Family Traditions

CSSA BOARD MEETING MINUTES
August 8, 2022
The monthly meeting of the CSSA Board of Directors was held August 8, 2022, at Ralph’s Tavern, and called to order by Norman Thiem at 6:34 P.M.
Members Present: Norman Thiem, Mike Maguire, Mike Parson, Dewey Hom, Maria Burden, Leland Brown, Dick O’Connor, John Humeston, James Bauch, Robbie Crider, Randy Bergman and Dan Bonham. Mike Wootton and Steve Fleming were also present.
Board Members Ray DeLuca and Bob Werner were absent.

A. Minutes of the July 5, 2022 meeting, having been emailed to all, were Board approved.
B. 2022 Sponsors: Two sponsors still have not paid, which leaves us with team jerseys with those company names on them. Rather than reprint jerseys and rename teams at this late date, it was decided that the fees would come out of our charity fund and new sponsors and new jerseys would replace them in the 2023 season. A new sponsor, “Refreshment Works,” has signed on for the Skip Wells league.
C. Treasurer/Financial Report: Dan Bonham reported that the online payment portal he set up at www.cssasoftbal.org for player fees, is working very well. As of the time of the meeting, 159 players had used the payment system successfully. The goal is for 75-80% of players to use the system, to reduce the need for on-site fee collection at the first games. Checks and cash will still be accepted if presented. All players are required to pay their fees before their first game.
D. Evaluations Review: The fall 2022 player evaluation sessions and draft went smoothly and every player who tried out was placed on a team. There are still a few openings left, and a few potential new players have inquired about playing since the draft ended.
E. Jerseys for New Players: League Directors need to collect orders for any new player jerseys from their team managers and turn them in to Norman Thiem ASAP, as jerseys are subject to minimum order quantities, and he will be placing a bulk order in the next week or two.
F. Code of Conduct: A hard copy of the Code of Conduct has been/will be distributed to all new and returning players, to remind them that any conduct infractions will be handled promptly per written policy if/when they arise in game settings.
G. Balls: Norman Thiem reported on how the current shortage of good quality softballs will affect the season. New balls for the fall season in the brand we have been using were ordered in April, but the estimated delivery date was changed by the supplier to October 24, 2022. Prices have also risen substantially, thus the $5.00 increase in player fees for the fall 2022 season. The decision was made to test some alternate balls with a good rating, which were available immediately, but they did not perform as well as hoped. Norman was able to source only 14 dozen of the original brand by ordering available quantities from multiple sources, so some leagues will be starting the season with the alternate balls. In order to stretch the stock we have for as long as we can, the umpire will be provided two new balls and two used balls at the start of each game, and used balls will be substituted if a new one gets hit out or damaged.
H. Home Plate Mats: A comprehensive home plate mat (12 foot x 6 foot) that has integrated right- and left-handed batters boxes has been purchased and will be used in the fall season on field #3 to see how it works, and work out the process of placing and removing it on game days/nights.
I. Edwin Pickering’s Passing: At Ray DeLuca’s suggestion, a motion was introduced to purchase, with CSSA charity funds, an urn for Edwin Pickering’s ashes. The motion was voted upon and passed by the Board.
J. Steve Fleming Joins the Board: The Board discussed the fact that pickup games are a CSSA activity, and those coordinating pickup games should be protected by the organization’s directors and officers liability insurance. As Steve Fleming coordinates pickup games, a motion was introduced to elect him as a new member of the board. His role will be as board liaison for pickup games. The motion was voted upon and passed by the board. The BOD now has 15 members. Steve will have any pickup game players not associated with CSSA, sign a copy of the waiver form before playing, and keep them on file.
K. Concussion Protocol: A draft of the final concussion protocol will be emailed to all members of the board for comments/approval. Once consensus has been reached on the document, a vote will be taken via email. The protocol will be posted on TeamPages, emailed to all CSSA players, and copies will be provided to Anne Ryan for inclusion in the scorekeepers books to be available at each game. Managers are requested to strongly encourage players (especially infielders) to wear face protection.

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. The next BOD meeting will be Monday, September 12th, 2022 at 6:30 p.m., location to be determined.

THE FALL 2022 SEASON IS HERE!
It’s time to pay your fees! This year, we’ve set up a new website to make it easier than ever to pay online with your credit or debit card. Just click on the attached PDF document below this text to learn the easy steps to pay your fees. Then go to http://WWW.CSSASOFTBALL.ORG and pay for all leagues you’re participating in, with just a few keystrokes!

A few days ago, the CSSA lost a good friend when Edwin “Pick” Pickering passed away after a brief illness at the age of 70. A long time CSSA umpire and a 9th degree blackbelt in Karate, Edwin was also a nationally-ranked ASA elite-level umpire, and officiated many other sports as well. Pick was born and raised in the Virgin Islands, and served 24 years as a United States Army Ranger, with multiple tours of duty. He is survived by his family, and Pick will always be remembered for his great sense of humor, ready smile, friendly exchanges with fans and players, and devotion to the game of softball. We know you’ll be watching over us, Pick, as we kick off our 2022 fall season at Hobgood Park and Skip Wells. Rest in peace, Blue.

It’s almost time for CSSA Fall season evaluations at Hobgood Park (corner of Bells Ferry Road and Town Lake Parkway in Woodstock, Georgia). Evaluations will be conducted from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM on:

• July 23rd & 24th (Location: the East section of Hobgood Park at the turf ball fields behind the tennis courts and past the little league baseball fields. Enter at the EAST entrance from Towne Lake Parkway)
• July 30th & 31st (Location: Hobgood Park Field #4)

Evaluations are open to adults ages 49 and older – we even have some 89 year-olds still participating! With 8 leagues and approximately 38 teams, all evaluations are based on ability, not age. Evaluations are for players new to CSSA and current players who would like to move up into a more advanced league. Current CSSA players that want to stay in their current league do not need to attend evaluations.

Fees for a 10 week season are $50.00 if paying by cash or check, or $55.00 if paying by debit or credit card. Please bring ID and fees, which are due on evaluation day.

The Fall season begins the week of August 8th, 2022 – weather permitting. Days of play at Hobgood Park are: Monday (day games), Tuesday (nights games), Wednesday (day and night games) and at Skip Wells Park off Bells Ferry Road in Marietta, Thursday night games. Players can play on several days/nights if schedules permit. Please spread the word to anyone who would be interested in playing! Even if they haven’t played for some years, all are welcome to join in.

For more information, please call 770-757-8467 or email nthiem@aol.com. In the event of weather conditions not being conducive, a notice will be posted here on TeamPages.

CSSA BOARD MEETING
July 5, 2022

The monthly meeting of the CSSA was held 07-05-22, at GameDay, and called to order by Norm Thiem at 12:00 PM. Members present: Ray DeLuca, Dick O’Conner, Norm Thiem, Mike Parson, John Humeston, Robbie Crieder, Leland Brown, Dewey Hom, Mike McGuire & Dan Bonham.

Absent: Bob Werner, Randy Bergman, James Bauch & Maria Schell Burden
A. Minutes from 06-06-22 were discussed and approved.
B. Current financial report with all expenses paid, except for CPRA, has a balance of $6500. After CPRA is paid, we will have a balance of approx. $3700, prior to the start of fall season.
C. There are a total of 3 sponsors who have not paid for the upcoming fall season. These will be collected prior to the start of the season, along with 1 new sponsor.
D. The BOD discussed the hiring of more new umpires and scorekeepers, with Tuesday evening games being our main concerns. If anyone knows of qualified umpires and/or knowledgeable scorekeepers please pass this information onto that person and the BOD. Currently, umpires are paid $50 per game, and scorekeepers are paid $25 per game. We will post this information onto our web site as well as Atlanta softball page, newspapers and other sites if necessary.
E. Commitment Line: The commitment line was discussed as being changed from 25’ to 30’ from home plate. The motion PASSED, and will begin with the fall season.
F. A motion was made, for ALL players, that a team jersey MUST be worn to play. This will be discussed & placed for a vote in August along with new guidelines.
G. In the event of an incident at a game, such as language, arguments, code of conduct, etc, the incident will be immediately reported to the BOD by the umpire. A ‘Code of Conduct’ will be supplied to each player in the league via hard copy.
H. Rule update and changes for pitching screen:
1. The pitcher must remain behind the screen until the batter hits the ball or the ball strikes the ground;
2. Infractions will be called only by the umpire. With the 1st infraction the runners will advance one base and the pitch will be dealt as a dead ball – ball.
3. After the 1st infraction the pitcher will be removed from pitching and the same rules from part (2) will be enforced.
The motion was voted on and PASSED by the BOD
I. Rule change for catcher was also discussed. The rule states that a catcher may touch any part of the large home plate mat to make a force play on a runner. The rule was PASSED, but it will only be permitted as a LEAGUE SPECIFIC RULE.
J. Evaluations for the fall season will be conducted from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM on:
1. July 23 & 24
2. July 30 & 31
Evaluations will be conducted in the usual manner, but we ask that current players should not be standing all around the field. Only those who are pitching, hitting or doing pictures & paperwork with the new players should be in the field of play.
K. Arnold Fowler Award Nominations.
In 1997, the Board of Directors (BOD) recognized that there was more to softball than things like batting averages, home runs and RBI’s. It was decided that one player should be chosen, who demonstrates the qualities of sportsmanship, integrity, dedication, teamwork and other intangibles to the highest degree. This is the most special award issued through the CSSA, because the winning player is chosen by his peers.
If you would like to nominate someone for this award, please do so by submitting a written detailed reason as to why you think this person deserves this prestigious award. Please include your name and phone number.
Address nominations to Ray DeLuca via e-mail or postal service:
1. djray351@aol.com
2. 105 Rock Creek Dr, Canton, GA. 30114 (770) 355-3911

Nominations MUST be received NO LATER than October 13, 2022.
Past winners of this award are not eligible.

Past winners include:

1. Arnold Fowler
2. Jim Powell
3. Joe Scigliano
4. Glenn Horne
5. Les Taylor
6. Lowell Lawson
7. Joe Manous
8. Henry Helton
9. Lawrence Bishop
10. Ferrell Sparks
11. Bill Kemp
12. Bob Castellana
13. Barney Greene
14. George Stroh
15. Howard Hansard
16. Jimmy Long
17. Dewey Hom
18. Mike Ryan
19. Scott Trevathan
20. John Humeston
21. Ray Bryant
22. Steve Fleming
23. Lee Molway
24. Mike Parson
25. Tom Ballard

L. Next meeting scheduled for Monday, August 1, 2022 @ GameDay Grille 6:30PM

Meeting adjourned at 2:30 PM