Minutes of May 3, 2024 General Membership Meeting
Call to Order
Commissioner’s Remarks
Reading of Previous meeting minutes (March 7, 2024)
Motion (seconded) to accept minutes as read
Motion passed
Treasurer’s Report (Jeff Holden)
a. $6320.00 in account
b. No expected expenses upcoming
c. Year end banquet - $838.63
d. Credit coming from county - $135
Old Business – HOF nominations, Rules Committee
New Business
a. Nominating Committee Report
1. Walt Bruschi, John Esposito nominated for Commissioner
2. Denny Kato nominated for Secretary
3. OP Parrish nominated for Committee Coordinator
b. Floor opened for nominations – Dan Dillin nominated for Committee Coordinator
c. Ballots distributed – votes tallied by Jeff H and Linda M
d. Walt re-elected as Commission. Denny-secretary. OP- committee coordinator
e. Sportsmanship Award – winner – John Emerson
f. Acknowledgement of two volunteers – Nancy S and Mary W (gift cards for both)
g. Summary of accomplishments for the 2023-2024 season
h. Player’s Committee to be formed after season starts
i. Rules Committee will decide any and all issues – present to Board for approval before the start of the season
j. Open discussion – use of credit cards for payment
Why Do We Play This Game
You can find us every Friday
From September up til May
On a softball field at Land of Lakes
In a game we love to play
And we’re not alone, far from it
For if the truth be told
There are dozens more just like us
And every one is old!!
We each play for different reasons
For this game gets in your heart
Is it the exercise? Camaraderie?
Yes, but that is just the start
Competition is the real allure
We claim it’s all for fun
But trust me we all play to win
Be it Crawl, or Walk, or Run
And there’s a lot of each I promise
Mishaps are commonplace
Some weeks it seems that half the league
Wears a sling, a mask, or brace
And our league is rife with drama
It’s a soap opera with a ball
But that’s a sidebar to our interest
Comic relief would be my call
So why do we play this game you ask
Here’s my take on it then:
Because if only for a couple hours ..
We can feel like kids again
Randy Johnson
MINUTES OF GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MARCH 14, 2024
- The meeting was called to order by Nick Cozzo, commissioner at 10:30 AM
- Nick’s opening comments – review of decorum of the meeting, sportsmanship, and having fun.
- Reading of minutes from previous meeting December 19, 2023
- Motion to accept was made, seconded and passed.
- Treasurer’s Report – Jeff Holden - $8229.36
- A. Two upcoming expenses – field rental and banquet
B. Uniforms and softballs are paid for next year
C. Our financial situation is the result of our aggressive obtaining of sponsors this year.
VII. Old Business
- Formation of a HOF committee motion was made, seconded and passed. Volunteers will get with Jeff so as to submit the nominations to the Board.
- Umpire ejections/suspensions were discussed.
- Scoring line was discussed – replacement of the scoring plate
- New Business
- Walt Bruschi’s resignation was discussed – personal reasons
- Nominating Committee headed by Linda Marsonek needs to find nominees for Commissioner, Secretary, and Committee Coordinator and submit to the General Membership meeting in writing a minimum of two weeks prior.
- Rules Committee, headed by OP, will meet after seasons’ end and submit rule changes to the general membership at our August general membership meeting before the start of the season
- Manager’s meeting of March 7 was discussed. We will hold a managers’ meeting before next season’s draft to discuss the proposed rule changes.
- The playoff schedule was announced. The playoffs will begin on April 19 and conclude on April 26. The first place team receives a bye. Second place team plays seven. Third place team plays six. Fourth place team plays fifth. Second and third place teams in order will choose their game times.
- The first membership meeting of the 2024-2025 season will be held on Friday, May 3 at 10:00 AM at Heritage
- Injury report – Jesus – discussion of possibility of replacing molded bases with canvas covered ones. An incident report will be submitted to the county along with a recommendation for replacing the bases with canvas covered ones.
- Year end banquet was discussed – Nick C asking for volunteers and equipment.
- Dave Perez introduced a new scoring device that we will use in conjunction with the current scoreboard. If it works out, the League will purchase a similar device.
- Open Discussion
- A motion was made, seconded concerning the elimination of the mercy/slaughter rule and the flip-flop rule. Discussion – Motion passed.
- A motion was made to remove the seven man substitution rule concerning the addition of a fourth player substitute for a team with only seven players. There was discussion. The motion did not receive a second.
- A motion was made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting. Nick Cozzo adjourned the meeting at 11:42 AM
Al Williamson is donating used (found) golf balls to the League. The League is then selling them for $1. Please send Jeff or Denny an email or text you want any. He has hundreds. Apparently the vast majority are Titleist Pro-V.
Great money maker for the league.
The Board
"When an umpire ejects a player or coach, the said player or coach must vacate the dugout immediately. If the Game Official deems this to be a flagrant violation, the ejected player or coach must leave the premise and must do so immediately. If the ejected player or coach fails to comply, said player's or coach's team will forfeit the game. Any ejection brings an automatic one game suspension, effective immediately, which includes no participation in any and all NTBSS activities during the suspension. The Board will decide if and when said player or coach will be reinstated after serving the suspension."
Effective October 6, 2023, timed games will be seventy minutes long. This is a changed from sixty minutes. The game procedure for timed games did not change.
1. Effective September 22, the two games in the double header will be timed. (one hour) The third and fourth games will NOT be timed.
2. The Flip-Flop rule is in effect, starting September 22. If the visiting team is ahead by fifteen or more runs at the conclusion of the home half of the sixth inning, the home team will bat again. If they do not tie or go ahead of the visiting team, the game is over and the visiting team wins. If the home team goes ahead or ties the game, the visiting team bats. Tie breaker rule is still in effect.
3. The scoring line will be re-chalked between games
4. Sponsors have been added to the team names.
General Membership Meeting Minutes August 10, 2023
The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Walt Bruschi at 10:01 AM
OPENING REMARKS BY COMMISSIONER:
1. Pleased with the results of last year
2. Acknowledged the work of the current board
3. Gave the dates for the season as September 8, 2023 to May 10, 2024
4. Dave Meadows was announced as ‘Training Umpire’
READING OF LAST MEETING’S MINUTES- Denny Kato, Secretary
- Walt asking for more respectful meetings
- Congratulations to Team #5 RIPA & Associates
- Next general meeting will be Friday August 11, 2023 Friday
- Inspiration Award – Joe Corsair
- Cookout Success – thanks to Nick and the other volunteers
- Lutz-Laker article to appear in July
- Dates of 2023-2024 Season – September 8 thru April 24
- Draft date – Friday, August 25 at Heritage
- Tentative managers’ meetings once a quarter
- Umpires encouraged to meet once a quarter
- Possible ‘training’ umpire to do evaluations
- Medical release statement in waiver/liability form. Motion made,
- seconded and passed
- Elections of deputy commissioner and treasurer. Nick Cozzo and Jeff
Holden – elected
- Treasurer’s report (Jeff Holden) read into the record. Proposed
budget explained
ACCEPTANCE OF LAST MEETING’S MINUTES – Denny Kato, Secretary
TREASURER’S REPORT – Jeff Holden, Treasurer
- Balance as of 5/19/23 $2834.95
- Revenue (players fees, sponsors (5) $4990.00
- Expenses $1989.82
- Balance as of 8/4/23 $5835.31
- Will be depositing additional $1300.00
OLD BUSINESS – Denny Kato, Secretary
- Possible rainout survey – results received only 20 responses
- Late substitution rule – to be discussed in new business
- Medical release statement –in waiver form
- Amendment III – passage – reread for all
NEW BUSINESS – Denny Kato, Secretary
- Forfeit threshold – lowered to seven (7) – OP (Committee Coordinator)
- Substitutes can play C, 1B, RF and P – OP
- Explanation of substitute procedure – OP
- Use of scoring line – eliminating scoring home plate – OP
- Clarification of courtesy runner – don’t have to wait – OP
- Umpire warnings – both managers and game official to be notified - OP
- Team managers identified and the draft order Draft Day – Friday August 25– Denny
- Sponsors – Jeff H – Sponsor day - Denny
- Shirts – Randy Johnson
- Fridays before Xmas and New Years – we will play – Walt
- Umpire/manager’s meeting – Dave Meadows
- New NTBSS Rules and by-laws to be posted on website - Denny
- Explanation of duties of game official - OP
OPEN DISCUSSION
- Wayne S. – new playoff procedure to prevent double header – will submit to board
- Wayne S - asked for supplemental draft be further explained – part of Amendment III
- Joe de Palma – asked about delineating batter’s box since lines are obliterated quickly
- Joe Corsair – appealed for ways to speed up the game – Board will get with Dave M to discuss
- Joe Corsair – asked if games could start at 8:00. Heat issues. The Board will look into it
- Timed games were mentioned – explained that it cut too many games short
- Dan Dillon asked about rainout days –referred him to lack of interest (survey results)
MEETING ADJOURNMENT – WALT BRUSCHI – 11:11 AM
General Membership Meeting Minutes August 10, 2023
The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Walt Bruschi at 10:01 AM
OPENING REMARKS BY COMMISSIONER:
1. Pleased with the results of last year
2. Acknowledged the work of the current board
3. Gave the dates for the season as September 8, 2023 to May 10, 2024
4. Dave Meadows was announced as ‘Training Umpire’
READING OF LAST MEETING’S MINUTES- Denny Kato, Secretary
- Walt asking for more respectful meetings
- Congratulations to Team #5 RIPA & Associates
- Next general meeting will be Friday August 11, 2023 Friday
- Inspiration Award – Joe Corsair
- Cookout Success – thanks to Nick and the other volunteers
- Lutz-Laker article to appear in July
- Dates of 2023-2024 Season – September 8 thru April 24
- Draft date – Friday, August 25 at Heritage
- Tentative managers’ meetings once a quarter
- Umpires encouraged to meet once a quarter
- Possible ‘training’ umpire to do evaluations
- Medical release statement in waiver/liability form. Motion made,
- seconded and passed
- Elections of deputy commissioner and treasurer. Nick Cozzo and Jeff
Holden – elected
- Treasurer’s report (Jeff Holden) read into the record. Proposed
budget explained
ACCEPTANCE OF LAST MEETING’S MINUTES – Denny Kato, Secretary
TREASURER’S REPORT – Jeff Holden, Treasurer
- Balance as of 5/19/23 $2834.95
- Revenue (players fees, sponsors (5) $4990.00
- Expenses $1989.82
- Balance as of 8/4/23 $5835.31
- Will be depositing additional $1300.00
OLD BUSINESS – Denny Kato, Secretary
- Possible rainout survey – results received only 20 responses
- Late substitution rule – to be discussed in new business
- Medical release statement –in waiver form
- Amendment III – passage – reread for all
NEW BUSINESS – Denny Kato, Secretary
- Forfeit threshold – lowered to seven (7) – OP (Committee Coordinator)
- Substitutes can play C, 1B, RF and P – OP
- Explanation of substitute procedure – OP
- Use of scoring line – eliminating scoring home plate – OP
- Clarification of courtesy runner – don’t have to wait – OP
- Umpire warnings – both managers and game official to be notified - OP
- Team managers identified and the draft order Draft Day – Friday August 25– Denny
- Sponsors – Jeff H – Sponsor day - Denny
- Shirts – Randy Johnson
- Fridays before Xmas and New Years – we will play – Walt
- Umpire/manager’s meeting – Dave Meadows
- New NTBSS Rules and by-laws to be posted on website - Denny
- Explanation of duties of game official - OP
OPEN DISCUSSION
- Wayne S. – new playoff procedure to prevent double header – will submit to board
- Wayne S - asked for supplemental draft be further explained – part of Amendment III
- Joe de Palma – asked about delineating batter’s box since lines are obliterated quickly
- Joe Corsair – appealed for ways to speed up the game – Board will get with Dave M to discuss
- Timed games were mentioned – explained that it cut too many games short
- Dan Dillon asked about rainout days –referred him to lack of interest (survey results)
MEETING ADJOURNMENT – WALT BRUSCHI – 11:11 AM
This is a story about emotional intelligence, so-called "weak ties," and happiness.
By Bill Murphy Jr., Founder of Understandably and contributing editor, Inc
The most overlooked relationships
As study directors Robert J. Waldinger and Marc Schulz put it in their book, The Good Life, citing research that goes back more than 50 years:
Casual friendships may be the most overlooked relationships we have. They neither take up the most time nor impact our lives in the most obvious ways. But there is a great deal of research into the benefits of these connections (which social scientists refer to as "weak ties"---not our favorite term since there's nothing weak about them).
These are the relationships we may not turn to when we're in distress, but that nonetheless provide us with jolts of good feeling or energy during our days, as well as a sense of connection to larger communities.
I am going to bet that you have many little interactions like this with people, that maybe you don't even think of.
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Maybe it's the crossing guard or the person behind the counter where you get your morning coffee; maybe it's the person who drives the train or the bus you take to work.
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Maybe it's colleagues you see on Zoom meetings, or the employee at your your company who reports on a daily basis to someone else you recruited. Maybe it's the spouse or children or siblings of other employees that you see now and then.
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Maybe it's the parents of other kids on your child's sports teams or clubs, or the neighbor you say hi to but don't know especially well, or that guy you always see when you're out for a morning walk or run.
These casual relationships have real power, both to improve our lives and happiness --- and also to improve other people's lives and happiness, because we're their weak times, doing for them what they do for us.
Harvard Grant Study, and reviewing some of the writing of Mark S. Granovetter, whose 1973 article The Strength of Weak Ties, which originally got a lot of people considering these kinds of relationships, I think there are three things that people can do to improve them.
We'll call this the Crossing Guard Rule, since it was the crossing guard who inspired them.
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The first is to seek and remember these relationships. They're simple; just a matter of noticing people and speaking to them.
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The second is to work gratitude into the mix. Find a reason to say thank you: thank you for your time; thank you for your work today; thank you for walking into the crosswalk wearing your orange vest and carrying your STOP sign to get the traffic to stop.
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And finally, notice when people thank you, and even imagine them saying so if they don't.
Remember, the golden key to this whole thought process for me was the realization that any job, and probably any life, would be better if it involved being thanked for doing what you do dozens or hundreds of times per day.
Next time look around at your fellow softball players in practice and during games, in the dugout or the parking lot. Be thankful for the "weak ties" and the relationships through softball you have.
Thank you for reading.
OP
