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Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
June 3, 2010
WPAC Attending: LeAnn Abbott, Eileen Armstrong, Laurieann
Batter, Lisa Benison, Elizabeth Britt, Meg Cole, Patti Daly,
Michele Dantas, Randy Erlenbach, Elizabeth Hendee, Debbie Lafond,
Annbeth Lattimer, Jenn Lewis, Karen O’Brien, Laurie Storino WPAC
Absent: Robin Baylis, Nicole Clark, Caroline Gedney, Lauri Harder,
Lynn Holmquist, Mary Beth Irwin, Janet Lebovitz, Sophia Maragos,
Catherine Moss, Sian Nimkoff, Eileen Nolan, Tracey Owens, Kinnary
Patel, Penny Scarth, Lisbet Srivastava Guests: Lori DeLise, Derek
Farrar, Ed Spencer Approval of Minutes: • Minutes of the May 6,
2010 meeting were approved. Director of Competitive Aquatics Report
Randy Erlenbach • Ed Spencer, coach of seven Olympic swimmers and a
“Master Coach” representing the USA Swimming Club Development
program was introduced. He noted that 45 teams were recognized this
year for their 18/under champions and that the Wahoos should be
honored to be among them. He suggested that this honor be posted on
our website. The purpose of the visit is to learn about the Wahoo
program and share information and expertise with us. The early part
of the visit has been spent with the coaching staff but time will
also be spent on the pool deck. He specifically mentioned the level
of enthusiasm that he has noticed on the team. • New lane lines are
necessary for the 2010-2011 season. The price quote is $8,000-8,500
(approximately $1,000/lane line plus shipping/handling.) The Wilton
Y will pay a portion of this cost and the Wahoos will be
responsible for the balance. We are waiting to learn how much the Y
will contribute toward this expenditure. • Head Age Group coach,
Derek Farrar, attended the meeting and was introduced as the new
Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics. He will continue to be
Head Age Group coach and will take on additional responsibilities
including expanded communications for the entire program, direct
managerial duties for the part time coaching staff and direct
involvement with the Wilton Y in overall planning, budgeting and
scheduling. Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics Derek Farrar
• Thanked the members of the WPAC for their support and their
congratulations. Co-President’s Report Jenn Lewis • Noted that the
June meeting is likely the last WPAC meeting of the 2009-2010 year.
• Thanked members of the WPAC for their time, energy and
willingness to support the swimmers, families and coaches
throughout the year. Financial Update LeAnn Abbott and Eileen
Armstrong • Reviewed current financial performance vs. budget and
noted the following:
• The AA Long Course meet numbers are incomplete. • Recognition
Banquet was significantly below budgeted expense levels. • Two
workers from the bubble company were hired to facilitate
bubble-down. This expense is not reflected in the current numbers.
All agreed this expense was well worth funding.
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(LeAnn Abbott) • USS Bills will be issued shortly. Noted that
families will be urged to place additional funds in their USS
account if their balance is low and their swimmer(s) is actively
participating in meets. (Eileen Armstrong) Committee Business
Nominating Debbie Lafond • Debbie Lafond, Chair of the Nominating
Committee, outlined the process that the committee took in order to
identify and nominate the strongest possible candidate(s) for each
position. This included identification of potential candidates
based on areas of interest and expertise as well as discussion with
the candidates about their willingness to serve. • Coach Randy
thanked the committee for their work and noted that he was happy
with what was accomplished. He noted his conviction that those who
take on leadership roles must be supportive of the team philosophy,
the activities of the team and the staff. He emphasized his belief
that anyone who is not able to be supportive should not be in a
leadership role on the team. • As required by the WPAC Bylaws, the
WYW 2010-2011 WPAC slate of candidates was approved by the WPAC
Executive Board and presented at the meeting:
Co-Presidents Jeff Adams, Lynn Holmquist Executive Vice
President Penny Scarth Secretary Lori DeLise Treasurer/USS Eileen
Armstrong Fundraising Laurie Storino Meet Coordinator Debbie Lafond
Volunteer Coordinators Meg Cole, Lisa Benison New Parent Liaisons
Patti Daly, Sophia Maragos Public Relations TBD Sponsorship Lauri
Harder Website Sharon Gosha Squad Vice Presidents Super Bronze TBD
Super Squad Bernadette Hess, Lisbet Srivastava Maroon Patti Daly,
Eileen Nolan Gold Laurieann Batter, Kinnary Patel Senior 2 Denise
Cooney, Jenn Lewis, Diane Lynch Senior 1 Robin Baylis, Nicole
Clark, Elizabeth Hendee, Karen O’Brien National Meg Cole • The
slate will be presented to the membership for a vote. There will be
an online voting process, which is currently being developed, but
it is expected that the voting will be completed in June. • A
recommendation was made that the 2011-2012 WPAC include a
coordinator for a “Buddy System” designed to assist parents. This
would be in addition to the New Parent Liaison. Fundraising Laurie
Storino • Reviewed status of 2009-2010 fundraising: • $44K raised
through 18 programs
• $4K increase over prior year—half from new families, half from
existing families • Major programs are Village Market, Grocery
Cards, United Way and Ad Sales • Despite use by half the families,
Direct Pay dollars dropped by approximately 15%
• 202 families; 199 complete
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• All efforts to collect from 3 unpaid families have been
ineffective • Question of how to handle unpaid families remains
open • 2010-2011 Program Progress to Date: • $8K raised during
February-May 2010 period • 55% from United Way • 30% from Grocery
Cards—already at 45% of 2009-2010 total • 8% from Wilton
Deli—currently at 126% or 2009-2010 total • 212 families currently
in 2010-2011 Fundraising program; 58 have completed obligation • 15
new families for LC 2010 owe 50% of their fundraising by July 1st.
Should be OK. • Will actively market the new LL Bean program
Sponsorship Jenn Lewis for Lauri Harder • Reminder to contact Lauri
Harder with any potential team sponsors. Meet Coordinator Jenn
Lewis for Catherine Moss • The second Wahoo LC meet, the AA/Senior
Qualifier, will be held June 18-20. The AA preliminary heats are in
the morning with finals in the evening, and the timed final Senior
Qualifier heats are in the afternoon. There are 11 teams attending
and Wilton Deli will handle Concessions. The SuperMeets sign-up
will be posted on Sunday, June 13th at 9pm. Volunteer Coordinators
Elizabeth Britt and Meg Cole • Work credit postings are up-to-date.
A message on Daily News will urge families to check their accounts
for accuracy and to determine the number of outstanding credits
they must complete prior to the end of the LC season. • Discussed
and confirmed that the TOTAL number of credits earned as a member
of the WPAC is 3 and that these credits are earned and posted
during the short course season. No additional credits are earned
during long course. • Timer requirements for the Brookfield meet
were posted incorrectly in SuperMeets and we currently have 6
workers for 2 timing assignments. It was decided that those who
signed-up and worked a partial shift would receive a credit since
they volunteered in good faith and the error was administrative.
New Family Liaison Sian Nimkoff • No Report Public Relations Debbie
Lafond for Lynn Holmquist • Articles continue to be submitted to
local papers and 3 appeared during the current week. • The new
Wilton-based website is up and running and there was discussion
about using it to post Wahoo PR pieces. Coach Randy suggested that
we begin to use it. Squad Reports Squad Vice-Presidents Super
Bronze/Super Squad • Nothing to report Maroon • Nothing to
report
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Gold • July 13th Age Group picnic is planned with a rain date of
July 15th. Senior 2 • A Parent meeting will be held June 8th. •
Picnic planned for July 14th with Senior 1 and National squads.
Senior 1 • Another breakfast has been planned since these have been
a great success. National • Nothing to report Old Business • Water
Polo Program
• A coach, Charlie Gullotta, has been hired. He has significant
coaching experience and currently coaches a water polo program at
Staples High School in Westport. He is excited about getting the
Wilton program started and growing it over time. Current plans are
to put a parent organization in place that will be separate from
the WPAC.
New Business • Swim Across America
• Organization is dedicated to raising money and awareness for
cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related
events. Current Executive Director is Janel Jorgensen, a former
Wilton Y Wahoo and 1988 Olympic team member. A Swim Across America
event is being held in Greenwich/Stamford on June 26th to benefit
the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, the nation’s only foundation
dedicated exclusively to funding cancer gene therapy research.
Coach Todd is encouraging the Senior 1/Senior 2 swimmers to
participate. One of the National squad swimmers, KC Moss, will
participate. Age Group Wahoos have a meet in Cheshire that day so
will not be able to attend. Further information regarding
participation, or to make a donation, can be found at
www.swimacrossamerica.org. Fundraising to support Swim Across
America will also take place in the Wilton Y lobby during the June
18-20 Wahoo meet.
• Noted letter received from AmeriCares thanking the Wahoos for
their $3,100 donation, raised by selling the “Swimmers for Haitian
Relief” T-shirts, to support the people of Haiti.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
September 30, 2010 WPAC Attending: LeAnn Abbott, Jeff Adams,
Eileen Armstrong, LaurieAnn Batter, Lisa Benison, Meg Cole, Denise
Cooney, Patti Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Sharon Gosha,
Elizabeth Hendee, Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond,
Jenn Lewis, Sophia Maragos, Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Eileen
Nolan, Amy Nonnenmacher, Kinnary Patel, Lisbet Srivastava, Laurie
Storino WPAC Absent: Robin Reed Baylis, Derek Farrar, Laurie
Harder, Diane Lynch, Karen O’Brien, Allison Palsho, Penny Scarth
Guests: Camille Gilroy Approval of Minutes
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- Minutes of the June 3, 2010 meeting were approved. Director of
Competitive Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach - Team accomplished
goals of winning Long Course Age Group Championships and Long
Course YMCA Nationals. The Wahoos have three swimmers ranked in the
top 100 in the world. Christian Higgins and KC Moss are both
members of the 2010-2011 National Youth Team, while Eric Ronda was
selected to attend the USA National Select Camp in October. - Coach
Randy noted that since he joined the Wahoos, the WPAC has put $40K
into the bubble fund and it is now fully funded. In addition, WPAC
has authorized purchase of a new scoreboard and new lane lines,
which will arrive soon. Capitol needs and a seasonal plan will be
presented at the next meeting. -Coach Derek Farrar and Coach Randy
have joined Connecticut Swim, Inc., Derek as a member of the CSI
Age Group Committee, and Randy as a member of the CSI Senior
Committee. Since the Wahoos are recognized as leaders in the state,
it is good to have a visible presence at CT Swim. - USA Swimming
House of Delegates has passed new legislation requiring background
checks for all meet workers who come in direct contact with the
swimmers. The background check seeks to ensure any volunteers are
not sex offenders, and has been in place for coaches since 2006.
The legislation will affect officials, and potentially may affect
marshals. It will not apply to timers. More discussion is needed to
determine how far down the ranks of volunteers we need to go. Cost
of background check is $30 per person, and can be done on-line. CT
Swim suggests clubs pay these fees, but this may be very costly and
may require changes in job descriptions to limit the number of
positions requiring screening. - Good Hewitt Communications
contacted Coach Randy about updating our team logo. Even if no
changes are made to the logo, an updated digital version is needed
for printing and apparel. Good Hewitt will charge $800 to design
and/or update and produce a digitized logo. Motion to go ahead was
approved, and Coach Randy will contact Good Hewitt to proceed.
Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams and Lynn Holmquist
- The following were items were voted on and approved by WPAC in
July and August: 1. Approved the 2010-2011 Budget 2. Approved the
2010-2011 Work Credit Policy 3. Authorized expenditure of $11,000
for purchase of a new scoreboard 4. Authorized an increase in the
Bubble Replacement Fund to $20,000 from the budgeted $10,000
- Lynn Holmquist noted that Coach Derek suggested a wine tasting
to give parents an opportunity to socialize away from the pool.
Jeff Adams noted that Wilton Wine has offered to donate all the
wine for this event. Several locations were considered; the event
will most likely take place in the spring. Financial Update Eileen
Armstrong and Sunanda Nagpal
- The final invoice for last year went out first week of
September. At that time, 180 families owed $38,000. Currently, 100
families owe $22,000. October 8, 2010 is the deadline for overdue
payments, and swimmers will not be allowed to swim in any upcoming
meets if their family account is past due.
- LeAnn Abbott noted that Team Unify is a new process and asked
for patience while the new system is sorted out. By mid-season,
families will be able to see their USS account balance, and view
meet fees as they are deducted. Team Unify also allows families to
make payments on-line. - Negative balance in budget for team store
was discussed, with some question about amount of inventory store
currently carries. It was noted that there is a price break for
ordering items in quantity, which could account for high inventory.
Some consideration was given to maintaining a few stock items, and
ordering other items as needed. Further discussion was tabled.
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- After 2009-2010 income and expenses, the Wahoos currently have
a “slush fund” balance of $24K. Committee Business Fundraising
Laurie Storino - $43,614 was raised through 18 programs for the
2009-2010 season. The following programs all showed increased
participation: Village Market, Grocery Cards, United Way and Ad
Sales. Direct pay was down, although 98 families relied on direct
pay. Future goal is to have increased program participation and
less direct pay. - A new program this season is the Entertainment
Books, which will sell for $30 and earn back up to $15 fundraising
credit. Other potential new programs discussed are Christmas
ornament sale and sterling silver Wahoo charms and chains created
by Wilton Jewelers. Sponsorship Lori DeLise for Laurie Harder -
Sponsorship brochure will be presented at next meeting. - Poland
Spring has agreed to donate water for meets again this year. Meet
Coordinator Debbie Lafond - It was decided to change sign-up to
Sunday night two weeks prior to a meet. Additionally, the first 24
hours after sign up goes live will be reserved for the parents of
the age groups participating in that meet. There was discussion on
the reason for the 9 pm Sunday night sign-up, and it was determined
that this is the time most people are home and available to
sign-up. - With the new 2-week prior sign-up, both the Virtual Meet
and the 12/under October Qualifier will go live Sunday night,
October 3. - Baking credits have been eliminated, but there was
some discussion on whether it makes sense to pay so much to cater
hospitality and concessions if families are willing to donate some
items. Discussion was tabled for now. Volunteer Coordinators Lisa
Benison and Meg Cole - An email was sent out explaining the
different system, which uses the term “hours” instead of “credits”.
The email also addressed the need for manual input of earned
credits, so it will take longer to update. - 27 families still owe
long course credit obligations, totaling $2,250. These families
have until October 8 to pay, otherwise their child(ren) will not be
able to swim in upcoming meets. New Family Liaison Patti Daly and
Sophia Maragos - There are 33 new Age Group families (12 Super
Bronze, 11 Super Squad, 7 Maroon and 3 Gold). There are 4 new
13/over families (2 Senior II, 2 Senior I).
Public Relations Lynn Holmquist for Allison Palsho - Allison
Palsho will replace Lynn Holmquist as the new PR contact. Squad
Reports Squad Vice-Presidents
Super Bronze/Super Squad - Met with Coach Mark; planning social
events in progress.
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Maroon and Gold - Working together to plan upcoming Halloween
party with Westport YMCA following the dual meet on October 31.
Senior 2 - Tentative breakfast planned for Saturday, October 9
after swim practice. Senior 1 - Nothing to report National - Social
coordinators Patti Palmer and Liz Grant are tentatively planning a
Halloween event. Old Business - Nothing to report New Business -
The next meeting will take place on November 4, 2010.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
November 4, 2010 WPAC Attending: Jeff Adams, Eileen Armstrong,
LaurieAnn Batter, Lisa Benison, Meg Cole, Denise Cooney, Patti
Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Lauri Harder, Elizabeth Hendee,
Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Diane Lynch, Sophia
Maragos, Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Amy Nonnenmacher, Karen
O’Brien, Allison Palsho, Kinnary Patel, Penny Scarth, Lisbet
Srivastava, Laurie Storino WPAC Absent: LeAnn Abbott, Robin Reed
Baylis, Derek Farrar, Sharon Gosha, Jenn Lewis, Eileen Nolan
Guests: Alex Alvarez, Roger Stewart Approval of Minutes - Minutes
of the September 30, 2010 meeting were approved. Director of
Competitive Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach - Randy will not be
available to attend the next WPAC meeting on December 2 due to a
swim meet conflict. - The updated team logo designed by Good Hewitt
Communications was narrowed down to four choices, which include a
water polo logo. The choices will be distributed to the WPAC
electronically for an email vote. - Due to the low attendance at
the recent October Qualifier, Randy hopes to replace this meet with
two tri-meets during the 2011-2012 season. Since the tri-meets will
take place during an Olympic year, the 13/over sessions will run in
long course meters (the 12/unders will be short course yards).
Tentative dates for the tri-meets will be October 8 - 9, 2011 as
timed finals, and October 28 – 30 as trials/finals. Five large,
competitive teams have expressed
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interest; Randy will put together information to entice them to
commit. If the tri-meet format does not work, then we will revert
to a smaller October Qualifier as was held this year. - Randy
presented a calendar through July 2011 of upcoming meets and events
which are currently in the works for the Wahoos. This includes a
change to the long course season AA meet, which will take place on
June 10 – 12, 2011, one week earlier than past years. This extends
the time between the AA and the Connecticut Senior Open to two
weeks, hopefully allowing other teams to attend our AA meet He
noted that the Wahoos are the only Connecticut team to offer meets
with A or AA time standards; all meets hosted by other teams are
Open. - The Recognition Night Committee will consider ideas to make
our spring recognition night shorter in duration. While the evening
is very enjoyable, three hours on a school night is too long. -
Randy will talk to other coaches at the March championship meets to
plan for the 2011-2012 season, as many of the meets are planned
well in advance. Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams and Lynn
Holmquist - Lynn proposed a change to the credit policy, in part
due to the shortened number of sessions at the October meet. The
new policy would allow families to earn credits at all championship
meets, whether home or away. Credits may now be earned by
volunteers working at Y States, CT Seniors, CT Regionals and CT Age
Groups. Motion to change policy effective immediately was approved.
- It was also noted that Y States 13/over Championship will be held
permanently at the Wilton YMCA, while the 12/under Championship
will be held permanently at Cheshire YMCA. - Lynn noted that she
will soon post a list of credit-earning jobs, along with job
descriptions. Several jobs require prior training, and these will
be noted in the job descriptions. - Jeff noted that he reviewed the
team store financials, and despite a loss last year the store is
producing a profit for this season. As a result, the team store
format will remain as is and will be reevaluated at the end of
short course season. - Jeff requested an up-to-date list of all
delinquent accounts. - Jeff also noted that all swimmer issues must
be directed to the coaches. Financial Update Eileen Armstrong and
Sunanda Nagpal - Eileen reported that of 180 active families, 3
still owe a total of $700. - A motion was made to waive home meet
fees for families with financial hardship. Motion was passed. -
Eileen noted that some families were not billed for their
participation in the 2010 January AA and Senior Qualifier. Rather
than issue new bills, these fees will rollover and be added to this
year’s bill. - Sunanda noted that home meet 2009-2010 revenues were
not recorded for Wahoo swimmers, and financials are in the process
of being revised to reflect this increase in revenue. Committee
Business Fundraising Laurie Storino - Laurie noted positive
response to incentive program for those exceeding their fundraising
requirement.
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- Grocery card sales are already at 96% of the prior years’
total sales. Laurie also noted that although the $30 Entertainment
Book contains many valuable coupons (movies, restaurants, etc) and
is a great investment, sales have been low and we may try selling
the book to other area teams or families. Sponsorship Lauri Harder
- Poland Spring has donated 60 cases of water so far for our meets
in October and November. Meet Coordinator Debbie Lafond - Debbie
noted that due to the Team Unify system set-up, many team messages
are being sent under her name or LeAnn Abbott’s name. As a result,
parents send their inquiry about the message to Debbie or LeAnn,
resulting in delays in getting the question through the proper
channels to be answered. To eliminate this middle-man set-up, all
team messages from committee chairs and/or individuals should be
sent to two places for distribution. First to the Squad VPs, who
will distribute to parents via their email distribution process,
and also to Sharon Gosha, Computer Liaison, who will also put them
on “Daily News”. - To confirm, in order to simplify entries of the
volunteer credits, jobs will show that 1 hour = 1 credit, and does
not reflect the actual hours that a job entails. Since Concessions
and Hospitality often work in shifts, these may be the only jobs
that reflect more than 1 hour of work, but these workers will still
only receive 1 credit for their shift. - It was decided to rescind
the recent change to job sign-up, and return to a one week prior
(Sunday night, 9:00 pm) sign-up. The two-week prior sign-up created
too many problems with changes to the slots being filled. Thus, the
sign-up for the Thanksgiving Invitational will take place on
Sunday, November 14, at 9:00 pm. - Debbie noted that sign-in for
jobs at a meet must be done at the start of warm-up, otherwise your
job may be given away. If a worker has not signed in at the start
of warm-up, the Meet Manager cannot risk having the job unfilled
and may substitute another willing volunteer. Additionally, workers
must sign in on deck with the Meet Manager, otherwise credit for
the job may not be issued since the Meet Manager will have no way
of tracking that you worked. - As a reminder, it was noted that
parent volunteers cannot bring children with them during their work
shift. - Volunteers 14/over can work as timers, concessions and
heat award distributors. - Debbie asked that any problems or
concerns be brought to her attention as they happen, so that they
may be addressed and resolved as soon as possible. Volunteer
Coordinators Lisa Benison and Meg Cole - Volunteer credits are
up-to-date in the system. - $350 is still outstanding in penalty
fees. New Family Liaison Patti Daly and Sophia Maragos - Nothing to
report Public Relations Allison Palsho - Thanksgiving food drive
will be held once again during the Thanksgiving Invitational. -
Allison noted that LeAnn Abbott is confirming whether prior signed
photo releases remain in force, or if new ones are needed. For new
families who haven’t yet signed a release, LeAnn is researching
putting the form on-line. Squad Reports Squad Vice-Presidents
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Super Bronze and Super Squad - Halloween party following the
dual meet went well. Plans have been made for an upcoming hot cocoa
and bagel breakfast following practice. Maroon and Gold - Working
together to plan upcoming holiday party and gift. Senior 2 - Pizza
party is planned for November 18, and a bagel breakfast was
recently held following practice.
‐ Senior 1 - A pancake breakfast is planned for December 4,
following practice. National - Swimmers timed at the October 31
dual meet, dressed in costume. - Breakfast is being planned for
some time near Thanksgiving, as well as daily breakfasts following
each morning practice during holiday training. Old Business -
Nothing to report New Business - Team photo will take place on
November 30. More information will be sent out to parents regarding
specifics. - The next meeting will take place on December 2, 2010.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
January 6, 2011 ****PENDING APPROVAL AT THE NEXT WPAC
MEETING**** WPAC Attending: Eileen Armstrong, LaurieAnn Batter,
Lisa Benison, Denise Cooney, Patti Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy
Erlenbach, Sharon Gosha, Lauri Harder, Bernadette Hess, Lynn
Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Jenn Lewis, Diane Lynch, Sophia Maragos,
Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Karen O’Brien, Penny Scarth, Laurie
Storino WPAC Absent: LeAnn Abbott, Jeff Adams, Robin Reed Baylis,
Meg Cole, Derek Farrar, Elizabeth Hendee, Eileen Nolan, Amy
Nonnenmacher, Allison Palsho, Kinnary Patal, Lisbet Srivastava
Guests: Rob Lattimer Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the November
4, 2010 meeting were approved.
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Director of Competitive Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach -
Financials are in good shape; October meet income was down but
November was better. - Two swimmers attended the Short Course
National Championship in Columbus, OH, and placed 8th overall as a
team. One hundred thirty swimmers attended the YMCA Holiday
Invitational at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Long Island,
and finished 2nd overall, while 22 swimmers attended the TYR
Capital Classic in Raleigh, NC and finished 4th overall. - The two
week trial of split morning practice sessions was rescinded after
two days due to several reasons. The National team goal is to
achieve volume and intensity by swimming 65,000 yards per week.
Morning swims are required in order to achieve this yardage;
splitting the morning sessions resulted in swimming 5,000 less
yards in those two days and that is too much to give up at this
critical time in the training cycle. Additionally, the later
session was not well attended, and it was too disruptive to
accommodate the various requests for leaving early and/or arriving
late. - A new timing console was purchased from Dactronix and will
be here in time for the AA meet. The Colorado timing system was
returned due to recurring problems. Since the new supplier is
fairly local, they will provide on-site training for our workers. -
The Region 1 Championship meet at Union College is not a team
travel meet. Hotel information will be available soon for families
to make their own arrangements. Co-President’s Report Lynn
Holmquist - Lynn reiterated the need for a digitalized Wahoo logo
for future use. After some discussion on the “classic” versus
“modern” logos prepared by Good Hewitt Communications, a motion was
made to revert back to our current logo without changes. Vote on
this was tabled, and it was decided that we will adhere to the
original plan of presenting the logo options (including the current
logo) to the WPAC via email for a vote on a digitalized version of
a Wahoo logo. - Lynn and Laurie Storino discussed a new Scrips
fundraising program designed to offset team travel costs for
families through the purchase of gift cards from commonly used
stores. Families would be able to accrue money in individual
accounts to offset the cost to them of sending their child(ren) to
travel meets. The Scrips program will be introduced first to the
National team on a trial basis, and then if successful will be
expanded to include other teams. A National team parent is needed
to volunteer to be Central Coordinator for the Scrips fundraising;
the program could begin as soon as a volunteer is in place. - Plans
are still being made for a team-wide parent party, perhaps to be
held in March or April. A venue is needed to accommodate such a
large crowd. Financial Update Eileen Armstrong and Sunanda Nagpal -
Sunanda presented an updated Wahoo Income Statement for September –
December 2010. - Eileen said that Team Unify is able to provide
detailed billing information for meet fees so that families are
able to see exactly what they are being billed for. Notes will go
out at the end of the month notifying families of any fees owed.
Committee Business Fundraising Laurie Storino
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- The fundraising year ends January 31, 2011; many families
still owe fundraising fees. All fees must be paid in order for
swimmers to participate in the Championship meets, beginning with
the 8/under Championship on February 20, 2011. Sponsorship Lauri
Harder - Poland Spring continues to supply water for our upcoming
home meets. Meet Coordinator Debbie LaFond and Catherine Moss - New
stopwatches were purchased to replace missing ones; all watches
were numbered so that the Meet Managers can account for each one at
the conclusion of a meet. - Debbie asked that parents please remind
their swimmers that the gym floor (or pool deck) are not trash
receptacles. There was a huge amount of trash on the gym floor
following every session of the Thanksgiving Invitational; too much
clean-up was required by meet volunteers. - There was a very
positive response to selling programs for $7 and receiving a free
heat sheet. Volunteer Coordinators Lori DeLise for Lisa Benison,
Meg Cole - All credits are up to date in the system. Nothing new to
report. New Family Liaison Patti Daly and Sophia Maragos - Super
Bronze, Gold, Senior 2 and National have all had a new swimmer join
the team. - Although the Team Handbook is available on-line, it was
suggested that extra hard copies be made available and distributed
to any families joining mid-season. Public Relations Lynn Holmquist
for Allison Palsho - Thanksgiving food drive went well, and a
hat/mitten drive is planned for this winter. Squad Reports Squad
Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and Super Squad - A hot cocoa social
was held, and the scarves at the holiday party were very popular. A
pool party is currently being planned.
Maroon - The scarves for the Maroon group were also a big hit at
their holiday party. A pool party is currently being planned. Gold
- The holiday party went well, and a breakfast is being planned.
Senior 2 - The holiday towel exchange was very successful.
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- A dinner at the Soup Alley is planned for Thursday, January
27, before the AA and Senior Qualifier, for a cost of $15 per
person.
Senior 1 - Several socials were held, including a pancake
breakfast, taco party and New Year’s Day breakfast. A winter
activity event is currently being planned. National - The Lattimers
hosted a Christmas party for National and Senior 1 swimmers and
parents, which was very well attended. Since this is the Lattimer’s
last year with the Wahoos, we would welcome any volunteer willing
to host this in 2011.
- Breakfast was served every day during the week of holiday
training, which was much appreciated by the swimmers. Many of the
swimmers also attended a movie night with Coach Randy. - A
Valentine dinner is being planned for early February before the
swimmers depart for Missouri and New York. Old Business - Nothing
to report New Business - Rob Lattimer is forming a committee to
discuss fundraising ideas to offset the cost of travel to Long
Course YMCA Nationals. The committee will meet next week to discuss
the feasibility of hosting a swim-a-thon, which other local teams
have done with great success. - The next meeting will take place on
February 3, 2011. Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
February 3, 2011 WPAC Attending: LeAnn Abbott, Jeff Adams,
Eileen Armstrong, Robin Reed Baylis, Lisa Benison, Denise Cooney,
Patti Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Elizabeth Hendee,
Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Jenn Lewis, Diane
Lynch, Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Amy Nonnenmacher, Allison
Palsho, Lisbet Srivastava, Laurie Storino WPAC Absent: LaurieAnn
Batter, Meg Cole, Derek Farrar, Sharon Gosha, Lauri Harder, Sophia
Maragos, Eileen Nolan, Karen O’Brien, Kinnary Patal, Penny Scarth
Guests: Alex Alvarez, Annbeth Lattimer, Rob Lattimer, Roger Stewart
Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the January 6, 2011 meeting were
approved. Director of Competitive Aquatics Report Randy
Erlenbach
-
- Randy discussed the cost of paying for background checks for
officials and other non-athlete volunteers, including meet
managers, marshalls or any volunteer who is required to fill out
the “yellow” form. USA Swimming has set a deadline of February 15
to have all affected volunteers registered; anyone not registered
by that date will be “dropped”. Head Official Roger Stewart will
determine what USA Swimming means by this. Since this can be a
costly burden on each individual volunteer, it was decided that the
Wahoos need to consider this a meet cost, or the cost of doing
business. In the future, these costs will be added into meet
budgets and meet fees may be adjusted accordingly. A motion was
made to have the Wilton Y Wahoos reimburse all officials and
applicable volunteers for this year, and the motion was further
amended to cap the reimbursement at $150 per person, or a total cap
of $7,000 for the team. Motions were approved. Reimbursement will
be handled through transfers from the general account into USS
personal accounts. Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams and Lynn
Holmquist - The severe winter weather delayed the UPS shipment of
the new Dactronix timing system, so we were unable to use it for
the recent AA and Senior Qualifier meets. The equipment has since
arrived, but will remain in boxes until Dactronix is available to
provide a training session. Financial Update Eileen Armstrong and
Sunanda Nagpal - Sunanda presented a Wahoo Income Statement for
January 2011. It was noted that the bubble fund currently has
$65,000 in the account. - Eileen will send out statements next
week, notifying families of any fees owed. Committee Business
Fundraising Laurie Storino
- 2010-2011 goal was to collect $45,000. So far, $40,479 has
been collected, with $5,600 left to collect from among 44 families.
Once all fees are collected, we will be above goal at $46,131. - It
was reiterated that all fees must be paid in order for swimmers to
participate in their respective Championship meets, beginning with
the 8/under Championship on February 20, 2011, followed by
Regionals, Seniors, Age Groups and YMCA Nationals. - Yankee Candle
will offer new spring scents in time for Easter and Mother’s Day. -
Amy Nonnenmacher suggested selling Wilton Y Wahoo stadium blankets
as a fundraiser, and presented samples of the logo and fabric.
However, it was decided this item may be a better fit as a
pre-order through the Team Store. Amy will discuss with Team Store
Coordinator Suzanne Cheruk. Sponsorship Lauri Harder - No
report
Meet Coordinator Debbie LaFond and Catherine Moss - Both the AA
and Senior Qualifiers had a lack of volunteer support, which
continues to be a problem despite the fact that many families have
not earned their credit requirement. A credit letter may need to go
out reminding families of their requirement, and stating their
penalty fee for not meeting their obligation.
-
- The text messaging system used to communicate between the pool
and the gym worked much better then the previously used walkie
talkies. - There were some behavioral issues during the afternoon
sessions when the older Senior Qualifier swimmers were in the gym
with the younger AA swimmers. - There were also concerns with young
children behind the concession table. Volunteer Coordinators Lori
DeLise for Lisa Benison, Meg Cole - Credits for Y States, AA and
Senior Qualifier have been updated in the system. Parents should
check to make sure their accounts are accurate and up-to-date. New
Family Liaison Patti Daly and Sophia Maragos - A motion was made to
waive the full-year credit and fundraising obligations for those
families who joined the team at the end of December; they must now
fulfill the January 1 credit and fundraising amounts. Motion was
approved. Public Relations Allison Palsho - Next year, the hat and
mitten drive should be held earlier in the season to increase
participation. Squad Reports Squad Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and
Super Squad - A social is planned for February 5, to be followed by
a pool party in March. Maroon - A pool party has been rescheduled
for March. Gold - The planned breakfast will be rescheduled. Senior
2 - The pre-meet dinner at the Soup Alley was very successful.
Senior 1 - A joint Senior 1/Senior 2 Go-Kart party is being planned
for after Age Group Championships. National - A Valentine’s Dinner
is planned for February 14, following afternoon practice. -
Swimmers depart for Missouri and Region 1 in two weeks. Old
Business - Jeff Adams noted the WPAC vote results for the new Wahoo
logo; there were many comments and concerns during the voting so
Jeff will take the two top logos (classic and current) and tweak
them to address the concerns. He will then submit the modifications
to the WPAC.
-
New Business - The Wahoos will host a Swim-A-Thon on Saturday,
May 7, 2011. More details to follow. - The next meeting will take
place on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, a change from the usual Thursday
meeting due to Senior Championships beginning on Thursday, March 3.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 17, 2011 WPAC Attending: Jeff Adams, Eileen Armstrong,
LaurieAnn Batter, Lisa Benison, Meg Cole, Denise Cooney, Patti
Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Lauri Harder, Elizabeth Hendee,
Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Diane Lynch, Sophia
Maragos, Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Amy Nonnenmacher, Kinnary
Patal, Penny Scarth, Laurie Storino WPAC Absent: LeAnn Abbott,
Robin Reed Baylis, Derek Farrar, Sharon Gosha, Jenn Lewis, Eileen
Nolan, Karen O’Brien, Allison Palsho, Lisbet Srivastava Guests:
Annbeth Lattimer, Rob Lattimer Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the
February 3, 2011 meeting were approved. Director of Competitive
Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach - The Wahoos earned Silver Medal
Club status, placing second in this category. As a result, we will
receive $2,500 in grant funding which will be used to purchase a
water evaporation unit to cool the pool during the summer
months.
- Coach Randy will attend a National Coaches Clinic in Colorado
Springs in April, and USA Swimming is sending a coach to assist our
coaches April 28 – 29, 2011. - For the upcoming long course season,
we will drop the AA qualification for our traditional June meet,
making it an open meet since Connecticut Swimming has been
unwilling to make schedule changes, allowing for greater
participation at various state meets. This invitational meet will
take place June 10 – 12, 2011. Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams,
Lynn Holmquist - Jeff suggested a committee be formed to finalize
the Wahoo logo. Diane Lynch, Elizabeth Hendee and Lisa Benison
agreed to serve on this committee, to develop a logo which can be
printed on various media in both single and multi colors. - A
motion was made and approved to move the team store to
ITownStore.com. Advantages include: no inventory to buy or store,
no accounting issues, store is always open, and items will be
delivered directly to purchaser’s house. The team will receive 20%
of every sale. A Wahoo Store Manager will maintain control over
what is sold on the website by selecting from a catalog of
available items. Custom items can also be added. - A motion was
made and approved to add a 48-hour rule to our Code of Conduct,
stating that no parent shall contact a coach until 48 hours after a
meet has ended. Most teams in Connecticut have this policy
currently in place. The policy provides time for concerns and
comments to be more rational than emotion-based. It also allows
time for coaches to recover from being on deck for 3 days straight.
If a parent contacts a coach within the 48-hour time
-
period, the Code of Conduct will be cited and the parent will be
told the discussion will take place after 48 hours have elapsed.
Exact wording of the policy addition will follow at a later date. -
A motion was made and approved to have Concessions and Hospitality
outsourced by Simply Delicious, for a trial period during our long
course May and June meets. Simply Delicious will provide all food
and labor; they will keep profits but donate a percentage to the
team. Financial Update Eileen Armstrong and Sunanda Nagpal -
Sunanda presented an updated Wahoo Income Statement for February
2011. - Eileen confirmed that payments for USS fees may be made
on-line through Team Unify by clicking on the Payment Link under
the Links header. Committee Business Fundraising Laurie Storino -
$45,182 was raised during the February 2010 – January 2011
fundraising period. $878 in USS Splash fee credits were earned by
18 families who more than doubled their fundraising commitment. -
Annbeth Lattimer suggested that graduating families continue to use
fundraisers like Pinocchio Pizza so that a monetary benefit still
goes back to the Wahoos, with no cost to the families for this.
Sponsorship Lauri Harder - Lauri will contact Poland Spring about
donating water for the Long Course season.
Meet Coordinator Debbie LaFond and Catherine Moss - As of March
17, there was still a need for timers for the upcoming 9/under meet
on March 20. Volunteer Coordinators Lisa Benison and Meg Cole - 25
families will still owe credits following the 9/under meet. The
penalty for failing to fulfill the credit obligation is $100 per
credit and these families must pre-pay their obligation for the
next upcoming season. If a family earns work credits during their
pre-paid season, they will be refunded for the amount of pre-paid
credits that they worked. Penalty credits are not refunded. Lynn
Holmquist suggested an amendment to the current credit policy to
clarify this point. A motion was made and approved for the
following amendment : “Only pre-paid work credits may be refunded
upon completion of each work credit for that family for that
season. All reimbursements will be made at the end of that season.”
New Family Liaison Patti Daly and Sophia Maragos - Nothing to
report. Public Relations Allison Palsho - No report.
Squad Reports Squad Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and Super Squad
- A pool party was held on March 19, following the last
practice.
-
Maroon - A pool party will be held on March 26, following the
last practice. Gold - A breakfast will be held on March 26,
following the last practice.
Senior 1 and Senior 2 - The Go-Kart party was cancelled due to a
lack of rsvps. The squads will try to plan a similar outing during
the long course season. National - 31 swimmers are going to Short
Course Y Nationals. These swimmers will participate in a team
breakfast following practice on March 26. - The National team would
like to thank everyone for their donations to the swimmer goody
bags, particularly those families from other squads who provided
donations. Old Business - Rob Lattimer presented information on the
approved Swim-a-thon, to be held Saturday, May 7, 2011. The
Swim-a-thon is open to all squads and will take place during
regular practices, although practice times may change to
accommodate the SAT test for older swimmers. Each swimmer will swim
200 laps over two hours; younger swimmers may swim less. Each
swimmer will have 50% of their earnings put towards their travel
fees to any travel meet, or their Splash fees if they do not
travel. The remaining 50% will go into a Development Fund for the
Wahoo organization, a portion of which will be donated to the YMCA
for their charitable efforts. Rob noted that the Wahoos must pay
USA Swimming for each form not returned to them, so he emphasized
that only those who plan on participating in the Swim-a-thon should
take a form. New Business - A motion was approved to allow swimmers
who are not attending 2011 Long Course Y Nationals, but are instead
swimming at 2011 USA Junior or Senior Nationals, to apply the Wahoo
monies set aside for their Y National trip to this years’ Junior or
Senior National meet instead. - The next meeting will take place on
April 28, 2011. Meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
APRIL 28, 2011 ****PENDING APPROVAL AT THE NEXT WPAC MEETING****
WPAC Attending: Eileen Armstrong, LaurieAnn Batter, Robin Reed
Baylis, Meg Cole, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Lauri Harder,
Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Sophia Maragos,
Eileen Nolan, Amy Nonnenmacher, Allison Palsho, Penny Scarth WPAC
Absent: LeAnn Abbott, Jeff Adams, Lisa Benison, Denise Cooney,
Patti Daly, Derek Farrar, Sharon Gosha, Elizabeth Hendee, Jenn
Lewis, Diane Lynch, Catherine Moss, Sunanda Nagpal, Karen O’Brien,
Kinnery Patal, Lisbet Srivastava, Laurie Storino
-
Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the March 17, 2011 meeting were
approved. Director of Competitive Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach -
Coach Randy attended a National Coaches Clinic in Colorado Springs,
and USA Swimming sent a representative here to discuss nutrition
and goal setting with our swimmers. Both events were very
productive. - The coaching staff would like to note that Wahoo
swimmers are discouraged from taking outside swim lessons. Upon
request, our coaches are all open to staying after practice for a
brief tweaking of technique. If anyone is looking for more in-depth
stroke assistance, please speak to your squad coach to further
discuss your options. Co-President’s Report Lynn Holmquist - The
on-line team store is now available. You can access it at
http://www.itownstore.com/wahoos. The Nominating Committee will
appoint a Team Store Liaison to manage the store. Swim caps will
continue to be purchased through the coaches office and on-deck at
swim meets. - A motion to approve the following work and travel
credits for the long course season was passed. WORK CREDITS (per
family): Super Bronze – 0 credits Super Squad – 1 work credit
Maroon – 2 work credits Gold – 2 work credits Senior II – 2 work
credits Senior I - 3 work credits National – 3 work credits In
addition, any swimmer attending either 2011 Long Course YMCA
Nationals (or 2011 Junior or Senior Nationals in lieu of LC YNats)
must also earn 4 travel credits. Note that these travel credits are
based per swimmer, not per family. With the elimination of
Concessions and Hospitality, it is hoped that it will be easier to
fill all on-deck jobs (timer, etc) at our home meets. The work and
travel credits were reduced in response to concerns in past years
about the number of credits each family needed to earn. Financial
Update Eileen Armstrong and Sunanda Nagapl - Coach Randy reviewed
the March 2011 income statement for Sunanda. - The upcoming grant
from USA Swimming for achieving Silver Medal Club status has not
yet been processed but should total approximately $2,000, and will
be used towards the purchase of a water evaporation system to
maintain a cooler water temperature in the outdoor pool during the
summer months. Once specifics on the cost of the system are
available, Lynn will conduct an on-line WPAC vote to obtain
approval for purchase and installation of the system. Committee
Business Fundraising Laurie Storino
-
- No report. Sponsorship Lauri Harder - Lauri will contact
Poland Spring about donating water for our two home meets during
the long course season. There was some discussion on whether the
Wahoos would still utilize all the donated water since concessions
are now being handled by an outside source. Lynn and Jeff will
determine if the amount of donated water should be reduced. Meet
Coordinator Debbie LaFond and Catherine Moss - Volunteer jobs for
the upcoming May Invitational will be posted on Sunday night, May
8, at 9:00 pm. - Debbie is checking on the number of meet managers
with approved credit checks. Volunteer Coordinators Meg Cole - Meg
will update the volunteer system to reflect credits owed by each
family for the new long course season. New Family Liaison Patti
Daly and Sophia Maragos - New swimmers joining the team for the
long course season: Super Bronze – 9; Super Squad – 3; Maroon – 6;
Gold – 8; Senior II - 4 Public Relations Allison Palsho - Nothing
to report. Squad Reports Squad Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and
Super Squad - Nothing to report.
Maroon - Nothing to report. Gold - The end of season party was
enjoyed by all.
Senior 1 and Senior 2 - Nothing to report.
National - Nothing to report. Old Business
-
- The Wahoo logo is not yet ready to be presented. New Business
- Eileen Nolan asked that consideration be given to reinstating the
FINS mentoring program (Friends In Swimming), giving the younger
swimmers a chance to connect with our older Wahoo swimmers. A FINS
Coordinator will be added to the Nominating Committee’s list of
positions to be filled. - The next meeting will take place on June
2, 2011. Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
JUNE 8, 2011 ****PENDING APPROVAL AT THE NEXT WPAC MEETING****
WPAC Attending: Jeff Adams, Robin Reed Baylis, Lisa Benison, Denise
Cooney, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Debbie Lafond, Jenn Lewis,
Diane Lynch, Sophia Maragos, Eileen Nolan, Amy Nonnenmacher,
Allison Palsho, Laurie Storino WPAC Absent: LeAnn Abbott, Eileen
Armstrong, LaurieAnn Batter, Meg Cole, Patti Daly, Derek Farrar,
Sharon Gosha, Lauri Harder, Elizabeth Hendee, Bernadette Hess, Lynn
Holmquist, Sunanda Nagpal, Karen O’Brien, Kinnery Patal, Penny
Scarth, Lisbet Srivastava Guests: Todd Stevens, Roger Stewart
Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the April 28, 2011 were not voted
on because a quorum was not present at the June 8 meeting. Director
of Competitive Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach - Randy asked Coach
Todd Stevens to lead the plans for our 40th anniversary dinner
party in 2012, which celebrates the Wahoo legacy of a competitive
swim program with a reputation for excellence. The event will
include alumni, past coaches and inductions into the Wahoo Hall of
Fame. Todd would like to assemble a planning committee by early
September 2011, as the 2012 date needs to be selected soon.
Additional sub-committees will be needed to handle public
relations, decorating, menu planning, and alumni contact. - Randy
discussed plans to host two Tri or Quad meets this fall, on October
15-16 and 28-30. Since it is an Olympic year, both meets will run
as trials/finals in long course meters. The meets will be open to
all age groups. Increasing the level of competition will be
Massachusetts- based Bluefish Swim Club and New York-based Badger
Swim Club, who have agreed to participate in these long course
meets. - Money pledged for the Swim-a-thon is still being
collected; a final tally will be reported when available.
Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams - New touch pads were purchased
for $5,600 and will be used at the June meet. - A water cooling
system was purchased using $1,700 of Wahoo funds, combined with a
$1,500 grant from USA Swimming and $500 from the YMCA. The cooling
system will help maintain a comfortable and safe pool water
temperature during the hot summer months.
-
- Jeff reported that outsourcing concessions and hospitality for
the May meet worked well, although some tweaks are still being made
to the hospitality food selection and the pricing for concessions.
A full review will be made upon completion of the June meet. -
Jeff, Lynn and Randy will meet to work on the budget for next year.
Because of the difficulty in filling “skilled” meet positions,
i.e., Officials, Colorado, Computer and Meet Managers, some
consideration is being given to paying a portion of splash fees as
an added incentive to fill these slots. Financial Update Jeff Adams
for Sunanda Nagpal - The Wahoos are currently $30,000 in the black,
with the May meet revenue not yet calculated. Committee Business
Fundraising Laurie Storino - An additional $13,000 was raised over
the commitment of $32,000 during the 2010-2011 year. The goal for
2011-2012 is $46,000 since there are currently 18 more families
then last year. Sponsorship Lori DeLise for Lauri Harder - Water
will be provided from Poland Spring for the June meet. Meet
Coordinator Debbie LaFond - Debbie reported on the difficulty in
filling worker positions; further discussion is needed on how best
to fully staff a swim meet. These issues need to be resolved in
time for the fall season. Under consideration is increasing the
penalty for not earning work credits, or requiring parents to work
if their child is swimming. Historically we have not relied on
other teams to provide timers because of the need for Wahoo parents
to earn credits. It was mentioned that parents need to consider the
benefits to them and their children of attending home meets, and we
all need to work together to staff the meets that we host.
Volunteer Coordinators Lisa Benison - All credits are up to date in
the system. New Family Liaison Sophia Maragos - A new family is
joining at the end of June; squad to be determined. Public
Relations Allison Palsho - Nothing to report. Squad Reports Squad
Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and Super Squad - Nothing to
report.
Maroon - Nothing to report. Gold
-
- Nothing to report.
Senior 1 and Senior 2 - Socials were recently held for both
squads.
National - Nothing to report. Old Business - Discussion on the
Wahoo logo was tabled until the next meeting New Business - Debbie
Lafond presented the 2011-2012 slate for the Nominating Committee;
the roster will be voted on electronically since a quorum was not
present at the June 8 meeting. - Further discussion will take place
on possible penalties for workers who do not report to their
session, causing Meet Managers to scramble to fill jobs at the last
minute and potentially delaying the meet. - The Bubble Fund
currently has $70,000 available. Jeff has received a “soup to nuts”
quote of $140,000 for a replacement bubble. Since the YMCA is
responsible for half the cost of a replacement bubble, the fund is
in good financial shape, although it is expected that the
replacement cost will increase over the next few years. - Also
under consideration is a semi-permanent bubble enclosure,
recommended by USA Swimming. The cost for this type of enclosure is
double the cost of a bubble, or approximately $275,000. The
benefits to this type of system include better air quality since
there are no atmospheric issues as in the bubble, warmer
temperatures during the winter, the lifespan is much longer lasting
then a bubble, and it is safer since it does not require a pump to
hold it up. The system is flexible and allows for full or partial
removal of the enclosure. - It was also mentioned that the current
(original) bulkhead needs to be replaced eventually, as pieces of
it are falling off. The cost would be approximately $40,000. No
immediate plans are being made for any repair, as the process
requires draining the entire pool, a difficult and time-consuming
endeavor. More discussion on funding and timing will take place at
a future meeting. - The next meeting will take place in July on a
date to be determined. Meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm.
Wahoo Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
JULY 7, 2011 ****PENDING APPROVAL AT THE NEXT WPAC MEETING****
WPAC Attending: Jeff Adams, Lisa Benison, Meg Cole, Denise Cooney,
Patti Daly, Lori DeLise, Randy Erlenbach, Lauri Harder, Elizabeth
Hendee, Bernadette Hess, Lynn Holmquist, Debbie Lafond, Jenn Lewis,
Diane Lynch, Sophia Maragos, Amy Nonnenmacher, Karen O’Brien,
Kinnery Patal, Penny Scarth, Laurie Storino WPAC Absent: LeAnn
Abbott, Eileen Armstrong, LaurieAnn Batter, Robin Reed Baylis,
Derek Farrar, Sharon Gosha, Sunanda Nagpal, Eileen Nolan, Allison
Palsho, Lisbet Srivastava Guests: Cheryl Helt
-
Approval of Minutes - Minutes of the April 28, 2011 were
approved. Since there was no quorum at the June 8 meeting, minutes
for that meeting were not recognized. Director of Competitive
Aquatics Report Randy Erlenbach - Randy reported that the water
cooling system is in place, and will be used as needed. - Juan
Martin has been hired as the new Office Manager. - For the upcoming
season, the coaching staff is trying to create an exciting and
competitive atmosphere, avoiding a repeat of last years’ home meets
where many events were conducted with 4 or 5 Wahoo swimmers in each
heat. To do this, Wilton will host two long course meets in
October, which has attracted some top teams from the northeast and
will increase the quality of competition for all swimmers and age
groups. However, to address concerns by some of the younger swimmer
families, the second October meet will be run in short course yards
for those 12/under. Co-President’s Report Jeff Adams and Lynn
Holmquist - Jeff will email the proposed new budget to the WPAC for
review and discussion. A vote will take place once details are
finalized. Financial Update Sunanda Nagpal and Eileen Armstrong -
Absent; no report. Committee Business Fundraising Laurie Storino -
5 of 28 new families still owe fundraising commitment. Collection
efforts are being made. - Fundraising is currently tracking behind
last year for the same time period. Sponsorship Lauri Harder - No
report. Meet Coordinator Debbie LaFond - Debbie is working on
restructuring the volunteer and credit system due to the
difficulties in staffing our home meets. She will put together a
proposal to include a sliding penalty scale and rebates for skilled
worker positions. The proposed changes will be emailed to the WPAC
for review and feedback. Volunteer Coordinators Lisa Benison - 33
families still owe work credits. A motion was made and approved to
allow credits earned at the 2011 Long Course Championship meets
(Regionals, Seniors and Age Groups) to count toward credit
commitments. New Family Liaison Patti Daly and Sophia Maragos -
There is a new swimmer on both Gold and Senior 1.
-
Public Relations Allison Palsho - Absent; no report. Squad
Reports Squad Vice-Presidents Super Bronze and Super Squad -
Nothing to report.
Maroon - Nothing to report. Gold - Nothing to report.
Senior 2 - Nothing to report. Senior 1 - A very popular Robek’s
night was recently held, and an upcoming outing to Swizzles is
planned for July 12. Also in the works are plans for a post-Y
Nationals trip in August. National - A kick-off party will be held
at the Berger’s home for all attendees traveling to LC Y Nationals.
So far, there are 17 girls and 14 boys attending. Old Business -
The bubble fund is fully funded but we will continue to deposit
$10,000 per year into the fund. - A motion was made and approved to
deposit an additional $10,000 into a new bulkhead fund, as the
bulkhead will most likely need to be replaced next summer. There
was discussion on the feasibility of convertible blocks, allowing
for chase starts, but this is not possible due to the shallowness
of the pool. - A motion was made and approved to digitize the
original Wahoo fish logo for the upcoming season, removing only the
Y from the Wilton Wahoos, in keeping with the new YMCA
requirements. A logo which incorporates the new Y guidelines will
be designed at a later date. New Business - Debbie Lafond presented
the 2011-2012 slate for the Nominating Committee; the roster was
approved and will be voted on electronically through Survey Monkey.
- Currently there are 6 new Dactronix touchpads and 11 working
Colorado touchpads. While there may be a future need for new
touchpads, at this time the coaches recommended that we have
adequate coverage during any of our meets. The Colorado pads work
interchangeably with the Dactronix system, so can be used as
back-ups if needed.
-
- There was discussion on instituting a late fee for
registrations so that coaches have better knowledge of how many
swimmers will be on each squad prior to conducting tryouts. Squad
assignments for current swimmers will be posted on August 1, 2011.
A motion was made and approved, stating that registration will open
August 1 and close on August 15. If you register between August 16
– 31 a $100 late fee will be assessed per swimmer. After September
1, the swimmer will be assessed $100 late fee AND may lose his/her
spot on their squad. New families joining after tryouts are
conducted are exempt from the late fee. - Cheryl Helt asked that
consideration be given to maintaining more professional behavior on
deck during a swim meet. - Laurie Storino reiterated the need for a
club social. Lynn Holmquist will look into a Pizza Truck party at
Trackside in September, possibly to be held on September 17, the
same day as bubble up. Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.