CSSA BOARD MINUTES
October 8, 2018

The monthly meeting of the CSSA Board was held at Game Day, and called to order by Norm Thiem at 6:35 PM;

Present members: Ray DeLuca, Bob Werner, Norm Thiem, Robbie Crider, Dewey Hom, Bob Hammond & Don DiSalvo;

Absent Members: Darrell Moreland, Mike Parson, John Humeston, Randy Bergman & Dan Fleming;

A. Minutes from September 10, 2018, BOD meeting were read, discussed and approved.

B. Treasurer Report was presented, discussed and approved. Balance as of October 10, 2018, is $24,019.08. There are still fees that need to be paid for the fall leagues season.

C. Managers Code of Conduct (MCC) was discussed. It was determined that the managers are considered an extension of the BOD, and their conduct as well as the BOD conduct is all relevant to each other. The BOD will meet with ALL managers to discuss & go over rules and expectations approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the beginning of the 2019 Spring season. The BOD also discussed to have the MMC as part of the CSSA Constitution. The measure was voted on and passed. The MCC will be posted on our web-site under its own heading.

D. At the end of each season, the team managers will collect ALL the uniform shirts from his players as to have them available for the next season. This will defer some expenses for new shirts for new players.

E. There are still a few quirks in the testing of the bats that need to be checked and approved by the umpires. The bats must be signed by the testing umpires for approval. All bats in the leagues will need to be signed off on and/or approved by the umpires.

F. There are still 2 unpaid sponsors for 2018. We will contact these sponsors and determine their status for the remainder of this season as well as their future with the CSSA.

G. Darrell Moreland (head umpire) met with the umpire crew since last meeting, and they have repositioned themselves to the side of home plate instead of directly behind the catcher. This was a suggestion made by the BOD last month in the wake of an unfavorable call. We appreciate the umpire crew for making this adjustment.

H. The Fall Awards Banquet was discussed, and it will be held on Monday, November 12, 2018, from 6-9 PM. After receiving bids for food and locations, the BOD voted to have the banquet held at Fendley Farmstead in Canton, GA. The banquet will be catered by Prestige Catering, also of Canton. Tickets will be $20 per person, and it is limited to 200 people.
1. Fendley Farmstead has been fully renovated and largely expanded in the last 2 years and can accommodate our needs. A cash bar will also be available.
2. Prestige Catering has chosen a great menu to include: Salad, 2 entrée’s, 2 sides, various breads and drinks.
3. The banquet will also have a 50/50 drawing, where 50% will go to the winner, and 50% will go to a selected charity (the CSSA will not get any of the money from 50/50).
4. We will also ask that everyone who attends the banquet to please bring a new unwrapped toy, at least $5 in value, to pass on to the children in our area for Christmas in conjunction with TOYS for TOTS.
5. A box will be placed at the fields on Monday’s, Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s to collect toys for children from those not attending the banquet.

Banquet tickets will be given to all league directors to pass on to the team managers beginning Monday, October 15, 2018. Once the 200 number has been reached, the sales will be cut off. Players should have tickets purchased by 10-31-18. NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.

I. We are still looking and asking for nominations from those who wish to be part of the BOD for 2019. If anyone would like to be part of the BOD for 2018-2019, PLEASE contact Secretary Ray DeLuca ASAP, but NO LATER THAN 10-19-2018. If you would like to nominate someone for a position, please contact that person prior to nomination to make sure they will accept. All nominations must be voted on, by the players, prior to the last games of the season.

J. A few nominations for the Arnold Fowler & Lowell Lawson Awards have been received. Anyone wishing to nominate someone for either award must have the nomination completed and delivered to Ray DeLuca by 10-12-18.
These are the requirements for these 2 prestigious awards:

ARNOLD FOWLER AWARD:
The Arnold Fowler Award is an annual award, and is the most prestigious award of the CSSA that honors one player, chosen by his peers, who demonstrated the qualities of integrity, dedication, teamwork, and the other intangibles to a high degree. Written nominations are accepted by BOD members throughout the calendar year. CSSA members during that calendar year shall cast vote on the nominees. The Secretary shall determine the method and/or manner of voting. The nominee receiving the most votes will be awarded the Arnold Fowler award.

LOWELL LAWSON AWARD:
The Lowell Lawson Award is based on his belief that there are many who wish to participate, but very few willing to take the leadership role to plan, implement and maintain the organization. This award is established to recognize those individuals who take the extra steps to ensure the organization flourishes. Those chosen for this award have made a significant and lasting impact on or off the field of play for the association. These individuals, through their devotion and hard work have earned the respect and admiration of their fellow organizational members. Due to the nature of these accomplishments the credit does not always go to these individuals. Recognition in this environment is generally hidden. There are very few having access to these accomplishments and aware of such deeds. Therefore, the voting for this reward is limited to Board Members and Team Managers. However, anyone within the CSSA may submit a nominee which requires a written detailed justification. This Award therefore is the highest honor in CSSA.

M. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 PM

Managers Rules of Conduct can be seen
in the last section of the Constitution.
Under About Us.
I think everyone should read.

The monthly meeting of the CSSA Board was held at Game Day, and called to order by Norm Thiem at 6:35 PM;

Present members: Ray DeLuca, Bob Werner, Darrell Moreland, Norm Thiem, Mike Parson, Robbie Crider, Dewey Hom, John Humeston, Randy Bergman & Dan Fleming;

Absent Members: Bob Hammond, Don DiSalvo

A. Minutes from the August 13, 2018, and follow-up BOD meeting on August 20, 2018, were read, discussed and approved

B. Treasurer Report was presented discussed and passed by the board. Balance as of September 9, 2018, is $25,346. Field, umpire, uniform and scorekeeper fees for the fall leagues are still to be paid.

C. All National League bats need to be checked and approved by the umpires for compression, alterations, cracks, etc, prior to using in any games. The bats will be signed by the testing umpires for approval. All other leagues will have the bats visually inspected, under the judgment of the umpires, for alterations, cracks, etc, especially if they cause an injury to a defensive player. All bats in the leagues will need to be signed off on by the umpires by the 5th game of the season.

D. Unpaid sponsors for 2018, remains at 2. Two of the sponsors have worked out a deal to help the CSSA and/or paid for the season.

E. The 4 new Strike Zone Mats are not working properly. We will continue to use the old mats until alterations to the new mats have been made.

F. The rules concerning the pitching screen will remain on hold until the end of the season. At that time such changes in towing the rubber, amount of dead ball fouls, etc will be discussed.

G. After an umpire call made in one of last week’s game, a suggestion was made to reposition the home plate umpire. It was agreed that Darrell Moreland (head umpire) will meet with the umpire crew on 9-11-18, and have them reposition themselves to the side of home plate instead of directly behind the catcher. The BOD believes this will enable the umpires to have a better view of pitched & batted balls.

H. In the future, a copy of the players waiver form will be placed on the CSSA website.

I. At the end of each season, the team managers will collect ALL the uniform shirts from his players as to have them available for the next season. This will defer some expenses for new shirts for new players.
J. The BOD has decided that a managers and the board will have a meeting within 2 weeks of the ‘Spring’ tryouts to go over various rule changes, responsibilities, etc that may have come up during the off season. We feel that this will put everyone on the same level with NO surprises or misunderstandings for the upcoming season.

K. Plans for the Fall Awards Banquet were discussed and the date of November 12, 2018, has been chosen. This will allow enough time for awards to be made, and at least 10 days before Thanksgiving. We will be taking bids for catering and venues over the next few weeks.

L. ***The most important thing that needs to be done, by all the players, is to determine if anyone would like to be part of the BOD for 2018-2019, and/or nominate someone for a position. PLEASE contact the person that you would like to nominate before your decision is published. Please notify Secretary Ray DeLuca ASAP, but NO LATER THAN 10-12-2018, with either, you will be volunteering and/or nominating someone. All nominations must be voted on and completed by the last games of the season.
Also, nominations for the Arnold Fowler & Lowell Lawson Awards must be received in the same time period. These are the requirements for these 2 prestigious awards:

ARNOLD FOWLER AWARD:
The Arnold Fowler Award is an annual award, and is the most prestigious award of the CSSA that honors one player, chosen by his peers, who demonstrated the qualities of integrity, dedication, teamwork, and the other intangibles to a high degree. Written nominations are accepted by BOD members throughout the calendar year. CSSA members during that calendar year shall cast vote on the nominees. The Secretary shall determine the method and/or manner of voting. The nominee receiving the most votes will be awarded the Arnold Fowler award.

LOWELL LAWSON AWARD:
The Lowell Lawson Award is based on his belief that there are many who wish to participate, but very few willing to take the leadership role to plan, implement and maintain the organization. This award is established to recognize those individuals who take the extra steps to ensure the organization flourishes. Those chosen for this award have made a significant and lasting impact on or off the field of play for the association. These individuals, through their devotion and hard work have earned the respect and admiration of their fellow organizational members. Due to the nature of these accomplishments the credit does not always go to these individuals. Recognition in this environment is generally hidden. There are very few having access to these accomplishments and aware of such deeds. Therefore, the voting for this reward is limited to Board Members and Team Managers. However, anyone within the CSSA may submit a nominee which requires a written detailed justification. This Award therefore is the highest honor in CSSA.

M. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 PM

All Tuesday games rained out Aug 21, 2018 have been rescheduled for Tues Aug 28, 2018. Schedules have been updated. Any questions, please contact your manager.
Let’s hope Fall doesn’t have the first 2 weeks of games rained out like Spring 2018!!

Rain cancelled all Tues night games, schedules will be updated as soon as possible.

My previous update omitted the Thursday night league. They will be forming their teams this Thursday (16th) and begin play next Thursday (23rd). Robbie Crider is in charge of that league. He advices me that they are only taking American League and National League level players. If you want to be considered contact Robbie, if you have not already done so. Robbie 678-770-8033 or rcrider@mindspring.com