AHA Board Meeting

November 29, 2007

Roll Call:

Also present:  Mark Scott

Called to order: 6:36p.m.

Review/Approve October Minutes: 

Motioned to approve:  Mike  

Seconded:  Beau

Approved: unanimously

Registrar’s Report: 

All registrations are completed.

Have 2 teams registered & rostered—mites & midgets.

Summary of registration:

67 active people (players, coaches, managers)

16 midgets

20 mites

3 peewees

9 squirts

8 bantams (some are playing on midget team)

These are registered with USAH, but not necessarily registered with AHA or paying ice fees.

The midgets have until the end of December to make changes to the rosters, etc.

Mike will continue to do the registrar job until the end of the calendar year, then will transition to someone else. We have until next season starts gearing up (just after the end of this season) before there is a lot for the new registrar to do.  The district registrar will only talk to the Association Registrar, so we need a consistent person (we have a good relationship with her right now).

Treasurer’s Report: 

See attached report.

Association has a balance of $4779.02.  Received $690 donation from men’s league.

Midgets have a balance of $1505.40.

The House account has a balance of $9828.  Several people paid for all their ice fees up front.  Expenses for December will bring the balance down to about $9600.  If one extrapolates ice fees (collections and payments) to the end of the season, there will be an ending balance of approximately $4400, which does not include the collection of February fees.

Collections:

The mites have paid about $7600 for ice fees.  Some elected to buy extra jerseys, etc.  They raised $463 through the Skate-A-Thon fundraiser.

The peewees have paid about $1100 in ice fees, and the squirts about $2500 in ice fees.

So about $11,000 was brought in.

Expenses:  Paid out about $7700 in ice fees, coaching fees, tournament fees.

The question was raised as to why we were keeping the balances so high.

In the AHA general fund, the money has just grown.  This comes from registration fees, etc, and is for new equipment, bumpers, nets, coaching fees, etc.  Over the past few years, we have spent what we brought in, and basically ended up with the same balance (more or less) each year.

In the House account, the money appeared several years ago due to poor accounting. This money is intended primarily for ice fees.   We need at least $2500-3000 in this account at the beginning of each season, to pay Jay for the 1^st month, which would be before we actually start collecting ice fees from parents.  Paying in advance generally gives us an hour of free ice for each month that we do so.

This discussion led into the recruiting discussion (see below).

It was generally agreed for now that we should keep about $5000 in the general fund in case we need equipment or something; and about $1000 in the House account.

Secretary’s Report:  Nothing to report.

Referee’s Report:  Nothing to report.

ACE Coordinator Report:  Absent.

Directors’ Reports:

House:  Tabled as such.

Travel: Tabled as such.

Adult:  Tabled as such.

Fundraising Report:

Kroger cards:  Rick still needs to pick up.  He received a check from the treasurer to buy 20 cards ($100), to get a couple of extra cards in case anyone else wants one.

New Business:

Recruiting

In order to make hockey more affordable, it would seem that we need a viable house program so that it is not as expensive, especially for the new and/or younger kids.

It could be a rink-sponsored program.

Other rinks in the Southeast District have rink-sponsored house programs; some get corporate sponsors.

One benefit to being rink-sponsored is that it would allow “bring-a-friend” nights or drop-ins to try hockey, whereas with the AHA, you have to be USAH registered to get on the ice.

Amy is requesting information for school contacts from the parents, so that she and Mark can start contacting schools to promote hockey.

Amy has about 13 kids in Learn to Play, all by word-of-mouth.

Also, on Saturdays, there will be 3-on-3 cross-ice games or maybe other hockey demonstrations between the two public sessions, 4:00-4:20.  To help showcase it.

Martin Luther King day—there are 3 hours of ice time that we could do a Learn to Skate/Play Hockey mini-camp.

Mark asked for a list of contact information to try to contact some of those kids that have left the program to try to get them back in it.  We will check to see if it is OK to provide that information. 

The rink advertises in the Kids’ Directory in general.  We also need to advertise in newspapers, schools, etc.

Should make brochures to put in the pro-shop—perhaps the AHA would sponsor those.

Springdale Travel

Midgets went to Springdale.  Two or three kids on the Springdale team started a fight.  Those kids have been suspended—one of them was a sponsored player, and his sponsorship has been revoked.  Our kids didn’t even get to play the second game. 

Webmaster

Phil is looking to hand this off, since he is moving soon.

Rusty Blades

Has sponsored a young player in the D league.

Dasher Board Advertisements

Perhaps the AHA would be interested in buying a dasher board advertisement, as the people that are skating and would see the ads would obviously be somewhat interested in ice skating, and possibly hockey

About 90,000 people per year come through the ice rink.

Don’t have pricing yet—will have next month.

Adjournment: 

Motion made by Beau to adjourn, seconded by Mike, unanimously approved at 7:46p.m.

Next meeting is January 24, 2007 at 6:30 pm at the Skatium. 

If you cannot attend, please give your written proxy (or fax it) to another Director.  Email proxies cannot be accepted.