Olde Tymers Softball of Delmarva

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

November 5, 2015

Present: Bo Wood, Dick Mullins, Carl Pierce, Keith Purdy, Tom Wendorf. The meeting was called to order at approximately 1:00 p.m.

• The number of teams and players for the 2016 season was discussed. At 13 teams and 12 players per team, we are limited to 156 players. There is a good possibility that the number of returning summer season players and new fall ball players will exceed that number. Options were discussed. It was decided to discuss this issue with the Board of Directors.  

• In the process of securing sponsors. Presently, it appears as though most of those will repeat their sponsorships. Letters will be sent soon to each sponsor thanking them for their current sponsorship and asking them to sponsor a team next year. There was discussion about increasing the team sponsorship fee, but it was decided to keep it at $350 for 2016.

• There are some openings for managers. Volunteers are being sought and OTS players will be asked to consider being a manager.  

• There was unanimous agreement to get at least three bids on shirts before ordering them from All Out Sports.

• The topic of paid, professional umpires was discussed. Several members liked the idea of using paid umpires on Field #1 for the 2016 season as a trial. This would cost approximately $2500 - $3000 for the season. Only 1 umpire would be used on Field #1. It was decided to present this idea to the Board of Directors for further discussion.

 • It was unanimously approved to raise the registration fee to $60. Motion by Dick Mullins, second by Carl Pierce. In addition, it was motioned by Dick Mullins and seconded by Carl Pierce and subsequently approved to allow managers and assistants mangers to pay half-fee ($30) and the Grounds Crew (the five from last year) to have free registration if they are on the 2016 Grounds Crew.

• OTS will have a holiday get-together on Wednesday December 16 at Fox’s Pizza Den. This will include our annual Toys-for-Tots collection. Attendees will be asked to bring an unwrapped toy or 2. Tom Wendorf will send emails to the players to keep them updated.

• Several items were identified as being needed for the 2016 season: new bases, new pitching rubbers, new hitting screens and tees and new scheduling software (current company went out of business). It was also agreed to look into a one-piece home plate assembly that includes home plate, strike zone mat and batters box mats.

• A motion was made by Keith Purdy, seconded by Tom Wendorf and subsequently approved to recommend a By-Law change to the Board of Directors that would require all batters to run to first base. This change would eliminate the courtesy runner from home plate in all cases. Once a batter is on base, the SS-USA rules will be used for substitute/courtesy runners.

• There was discussion about the player ratings. In general, the feeling is that the ratings are too high. It was decided to discuss reviewing the ratings at the next Board of Directors meeting.

• The Executive Committee members were asked to individually develop a list of capital improvement projects for the field complex. The Board of Directors will also be asked to submit their ideas.

• It was decided to schedule a Board of Directors meeting for Thursday, November 12 starting at 1:00 at the American Legion Post #24.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl J. Pierce, Secretary