American Legion Post #24

The Second Annual Wine and Beer Tasting Event is only 25 days away. Register now for this event by sending your checks to Carl Pierce.

The event will again be held at Bin 66 Fine Wine and Spirits in Rehoboth Beach on January 31st from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are $20 per person in advance.

This proved to be a successful fundraiser last year and everyone that attended had a great time sampling wines and beers and catching up with other OTS players. Spouses, girlfriends, significant others and friends are invited to attend this event.

Okay, Dear Family and Close Old and Close New Friends – Here’s your final FEARLESS! update (for 2015)!

· We have officially designated Habitat for Humanity and the nationally-reputed (Cookeville-based) Bryan Symphony Orchestra as primary beneficiaries of the World Première Performance proceeds.

· With a pledge of intellectual support from Tennessee Tech University, we have engaged top TTU stage production talent for Orchestra Leader, Mendy Richards, and the University’s outstanding Theatre Director as FEARLESS! Director: Mark Harry Creter (See Mark’s wealth-of-experience résumé, attached).

[NOTE: Next Update in January will detail Mendy’s background and announce the FEARLESS! Choreographer]

· We have a professional, new, Nashville-produced documentary video: “The Creation of FEARLESS!” which will soon appear on the website www.FEARLESStheMusical.com and will also be posted on YouTube, as well as excerpted for PBS-TV and Nashville network TV affiliates.

· We have received declarations of sponsorship interest from over 60 area businesses with assurances of specific decisions in January. We are expecting to more than double that number in the next 30 days.

· A Women’s “Patron-of-the-Arts” fundraising Tea is scheduled for January 16th at the lovely home of a mutual friend who is a prominent and highly respected community leader.

· A short magazine article draft has been prepared (attached) and will be distributed in January.

· We have tentative agreement with a top technical stage lighting talent team from Nashville, and have developed a short list of leading stage-experienced audio engineer prospects.

· The open-audition and rehearsal schedule is being finalized and expected to begin the first week of May. To date, a great many aspiring and experienced musicians, singers, dancers, actors, actresses have expressed enthusiasm for trying out.

· AMAC (the competitor to AARP) with a couple of million members has agreed to provide promotional attention to FEARLESS! on their website and in their digital newsletter that gets distributed nationwide to AMAC Membership.

There you have it, all the news that’s fit to print straight from the horse’s mouth . . .

Stay tuned, and have a great Christmas followed by a happy and healthy and prosperous New Year!

Hugs – Hal & Val

Players returning from the 2015 season (both Summer and Fall) have until January 15th to maintain their priority for the 2016 season. Fill out your registration form and mail it to Carl Pierce. The envelope must be postmarked 1/15/16 or earlier to maintain your priority.

New players are encouraged to get their forms in as early as possible. Details are on the registration form letter.

Click on the Handout below for a copy of the registration letter and form. 

Registration has started for the 2016 Summer Season. The season is scheduled to start May 3 and run through the end of August. A year-end double elimination tournament will the be held with all teams participating which should be over by mid-September.

Registration materials can be found by clicking the link below or clicking here.

Please read the letter carefully and fill out the form. Mailing information for the form and fee are on the Registration Form.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

November 12, 2015

IN ATTENDANCE: Bo Wood, Dick Mullins, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf, Carl Pierce, Gene McCloskey, Eddie Sternberg, Mike Fleetwood, Grady Meredith, Pat Carey, Harry Gowl, Don Hillock, Neil Fleming, Paul Litwin, Steve Carey, John Allen, Jesse Bare, Ron Weber, and John Mancuso. All Executive Committee members and team managers were present.

---Bo announced that players under 60 who played last year would be grandfathered into this year’s roster.

---MOTIONS CARRIED

1) All batters must run to first base…Motion-Gowl Second-Sternberg

2) Number of teams set at 13 unless registration reaches 168, then automatically moves to 14—Motion-Meredith Second-Fleetwood

3) If needed, the 14-game schedule to have no byes…Motion-Meredith Second- Purdy (13-game schedule would have one bye per game day as it did in 2015)

4) Formation of a committee to review ratings systems headed by Tom Wendorf and assisted by four managers… Motion-Gowl Second-Sternberg

---MOTIONS DEFEATED

1) Batter cannot be thrown out at first base by an outfielder…Motion-Gowl Second-McCloskey

2) Draft 13 players per team…Motion-Meredith Second-Gowl

3) Filling team to 12 players even if one is not playing or absent…Motion-Gowl Second-Hillock

4) Having paid umpires as trial run on Field 1…Motion-Meredith Second- Purdy

---OTHER BUSINESS

1) To date there are 10 team managers and 1 “maybe”. Bo again stressed the need to find managers and assistant managers; related to this was an executive committee decision to allow managers and assistant mangers to pay half-fees ($ 30) for registration. In addition, the returning Grounds Crew memebers will have no registration fee.

2) Dues have been raised to $ 60 to cover increased costs.

3) At least three bids will be sought in order to secure the best quality/price shirts.

4) OTS will buy new bases, pitching rubbers and batting screens and will investigate the purchase of a single-piece home plate “system”

5) OTS will be participating in the Toys-for-Tots event at Fox’s Pizza Den (route 54, Fenwick), December 16, 2015. Tom Wendorf will send reminders.

6) Bo requested suggestions from managers regarding how to improve our field complex… a few were given immediately…Gene McCloskey suggested tarping pitching mounds, especially, since they are the many times the focal points for puddling water…it was also requested to have fields watered more frequently, especially in the height of summer.

7) Dick Mullins announced he will be doing “clean-up” work on by-laws, e.g., adding rule changes. He will also be putting together an experienced group of umpires to train teams of umpires. He suggested and will push for an executive committee composed of officers and 6 managers to improve the efficiency of meetings.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl J. Pierce, OTS Secretary