Matt Carbone appointed by Troy Gilbert

  • Evaluations for 2011 Season will take place at PEA on March 12, 2011

  • Clinics: Holiday and Winter Clinics will be open to EJBL players

  • 2010 Sportsmanship Award Winners: Keith took action to check with the Mr. Imbimbo provide to Troy Gilbert.

  • Registration Update: Online form drafted, flyer counts obtained from schools. Fee confirmations to be discussed for all players at December meeting to finalize forms.

  • Fundraiser Review 2011: Lee will reach out to Golf Tournament contact. Also fundraiser at Dexter Outlet being pursued by Brian Davis.

  • Motion to adjourn by Lee Rollick, seconded by Terri Hersey. Adjourned 8:58 p.m.


  • Attendees: Dave Baker, John Brescia, Lee Ann Cammett, Matt Carbone, Tom Daly, Jeff Dickenson, Brett Elmore, Ernie Fuller, Troy Gilbert, Terri Hersey, Brian Hoyt, Jeff Jackson, Keith Palmer, Lee Rollick, Andy Singh, Bob Stephens

October 7, 2010

  • 2011 Election Preparatory activities took place 7 – 7:30 including attendee sign-ins.
  • Meeting convened 7:30 p.m.
  • Meeting Attendees: John Brescia, Lee-Ann Cammett, Tom Daly, Jeff Dickenson, Brett Elmore, Troy Gilbert, Terri Hersey, Brian Hoyt, Jeff Jackson, Eric Norman, Keith Palmer, Lee rollick, Andy Singh, Bob Stephens, Jay Swett, Mark Young, Matt Carbone
Individuals interested in running for the 2011 Board were identified and listed on poster board by John Brescia.
  • EJBL officer and appointed-position roles were summarized by John Brescia. John clarified that voters need to be present to vote but candidates need not be present to run.
  • Attendees voted for 2011 Board by ballot, votes were tabulated by John Brescia and Lee-Ann Cammett. 2011 Election Results were read by John Brescia. The 2011 Board Members include: Dave Allen, John Brescia, Lee-Ann Cammett, Matt Carbone, Tom Daly, Brett Elmore, Troy Gilbert, Terri Hersey, Brian Hoyt, Jeff Jackson, Keith Palmer, Lee Rollick, Andy Singh, Bob Stephens, Jay Swett
  • Officer Elections were conducted, candidates were nominated and seconded, majority voted in the 2011 Board’s Officers as follows:
    • Troy Gilbert - President
    • John Brescia - Vice President
    • Matt Carbone - Equipment Manager
    • Terri Hersey - Secretary (1 yr term)
    • Jeff Jackson - Treasurer
    • Jay Swett - Facilities Manager
  • Appointed Positions were finalized, 2011 EJBL roles appointed as follows:
    • Lee-Ann Cammett - Website Coordinator
    • Tom Daly - Registrar
    • Brett Elmore - Sponsors Coordinato
    • Brian Hoyt - Umpire-in-chief
    • Keith Palmer - Publicity Director; Pictures & Trophies
    • Lee Rollick - Fundraising/Marketing Coordinator
    • Andy Singh - Tournament Director
    • Bob Stephens - Scheduler
    • John Brescia - Clinic Coordinator
    • Dave Allen - Rookie Coordinator
  • Treasurer Report: Reviewed by John Brescia on behalf of Jeff Jackson
  • Field Update:
    • Dumpster has been emptied, portables removed. Discussion took place regarding the need to chain dumpster (perhaps Field Day)
    • Eustis Field: Board & attendees acknowledged appreciation for Timberland Servapalooza support. Timberland completed the field refurb project for Babe Ruth/70’ team availability, dug outs, benches, picnic tables completed. EJBL will install bases and portable mound.
  • Field Day: Sunday 10/17/11
    • Brentwood Tasks: Cage Dismantling. Discussion regarding re-seed/sod with field and irrigation needs to take place with Margaret. Tom Early should be on point.
    • Exeter Tasks: Cage, sponsor signs, storage/snack shack.
    • Newfields Tasks: Cage Dismantling (Jay to contact John Crisp).
  • Action Item/Evaluation Target Date (3/12/11): To be confirmed through PEA by Troy.
  • Action Item/Future Meeting Locations: Troy will book next 4 EJBL Board Meetings.
  • Motion to ajourn made by Bob Stephens, 2nd by Andy Singh. Meeting ajourned 9:15 p.m.

August 12, 2010

Attending board members: David Allen, John Brescia, Lee-Ann Cammett, Matt Carbone, Troy Gilbert, Terri Hersey, Brian Hoyt, Jeff Jackson, Andy Singh and Jay Swett.

Board members not present: Larry Arend, Eric Klemarczyk, Lisa LaBella, and Don Lane.

Others in attendance: Jeff Dickenson

The EJBL Board meeting began at 7:15 p.m. at the Exeter Citizen’s Center with the above referenced attending.

  • John Brescia, President, began the meeting by notifying other members of the resignation of Eric Klemarczyk from the board.

  • Jeff Jackson, Treasurer, provided a detail financial report to other members outlining league expenses and incomes for June and July 2010. There was great success from Snack Shack and the Red Sox raffle.

  • Matt Carbone, Equipment Manager, discussed the league’s current needs with replacing certain portions of the EJBL inventory. Approximately 50% of the league’s equipment has been inventoried and returned from the 2010 coaches. It is anticipated by Labor Day weekend that 100% of the equipment will be in storage or accounted for with fall related play.

  • Troy Gilbert, Field Manager, reported that EJBL’s recently funded a new batting cage located at the Brentwood fields. Gilbert also discussed the approval from Timberland to conduct another service project to make an additional skinned baseball / softball diamond behind the old Exeter High School. Gilbert and Brescia are coordinating efforts with Timberland representatives and SAU-16 who owns the fields. EJBL is looking for volunteer support to assist in hosting approximately 50-60 Timberland volunteers at the old Exeter High School with a free lunch on September 16, 2010. It is anticipated that EJBL will conduct a cookout style menu to keep the volunteers well fed and hydrated during their volunteer work day.

  • David Allen, Rookie League Coordinator, discussed the past and future of the Rookie Program. Allen was very happy with the volunteer efforts that kept Gilman Park as the home field for the EJBL Rookie program. Follow-up with the Gilman Trustees and the Town of Exeter will be made by Allen for continued use of the field in 2011. Success of Rookie day was reviewed; this continues to be a great day.

  • Jeff Dickenson, 13 year-old coordinator, reported to the board of his observations and future proposals for EJBL’s involvement in the Babe Ruth program. Babe Ruth is a continuation of Cal Ripken Baseball and involves players from ages 13-16. This was EJBL’s first year supporting three teams consisting of 13 year-old players and it was reported with great success. There was a discussion around bringing BR under EJBL – this will be reviewed in more detail over the next two months. Dickenson and other board members will attend the next Babe Ruth board meeting to discuss how EJBL can assist in adding value to the current program for both parents and players.

  • Closing ceremonies review was made by the board and a thank you was made to board member Lisa LaBella for coordinating the awards for the leagues post season finals, sportsmanship, rookie, and District-5 tourney.

  • The District-5, 10 year-old All-Star tourney was a success at Currier Field. EJBL would like to continue to volunteer to host future Cal Ripken tournaments since our program is regionally well known. Andy Singh, tourney coordinator, was also thanked for getting all of the EJBL teams scheduled for play immediately following the regular season.

  • A discussion took place involving the EJBL All-Star post season. The board unanimously approved the expenditure of $2,200 ($200 per family) to assist parents of the 11-70’ team who needed to stay overnight in CT for the New England Regional tournament. Jackson and Brescia will coordinate the league’s donation to the parents.

Items that were tabled for discussion during the next board meeting were as follows:
  • 2011 season rule changes
  • 2011 board elections
  • Babe Ruth future proposals
The board meeting ended at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Matt Carbone, EJBL

June 6, 2010

On June 6, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Exeter Parks and Recreation Building on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

Board members in attendance were John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Don Lane, Andy Singh, Lisa, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone and Larry Arend.

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Lisa Labella, Terri Hersey.

Minutes

  • Troy Gilbert made a motion to accept the May minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Jay Swett and the motion carried.

Vice President
  • Matt Carbone nominated Jay Swett to fill the vacant role of EJBL Vice President. Jay was elected on a voice vote.

Treasurer’s Report
  • Jeff Jackson presented the Treasurer’s report. At the time of the meeting, the treasury balance was $25,543.19.

Red Sox Raffle
  • John Brescia reported that raffle sales appeared to be on target to meet or exceed 2009 sales.

Website
  • It was stated that Dave Allen would temporarily be covering EJBL website administrative duties.

Sportsmanship Awards
  • John Brescia confirmed that Lisa Labella had ordered the Sportsmanship Award trophies.

Playoffs, Snack Shack
  • It was discussed that volunteers were needed to cover the Snack Shack during the playoffs. The hope was to get parents from teams that weren’t playing at that time so volunteers would not miss watching their child’s game.

Closing Ceremonies
  • John Brescia led the discussion around closing ceremonies. Larry Arend volunteered to bring his PA system. It was stated that Mark Young will sell t-shirts. Also, 4 officers needed to review the scholarship applications.

Rookie Day
  • Dave Allen discussed Rookie Day. Rookie Day will be held June 19th at5:00 at Currier Field, following closing day ceremonies.

A League Recognition Game
  • John Brescia discussed that the annual A League Recognition Game will be held on Saturday, June 26th at Olson Field in Brentwood.

Post Season Tournaments
  • Andy Singh gave an update of the post season tournaments.

Exeter 10 Year Old District Tournament
  • Andy Singh gave a progress report on Exeter hosting the Cal Ripken District 5 tournament. A committee was formed to manage all of the necessary tasks in the last few weeks leading up to the tournament.

Summer Baseball
  • The board decided to have a summer “sandlot” style baseball program. The cost would be $25 per player and meet on Monday and Wednesday nights at Currier and Walsh Fields.

Fund Raising 2011
  • Troy Gilbert discussed that he was approached by someone who runs charity golf tournaments about having an EJBL golf tournament. Troy was told that it can be very lucrative with out a lot of effort on the part of EJBL volunteers.

Grant
  • Also there was a discussion about applying for a grant from Lowe’s Stores to have work done at Walsh Field.

Timberland Serv-A-Palooza
  • The board discussed and decided to have EJBL become a candidate for another Timberland Corporation Serv-A-Palooza project. The Board decided that we would write a proposal to have the 90 foot field behind old Exeter High School refurbished. This could be a multi purpose, skinned infield serving multiple age groups.

New Board Members
  • John Brescia suggested that people start soliciting people to run for open seats for the fall elections.

Snack Shack
  • Jay Swett discussed replacing the Snack Shack. Some members suggested that remodeling might be a more budget friendly option. The discussion was tabled indefinitely.

Adjourn
  • Larry Arend made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Andy Singh. The motion carried.

Respectfully submitted, Eric Klemarczyk

May 3, 2010

On May 3, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Exeter Parks and Recreation Building on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

Board members in attendance were John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Don Lane, Andy Singh, Lisa, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone and Larry Arend.

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Lisa Labella, Jeff Jackson and Jay Swett.

Note: “We” in the minutes refers to the board or EJBL.

Minutes · Secretary Eric Klemarczyk gave an overview of the April Minutes. Dave Allen made a motion to waive the full reading of the April minutes and accept them as presented. The motion was seconded by Andy Singh. The motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report · Treasurer Jeff Jackson was not in attendance at the meeting and no report was presented. Jeff will be sending one via email to the board.

Rookie League · Dave Allen raised concerns about mowing frequency at Gilman Park. Troy Gilbert is going to contact Olofsun and The Yankee Clipper to get a price to mow the field. · There is no home plate installed at Gilman Park. Matt Carbone is going to contact Floyd at Diagnault’s about purchasing one that can be removed at the end of the season.

Fields

· Troy Gilbert mentioned that Walsh Field needs to be converted to a 60’ diamond for the Cal Ripken tournament in June. A hitter’s backdrop of some sort need to be installed in centerfield at Walsh.

Raffle · Raffle sales are off of last year’s pace and a few locations have cancelled on the league. John Brescia stressed the importance of having each player sell 10 tickets on their own. Website

· There was a discussion regarding website content, updates and freshness.

· John Brescia wanted to have a recap of opening day ceremonies posted on the main page of the site. ·

It was suggested that an “Advertise Here” or “Your Ad Here” icon be placed on the website in the hopes of generating interest from business owners who may frequent the website.

· There was a discussion regarding having an official EJBL Facebook page. The sentiment of the board was to avoid a Facebook page at this time as it is difficult to control content.

· On a related subject, John Brescia mentioned that he is planning to send Twitter updates during the Cal Ripken district tournament. Tournaments

· Andy Singh reported that due to scheduling conflicts, EJBL will only be able to send 3 teams to the Roger Allen Tournament this year. We will send a 12-70’team an 11-70’ team and a 9 year old team which plays on a 60’ field.

· Efforts will be made to look for another tournament for the 10’s and other teams to play in. If necessary, we may organize a simulated tournament with neighboring towns.

Exeter Cal Ripken Regional Tournament
· Andy discussed some of the equipment and details regarding the tournament that we are hosting in June. We need to provide balls stamped with the Cal Ripken logo. Don Lane was able to procure several dozen of those balls at a discounted rate.

· Snack Shack facilities were discussed: Everyone agreed that we needed to expand the facilities to a tent and utilize outdoor grills.

Saleable Merchandise · The board agreed to order 144 more EJBL T-shirts in various sizes to fill backorders and continue to sell throughout the season.

Post Season Uniforms

· Matt Carbone brought in samples of new uniform for the tournament teams.

All Star Selection

· It was decided to utilize the same voting process as 2009 for this year’s all star selections.

At 9:10, Larry Arend made a motion to adjourn; it was seconded by Troy Gilbert. The motion passed without opposition.

April 1, 2010

On April 1, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

Board members in attendance were John Brescia, Jeff Jackson, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Don Lane, Jay Swett, Andy Singh, Lisa Labella and Larry Arend.

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Brian Hoyt and Matt Carbone.

Keith Palmer and Jeff Hoyt also attended.

Note: “We” in the minutes refers to the board or EJBL.

Jeff Hoyt

  • AAA Athletics coach, Jeff Hoyt spoke regarding slotting the head coach’s child in the #4 position in the draft. The board had a lively, yet thoughtful discussion on the matter. It was Jeff’s opinion that the process needed to be reanalyzed before the 2011 draft. The discussion was tabled and no vote took place as the 2011 draft was 11 months away.

Minutes

  • At 7:52 pm, Don Lane made a motion to waive the reading of the minutes and accept them as presented. Jay Swett seconded, and the motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report

  • Jeff Jackson reported that the current balance in the treasury was $35,242.28.
  • Jeff presented the first draft of the 2010 budget. The board members suggested some adjustments. Jeff planned to take the new information and adjust accordingly.

Field Report

  • Troy Gilbert reported that the fields were wet but holding up well considering the record rainfall.
  • Troy discussed a maintenance schedule for the fields and planned to research pricing to institute the plan.
  • Larry Arend discussed a portable backstop he had seen while traveling.
  • Troy discussed the cost of upgrading the cost of the field behind the Tuck Learning Campus. The cost is $26,000+. The subject of upgrading the Tuck field was tabled. Opposition to spending the funds included the fact that the league does not control or own the field and that football gets played on it every fall. In the meantime, Troy is going to seek out a couple more estimates.

13 Prep

  • While the entire board agreed with the incorporation of the 13s under EJBL's infrastructure, the common thought was that there needs to be more inclusion. By utilizing EJBL's core group of volunteers for everything from fields and schedules to fund raising and coach and player evaluation, the 13 year old's coaches and coordinator can focus efforts on training, competitive skill development and retention. John Brescia, David Allen and Troy Gilbert plan to meet with Mr. Wendell from SAU16 next week to discuss additional field development in the very near future to support the board's original goal regarding Babe Ruth inclusion.

Raffle

  • John Brescia approached Lowes in Epping to see if EJBL ballplayers could sell raffle tickets there. For the second year in a row, the store said they could not accommodate us because, they were working with the Girl Scouts.
  • Lisa Labella volunteered to be the lead on raffle sales this season.

Assistant Coach Approvals

  • President Brescia read the list of assistant coaches for this season for the entire league. There was a discussion among the board. Don Lane made a motion to accept the group of assistant coaches as nominated. Terri Hersey seconded. The group of coaches was accepted without dissent.

Coaches Certification

  • John mentioned that all head coaches need to pass the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken coaching cert. before the season begins.
Website
  • Lee-Ann Cammett needs to upload the rosters to the Babe Ruth website.
  • The board discussed that we want a “Your Ad Here” ad on the EJBL site. Lee-Ann said she needed a graphic file created. She is going to see if Students at the Seacoast School of Technology can create it. Those students may also do other creative work for the site.

Umpires

  • Don Lane reported that the Major League and AA umpire schedules had been posted to the league website. Don was waiting on the high school game schedule to come out to post Single A as some of the Single A umpires are students who play baseball.
  • Don is encouraging his younger umpires to go to scrimmages for practice.

Playoff Schedule

  • Per league bylaw, the playoff format was approved by the board (before the season began).

Rookie League

  • Dave Allen gave a brief rookie league update. There was discussion regarding “Rookie Day” and the EJBL playoffs.

Opening Day

  • An opening day committee was formed: John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Troy Gilbert, Andy Singh and Jeff Jackson volunteered. (Secretary’s note Terri Hersey and Matt Carbone later joined the committee).

Meritorious Service Award

  • The board selected the 2010 Meritorious Service Award winner(s).

Tournaments

  • A tournament committee needs to be formed for the regional tournament in June.
  • The board decided to attempt to try to hold the tournament in Exeter. Newfields and Brentwood would be backup fields in case of rain.
  • There was discussion of the need to rent a tent for foodservice and also portable toilets.

Merchandise

  • The board decided to purchase 100 EJBL t-shirts; $500 wholesale from Co-Ed Sportswear to sell this season.

May and June Board Meetings

  • Due to game conflicts on Thursday nights, the next two board meetings will be moved to May 2nd and June 6th at 7:00 pm.

Troy Gilbert made a motion to close the meeting. It was second by Dave Allen. The motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully Submitted
Eric M. Klemarczyk
EJBL Secretary

March 4, 2010

On March 4, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

 

Board members in attendance were John Brescia, Jeff Jackson, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Don Lane, Jay Swett, Andy Singh and Lisa Labella.

 

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone and Larry Arend

 

Keith Palmer, Dave Baker, Greg Maxwell, Paul Deranian and Julie Pearson also attended.

 

Note: “We” in the  minutes refers to the board or EJBL.

 

Minutes

 

  • Dave Allen made a motion to waive the reading of the minutes and accept them as printed.  The motion was seconded by Terri Hersey.  The motion carried without dissent.

 

Sponsors

 

  • Paul Deranian discussed banner pricing and banner related matters from the past several seasons..
  • There was a discussion to include a website advertisement as a value added perk to get people to purchase an outfield banner.
  • The suggestion was made to have the existing list of potential sponsors broken up and spread out among the board members.  Each board member could then contact a few to se if they were interested in advertising with EJBL.
  • A suggestion was mad to put a “Your ad here” or “Advertise here” on the website until we get some paid sponsors.

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

  • Jeff Jackson reported a balance of $38,518.81 in the treasury. 
  • Major recent expenditures were to the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken organization for our 400+ players.  We also purchased a supply of baseballs for the upcoming season.
  • Upcoming expenditures are expected to be the team uniforms: Caps, shirts, socks.

 

Field Report

 

  • Troy Gilbert reported that the outfield fence at Walsh Field in Exeter was damaged by a tree during the recent wind storm.   
  • April 10th will be field cleanup day in Exeter for sure.  Troy is trying to coordinate with the other EJBL towns so we can do all of the fields on the same day.
  • The Town of Kensington is requesting a cash donation from the EJBL for use of the fields.  The league currently pays over $200 but less than $300 every year to offset the cost of lighting for night games at Kensington.  The Town requested an annual donation of $500.  What we are gaining is the use of the adult softball field for 6, 70’ Major League games with three night games a year.  This allows all 6 major teams to have one night game per year.

 

The town feels that the increase in the donation from $200+ to $500 is reasonable as they do not and will not be asking for capital improvement monies such as irrigation system or landscaping projects like EJBL has provided to other towns.

 

Lisa Labella made a motion to increase the donation to the Town of Kensington to $500.  The motion was seconded by Eric Klemarczyk.  The motion carried unanimously. 

  • Secretary’s note: The dugouts at East Kingston were damaged as well during the wind storm.  The Town of East Kingson/E.K. School are responsible for these.

 

 

Picture Day

 

  • Picture Day will be held at Main Street School in Exeter on Tuesday, April 6th.  Note: This location is a change from the past couple of years.

 

 

Registration Update

 

  • As of meeting night, Terri Hersey reported the following registration numbers (by age): 12s-63, 11s – 70, 10s -86, 9s-82, 8s-67, 7s-52. and 40 players have registered for the Babe Ruth 13 prep division.  The total is 460 players.  We expect to get some same day registrations at evaluation day.

 

  • Based on the amount of 10,9  and 8 year old registrations, it was determined that a team needed to be added rather  than have very large teams.  This minimizes bench time.  Jay Swett made a suggestion to add a suggestion to add a 9th team to the Single A league and the motion was seconded.  There was discussion surrounding having an odd number of teams in a league.  Seveal board members who are also coaches agreed that the added occasional off day would give an opportunity for in season practice.  The board passed the motion to add a 9th team without dissent.

 

Evaluations

 

  • John Brescia reported that alternate evaluations were held last night at Talbot Gym for players that were unable to attend the Saturday, March 6th event.
  • Evaluations will be held at Thompson Cage on Saturday, March 6th.  The board and volunteers discussed their roles for the upcoming weekend.

 

Draft

 

  • There was a discussion regarding having a controlled or managed draft for the A and AAA leagues.  These leagues tend to have many new coaches.  The objective is to achieve parity talent wise.  In general terms, the  probable format would be that top pitching talent would be spread out evenly in the early rounds.  The coach’s child would take the 4th round draft spot as stated by the EJBL bylaw.

 

  • Andy Singh made a motion to have a controlled draft for the A and AAA league in 2010.  The motion was seconded by Lee-Ann Cammett.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

  • A question came up on how to slot siblings when the siblings are then coach’s children.  After a discussion, the consensus was that that interpretation of the league bylaw was that one sibling would be slotted 4th and one would be slotted on the last roster slot. 

 

  • The draft will be held at the Tuck Learning Center on, Friday, March 12th.   The Major and AA draft will be held simultaneously at 7:00 pm.  The AAA and A league draft will follow immediately around 8:15. 

 

  • The draft order for all 4 leagues was picked from a hat at random.  The entire board and several members of the public witnessed. 

 

Umpires

 

  • Don Lane reported that the Major League umpire schedule was done.  Don also mentioned that he was getting some new leads on perspective umpires this season.

 

Uniforms/Equipment

 

  • Equipment Manager, Matt Carbone was not present at the meeting.  As mentioned earlier in the treasurer’s report, balls for the season had been purchased. 
  • Uniforms and equipment for the 9th Single A team will need to be purchased.

 

Rookie League

 

  • Dave Allen is waiting for the draft to finalize rookie coaches.

 

League Coordinators

 

  • Currently the League Coordinators are: Jeff Dickenson-Babe Ruth, (Mr.) Cosgrove-Majors, Jay Swett-AA, Dave Allen-Rookie.  The discussion was tabled until April regarding AAA and A League coordinators.

Raffle

 

  • John Brescia discussed the raffle.  He mentioned that in reality, every business needs to be visited in person.  John is attempting to get Wal-Mart in Epping back as a raffle location.  John also mentioned the importance of having storefront raffle sales on Friday April 2nd and Saturday, April 3rd before Easter Sunday.

 

Team Parent

 

  • Eric Klemarczyk presented a draft of a suggest outline of a team parent role.  This included a skill set, duties and tasks.  The board was in agreement with the draft.  No vote was taken.

 

Cal Ripken State Meeting

 

  • John Brescia attended the monthly state meeting.  Exeter is hosting the regional tournament from 6/26 to 7/2.  Roger Allen is hosting the state tournament.

 

Website

 

  • Lee-Ann Cammett said that students at the Seacoast School of Technology are willing to contribute to the EJBL website.

 

Summer Outing

 

  • The board decide not to have a summer outing (Fisher Cats trip) this year.  The idea could be revisited later this year or next year.

 

Opening Day

 

  • The board decided to have “Opening Day” on opening day, Saturday, April 17th rather than a few weeks in to the season   John Brescia and others felt that it should be festive with a lot of pomp and circumstance.

 

Adjourn

  • Troy Gilbert made a motion to adjourn, Andy Singh seconded the motion.  The eyes were loud, there were no nays.

 

Saleable Goods

 

  • After the meeting adjourned, Don Lane displayed some possible articles of clothing that EJBL could have printed or embroidered to sell.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Eric Klemarczyk

EJBL Secretary

February 4, 2010

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes
February 4, 2010

 

 

On February 4, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

 

Board members in attendance were: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Matt Carbone, Larry Arend, Don Lane, Jay Swett, Andy Singh,  Lisa Labella and Jeff Jackson.

 

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Brian Hoyt.

 

Keith Palmer, Dave Baker & Mr. Swett were also in attendance.

 

Jeff Dickenson

 

After the January meeting, Jeff Dickenson announced his resignation to the rest of the EJBL Board.  Before the formal meeting began, Jeff discussed his reasoning behind stepping down.  Jeff said that it was time to move on and that it had been a mistake to take the position again last fall.  Jeff will stay involved in a non- board role as the 13 Year Old Coordinator. 

 

Per league bylaws, Vice President, John Brescia will serve as acting president until we are able to hold another election.

 

Minutes

 

Andy Singh made a motion to accept the minutes as published, it was seconded by Jay Swett.  The motion carried without dissent.

 

The board agreed that the minutes need to be approved at a meeting before being published.  In some cases, the tentative minutes can be published pending approval, but several board members need to give approval by email.

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

The balance in the bank account was $20,120.64.  Funds continue to come in via online registrations.  Expected upcoming large expenditures include fees to Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth.

 

Field Update

 

There is no change since January on the status of the 13 year old field at the old high school.  The league needs to decide if we want to move forward with the project and at what level.  Do we want to take a bank loan.  Someone will need to cosign for the loan.

 

 

The group in charge of the Kensington Fields have suggested that we pay a increased fee/make a donation for using the fields each summer.  We currently pay the electric bill for night games and provide lime for field striping.  The Kensington thought process is that we do not provide any labor for field maintenance while we do this for all of the other towns.

 

Clinics

 

John Brescia discussed that Bruce Joyce had 4 upcoming clinics.  There was still room for players and that they needed adult volunteers.  The clinics were being held on Feb 7 & 14 and  March 7 & 14 at Exeter High School.

 

Picture Day

Picture Day is tentatively scheduled for April 8th.  This date needs  to be changed because Lisa, the picture coordinator is not available on that day.

 

Rookie League Update

Dave Allen led an open  discussion about possible fields that could be used for rookie games.

 

Registration

As of meeting night 2-4-10 the league had received 175 registrations.  174 online and one mail in.

 

In person registration will be held on 2-17-10 at Lincoln Street School in Exeter.

 

Evaluations

 

Don Lane did extensive research regarding whether pitching station scores dramatically helped a player or prevented a player from moving up to a higher league.  Don used the 2009 results for 11 and 12 year olds. The results showed a that three or four players would have been affected.  Don also discussed the issue with other leagues and found that they all evaluate pitching. 

 

The board voted on this item whether to evaluate pitching at evaluations.  The vote was 10 in favor and 1 opposed.

 

There was also discussion to distribute quality pitching evenly and to possibly have a blind draft at the A league and AAA league level.

 

Scheduling

 

The upcoming scheduling tasks include a practice schedule and a game schedule & umpire schedule.  Larry Arend is going to attempt to look at last years game schedule as a model for this years.  It is not possible to create the full schedule until it is known how many players and teams there are. 

 

Equipment

 

Matt Carbone gave an equipment report.  He asked permission to purchase a supply of game balls at $20/dozen. 

Also adult caps will be purchased for the 11 & 12 year old players. 

Matt found a new supplier for game jerseys which will save the league money.

 

Coaching Committee

Terri Hersey, Dave Allen and Eric Klemarczyk will from the 2010 coaching committee.

 

Coaches Meeting

 

There will be a coaches meeting on March 27th at the Senior Citizens Center in Exeter on 3/27.

 

District 5 Tournament

 

Exeter will host the District 5, 10 year old Cal Ripken Tournament.  The date has not been announced, but it is likely to be the weekend of June 28th 2010. 

 

Keith Palmer has also reserved the Kensington fields.  Extra fields may be necessary in the event of rain and also to prevent 3:00 pm games. 

 

Eric Klemarczyk raised the idea of renting portable/construction lighting for Exeter. However, this may be cost prohibitive.

Summer Outing

 

Eric Klemarczyk has contacted the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Manchester) and the Portland Sea Dogs (Maine) regarding group outings.  The price of the both parks is competitive.  With Portland there is the possibility of  taking Amtrak to the game.

 

This discussion was tabled until March.

 

League Lineup Pro

 

The board voted to set the on line ad rate at $100/year.  The ads will be put in a rotation and will show up at random.

 

The board voted 8 in favor with 2 abstentions on this motion.  One member went home before this vote.

 

Saleable Goods

 

There was a discussion regarding saleable goods.  I.E. Hoodies, t-shirts,  fleece pullovers.  The company in Stratham that used to provide this service for the league is no longer in business.  Don Lane said that his company could step in and provide the service.  He said he now has new equipment so he can print items in very small batches.  John Brescia asked Don if he could he could add a link to his website to handle direct EJBL orders.  Don thought that this was a possibility an that he would check. 

 

Team Parent Role

 

Eric Klemarczyk took this as a takeaway.  A list will be forthcoming of possible team parent tasks and parent tasks.

 

Adjourn

 

Troy Gilbert made a motion to adjourn, Matt Carbone seconded.  The motion carried on a fervent voice vote well after 10:00 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Eric Klemarczyk

EJBL Secretary

January 7, 2010

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes
January 7, 2010

 

 

On January 7, 2010 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

 

Board members in attendance were: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Matt Carbone, Larry Arend, Don Lane, Jay Swett, Andy Singh and Lisa Labella.

 

Board members not able to attend the meeting: Brian Hoyt and Jeff Jackson.

 

Keith Palmer and Dave Baker were also in attendance.

 

Minutes

 

Dave Allen made a motion to waive the reading of the minutes from December 3, 2009 and accept them as electronically published.  Jay Swett seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

Jeff Dickenson presented the treasurer’s report in Jeff Jackson’s stead.  Jeff mentioned that the annual budget is due in February.  Any suggestions for capital expenditures should be prepared now and presented next month.

 

Jeff, Terri Hersey and Lee-Ann Cammett mentioned that we have already received 36 online registrations and those funds are already deposited in our bank account.

 

Web Site Upgrade

 

There was a brief discussion about whether or not to appropriate $250.00 to upgrade our service level on the Leaguelineup.com web site.  We currently utilize the “free” version.  In the free version League Lineup posts their advertisements and we get no revenue.  The sentiment in the meeting was all favorable toward paying for the subscription to eliminate Leaguelineup advertising and the opportunity to sell our own ads.  Board members felt that there would be no problem at all recovering the $250 fee. 

 

There were suggestions made that local orthopedic clinics and sports training facilities would be ideal candidates to advertise on the website.   It was also suggested that sales might be made in conjunction with outfield banner sales.

 

John Brescia made a motion to appropriate $250.00 for a 1 year subscription to Leaguelineup Pro.  The motion was seconded by Matt Carbone.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Old Exeter High School Field

 

Troy Gilbert discussed that to install a new backstop and fencing in front of both dugout/bench areas and skin the infield would cost $24,000.  This entire project does not have to be completed for the 13 prep league to play.  The new backstop and fence does need to be installed before the ball field can be used.  The location of current backstop is too close to the Automotive Technology building at the SST.  The cost of the fencing project alone is in the $6000-$7000 range.

 

December Baseball Clinic

 

21 players attended Bruce Joyce’s December clinic.  There will be a Winter/Spring clinic available this spring in February and March.  The clinic will possibly be available to kids ranging from ages 6-12. 

 

Bruce was offered the use of the exeterbaseball.org site online registration tool.  He declined and decided to go with the traditional paper form and mail method.

 

Coach Selection Committee

 

Jeff Dickenson stated that has chosen Terri Hersey and Eric Klemarczyk to be on the Coaching Selection Committee for the 2010 season.

 

Board Member Absences

 

Brian Hoyt contacted Jeff Dickenson recently and asked if he was going to lose his position on the EJBL board due to lack of attendance.  Brian’s work schedule has prevented him from attending meetings.  Jeff read an excerpt from the bylaws that stated that a board member can be removed from the board after three consecutive absences.  The bylaw does not state the he or she must be removed.  There was a discussion amongst the members and the feeling was that there was no need to remove Brian from the board.  Board meetings have been well attended and having a quorum has not been an issue.  No vote on this matter was necessary.

 

Calendar Review

 

Jeff Dickenson reviewed the EJBL calendar through June of 2010. 

 

Eric Klemarczyk volunteered to take the lead on the Fisher Cats outing.

 

Players Injured During Evaluations

 

A board member was asked by a parent if her 11 year old son could be elevated to the Major League without a tryout.  The son is recovering from an injury and may not be fit for evaluations on March 6th.  The discussion was spirited as it always is in matters of evaluations and drafting.  However the strong sentiment was to not give a pass to the Major League without an evaluation.

 

Evaluations

 

There was a discussion about whether or not to eliminate the pitching station from evaluation day.  Some of the suggestions made and ideas that were tossed around included:

  • Have the pitching station, but don’t have the scores count in the eval.
  • Have the pitching station be voluntary.
  • Have a “throwing” station.
  • Some argued that the fielding station is the throwing station.
  • The point was made that some kids are nervous when the attempt to pitch.  The pitching scores may be dragging kids out of the bubble and in to a lower league.

No final decision was made on this subject, however there seemed to a be movement to make some changes at the pitching station in some form or another.

 

Parent Volunteerism

 

Eric Klemarczyk raised the subject of lack of participation at last year’s field cleanup day.  He suggested that every team be assigned a 2 hour time frame at a given field as a team activity.  This led in to a discussion about parent volunteerism in general. 

So called “Volunteer Bonds” were discussed.  This is where the player’s family would give a specified amount of cash and it would be held by the league.  The family would get the cash bond back when the parent performs their volunteer service.  I.E. Snack Shack duty.  It was noted that the Exeter Swim Team has an aggressive fine structure set up.  EST also has mandatory/pre-paid raffle ticket sales. 

 

The discussion then moved on Exeter Seahawks Football who seem to have very good parent participation without using bonds or fees.  Every Seahawk team has a team parent who organizes the volunteers on each of the teams.

 

Someone noted that it is too late for EJBL to institute a bond for this year as we have already published our registration fee.  Discussion then surrounded having a “team parent” as a formal position for every team following the Seahawks model.  Some of duties that need to be fulfilled include:  Snack Shack, prep field for home games, rake field after home games.  Rainout emails/phone calls etc. 

 

Absent

 

Jeff Dickenson announced that he will be absent for the February 4th meeting. 

 

State Tournament

 

Andy Singh and others are requesting that EJBL host the Cal Ripken 10 year old State Championship in Exeter.  Of course we have a returning nucleus of 9 year olds who are the defending state champs and they would love to win at home in 2010.

 

Jeff will make the request at the next state meeting.

 

Adjourn

 

Terri Hersey made motion to adjourn the meeting.  The motion was seconded by Troy Gilbert.  All voted in favor.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Eric Klemarczyk

EJBL Secretary

December 3, 2009

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes
December 3, 2009

 

 

On December 3, 2009 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

 

Board members in attendance were: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Terri Hersey, Matt Carbone, Larry Arend, Don Lane and Jay Swett. 

 

Absent board members were: Andy Singh, Lisa Labella, Brian Hoyt and Jeff Jackson.

 

There were no parents or members of the general public in attendance at the meeting.

 

Minutes

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:07 pm by President Jeff Dickenson.  Mr. Dickenson entertained a motion to accept the minutes from the November meeting as written and electronically published.  Don Lane made a motion to accept the minutes without amendment.  The motion was seconded by Larry Arend.  All present voted in favor to accept the minutes.

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

Treasurer Jeff Jackson was not present at this evening’s meeting.  Jeff Dickenson began to read a treasury report when many realized it was the same Treasurer’s report from November.  The consensus was to table the Treasurer’s report until January.

 

Great Bay 13 Prep League

 

Before voting on whether or not to add the 13 prep teams to the EJBL structure, there was a positive and lengthy discussion on this topic.  Items covered included but were not limited to:

 

  • What would the fee be?
  • Where would the games be played?
  • What kind condition is the equipment in? How much needs to be purchased? Who will manage it?
  • How will the umpires get paid?
  • Who are the coaches?  

 


 

 

 The following EJBL Bylaw change was presented to the board for a vote:

 

Art. 18. 13-Prep, Major, Minor and Rookie Leagues.

 

The EJBL shall be comprised of 5 Leagues: Majors, AAA, AA, A and Rookie League. EJBL shall also field teams in the 13-prep division of Great Bay Babe Ruth League.

 

The 13-prep teams shall be comprised of 13 year-olds.

The Major League shall be comprised of 11 and 12 year-olds.

The AAA League shall be comprised of 11, and 12 year-olds. 10 year-olds may play in AAA League at the Board’s discretion.

The AA League shall be comprised of 9 and10 year-olds.

The A League shall be comprised of 9, and 10 year-olds. 8 year-olds may play in A League at the Board’s discretion.

The Rookie League shall be comprised of 7and 8 year olds.

All players who register for EJBL shall be rostered on either a 13-prep, Major, AAA, AA, A or Rookie League team subject to limitations set forth in Art. 14 Sec. 2 of these By-Laws and the Local Rules. 

Teams and Leagues may be added or subtracted each year by a majority vote and at the sole discretion of the Board in the best interest of EJBL. The Local Rules shall define the playing and organizational rules for each League.

 

 

Troy Gilbert made a motion to accept bylaw change as presented.  Don Lane seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Registration

 

The on line registration process in the works and should be ready to go on January 1st 2010. 

 

The board discussed league fees.  The fee structure for the 2010 season will be the following:

 

Rookies:                                  $60     

A, AA, AAA, Majors               $110

13 Prep                                                $150 (Includes $20 in raffle tickets net $130 fee)

 

There is a $20 sibling discount for siblings in the six divisions.          

 

The motion to accept the 2010 fee structure was made by Don Lane and seconded by John Brescia.  The motion carried without dissent.

 

Facilities

 

  • Old High School Field

 

During the 13 prep discussion earlier in the meeting the topic came about a 90 foot field for the players.  The field behind the old high school in Exeter has been offered to EJBL to use.  Some of the things that need to be done to the field are to have the backstop moved out (toward center field).  The new Automotive Technology building is too close to the current infield. 

 

Jeff Dickenson suggested having an all dirt “skinned” infield.  He felt that this would be easier to prep in the spring.  Simply roto-till and compact.  Also it would give the league the flexibility of using the field for 70 foot and 60 foot games if the mound were moved.  Also it should be noted that the mound has to be removed for football practice by mid August.

 


 

Financing for the field upgrades could come from a couple of sources.  The Exeter division of Great Bay Babe Ruth may have some funds available.  Jeff Dickenson also mentioned that a bank loan is a possibility.

 

  • New Dwelling at Currier/Walsh Site

 

Jay Swett will begin exploring the possibility of replacing the Snack Shack with a new larger, modern structure.  The benefits to a new facility would possibly include on site, offseason storage for baseball gear.  The league currently rents space at a self storage facility.  Rest rooms.  An updated kitchen with a more sanitary food prep area.  A second floor press/observation area.  Storage for the school district phys ed and sports equipment. 

 

There was a discussion about trying to survey parents to get a feel for their talents be it construction trades, landscaping or other.  There was mention that one of the parents in the league is a local architect.  Eric Klemarczyk mentioned that we could have a “Barn Raising” where qualified volunteers could build the new snack shack. 

 

Holiday Camps

 

Bruce Joyce will hold Holiday Camps December 28th-30th at CMS.  It is limited to the first 50 kids from EJBL towns.  If the clinic does not fill up, then the clinic will be opened beyond the 5 towns.

 

Bruce will be host a coaching a coaching clinic in exchange for EJBL’s promotional support for this winter clinic.

 

Evaluations/Draft

 

The main topic was 12 year old kids who end up with an evaluation score “on the bubble”.  The discussion was to give preference to a 12 year old over an 11 year old bubble player on the bubble.  In these cases, the 11 year old will have another try at making the Major League level in the following season.   There was widespread support for this idea with little opposition.  There was no vote on the matter.

 

The possibility of having call backs, meaning have bubble players come back for a second tryout was discussed.  The sentiment was that this was logistically difficult and could be an added expense. 

 

Matt Carbone opened a discussion about talent equity at the single A level.  Matt, Troy Gilbert and Eric Klemarczyk who all coached at Single-A in 2009 discussed the idea of having an assignment of players rather than a draft.  At Single-A you often get brand new coaches who don’t know the kids anyway.  It was also discussed that Rookie League coaches may be able to provide player input.  The discussion was tabled.

 

Just before 9:00, Matt Carbone made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Terri Hersey.  All present voted to adjourn.

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Eric M. Klemarczyk

Secretary

Exeter Junior Baseball League

December 3, 2009

November 5, 2009

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

EJBL Board Meeting Minutes

November 5, 2009

 

On November 5, 2009 the Exeter Junior Baseball League held the monthly board of directors meeting at the Senior Citizens Center on Court Street in Exeter, NH.

 

Board members in attendance were: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Jeff Jackson, Eric Klemarczyk, Troy Gilbert, Dave Allen, Lee-Ann Cammett, Lisa Labella, Terri Hersey and Andy Singh.

 

Absent board members were: Matt Carbone, Larry Arend, Brian Hoyt, Don Lane and Jay Swett. 

 

Dave Baker and Mark Young were in attendance as well.

 

Minutes

 

At 7:06 pm President Jeff Dickenson opened the meeting.  Jeff gave an overview of the minutes from the September 27th 2009 meeting.  John Brescia made a motion to accept the minutes as published which was seconded by Lisa Labella.  The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.

 

Treasurer’s report

 

At 7:09 pm Jeff Jackson presented the treasurer’s report.  Jeff reported a balance of $9183.01 in league bank account.  Jeff also reported that he was working on setting up on line access to the bank account and should have up to the minute reports going forward.

 

Timberland

 

At 7:12 pm Troy Gilbert summarized the Timberland Serv-A-Palooza project.  After summarizing all of the work that was done, Troy mentioned that Timberland donated some of the leftover landscaping tools to the league including some rakes. 

 

Jeff Dickenson also mentioned that Timberland did not spend any of the funds that EJBL had appropriated for this project at the last meeting and it would be returned to the treasury.

 

Clinics

 

At 7:17 pm there was a discussion that Bruce Joyce would continue to run offseason clinics for EJBL. 

 


On Line Registration

 

At 7:20 pm the floor was opened for discussion regarding Online Registration.  Lee-Ann Cammett and Terri Hersey had done some research and spoke with a sales representative at leaguelineup.com, our current web host provider.  League lineup charges 4.95%  + 30 cents per credit card transaction.  There is also an extensive 7 page form that needs to be completed in order to use this.

 

Discussion points surrounding this topic included:

  • Should we still accept mailed in registrations?
  • Should we still have an in person registration day? 
  • Should we offer a discount for online registration? 
  • Should league fees be changed to cover the credit card service charge?

 

Eric Klemarczyk made a motion to authorize Lee-Ann Cammett and Terri Hersey to act as agents on behalf of the league to manage the on line registration project.   The motion was seconded.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Foss Wasson Field

 

At 7:33 pm Dave Baker spoke regarding the Foss Wasson Field project in East Kingston.  Note: EJBL Has donated $2000.00 to the construction of this field. 

 

Dave informed us that the infield has been constructed and has been built as a dual purpose 60’ and 70’ field.  The field may be ready for practice use in the spring, but there will be no fencing.  The dugouts are being designed in a similar fashion to those that currently exist at the East Kingston Elementary School. 

 

The field committee is continuing to try to raise funds to complete the project.

 

League Coordinator Role

 

At 7:39 there was a lengthy discussion regarding a potential League Coordinator role.  The potential functions of a league coordinator would include:

  • Recruit coaches and assistant coaches.
  • Attend coaches meetings.
  • Run league draft.
  • Coordinate coaches training and train coaches.
  • Work on opening day planning.
  • Observe games.
  • Observe innings pitched/pitching rules.
  • Watch behavior; coaches, players, parents, umpires.
  • Recommend discipline.
  • Coordinate A-League recognition game/Tournament team selection.

 

John Brescia made a motion to modify the current “Rookie League Coordinator” bylaw to add 4 league coordinators A, AA, AAA and Major League to be appointed by the league president.  The motion was seconded by Andy Singh.  The motion passed unanimously on a show of hands.

 

 

 

Babe Ruth League

 

At 8:04 pm Discussion opened regarding the Great Bay Babe Ruth League and their relationship with EJBL. 

 

There was very strong support among the board to utilize the EJBL infrastructure to support the 13 year old prep division of GBBR. 

 

Jeff D. also mentioned that the Exeter School District has made the 90’ field at the old High School available, but it is in disrepair.

 

There was no vote on this item because a new bylaw needs to be authored. 

 

Draft

 

At 8:37 pm Troy Gilbert made a motion that coach’s children automatically occupy the 4th position in the draft.  It was seconded by Andy Singh and passed unanimously.

 

At 8:42 Terri Hersey discussed players that landed in the so called “Mushy Middle” or on the bubble after evaluation day.  There was some discussion whether or not 12 year olds should be pushed above 11’s in this case. 

 

There was no voting in this matter.

 

At 8:47 pm Dave Allen raised the issue of equitable drafting and perceived fairness on the part of the parents.  This was a very emotional and opinionated discussion.  Some of the concerns raised included:

·         Coaches are volunteers giving up a tremendous amount of time, why punish them?

·         Drafting is unfair to new coaches.

·         There will never be a perfect system.

·         No matter what you will never appease parents.

·         Personalities are important, it is important to have a comfort level.

·         It is important to demonstrate to the parents that an effort was made for parity/fairness.  I.E. Neutral 3rd party evaluators.

 

At 9:19 Eric Klemarczyk asked to table the discussion until December and made a motion to adjourn.  It was seconded by Lisa Labella.  Motion carried.  

 

The meeting ended at 9:20.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Eric M. Klemarczyk

Secretary

Exeter Junior Baseball League

November 5, 2009

September 27, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
September 27, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Troy Gilbert, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Don Lane, Brian Hoyt, Kerry McGrath

Absent: Lisa LaBella, Don Perreault

Others in attendance: Erik Klemarczyk, Tom Early, Jeff Jackson, LeeAnn Cammett, Dave Morissette, Dave Allen, Elise Seeley.

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

A. Timberland Update
Jeff reported that we have approximately 25 people from the league that have volunteered to help with the project on October 8. Some of the projects that will be done include:
installing a new flagpole, new floors and roofs for dugouts, installing drainage and a rain garden at Walsh field and improving the monument sites. The board may have to incur expenses of $500 to $1,000 for supplies and the cost of lunch. Brian made a motion to appropriate $1,000 to the project. Kerry seconded the motion and the motion passed.

B. Newfields Irrigation
Jeff gave a status report of the Newfields irrigation project. The league paid to have a new infield installed 3 years ago. The quality has greatly deteriorated. The cost to have Yankee Clipper install an irrigation system would be $800. Jeff had attended a NYA meeting and they agreed that if the league installed the system that they would take on the maintenance. A motion was made by Matt to appropriate the funds to have the irrigation installed. It was seconded by Larry. The motion passed.

C. Treasurer’s Report
Mark distributed a copy of the recent bank account activity as well as the annual accounting. There were $14,914.35 in debits to the account since the last report with the largest amounts being paid to Olofson for the Currier infield improvements. Credits were posted in the amount of $1,945.00 with the largest being the income collected from the sale of Fisher Cats tickets. Ending balance was $9,625.51. *Mark noted that there was currently a small discrepancy in the balance that he needed to review.

D. Board Elections
There are currently 7 positions that will be open for the 2009-2010 season. The new members include: John Brescia, Matt Carbone, Jeff Dickenson, Lee Ann Cammett, Jeff Jackson, Erik Klemarczyk and Dave Allen. The following nominations and appointments were made:

Board President: Motion was made by Matt to nominate Jeff. Seconded by Andy. Motion passed.
Vice President: Motion was made by Troy to nominate John. Seconded by Don. Motion passed.
Treasurer: Motion was made by Matt to nominate Jeff Jackson. Seconded by Terri. Motion passed.
Secretary: Jay Swett made a motion to nominate Erik. Seconded by Don Lane. Motion passed.
Equipment: Larry nominated Matt. Jay seconded. Motion passed.
Field Manager: Larry nominated Troy. Terri seconded. Motion passed.

The followin positions were appointed. They include:

Snack Shack Coordinator: Lorraine Crist
Registrar: Terri Hersey
Umpires: Don Lane
Fundraising: John Brescia
Website Coordinator: LeeAnn Cammett
Sponsors: Julie Pearson
Tournaments: Andy Singh
Scheduling: Larry Arend
Rookie League Co-Coordinators: Dave Allen & Jay Swett


E. Email Update
Jeff spoke briefly again about a possible restructure with multiple VPs to head up each league. 2010 recommendations included looking at the various board member roles, website improvements including online registration and advertising. The board also briefly discussed the possibilities of incorporating Babe Ruth’s registration process, evaluations and website communication with EJBL.

Andy Singh made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:12 p.m. and Terri Hersey seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary, EJBL

September 3, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
September 3, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Troy Gilbert, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Lisa LaBella

Absent: Brian Hoyt, Kerry McGrath, Don Perreault, Don Lane

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:06 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

• Treasurer’s Report
In Mark’s absence, Jeff distributed a copy of the recent bank account activity. There were $21,729.36 in debits to the account with the largest amounts being paid to Daignaeaults for All-Star uniforms and for Umpire fees. Credits were posted in the amount of $22,024.59 with the largest being the income collected from the Red Sox Raffle. Ending balance was $22,819.88. There are two pending deposits in the amounts of $1,317.00 and $200.00. Of this balance, $12,500 still will need to be paid for the Currier updates. Jeff also initiated a discussion regarding reimbursement to families of the 12-70 all star team citing the large expenses that the families incurred. $1,100 had been previously approved. The board discussed possibly allocating additional funds as well as ways to offset the cost such as hosting tournaments and better management of the press. Troy made a motion to allocate and additional $600. Jay seconded and the motion passed.

• End of Season Closeout
Matt reported that he was still waiting for some of the all star teams to return their equipment. He noted that there were many helmets missing. Discussion followed on whether or not it would be reasonable to either no longer provide them or to have each coach put down an equipment deposit. Matt recommended that we no longer pre-order all star equipment due to the large number of extra items. Troy will pull in the trash bins and the batting cage will come down October 8th during the service day. Signs are in the process of being taken down.

• Field Report
• Currier
Currier looks great!

• Newfields
Newfields is in terrible condition. The field needs to have an irrigation system installed. The board discussed the pros and cons of allocating funds to have one put in. Discussion followed on the importance of having a point person in that town to be able to follow up and the field’s condition. Matt made a motion that the board allocate the funds to install the irrigation contingent upon Tom Hayward maintaining the system. Julie seconded the motion, the motion passed.

• Timberland
EJBL has been chosen as this fall’s recipient of Timberland’s Servapalooza Day of Community Service. It will be held on October 8th and the league will be looking for as many volunteers to help that day as possible. Some of the items that are on the list for Currier field will be the rain guard, flooring in dugouts, landscaping, roofs on Currier dugouts and improving walkways. Once we get closer to the date, we will have a more realistic idea of what will be able to be accomplished and how much the league may have to pay for supplies. Due to the ambiguity of expenses, Lisa made a motion to reverse the previous decision to allocate funds for the irrigation at Newfields until after the Serva Palooza. Motion was seconded by John and the motion passed.

So far the volunteer response has been small. Understandably, it does fall during the week which is hard for many people. The league will be responsible for feeding all of the volunteers lunch that day. Julie volunteered to coordinate that. Julie will look into possible donations.

D. Spring Evaluations:
Phillips Exeter Academy has been reserved for March 6, 2010.

E. October Board Elections
Date for the annual board meeting and elections will be held on September 27, 2009. There are 7 positions that are available. Jeff spoke briefly about a possible restructure with multiple VPs to head up each league. 2010 recommendations included looking at the various board member roles, website improvements including online registration, advertising and incorporating the Babe Ruth site. Jeff noted that the company Embroid Me is out of business and that the board may wish to work with Don Lane for future apparel items.

F. Babe Ruth
The board had a discussion of possibly trying to integrate more of the Babe Ruth age level kids into the EJBL program. At this point, we would potentially just be looking to add the 13 prep level. The board discussed a complete merge of the two leagues and what that would look like as well. We would like to at a minimum integrate the website and registration process. Field space is definitely an issue. The next board will review the process further.

Julie Pearson made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:40 p.m. and John Brescia seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary, EJBL

June 14, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
June 14, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella, Don Perreault


President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:06 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.
A. Lisa and Mark Cochran
Lisa and Mark Cochran both spoke to their very positive experience with EJBL and wanted to discuss with the board the opportunity to reward one player from each team that best demonstrates sportsmanship qualities. After Lisa spoke, the board discussed the logistics and the tight timeline with the playoffs being the following week. Lisa LaBella felt that her experience with the trophy company had showed that they would be able to work with us in time. Don Perreault made a motion that the board accept this proposal. The motion was seconded by Matt Carbone and the motion passed.

B. Treasurer’s Report
Mark distributed a copy of the recent bank account activity. There were $11,585.35 in debits to the account with the largest amounts being paid to Olofson and for Umpire fees. Credits were posted in the amount of $13,415.00 with the largest being the income collected from the Red Sox Raffle. Ending balance was $22,524.65.

C. Walsh Dugouts
The cost for the upgrades to the dugout roofs came in at $2,000. Previously the board had appropriated $1,300 for this work. It was determined that there was some miscommunication between the board and the company providing the materials and subsequent unexpected labor charges. The board did not receive an updated estimate of cost prior to the work being completed and the league charged. The board recognized the need to always have written agreements with final amounts previous to having any work completed. Brian suggested as well that the board change the by-laws to incorporate the need to obtain at least 2 quotes for any future work bids. Don Perreault made a motion to appropriate an additional $659.31 in order to cover the additional cost. Brian Hoyt seconded. The motion passed.

D. Field Report
1. Currier
Jeff reported that Bob Costa (a former board member) was extremely helpful in reviewing potential needs for Currier Field. Currier is the only field left that the league has not made significant improvements to with the proceeds from the Red Sox raffles. We received two estimates. The cost for Olafson to completely re-do the field is approximately $13,000 and the cost for just the dugouts would be $4,200. If we stayed with the same field dimensions Olafson cost would decrease to $7,000.
2. East Kingston
This summer they will be breaking ground for their new field. Unfortunately, they are running into the same problem with financing and have found themselves approximately $8,000 short. The board also discussed the need to make sure that we had a commitment from them that the league would be able to use the fields.

The board further discussed the need for each town to retain ownership on their fields. The league has put a lot of money into various field improvements and we have found that some fields are not being maintained by the town. We discussed other options for the league to expand into, specifically the former high school baseball field. We could keep it as a dirt infield and invest in a temporary mound. There would be no need for a fence. At minimum it may give us another practice field. John Brescia also mentioned the Brentwood Babe Ruth field or their softball field. John will follow up with Brentwood for additional options and any estimates for field work that might need to be done. Jeff will follow up with the high school option.

Jeff then made a proposal to appropriate $11,200 for basic improvements to be made to Currier field. Troy made a motion to appropriate the amount which was seconded by John. The motion passed.

3. Timberland
Finally, the board discussed that Timberland has an upcoming community service day in which we are hopeful that they could assist with some of the work that needs to get done at Currier. Timberland does provide some funding for materials. We have a tentative date of September and Jeff will follow up to see if the league could be a beneficiary.

E. Discipline:
An assistant coach on the A league had to be suspended for 1 game. There was also a conflict between a AAA coach and a parent where the coach was threatened. After much discussion, we determined that the parent needed to be suspended from attending the upcoming playoff game. If the parent attends, the team will forfeit the game. As a league, it was agreed that we need to have a zero tolerance policy.

F. All Star Teams
Jeff reviewed the selection process for this year’s all-star teams. He was extremely complimentary regarding the time and effort that was put forth in the meeting. Coaches met for 3 hours and worked very hard to put the teams together in a fair and deserving manner. A parent, Dave Allen, came to the meeting to express his concerns regarding the process and offered his suggestion to try to remove the board from allegations of impropriety. The board discussed the need for transparency and all felt that the process for the all-stars and the regular season draft were fair and non-biased.

G. Fisher Cats Game
Kerry reported that we still had plenty of tickets left for the Fisher Cats. Please let your friends and family know!

Larry Arend made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:00 p.m. and Brian Hoyt seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary, EJBL

May 7, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
May 7, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella, Don Perreault, Mark Young

Absent: Andy Singh

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 8:05 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.


• Treasurer’s Report
Mark distributed a copy of the Financial Report as well as a comparison between our 2009 budgeted expenses and actual expenses. The major items included credits of registrations and expenses for equipment, uniforms, field service, snack shack and clinics. Beginning balance was $30,344.29 and the ending balance was $20,961.08. Mark also reported that funds continued to come in from the raffle and that he had re-filed the IRS 990EZ Form.

• Opening Day
Jeff reported that if Opening Day was a rainout than the ceremony would be moved to the following week. Board discussed an appropriate gift amount for the Merit winners. It was discussed and determined that gift cards to a local restaurant in the amount of $100 would be given to each recipient. Julie will follow up with the owner of Pimento’s Restaurant and also ask if he would consider donating the gift cards in exchange for a sponsorship sign. Jeff reported that the officers met and announced Ben Holloran would be the scholarship winner for 2009.

D. Raffle
John updated the board on the status of the raffle progress. Unfortunately, sales are a little bit slower, but it was discussed that we do have an extended time to sell the tickets this year and that money was still trickling in.

E. Field Update
Troy reported that Walsh field is looking great. There are tarps available for that field. Jeff would like to get estimates for work to be done at Courier field. Possibilities included upgrading the dugouts and making it into a 200 foot field. We are running into capacity issues and available field space. The board discussed other possibilities for field space including the former high school. Perhaps if we left it as a dirt infield, it could be a practice field as well as be available for rookie league overflow. Discussion followed on the pros and cons of building a mound or using a portable. Will continue discussion at the June meeting.


F. All Stars
Player Selection and Date: It was determined that it was better to keep the selection date further out and Matt Carbone would order extra shirts. Looking at possibly June 7th. Hats need to be ordered right away and Matt would look into the cost. Email went to head coaches and there will be a coaches meeting in late May.

G. Tournaments: Don Perreault
Don reported to the board his findings with regard to possible area tournaments. He presented a spreadsheet with various options sorted by age, State, prep or District and the associated costs with each. We discussed again whether or not we should participate in the Roger Allen tournament as well as the timing of the various tournaments. Ideas included charging each participating child an additional $10 or possibly contacting the organizers of that tournament and requesting a reduced rate. Don will follow up.

H. Kensington Update
Jeff reported that Kensington has in place a point person in the event of rain. This led to some confusion by coaches on whether or not games were canceled or who determined this. Communication was an issue. Cost of the lights will also be half as much as we originally anticipated. ($25 per game). Concern was also expressed regarding the fact that Kensington was going to be hosting an AAU team there and we did not want to be held responsible for an damage to the facility that may not actually be caused by EJBL. We discussed locking up our supplies separately.

I. 70 Foot Feedback
A short discussion on how the kids were doing with the new 70 foot fields. The general consensus was that the kids were doing great and that the feedback that the league has received to-date has been overwhelmingly positive. The need to be more consistent with balks in preparation of tournament play was also discussed.

J. Summer League
A short review of what we have done in the past for summer league was discussed. For the last couple of years it has been run primarily as pick-up games. We need to determine if the league wants to run it again this summer and, if so, a point person will need to be designated. If anyone knows anyone that might be willing to take this on, please direct them to contact Jeff.

K. Next Meeting
June 4, 2009


Motion was made to adjourn at 9:45 p.m. by Matt Carbone. Motion was seconded by Kerry. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary
EJBL

April 2, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
April 2, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella, Don Perreault, Mark Young

Absent: N/A

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

A. Parent Tami Newman
Tami Newman approached the board with concerns about how the evaluations were done this year. She was extremely disappointed with her child’s placement and expressed her concerns. John, Don and Brian went on to explain the processes of mechanics as well as implementing the larger evaluation scale so as not to have so many kids all within a virtual point or two. The board discussed again the value of taking a 12 year old over an 11 year old if the scores were comparable.

B. Treasurer’s Report
Mark distributed a copy of the Financial Report. Debits included 1) Water & Sewer 2) BioSpray 3) AD Starr (baseballs) 4) Daignault’s (uniforms) 5) $100 refund for a dropout 6) Lesco (field supplies) 7) 84.27 to Matt Carbone for reimbursement for First Aid Kits. Credits included 1) $520 Bank Credit Adjustment (operator error) and 2) $1,895.00 for Spring Registration. Ending balance is $30,344.29.

C. Raffle
John updated the board on the status of securing raffle locations. Unfortunately, WalMart will not allow us to use their property this year. We are down to 23 locations versus a previous 25. John also informed us of a potential opportunity to work a “Burger Barn” at Sam’s Club. We would have the potential to raise $2,000. The board decided to draft a letter to parents regarding the opportunity.

D. Team Pictures
Team pictures are this Thursday. Events will begin at 4:15. Jeff will send a message to coaches to insure that they do not miss pictures due to a practice. Pirates and Blue Jays are still without shirts. Matt will follow up.

E. Field Update
Troy reported that April 11th will be the field clean-up days for Exeter and Brentwood. Kensington is April 18th. East Kingston on April 4th. Walsh mound has been completed. The infield is scheduled for early next week. Benches will be in this weekend. We discussed the need for “No Soft Toss” signs. It would cost the league about $250 to prepare a soft toss area. Troy also discussed the cost of installing metal roofs for the Walsh dugouts. He was quoted a cost of $1,300. Brian made a motion that the board accept the quote and have the company install the roofs. Jay seconded. The motion passed. Troy will also look into the possibility of the same company installing a flagpole.

F. Opening Day
John will contact Stevie Rutherford to sing the National Anthem. If he doesn’t want to do it, Julie will ask her contact. The board discussed the nominations for Meritorious Service Awards. After discussion, John made a motion to award one to Bob Costa. Troy seconded. The motion passed. John made a second motion to award one to Deb McCauley. Matt seconded. The motion passed. Terri made a motion to award one to Penny. Matt seconded. The motion passed. Jeff has not received any of the scholarship applications yet for review. Once received, Jeff, John, Julie and Mark will review.

G. Playoff Schedule
Jeff reported that the schedule for playoffs this year will allow them to all be completed in a week. The championship games will be played on Saturday and the Rookie Day will be in between the upper leagues championship games.

H. Final Registration Numbers
Total kids = 421 (record breaking)
Rookie = 111 (record breaking)
Total number of teams 36 (record breaking)

I. Evaluations/Draft Review
We continued a previous discussion of the evaluation process. We determined that our attempt to place coaches kids according to their evaluation scores was misguided. We will go back to placing all coaches kids as a 4th round draft pick.

J. Next Meeting
May 7, 2009

Motion was made to adjourn at 9:15 p.m. by Julie Pearson. Motion was seconded by Troy. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary
EJBL

March 5, 2009

Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
March 5, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella

Absent: Mark Young

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

A. Treasurer’s Report
In Mark's absence, Jeff distributed a copy of the Financial Report and the proposed budget. The key changes from last year's budget were 1) the loss of revenue from the winter clinics 2) summer and fall registration fees; 3) Cost of the All-Stars lower because we're not participating in Roger Allen Tournament.

B. Registration and Team numbers
407 total kids participating this year. The number of 12's participating continues to drop, although the percentage from year-to-year is similar. We will make calls to determine if the drop is due to a league issue. It was determined that the league will run 6 major and 6 AAA teams with the majors teams each carrying 11 kids. Double AA will run 6 teams and 8 teams in single A.

C. Equipment and Uniforms
Matt reported that there was a problem with the vendor, but didn't anticipate that it would negatively affect our uniform distribution. Cost will remain the same as last year. Coaches will review equipment and we will need to purchase additional baseballs. The league needs to purchase or find someone to donate safety kits.

D. Evaluations:
An alternate evaluation date will be set for a weeknight prior to the Saturday, March 21st regular evaluations. Jeff noted that there will be significant parking issues on Saturday due to a large swim meet that is being held at the Academy. He plans to email parents in advance and ask them to drop their kids and not stay. Jeff is hopeful that with the appropriate signage, we should be able to keep things moving smoothly. The draft will be held on Sunday evening, March 22nd at 5:00 p.m. at the Exeter Recreation building. Majors and AA will draft simultaneously followed by the AAA and A. Don Lane clarified the scoring stations and explained how the stations will be averaged to provide a child's overall rating. Total amount of available points are 72 which would be a perfect score.

E. All Star Teams
The league discussed options for district teams. Jeff presented a breakdown of ages as follows:
1) 12 year old 60 foot team comprised of 6 kids from the majors and 6 kids from AAA
2) 12 year old 70 foot team comprised of 12 kids from the majors
3) 11 year old 60 foot team comprised of 6 kids from majors and 6 kids from AAA
4) 11 year old 70 foot team comprised of 12 kids from the majors
5) 10 year old All-Star with 12 kids from AA
6) 9 year old All-Star with 12 kids from AA

It was agreed by everyone to follow the above-suggested format. John Brescia also made a motion to slot coaches kids where their ratings put them instead of always putting them at the fourth round draft pick. Motion was seconded by Larry Arend. Motion passed.

F. Tournament Hosting
We discussed Exeter hosting the 11 year old tournament this year. We need to raise money for improvements to be made to courier field, and we were all in agreement that this presented the league with an opportunity to gain some income.

G. Umpire Meeting Update
Don Lane reported that the Umpires did not want to work with other non-patched umpires (ie: kids). We would pay non-patched umpires a fee of $25 per game. They would only be available for Single A games.

H. Fields:
Troy Gilbert reported that the tentative date for the Exeter Field clean up day would be April 11th. All towns need to get their respective field clean up days onto the calendar. We also discussed the need for additional rookie fields. We hope to be able to use Kensington as well as the Exeter town fields. The option may be for more games to be held on Saturday afternoons.

I. Sponsors:
Andy Singh reported that he has been working with various people on sponsorship. We talked about the option of lowering the fee for returning sponsors given the state of the economy. He also reported that he has only been receiving vague updates on the status of the scoreboards. He is hopeful that we will have them up and available for use on Opening Day.

J. Coaches:
Jeff reported on the status of our coaching candidates. Single A and AAA are still short of candidates. It was reiterated that coaches would only be placed based on a child’s placement and we would make adjustments if necessary. The board reviewed and discussed the coaching selection committee nominations and Andy made a motion to accept the nominations. Larry Arend seconded the motion and the motion passed.

K. Miscellaneous:
• Team picture schedule will be completed by the weekend. Lisa will post on website.
• Game schedule complete by 3/14 so that Don can schedule umpires.
• Fundraising schedule complete by 3/20
• Rookie schedule complete by 3/21 by Jay including practices and games.
• Alt. Eval to be determined
• Coaches meeting/equipment handout on March 28th to include rookies.
• Practice schedule complete by 3/28 – Larry
• Next meeting on 4/2
• Team pictures on 4/9

Motion was made to adjourn at 9:15 p.m. by Larry Arend. Motion was seconded by Andy. Motion carried unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Pearson, Secretary
EJBL

February 5, 2009

[ Minutes for the February, 2009 meeting ]
Meeting Minutes
Exeter Junior Baseball League
February 5, 2009

Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Mark Young, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella

Absent: Matt Carbone

President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

  • Treasurer’s Report
    Mark Young, Treasurer, distributed a copy of the Financial Report. The General Account Balance stands at $7,864.61. The key activities since the January, 2009 meeting include: 1) payment to Embroid Me in the amount of $201.00 and 2) Unitil in the amount of $26.57 and 3) Payment to the State of New Hampshire for $75.00 to update the annual trust form and IRS 990. Credits included $780 from Spring Registration fees.

  • Clinic Update
    Clinics are now at full capacity of 60 kids. Bruce reported that he will keep a waiting list if more people express an interest. The league is still looking for volunteers to assist Bruce for each of the weeks in various capacities.

  • Evals and Umpires
    Don reported that he will be meeting next week with some umpires to better understand local rules and find potential umpires. He is talking with some teenagers that might be interested in umpiring for some of the younger leagues. There will be a meeting on March 2nd for all umpires with the goal of establishing more consistency with rules.
    Evals will be held on March 21st with 5 stations: Hitting Front Toss; Hitting Pitching Machine; Pitching; Long Toss and Infield fielding. Don further recommended various guidelines on which to base eval scores.

  • New Registrations:
    Terri reported that we had received 93 registrations to date.

  • Field Update

    Troy reported that he has been in communication with Bob Costa. We discussed the opportunity to utilize the PEA kids again this year with raking Currier and Walsh fields on April 22nd. Troy followed up with Dick Wendell regarding the fallen tree and further reported that the damage to the fence would need to be fixed by Atlantic Fence. Benches need to be ordered for Walsh. Troy will continue to look at prices for 15 foot benches.

    It was also reported that Kensington will now charge the league $75 per night game as opposed to $10 per game.

  • Coach Selection
    We are still short on coaches. Typically we have a more difficult time filling coaching slots with the A and AAA levels. Discussion took place about the possibility of allowing coaches to co-coach. Unfortunately, this leads to teams being “stacked”. Coach selection committee has a goal of assigning all coaches by early March.

  • State Meeting on Feb 15th.
    The board discussed whether or not we wanted to send additional teams to the playoffs. It was determined that Jeff would gather more information at the meeting on February 15th and we would discuss our options during the March meeting. Motion was made to postpone the decision until next month by Andy and seconded by Mark. Motion passed.

  • Miscellaneous Items:
    Scoreboard: Paul reported that by going with manual scoreboards that we might be able to have additional scoreboards donated to the league. We do not anticipate that approval from Dick Wendell should be a problem.
    Homerun USA: Confirmed for Evals
    Picture Day will be Thursday night April 9th at Lincoln Street School gym.
    Next meeting will be held March 5th.
    John shared that there is a new program in which 3 trainers will come and do a 3 day clinic for $49 per child. He will find out more information.

  • Julie Pearson made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Terri Hersey seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

    Respectfully submitted,

    Julie Pearson, Secretary
    EJBL



    January 8, 2009

    [ Minutes for the January, 2009 meeting ]
    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    January 8, 2009

    Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Mark Young, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Don Perreault

    Absent: Larry Arend, Lisa LaBella

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

  • Treasurer’s Report
    Mark Young, Treasurer, distributed a copy of the Financial Report. The General Account Balance stands at $7,387.18. The key activities since the December, 2008, meeting include: 1) payment to Babe Ruth Baseball in the amount of $3,428.00 and 2) Unitil in the amount of $25.08. There were no credits.

    Further, Mark suggested that we develop a system of asking the Umpires to submit a form for payment rather than writing out checks in advance, making sure to have a coach verify the umpire.

  • New Registrations:
    Terri reported that we had received 17 registrations to date. Flyers were to be distributed to schools this upcoming week.
    * Update: Kensington still has not provided the league with the number of flyers needed, so they have not been given any yet.

  • Clinic Update
    20 children have registered so far. The league is still looking for volunteers to assist Bruce for each of the weeks in various capacities.

  • 70 Foot Committee
    The board discussed various rule modifications that would need to be in place prior to establishing the 70 foot league. These included items such as balks, stealing, length of game with regards to daylight consideration and how warnings would be delivered.


  • Rule Change Proposals

    1. Brian Hoyt proposed that we institute a minimum playing time per child during the All-Star season. After a lengthy discussion of the goal of the league, a motion was made by Brian that each child should have 1 inning at bat and 1 inning in the field. Julie seconded the motion. The motion failed. After further discussion, a motion was made by Don Perreault that the league insures that every child will get into the game at some point. Andy seconded the motion. The motion passed.
    2. Dugouts. The board discussed which dugouts should be for the home or away teams. A motion was made by Mark Young that the home team dugout should be on the first base line. Terri seconded the motion. The motion passed.

    3. 2009 Calendar
      Registration deadline is set at February 21st. Evaluations will be held at PEA on Saturday, March 21st. Discussion ensued of the difficulty of the late date of the evaluations and how to schedule the alternate evals. We also discussed the difficulty of the timing of the actual draft. Season will officially start on April 19th. We will extend the regular season by one week and the playoffs will begin on June 15, 2009.

    4. Evaluation Committee
      Don Perreault, Larry Arend and Brian Hoyt comprise the committee. They are working to develop a formula for scoring with both point scoring and weighting. Currently in the process of finalizing how the stations will be set up and logistics of the day.

    5. Coach Selection Committee – Jeff, Jay & Andy
      The board discussed the need for more training for coaches. We talked about the possibility of providing an in-house training led by more experienced coaches. The need is most prevalent in the A and AAA leagues. We also discussed that it would be helpful to have a “to-do” checklist provided at each of the fields for new coaches to more fully understand their responsibilities.

    6. Miscellaneous Items:
      Online store: Still working on getting it up and running. The league will profit 10% of each sale. Checks will be sent monthly. We discussed advertising the online store at the snack shack.
      Tournament Hosting: The issues were raised that hosting a tournament did not provide the league with any revenue either through fees or through the snack shack sales. We discussed the possibility of approaching Kensington with the option of a 50/50 split. We also discussed the option to host a tournament on the Exeter fields and have Kensington run a local tournament. Jeff will follow up and report next month.

    7. At 9:10 PM, Mark Young made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Terri Hersey seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

      Respectfully submitted,

      Julie Pearson, Secretary
      EJBL



  • December 4, 2008

    [ Minutes for the December, 2008 meeting ]
    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    December 4, 2008

    Board Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Mark Young, Matt Carbone, Terri Hersey, Lisa LaBella, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Larry Arend, Don Perreault

    Others Present: Bob Stephens, Dave Macek

    Board Member Absent: Julie Pearson, Andy Singh, Jay Swett, Kerry McGrath

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM at The Exeter Senior Center.

    1. Treasurer’s Report
      Mark Young, Treasurer, distributed a copy of the Financial Report. The General Account Balance stands at $10,844.70. Debits since the November, 2008, meeting include: 1) $4510 to Atlantic Fence for the Walsh dugouts; 2) $5100 to Troy Olofson for the new Walsh infield; C) $26.33 to Unitil for utilities and D) $20.68 to Jeff Dickenson for field expense reimbursement.
      No credits included for current activity.

    2. 70’ Committee Report
      We continued the discussion on moving to 70’ for the Major leagues. Mark Young presented the findings of the 70’ committee.
      1. Official Babe Ruth Baseball rules would apply (stealing, leading, balks, drop third strikes, etc.)
      2. At the current time all games would have to be played at Walsh, possibly some at Kensington, if approved by Kensington Trust;
      3. Cost of field alterations would be approximately $4000 (including purchase of a portable mound for Kensington);
      4. Cost of umpires for Major games would increase because we would likely need 2 per game due to bigger field and more things to watch for;
      5. Current EJBL rules regarding limits on pitching innings, batting order and substitution would still apply;
      6. EJBL would field 2 district teams for 12 year-olds: 70’ and 60’. Committee recommends 70’ team come from majors and 60’ team come from AAA.

      Topics which will still need to be finalized at a later meeting include:
      1. How to handle additional umpire: patched, unpatched, volunteer?
      2. At the current time all games would have to be played at Walsh, possibly some at Kensington, if approved by Kensington Trust;
      3. Local rule for Balks, do we only give warnings in early part of the season to ease the transition?;
      4. Local rule to limit steals;
      5. Adopt rule regarding length of games similar to A League;
      6. Adopt a mercy rule?

      Open discussion on merits and challenges to moving to 70’ option. Brian Hoyt suggested that some umpires would not want to work with a partner ump. Don Lane suggested that the 2nd ump in Major games could be from the pool of developing A League umpires who are unpatched. Jeff Dickenson stated the increased cost of Major league umpiring would be offset by the expected decrease cost of umpires in A league, as we expect non-patched umpires to receive a different payment in 2009. Safety is an important advantage of moving to 70’. Since the age change went into effect 3 years ago, the players in the league are older and with the newer aluminum bats, moving the pitcher back from the current 46’ pitching distance to 50’ creates a safer situation. Jeff Dickenson reported a request was made to Kensington’s field trust to use the adult softball field for some major games. We expect a reply sometime in January. Rick Bourque sent an email on the progress of the East Kingston field. He expects it to be ready in spring of 2010 and be a dual-use 60’-70’ field. After more discussion, a motion was made by John Brescia to move to 70’ for the Majors in 2009. The motion was seconded by Don Lane. The motion carried unanimously.

      The committee will present specific rule proposals for 70’ play at January meeting.

    3. Walsh Update
      Troy Gilbert reported the Walsh dugouts and playing field are complete. He is pricing materials for the addition of the roof in early spring. He estimates about $400 per roof. We received an estimate to raise the fence height at Walsh from Atlantic Fence for over $9000, which was too high. New benches will need to be purchased for Walsh dugouts. Cost is expected to be about $180 per dugout.

    4. Spring Registration
      In-person registration date set for 2/17 at Lincoln Street school. Registration deadline set for 2/21. Fees will remain unchanged from 2008: $60 for Rookies and $100 for all others. Matt Carbone asked how early he would know the number of teams so he could order uniforms. Jeff Dickenson stated we expect to know the total number of teams by the end of February, but based on past experiences the majority of the uniforms could be ordered now. A few extra teams could be ordered in late February to complete the sets.

    5. Lightning Policy
      The Board adopted the same lightning policy as NHIAA (NH Interscholastic Athletic Association). The policy is for all activity to be suspended for 30 minutes after hearing the sound of thunder. The policy will be communicated to all coaches and umpires and posted on the website.

    6. Spring Evaluations
      Don Lane presented the progress to date of the Evaluation committee which is looking at possible improvements to the evaluation process. The committee is looking at small changes to the evaluation stations, rating criteria and alternate tryouts. All agree the alternate tryout as has been run overly inflates a player’s score relative to the players who don’t attend. Discussion ensued on the merits of having HR USA continue to do the evaluations. An advantage is the objectivity we get from them, but a downside is their inability or unwillingness to use the entire rating scale. Too many kids are given average scores making it difficult to separate many of the players. Brian Hoyt suggested using the HR USA evaluators in addition to non-league coaches. The idea of call-backs was also discussed to bring back kids in the middle area for another look to help split the kids. Matt Carbone suggested giving the nod to older kids in the event a bunch of kids are all rated the same. The committee will continue to meet and finalize any process changes by January or February.

      1. At 9:10 PM, Don Perreault made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Larry Arend seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

        Respectfully submitted,

        Jeff Dickenson, President
        EJBL



    November 6, 2008

    [ Minutes for the November, 2008 meeting ]
    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    November 6, 2008

    Board Member Attendees: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Mark Young, Matt Carbone, Julie Pearson, Terri Hersey, Lisa LaBella, John Brescia, Don Lane, Troy Gilbert, Larry Arend, Kerry McGrath, Andy Singh, Jay Swett

    Board Member Absent: Don Perreault

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM at The Exeter Parks and Recreation Center.

    1. Treasurer’s Report
      Mark Young, Treasurer, distributed a copy of the Financial Report. The General Account Balance stands at $20,497.27. The key activities since the October, 2008, meeting include: 1) payment to Dagneaults for 2009 equipment, which cost the league $583.00; and 2) $600 paid to Storage King; (3). $480 to Bruce Joyce for the Fall Clinics and (4) $125.87 to Waste Management.
      Credits included adding back $266.00 in non-cashed ’07 Fall Umpire checks.

      Further, Mark noted that the bank continues to have the old id# on the account and will personally go to the bank to rectify.

    2. Winter Clinics
      We discussed whether or not the league wanted to continue to organize and run the winter clinics. These have been done for the past 3 years and we have watched our numbers steadily decrease, although kids’ experiences have been mostly positive.

      The option of asking Bruce Joyce to run our clinics for us was brought to the table. We discussed the following items:
      1. Clinics would be most likely held in Talbot Gym which would be available in February and March versus PEA only available in January which would allow clinics to roll right into tryouts.
      2. Options were discussed to do either 4 or 6 sessions;
      3. Would our insurance cover Bruce if checks were made payable to Bruce;
      4. Would the league be financially strained if we lost that income;
      5. Increased cost of the clinics would be offset by limiting the amount of kids and increasing personal instruction time with more focused sessions.
      After some discussion, a motion was made to partner with Bruce Joyce by Brian Hoyt. The motion was seconded by Matt Carbone. The motion was carried unanimously.

    3. Spring Evaluations
      The board discussed the opportunity to develop a subcommittee to review our spring evaluation process in order to ensure that we are maintaining a “best practices” with regard to how the evaluations are structured, scoring criteria, involvement of Homerun USA & the call-back process. Brian Hoyt, Larry Arend and Don Lane will comprise the committee.
    4. Spring Important Dates
      1. March 21st – Combine draft with equipment distribution?
      2. Easter is April 12 – hopefully increase our Red Sox raffle sales
      3. April 20 – Season begins
      4. A date needs to be determined for pictures to be taken

    5. 70 foot Option
      The board discussed the pros and cons of the league converting Walsh field to a 70 foot. Some of the issues that were brought up included:
      1. Field space
      2. Short fences
      3. The need to revisit all rules and make possible changes
      4. Can our pool of kids make the necessary throws?
      5. Better level of baseball for the older kids
      6. Do we convert all of the majors to 70?
      7. How a conversion would affect game/practice schedules
      8. Field work conversion cost
      9. After much discussion, a committee was formed to gather more information on the impacts of going to 70'. The committee members are Mark Young, John Brescia and Mark Carbone. The board decided that we would review it again during the December meeting and that a final decision would need to be made at that time.

      At 9:10 PM, Mark Young made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Jeff Dickenson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

      Respectfully submitted,

      Julie Pearson, Secretary
      EJBL


    August 21, 2008

    [ Draft, for Board approval at the September, 2008 meeting ]
    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    August 21, 2008

    Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Bob Costa, Karen Mezquita, Julie Pearson, George Radford, Mark Young

    Members Absent: Matt Carbone, Peter Clarke, John Dolan, Brian Hoyt, Kevin Keach, Penny Peterson, Don Perreault

    Others Present: David Baker, Rick Bourque, Troy Gilbert

    The Meeting came to order at 7:30 p.m.
    1. Treasurer's Report
      Mark Young presented balances [*] and activity for the past 45 days. We have sufficient funds to undertake critical field improvements this Fall, and Avoid some of the problems we have experienced with Spring work.

      We broke even on the Cal Ripken District 10-year-old tournament. The trophies were over budget but this was offset by the raffle proceeds.
    2. Field Report
      Bob Costa presented three proposals for Walsh Field improvements. The low bid by Atlantic for fencing was approved unanimously, which includes dugouts, a 10 x 10 fenced on-deck area, and 7' chain link fence for the home plate area through the dugout areas, and 5' fence from the dugouts to the outfield. The proposal by Olofson Landworks for mound, infield, and irrigation work at Walsh Field was approved unanimously. It is expected that the dugout slab and permanent roofing will be done by EJBL volunteers. The two proposals will be submitted to the SAU 16 School Board for review and approval.
    3. East Kingston Field Proposal
      Rick Bourque presented plans to improve Foss Field on Route 107 in East Kingston behind the fire station. The East Kingston Recreation Department is leading an effort to raise funds to complete a major renovation of this field. It is expected to be a dual-purpose 60 and 70 foot diamond, and will offer the EJBL a valuable game and practice field, available more days than existing ones. Julie Pearson made a motion to donate $2,000 to support this initiative, John Brescia seconded. The motion was passed unanimously.

    4. Agenda Items for September Meeting
      1. Information on moving the Major League to a 70-foot diamond will be presented, including a survey of how many Cal Ripken programs have changed and representatives from 70-foot programs who will present their reasons for changing and answer questions.
      2. Rules changes for the 2009 season including a lightning policy.
      3. All-Star selection process.
      4. A multi-town recreational program for younger players. East Kingston, Brentwood, and Kensington have expressed interest on pooling resources to improve the quality of their existing programs, which will complement EJBL programs.
    The next meeting will be held on September 18 or 21, 2008 at 7 pm. President Dickenson will poll absent members on whether Thursday or Sunday is better, and this day will also be used for the annual October meeting.

    The Meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

    Respectfully submitted,
    George Radford
    Secretary

    [*] Please see the Treasurer or other Executive Committee member for detailed financial information


    April 17, 2008

    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    April 17, 2008

    Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, John Dolan, John Brescia, Bob Costa, Penny Peterson, Karen Mezquita, Peter Clarke, Kevin Keach, Julie Pearson, Matt Carbone, Brian Hoyt

    Members Absent: Mark Young, George Radford, Don Perreault

    Others Present: Bob Stephens, Rob MacPherson, Dave Macek


    1. Player Placement
      Rob McPherson discussed his feelings with the board about the placement of his son on a single-A team vs. an AA team. MacPherson recommended some things, such as coaches’ recommendations, to the board to consider during future EJBL placement of players.

    2. Umpire fees
      Fees were discussed. $45.00 per game seemed to be too much for EJBL to pay for younger umpires who are not patched. EJBL will discuss in the future with Ernie Fuller.

    3. Red Sox Raffle
      John Brescia is currently coordinating this fundraiser for EJBL and this year Rookie League teams will also attempt to sell raffle tickets individually.

    4. Kensington Fields
      Dave Macek discussed the Kensington fields with EJBL board. Macek reported that the softball field is currently roped off. The porto-pottie is currently in parking lot. Kensington requested that teams not show up at the fields before 5:00 p.m. due to ongoing construction and to stay off of newly seeded areas. Utilities, lights, and water work at the field. Kensington will use lime to mark the infields, paint for the outfield, and home plate and the pitcher’s mound will be covered with a tarp after use. Kensington requested that EJBL rake the low areas and replace the tarps after each game. Macek reported that a trust will be responsible for the Kensington concession stand.

    5. EJBL Regular Season
      Discussed by board with mention of Exeter Snack Shack coverage responsibility for home team on Currier Field.

    6. Field Report
      Bob Costa reported that the fields are all set and ready to go for the regular season. Matt Carbone will coordinate some pre-season issues concerning Park Street Commons with the Exeter Recreation and Parks Department.

    7. Opening Day
      Opening day agenda was discussed. Jeff Dickenson is coordinating the schedule and it will be posted on the EJBL website.

    8. All-Star Teams for 2008
      This was discussed that there would be four teams fielded by EJBL for each age group. (9’s, 10’s, 11’s, and 12 year olds.) Selection meeting will be June 1, 2008, with coaches from the AA, and Majors. Each team will nominate 3-4 players at each age group. This would be the pool of players that the All-Star coaches would be drafting from. Teams would be comprised based on coaches’ input and board oversight in establishing the Cal Ripken All-Star teams. Other tournament teams can be fielded by EJBL based on coach’s volunteer efforts to run such a team.

    9. Summer League
      The board is looking for someone to head-up Summer- league baseball for 2008. Last year there were 90-kids who were playing pick-up games in this program.

    10. District Tournament
      The EJBL will host the Cal Ripken 10 year old Eastern District tournament in Kensington, NH in 2008. This was discussed concerning volunteers from EJBL to make it a success. All EJBL Board members will carry out their league responsibilities to the success of this tournament. Kevin Keach will coordinate trophies, Matt Carbone will coordinate baseball purchases and special equipment needs. John Brescia has volunteered to assist as a coordinator for the EJBL board for this special event.

    The next meeting will be held on May 22, 2008 at 7 pm.

    Respectfully submitted,
    Matt Carbone


    March 20, 2008

    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    March 20, 2008

    Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Matt Carbone, Bob Costa, Brian Hoyt, Kevin Keach, Julie Pearson, Penny Peterson, George Radford, Mark Young

    Members Absent: Pete Clark, John Dolan, Karen Mezquita, Don Perreault

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at The Exeter Senior Center.
    1. Approval of February, 2007 Meeting Minutes
      Bob Costa moved to approve the minutes, seconded by Matt Carbone, carried unanimously.

    2. Volunteer Report
      Julie Pearson will talk to Laurie Loosigian when she returns next week to see what opportunities we can offer PEA students. There is a volunteer day on 4/9, and students can help with field clearing. Other possibilities are help on opening day and umpiring.

    3. Treasurer's Report
      Financial statements distributed, on budget for the year.

    4. Equipment
      Most uniforms and equipment have been purchased and will be distributed this Saturday, the 22nd. We will order additional ice packs.

    5. Playing Fields
      3 pallets of conditioner will be delivered to each field, including infield conditioner and infield mix. Newfields must apply the conditioner. Field days have been scheduled: Newfields 4/19, rain date 4/20. Exeter 4/5, rain (or snow) date 4/12. We will also participate in the Brentwood field day, to be determined. We will be using MoundMaster this year; last year's material assumed that the mounds would be covered, and they became very hard. Fence repairs will also be done on field days.Field service is an estimate, based on infield refreshes, weed treatment, edging, fertilizing, and the mounds. We are working with the Brentwood Recreation Department on how best to address their needs.

    6. Rookie League
      Teams, coaches, and schedule are all set. Games will be played at Park Street again and we will have use of the storage chest there.

    7. Red Sox Raffle
      Bob Costa brought signs and tickets. We are looking for teams to sell tickets this Easter weekend. Mill Stores and Rite-Aid have agreed to have our players be outside selling tickets, other stores to come. We are in process with Wal-Mart in Epping; they are booked months in advance and we will have to take what's available. We may also sell at Sam's Club on Fridays from 4-8 pm, which may work for teams that don't have a game then. If necessary, we will continue to sell tickets past opening day and make the announcement on the web site.

    8. Scheduling
      With the addition of the Phillies, there are now 7 A teams, which reduces the number of games to 14. Every Major, AAA, and AA team will have one game under the lights at Kensington. The games will be Friday and Saturday nights. We will have to enforce the 2-hour limit to make sure that games end on time, since the night games would begin at 8 and end at 10 pm.

    9. Playoffs
      The AAA League will have a one-game championship game, rather than the best 2 of 3 last year.

    10. Snack Shack
      The team with snack shack duty at Currier will also lock up at the end of the game. Julie Pearson will coordinate with teams and parents, to make it easier for coaches. John Brescia will meet with the Brentwood Recreation Department to see if there is any opportunity to help out there, in exchange for revenue from the sales.

    11. Coaches Meeting 3/22
      Coaches will be issued uniforms, equipment, keys, score books, Local Rules, and the Code of Conduct. Head coaches must undergo a background check (CORI) at least once.

    12. All Star Selection Process
      Tabled to next month's meeting. Jeff will distribute possible scenarios for discussion. The League continues to affirm a fair, inclusive process. In addition to the Cal Ripken District teams, we may add 12U and 10U local tournament teams. If this is a success, we can expand the number of tournament teams next year.

    13. Meritorious Service Awards
      Four nominees, to be announced at opening day, were approved by the Board.

    The next meeting will be held on April 17, 2008 at 7 pm.

    John Brescia moved to adjourn, Julie Pearson seconded; motion unanimously approved at 9:15 pm.

    Respectfully submitted,
    George Radford
    Secretary

    [*] Please see the Treasurer or other Executive Committee member for detailed financial information.

    February 21, 2008

    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    February 21, 200

    Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, John Brescia, Matt Carbone, Peter Clark, Bob Costa, John Dolan, Brian Hoyt, Kevin Keach, Karen Mezquita, Julie Pearson, Don Perreault, George Radford, Mark Young

    Members Absent: Penny Peterson

    Others Present: Dave Baker, Greg Maxwell, Peggy Arend

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM at The Exeter Senior Center
    1. Approval of January, 2008 Meeting Minutes
      Karen Mezquita made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Brian Hoyt, carried unanimously.

    2. Treasurer's Report
      501c(3) forms are due this month. Financial statement was distributed, we are on track to meet the 2008 budget.

    3. Equipment
      The Ice House has donated $2,000 worth of equipment. We’ve ordered 1,400 baseballs; each team will receive 2 dozen practice and 2 dozen game balls. , and will look into acquiring donated first aid kits. One of the vendors had a portable pitching machine that works with a spring loaded mechanism. No electricity or batteries. It looks perfect for the Rookie League to deliver a firm, straight pitch. It's about $180 plus shipping and handling. Jeff plans to order one for Rookie games. If it works well, it might be an option even at A league when the pitching runs thin. We need to talk to the Recreation Department about storing it at Park Street, where the Rookie games and most Rookie practices happen. We used to have a storage bin there.

    4. Registration
      The registrations will support 6 Majors, AAA, and AA teams. A seventh single-A team will be added. Approximately 7 8s will play up in the A League.

    5. Evaluations
      Scheduled for March 8th at the PEA cage. 11 skills will be evaluated: 3 pitching, 4 hitting, and 4 fielding. A few volunteers will be needed.

    6. Draft Process
      Peggy Arend, a parent, had some questions on the draft and how players were assigned to teams. After discussion, there were no motions to change the previously-approved draft process. It is expected that some coaches will draft players that were on their teams the year before.


    7. Coaches
      Peter Clark moved to accept the nominations of the Coaching Committee, seconded by Brian Hoyt, carried unanimously. Coaching certification need only be done once, per revised Cal Ripken rules.

    The next meeting will be held on March 20, 2008 at 7 pm.

    A motion to adjourn the meeting was unanimously approved at 9:00 pm.

    Respectfully submitted,
    George Radford
    Secretary

    [*] Please see the Treasurer or other Executive Committee member for detailed financial information.

    January 17, 2008

    Meeting Minutes
    Exeter Junior Baseball League
    January 17, 200

    Members Present: Jeff Dickenson, Brian Hoyt, Mark Young, George Radford, John Brescia, Matt Carbone, Peter Clark, Bob Costa, John Dolan, Kevin Keach, Julie Pearson, Don Perreault, Karen Mezquita, Penny Peterson

    Others Present: Dave Macek, Bob Stephens

    President Dickenson called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM at The Exeter Senior Center.
    1. Approval of November, 2007 Meeting Minutes
      Brian Hoyt made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Pete Clark, carried unanimously.

    2. Clinics Update
      There were 68 attendees, and one session was moved to Sunday morning due to afternoon football conflicts.

    3. Registration
      42 registrations so far. Our major registration event will be at the Lincoln Street School on Tuesday February 16th. The fees are unchanged from last year. Umpire fees are up, to be offset from other fundraising sources. Several families have asked for financial aid, and we will accomodate as many as we can.

    4. Treasurer's Report
      To be filed, no substantive changes from last month.

    5. Board Appointments
      Fall Ball: Matt Carbone

    6. Fund Raising
      Dave Strathern has agreed to coordinate, which may include the Exeter Babe Ruth League. We also need a new freezer for the snack shack.

    7. Playing Fields
      Field service is an estimate, based on infield refreshes, weed treatment, edging, fertilizing, and the mounds. We are working with the Brentwood Recreation Department on how best to address their needs.

    8. Calendar / Upcoming Events
      February 24th: State Cal Ripken meeting in Concord
      March 6th: Alternate Evaluations at Training Centers USA, Newington
      March 8th: Evaluations at the PEA Cage
      March 9th: Draft

    9. Kensington Update
      Dave Macek presented a report on the new Kensington fields, one of which is lighted. Conditions of the construction of the new fields requires the Kensington Youth Athletic Association (KYAA) to charge a field use fee. The board approved a maximum field use fee of [*] per game to use the field. EJBL would consider this a contribution toward field maintenance. Dave was going to take our approved amount to the KYAA. Final field use fee is to be determined. The new fields are a combined effort of the Kensington Youth Athletic Association, the Kensington Recreation Department, and the Trust that funded much of the construction and maintenance of the fields.

    10. Coach Selection Committee
      Chair: Karen Mezquita. Members: George Radford and Bob Costa. Karen and Jeff Dickenson will also look into a coach training session, to improve the quality of practices and skills development. There are excellent AAU coaches that may be available for this training.

    11. Draft
      Karen Mezquita made a motion for a complete redraft of all teams. Penny Peterson seconded. The motion was carried unanimously with two abstentions. Coaches' sons will still be automatically drafted in the fourth round. 11s who were on a Major League team last year and are in the top 2/3 (that is, not required to be assigned to a AAA team) must be drafted by a Major League team again, now as a 12.

    12. Player Evaluations
      The player evaluation process will be refined this year. The outfield station, which the Board itself requested, may not be repeated. Instead, more granular hitting, throwing, and fielding skills will be evaluated and we will consider expanding from a 5-scale to 7 or 10. The large number of 3s (average score) made it difficult to differentiate players on draft night. Jeff Dickenson will draft a proposal for board review and approval at the February meeting.

    The next meeting will be held on February 21, 2008 at 7 pm.

    A motion to adjourn the meeting was unanimously approved at 9:25 pm.

    Respectfully submitted,
    George Radford
    Secretary

    [*] Please see the Treasurer or other Executive Committee member for detailed financial information.