Midwestern Swimming, Inc.
Minutes – Board of Directors Meeting
Devaney Sports Center, Press Room
Sunday, December 9, 2001

  The Midwestern Board of Directors was called to order at 12:00pm at the Devaney Sports Center Press Room in Lincoln, NE.  Present were Scot Sorensen, Mary Losee, Gary Flury, Carly Knoell, Ed Muller, Lisa Ellis, Peg Speer, Robin Lowe, Gretchen Linder, Tom Beck, Kim Pappas, Brian Jensen, Betty Kooy, Pat DiBiase, and Jill Orton.

Reading, Correction and Adoption of the Minutes

The minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting from Saturday, October 20, 2001, at Burke High School in Omaha, NE, were read.  Under the Presentation of the Annual Audit Report by General Chairman Scot Sorensen, it was agreed to strike the statement, “The IRS is fuzzy in what is actually necessary.”  The minutes were than accepted and approved as read.

Officers’ Reports:

General Chairman – Scot Sorensen

Thanks to Lisa Ellis and Doug Humphrey for their work in putting on a great swim meet this weekend, the MW Winter Classic.  They already have commitments from teams for next year, and have expectations to make this meet an “A” standard meet.

Age Group Vice-Chair – Lisa Ellis

The Allstar team is coming together.  Lisa has booked the hotel rooms and the bus.  Robin Lowe is the head coach and she has selected her coaching team.  Lisa has lined up three chaperones.  Shirts have been ordered, along with red, white and blue swim caps.  Swimmers will have the opportunity to buy blue Aquablade racing suits, if they so choose.  Betty stated that she didn’t have many applications as of yet, but that was to be expected.  All the arrangement information will be posted on the webpage.  Lisa stated this should be a slick and easy trip.  Everything had come together smoothly.

Technical Chair – Doug Humphrey

• The MW Winter Classic meet should turn a profit for the LSC.  They had 160 entries.  Looking at the numbers, there are still $1400 in outstanding entry fees.  (Betty has $300.)  Doug’s projection is that the LSC should clear $2000, plus the program sales.
• Doug will be providing recommendations for changing the LSC summer championship meet.

Registration Chair – Gary Flury

• Much discussion was held on the on-going attempts to get Brownell-Talbot Swim Club to do the transfer paperwork for their swimmers.  Seven swimmers need to go through the transfer process.  One swam at a meet and scored points.  Another is over a year old.  Coach Sheryl Fratt has been contacted several times and there has been no response.  Gary’s recommendation was to levy a fine of $200.  Initial Motion:  After repeated violations not to transfer swimmers and failing to reply to repeated requests, a fine of $200 shall be imposed on the Brownell-Talbot Swim Club.  Again there was discussion.  Several board members thought the motion should be stronger.  This would include if the fine is not paid, the club registration would be pulled.  A recommendation was made to send a certified letter and put a specific time frame in place.  Redefined Motion:  A registered/certified letter will be sent to Sheryl Fratt and copied to Brownell Talbot, c/o headmaster/mistress stating that after numerous attempts to secure athlete transfers and to bring the BTSC into compliance with USAS and MWS Rules and Regulations, the club has 14 days to process all paperwork for these transfers and this must to sent to Gary Flury, MWS Registration Chairman, with a postmark of 12/24/01 or earlier.  If the paperwork has not been submitted with a postmark of 12/24/01 or earlier, a $200 fine will be assessed to BTSC.  This fine will need to be paid by 1/7/02.  Failure to pay by 1/7/02, will cause BBSC affiliation to be suspended.  This means that all swimmers and coaches cannot participate in swim meets or practice.  The club will no longer have insurance coverage.  The Redefined Motion:  seconded and approved. 

• The Board agreed there needs to be a set of checks and balances to this process.  Another discussion was held on how to do this.  Questions arose on how this affects the swimmer; who polices the process; can a fine be accessed; how much should be fined per swimmer, etc.  This discussion was tabled until a definitive policy can be brought to the Board level.
   

Presentation of the Annual Audit Report – Pat DiBiase

Midwestern Swimming is in compliance with what needs to be sent to the IRS.  However, a 990 is not a true audit.  An accountant fills this form out and submits it to the IRS.  This covers the requirement, but is not a formal audit.  Scot had conversation with the former treasurer, Linda Hendrix and the present one, Mary Kosis.  They would like a definition of a “true” audit.  Should MWS have an annual audit?  The thought is yes.  Betty Kooy mentioned that an outside audit was preformed when the office of treasurer shifted from Edna Acton to Linda Hendrix.  Scot mentioned that MWS has accountants that should be willing to help in this area.  The audit committee of Pat DiBiase, Mary Losee and Ed Muller, along with Scot Sorensen, has asked Pat Lacy to do this for MWS.  He said he was willing.  They will have him look at both fiscal years 2000 and 2001.  A report will be submitted at the March BOD meeting.

Advice and Consent to Appointments – Scot Sorensen

Motion:  Scot made a motion to reinstate Lisa Ellis as the Age Group Vice-Chairman, and reassign Doug Humphrey to the Technical Planning Chairman that Doug Krecklow resigned from in October.  Motion seconded.  Discussion.  Motion passes.

New Business

• Betty Kooy questioned the mileage reimbursement for travel being only $0.20 per mile, as the government standard has again increased.  MWS stated to address this several years ago and nothing ever came of it.  Questions were raised, as to who is involved and eligible for reimbursement.  This could become a “sticky” issue.  It was stated the recommendation needs to be clear as to who is eligible, so the policy won’t be abused.  A committee chaired by Mary Losee, including Lisa Ellis and Betty Kooy, will submit written guidelines for recommendation at the March BOD meeting.
• There are twenty-four meets on the searchable database.
   

Old Business

Betty Kooy is still working to get all the Convention airline tickets credited to the American Express account.  Only two have not been credited at this time.

Approval of Application for Group/Affiliated Individual Membership

Tom Beck asked for approval for his club “GOAL”, the Greater Omaha Aquatics Leopard Sharks, to be an affiliate member of MWS.  Gary Flury stated all the paperwork was in order.  The club has 14 swimmers.  They were granted conditional approval 4-6 weeks ago.  Motion:  To submit for vote “GOAL” for membership into MWS.  Motion seconded.  Secret ballot voting was held for Board members only  to accept or deny this motion.  No discussion.  Motion approved.

Motion to Adjourn – 2:50pm – seconded, approved.

Respectfully submitted,
Jill Orton, Secretary