FORKS TOWNSHIP YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATION (FTYSO)

MEETING MINUTES

2/22/07

 

ATTENDEES: 

Tom Gruver (Pres.)                Dan Martyak (V.P.)      John Wieller (Treas.)

Nancy Bonfanti (Sec.)             Don Miller                    Butch Scerbo 

Dana Guffy                              Ty Corallo                    Linda Gruver

George Shoolbraid                  Wayne Hultgren          Leon Stull

Joe Veres                                Simon Sikora              Tom Gasparetti

Fran Tone                               Doug Heater                Ben Sigfield

Jerry Stefanelli                        Rick Hartranft             

 

Meeting called to order by Tom Gruver.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT:  Treasurer’s report reviewed and accepted with a motion from Leon Stull; seconded by George Shoolbraid.  Motion carried.

 

MINUTES:  Minutes from previous meeting reviewed and accepted with a motion from Rick Hartranft; seconded by Jerry Stefanelli.  Motion carried.

 

CORRESPONDENCE: 

·         Nancy Bonfanti read thank you from the families of Amanda Schultz and Mike Cummings.  The thank you was for the support of the FTYSO with the purchase of key chains.

·         Easton High School Golf would like the FTYSO to sponsor a hole at $100/hole.  A vote was held in favor of the purchase.

o        ACTION ITEM:  John Wieller to send check.

 

SPORTS REPORTS

 

GENERAL NOTES FOR SPORTS TEAMS: 

1.      September 15/16 is the Forks Days in the Community Park. 

§         ACTION ITEM:  Don will check to see if the activities committee wants teams playing games during those days.  Last year football closed the snack bars and the vendors benefited from games being held.  Is traffic/parking too heavy to allow games to be held this year?  It didn’t seem to be a problem last year.

2.      Dan Martyak mention about the Dick’s Sporting Goods Store coach bonus program.  Coaches can go and sign up to get free coupons for their team to purchase equipment at a discount.  You can go anytime to sign up.

 

BASEBALL (Report by Tom Gruver)

  • Signups are closed and numbers are down but not by much.
  • Jr. Legion will stay in tact for this year.
  • Draft/Meeting will be held Wednesday, 2/28/07 from 9 AM -12 noon.
  • Jerry Stefanelli gave update on the possibility of obtaining additional scoreboards.
    • They are $2,200 per board plus the cost of putting them up.
    • Township will have to get involved as far as cost of running the boards and placing them on the township fields.
    • ACTION ITEM:  Jerry to follow up with the township.

CHEERING (Report by Dana Guffy)

·         Sign-ups are closed and there are 87 cheerleaders which is an increase from last year.

·         Mandatory Meeting will be held on April 19th.

 

·         ACTION ITEMS:

1.       Dana will be getting in touch with Easton High School cheerleaders again to possibly run another clinic for the Forks cheerleaders. 

2.      Dana will contact Don Miller for availability of the Community Center gyms for the clinic.

3.      Dana will contact Rick Hartranft for uniforms.

FOOTBALL (Report by Fran Tone)

·         The league met and there were concerns from smaller towns regarding the schedules for them.  Forks proposed a weighted schedule with divisions with the larger teams being Division A down to the smallest teams being in Division C.  All teams will make playoffs.  There will be an 8 game season. 

·         No new teams will be added this year.

·         ACTION ITEM:  Fran to contact Rick about ordering equipment.

·         Next meeting is in April.

SOCCER

  • No Report

 

BASKETBALL (Report by Don Miller)

  • Two teams made playoffs which will be held in Pleasant Valley.
  • Other teams have 3 weeks left.
  • Playoffs to be held 3rd/4th weekends in March.

 

LACROSSE (Report from George Shoolbraid)

  • Sign-ups are closed and there are over 60 kids.
  • More funds were secured from the Recreation Board to purchase additional helmets ($1,500)
  • Practices to start March 3rd.
  • Would like field at Meco Rd. lined weather permitting.
  • Ben Sigfield, Shawnee’s Lacrosse Coach, would like to use our fields when not in use and would like permission to work with Scott Pennypacker (Baseball) and Scott Hardy (Lacrosse) to work out schedules to use our fields since Shawnee lost it’s lacrosse field to construction.  Permission was given for him to work this out with Scott P. and Scott H. with a note that baseball has priority for those fields.
  • Uniforms to be distributed March 12th
  • Parent Meeting to be held February 27th.
  • First games are scheduled for April 2nd and season ends in late May.

 

SOFTBALL (Report by Ty Corallo)

  • Softball registration is over but will take 4 or 5 more late sign-ups at the 11 & 12 level only to fill teams.
  • There are approx. 210 players signed up currently.
  • April 20th starts the softball season.  Hopefully, fields can be prepared by then.
  • Would like fields ready by March 21st to begin practices.
  • Softball would like to use the fields behind the wrestling room again this year and put up the portable backstops.  This should not be an issue.
  • T-ball uniforms have been ordered.
  • No fields will be available the weekend before July 4th due to the baseball All-Star Tournament.
  • No fields available the Saturday before Easter due to the Community Easter Egg Hunt.
  • ACTION ITEM:  Tom Gruver to set up field maintenance meeting for mid-March.

 

 

 

WRESTLING  (Report by Joe Veres)

  • The varsity wrestlers went 7 -1 in the regular season and took first place in the Valley Elementary League with 3 wrestlers making the finals.  Two of them took first place (Devon Gibson and Robbie Rizzolino), Evan DiSora took second.
    • Would like to order banner and jackets.  Board approved the purchase of the banner to be ordered from Kaplan’s but only approved $20 per wrestler to purchase whatever wrestling wants as the championship reward.  This is the standard allocation for this type of reward.
  • J.V. wrestlers had a great season too.
  • Novice wrestlers numbers were great and they did well also.  Promising for the future.
  • The Board congratulated Joe, other coaches and wrestlers on a great job!

 

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

DANCES (Report by Wayne Hultgren)

  • Nothing to report.  (see info. under Old Business)

 

SNACK BAR (Report by Wayne Hultgren)

  • The Snack Bar inspections have been completed and the report was handed to Wayne to handle all issues.

 

REGISTRATIONS (Report by Dan Martyak)

  • All Spring sports and cheering have received their final registration reports.
  • Dan added to registration form that a $20 late fee will be assessed for any uniform being returned later than 2 weeks from the due date.  These are now in the Community Center.
  • ACTION ITEM:  Fran Tone to get list of football non-volunteers to Dan Martyak. 

.

RECREATION BOARD (Report by Butch Scerbo)

  • The Recreation Board approved lacrosse request (see lacrosse report).
  • The Rec. Board is looking into developing more parks and grading for additional baseball/soccer fields for 2008 and also an additional pavilion.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS (Report read for Colleen Ziegenhorn)

  • Forms were distributed to schools.
  • This year’s committee will be formed soon.
  • Ed Adamko updated the scholarship form on the website and it can be printed from there.

 

BACKGROUND CHECKS (Report by Dan Martyak)

  • A contract was signed to provide background checks. 
  • ACTION ITEMS: 

1.      Dan to provide company with a copy of tax i.d. which he got from John.

2.      Dan to get copies of consent forms for coaches of upcoming sports and distribute. 

  • Dan asked for help with doing the checks and John Wieller will assist.
  • Coaches returning the consent forms should return them to the Community Center with their payment of $8.00.

 

GUIDELINES COMMITTEE (Report by Nancy Bonfanti)

  • Lacrosse has been completed.
  • The Guidelines have been completed and now need to be reviewed by the FTYSO and approved.  Spring sports (baseball, softball and lacrosse) will be reviewed first so that these can be distributed by the season opening.
    • ACTION ITEM:  Nancy to bring copies of baseball, softball and lacrosse guidelines to March FTYSO meeting for review.

 

WEBSITE (Ed Adamko)

  • No report for February.
  • Dan Martyak mentioned that Dave Howell is interested in putting a Community Calendar of Event on our website.
    • ACTION ITEM:  Ed to contact Dave Howell for details (from 1/15 meeting).

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

  • John Wieller contracted with Exterminex and the first treatment has been completed.  They suggested that we put weather stripping along door and window cracks to avoid mice.  They will continue to come monthly for treatments.

 

·         DANCES

o        Butch Scerbo reported that all chaperone arm bands are in, cash box is ready, snack bar is ready, handouts are ready and commissioners are ready. 

o        Don Miller reported that he has 16 chaperones plus 8 from Dan Martyak’s basketball team and the board and those present were urged to attend to help out.  We have the required number of chaperones.

o        Information on date and rules were distributed to the Express Times and Dan is still trying to reach the Morning Call.  Information is posted on the website and will be placed on the electronic board outside the Community Center.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

  • John Wieller mentioned that the FTYSO has a CD that matures on 2/23/07 which will be placed into the account.  The Community Center fees will be paid from that.  Jerry Stefanelli will meet with John at the bank on Saturday to move the funds.

 

  • Rick Hartranft needs uniform requirements for Jr. Legion and Babe Ruth.

 

  • Rick Hartranft would like to have a credit card so checks don’t have to clear before orders can be processed.  Board recommends he go to Board of Supervisors to see if they can either approve a credit card or set up purchase orders through the town.  ACTION ITEM:  Don Miller will talk to the town Financial Manager to see what to do.

 

  • Tom Gasparetti would like to find out why we are always desperate for volunteers but yet he signs up for coaching baseball every year and never gets a call.  It was explained to him that his boys may have been placed on teams where there were already head coaches and they move up with the head coach.  A head coach is only replaced if they step down or there are valid complaints against the coach.  Dan Martyak suggested he send an email to Scott Pennypacker to express his interest in coaching.  Tom does coach soccer but is also interested in baseball.

 

  • Doug Heater brought a trophy from Jr. Pee Wee football to be placed in the trophy display case at the community center with a picture of the team.   ACTION ITEM:  Don Miller to place trophy and picture in the display case.

 

  • Chris Henry asked via an email for the Board to raise the umpire fees from $20.00 to $25.00 and plate fees from $25.00 to $30.00.  He feels we are losing good umpires to other leagues.

 

    • The Board needs more information.  What age groups are you talking about?  Who sets these fees?  The GEABL sets fees for this???  We would like Chris to check into this more. 

 

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Fran Tone  and seconded by Jerry Stefanelli.  Motion carried.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Nancy Bonfanti

FTYSO Secretary