Announcement
December 26, 2007
As we near the end of the year I want to take the opportunity to thank each of our members for another great year. We continue to be excited about the Alumni Association as we watch the membership grow. We thank all of you for your generous donations as well as donations we have received from local leagues, non-members, Western Region Clinic participants and District Administrators. It is only through these donations and memberships that we can continue to achieve our goal of improving the Western Region for umpires by umpires. We recently welcomed our 100th alum into our group and we are so very proud of what has been accomplished in just two short years.
In August 2007 we had our largest attendance ever for our Alumni Breakfast. We thank CA Districts 31 and Nevada 2 for again sponsoring the Breakfast. After breakfast we held our second Annual Membership Meeting where the membership elected a new Board of Directors to lead the group for the next two years. I was humbled by the support I received and knowing there still is much work to be done, accepted another term as your President. I am excited to work with Board Members, Bill Beebe (Vice President), Tony Cooper (Treasurer), Bruce Marcellus (Secretary) and Lee Batterman (Member At Large). We are also pleased to have Bill Carter remain on as the Association's Webmaster.
During the meeting members voted and approved a very important, new provision that will take this Association to the next level. It was presented and approved that beginning immediately membership in the Western Region Little League Umpire Alumni Association (WRLLUAA) will be open to any volunteer umpire who has umpired any Western Region Tournament, both Baseball and Softball. As an Association that seeks to be inclusive rather than exclusive this is an important step in our growth. While many of us always felt that this was the appropriate step to take we wanted to make absolutely certain that the Association was well grounded, had a specific vision and could properly handle and administer such a large undertaking. It was decided, after listening to the membership, that the time was right to expand opportunities. The membership discussed how we would assure that membership would only be for those who had received the honor of working a Western Region Tournament. It was agreed that since no viable documentation existed for the many Western Region Tournaments, that the honor system and peer pressure would be the guiding force. So, for those volunteer umpires who have umpired in a Western Region Tournament the Alumni Association looks forward to receiving your membership application which can be found on this website.
We are excited about this expansion and believe that with expanded membership we will continue to meet our vision of improving the instruction, opportunities and the amenities for volunteer umpires all around the Western Region.
I am also pleased to announce that the Cy Livoti Junior School Scholarship continues to grow and we look forward to receiving applications for the coming 2008 class.
The Board will be looking at possible improvements and expenditures as the new season progresses and we will keep you informed of developments. If there is something you would like to see the Association do, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at LMBERN@HOTMAIL.com.
Here is to a healthy and happy New Year. Believe it or not it is time again to get the bones moving and get ready for another exciting and unpredictable Little League season.
Looking forward to seeing you on the field.
Mark Bernstein
President-WRLLUAA
