Category: Board Minutes

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROAD RUNNERS
BOARD MEETING
January 29, 2017

Present: Lisa Wilson, Jim Mair, Dave & Deb Cunningham, Jeff Olson, Dave Rothlinsberger, Mike Blanchette, Stephanie

The February RMRR board meeting was held at the Homestead Golf Course prior to the clubs annual banquet.

February’s Trophy Series Race- February 12 at Platte River Bar & Grill. Race directors are Mike Blanchette and Ken Shimano. Rick will take care of posting the mandatory notification signs. This is one of the clubs more popular races due to the location and the breakfast and time for socializing afterwards.

Steph / Lisa:  make sure email and Facebook include
“ATTENTION RACERS: Please park behind the bar (down the hill) and keep the front parking lot open for customers.”

March RMRR Race- the Crown Hill race at 32nd/Kipling is ready to go as of this time.

LIVING SOCIAL Membership Drive- one new member did not use her membership last year and has asked if she can use it this year. Most of the board was in agreement to let her. Last year we had 75-80 new members sign up for the club via Living Social. Question for the board- If a new member signed up for the club but did not redeem their membership, should we try and make contact with them and invite them to get involved this year? Lisa W. would like to see the list of people that this would apply to and would be willing to reach out to them by email or a personal phone call. Dave R. suggested if we do that we should also consider reaching out to former RMRR members to seek their interest in re-joining the club. Other board members dissented stating it would be an additional burden on the already busy board members.

Permitting Updating- Rick reported that Janet has obtained permitting for all the events in Denver for this year. The only month that has not moved forward is August, which is thru South Suburban. Rick will also inquire about reserving the shelter for the picnic.

RMRR Sunday September 3 (not the 2nd) race- at Carpenter Park in Thornton is in order as of this date. There will be a meeting prior to the race that Lisa W. will take care of.

Westminster City Park Sunday October 1- this is an 8-mile race which is in the works and everything is on track at this time. The City of Westminster wants us to host this race in their city and have been cooperative so far.

Clock and Tripod Stand- are they working? Yes, both are in operating order. Deb inquired if the clock itself is working. Dave R. believes the clock is working.

Club Van Update- the van is back in working order. Jeff Olson did a lot of work especially in cleaning up a significant leak that needed to be cleaned up. Many thanks to Jeff and Rick for all the work in getting the van up and running.

Photo Manager- do we need to add this as another position to the list of volunteers for each race? Yes. Is there somebody currently doing this? Right now Deb is taking the photos with a personal camera then uploading to FaceBook. For now, Lisa W. will continue to look for somebody for this position.

Liability Waivers- is there a process for saving the waivers in the event they are needed at a later date if somebody comes back and files suit against the club? Stephanie said we need to keep the waivers for a minimum of 2-years. The race directors will need to get the waivers back to the storage area and ensure they are filed. Dave R. will work with Jeff Olson to ensure this gets accomplished. Dave will add this to the race director’s list of things that need to get done. Also, remind the race directors and volunteers that the waivers have to be signed. New members sign a waiver at the time they join the club, but it is a good idea to have them sign another at each race and to have non-club racers sign a waiver at each race also.

Volunteer of the Month January- Rick for all of his work on restoring the van.

Open Board Positions- VP

March Meeting- February 26 5:30 pm at Tony P’s.

RMRR can now take registration fee’s thru ‘the square’ although we would encourage new members and returning members, however it is easier to register on-line.

Training for scoring is almost complete. Dave C. will hand off those duties and is willing to take over the ‘Volunteer’ position once scoring work is complete.

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RMRR Board Meeting

November 28, 2016

 

Present:  Dave Rothenberger, Dave Cunningham, Deb Cunningham, Rick, Jim Mair, Lisa Wilson, Stephanie

1. Treasurers Report- Leslie Mitchell was out of town but sent in an email report, which is as follows:

“I’ve attached current financials, bank statement, authorized van roster, and an app for Joy Norris.

Financials

Quicken updated their software and they finally have added year-to-year comparisons for Macs.  Hopefully you don’t mind that I spent $44 to get the update.  Sure made me happy. Our gross income is up $1,700 YTD over last year.  Mostly due to membership, but all categories showed an increase (including both MTS events).  Expenses are down $3,700, mostly due to Membership Benefits, Race Expenses, and Club Events.  Overall, our Net Income is $2,000, compared to a $3,400 Net Loss last year at this time.

Bank Statement

I like to send this out a few times a year so that someone else compares the statement to the balance sheet I prepare.  This is a check to make sure I’m reporting accurately and not embezzling.  You will see the bank accounts balances are almost identical to the balance sheet figures.

Authorized Van Drivers (Attachment)

This is a list of driver insured while driving our van.  Please review and make sure that all Race Directors and volunteers who might drive the van are listed.  In order to add someone, I need their name, DOB, and driver’s license number.

Joy Norris App

This was in the mail.  I’m afraid I don’t know who is handling the data base these days, so please make sure she gets added.

Misc

I’ve received the renewal notice for our auto insurance.  The premium is increasing $132 over last year, due to a statewide rate increase.  Our new premium, paid in January, will be $761.

I received a check for $230 from Compass Montessori.

I am sorry to miss the Board meeting, but especially sorry to miss the Wash Park run.  I hope everyone has a great time!

Leslie Mitchell

 

2. November Trophy Race- Rocky Mountain Arsenal- There were no major concerns with this run and generally it went well. Next year we should use larger directional indicators on the course due to one or two runners that went the wrong way.  There was discussion about re-doing portions of the course to make it easier for people to negotiate, especially as it related some larger rocks present on a portion of the course. The 2 or 3 complaints were from the race-walkers.  There were no other complaints from the runners that were raised.
3. December Trophy Race- December 5- Wash Park- Dave C. & Deb C. are now the race directors for Sunday’s event.  Weather should be good.  Stephanie will put out the volunteer email tomorrow.  Racers are allowed to use both sides of the road but it is best to stay in the walker’s lane to avoid any conflicts with bicyclists.
4. Volunteer of the Month- November- Deb C. nominated Jesus Diaz-DeLeon for his amazing job with the photos. 2^nd by Dave C.
5. 2017 Trophy Series Calendar- There was discussion about conflicts with the race schedule. September 9, 2017 is a Saturday race due to a conflict with the marathon training series (MTS) run on Sunday September 10.  Do we want to stay with the Trophy Series Race (TSR) on Sunday September 10 and run the MTS at the same time, with TSR being a 10-miler?  That way the MTS runners could run the course twice.  Dave R. raised concerns about MTS runners going out fast for the 1^st 10-miles in order to be competitive in the TSR then having to do another 10-miles.  How about doing the Trophy Series Race the week-end before?  That is Labor Day week-end, but the September TSR is our lowest attended race of the year so why not try running it over Labor Day?  Logistics both pro & con were discussed.  Dave C. suggested emailing the membership and get input, however Deb C. reminded the board that it is our decision to be made on behalf of the membership.  In conclusion– the decision was made to hold the race on Sunday September 3 (Labor Day Weekend).  An email will be sent to the membership advising of the change and prompting responses about any serious concerns with the date change.  The October 1 TSR also has two major conflicts with the Hot Chocolate and the Bear Chase events. The board decided to move this race to Sunday October 8.  So….THE TWO MAJOR CHANGES ARE:  September’s run will be changed to Labor Day weekend and the October race will change to October 8.
6. Voting of 2017 RMRR Board Members – Lisa W. led the discussion ref: the Board of Directors for next year. Lisa advised the board that we will be looking for location(s) to host the monthly Board meetings.  It was suggested by Lisa W. that we move the meetings to Sunday afternoons, possibly 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. to accommodate a better turn-out of Board members.  Jim M. and Lisa W. will start looking for locations to meet.

2017 Board members are:  Dave C. and Deb C. will continue to be involved as ‘At-Large’ members; Leslie Mitchell will remain as Treasurer; Lisa Wilson will serve as RMRR President; the VP position is open but we will check with Steve Bennett- he had expressed interest at the September 6 Board meeting but his status has not been confirmed;  Dave Rothenberger will head up the Race Committee (Committee to be formed?) and Rick will continue with Permits;  Jim Mair will continue as Secretary;  Krista Mitchell was nominated for the Membership position but she has not been contacted yet;  Stephanie will continue as Volunteer Coordinator;  Dave C. will reduce his involvement but will stay active in scoring in a back-up role.  Scoring will be passed off to David Kahn, Kristin, and one other (name temporarily not known).   As of now, Membership & Website are the only open positions.

7. Marketing- We will continue advertising with Colorado Runner. Email Lisa W for additional.
8. Track- We are finished with track workouts until the Spring but Dave R. will meet informally in the next couple of weeks to hold training for those planning on a Spring marathon. Dave R. will also lead long training runs along the Bear Creek trail.  The trail is maintained with snow removal, unlike the Platte River Trail.
9. End of Year Gifts- Dave C. got information back from the woman at the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce that Mike Blanchette referred the Board to. Dave C. has prices on sweatshirts and polo shirts and will send an email out to the board for input.  Polo’s and sweatshirts are the two choices.  These will be for race directors and volunteers, typically 25 of each.
10. Anything Else- Next Meeting- January 1 5:00 or 6:00 pm at a pub TBD.

 

Related Images:

RMRR Board Meeting
September 26, 2016

In Attendance: Jim M., Scott Newman, Dave R., Mike Blanchette, Dave C., Deb C.

Treasures Report- Leslie Mitchell was not in attendance, but she sent the board an email which stated: As I have mentioned before, I have had numerous difficulties preparing RMRR financial reports. It was a perfect storm of the 1) credit union changing its Bill Pay program, 2) I switched from a PC to a Mac, which lead to 3) having to convert from Quicken for PC to Quicken for Mac. I have finally been able to convert all of our records, so the data is now accurate; however, the formatting of the reports is not working out. I have since learned that Quicken for Mac isn’t well regarded and I understand why. I’ve attached a balance sheet, as well as YTD income statements for this year and last. I am unable to prepare one report with both year’s data for easy comparison. The reports are cumbersome. We continue to keep around $23,000 in our bank accounts. YTD gross income is up $1,100, due to Membership (+$900), and Coaching (+245). We have received almost all of the Living Social revenue (they hold back for refunds) and should get the last few dollars in October
YTD expenses are lower than last year by $3,100, with the biggest difference in Membership Benefits. Overall, we have a YTD “profit” of $1,200 compared to a YTD “loss” last year of $3,000.
A few reminders: If you need a bill paid or to be reimbursed, just send me an email. You can either scan the documentation and email it to me, or mail it to me. I will order a check asap. Deb Cunningham has the checkbook and is an authorized signer if you need a check immediately. If you have any checks for the club, please get them to me as soon as possible. I am unable to attend most of the board meetings and events, so it’s best if you either drop them off at my house or mail them to me. We had a situation last month where a check to the club was returned by their bank because it was older than 3 months when I finally got it and deposited it. We incurred a fee of $33 from our bank (ouch) for the return. Please don’t hold onto checks and plan on giving them to me at a meeting or an event.

September Trophy Series Race at Trailhead Park- There were only 50-people in attendance, which was not good attendance. Mike reported that Colorado Masters only had 39-runners at their September event. Dave C. suggested Lisa W. look at better ways to market the run and determine, especially with new runners, what will get them to the races? Jim M. asked if the club had done a “new membership table” at a local running store during one of their major events as a way of getting new members. Dave C. said it has not been successful in the past. There was also discussion of a membership table at Runners Roost when they host a pancake event on October 22 leading up to the Colfax Marathon. Mike B. will talk to the Colfax Marathon organizers tomorrow night to see if there are any conflicts with other groups. Dave R. said membership and participation is a matter of getting the word out, which we have not done a good job at.

There was long discussion about keeping racers around after the races, which has been difficult lately. We have 500 runners and only 50 showed up for the September race. Why is that? There is concern that after the long races people tend to leave due to runners being spread out over the course and coming in later. There are so many races now in Denver which creates competition for RMRR events, especially if our races fall on the same day as popular local organized runs. Question: Do we want to keep the longer races, or go with races of 10K or less? Scott N. and Dave R. like the longer races and there is always the 5K option. Deb C. suggested a 5K Trophy Series Event, or possibly a series of 4 or 6 bundled races, where your best times are scored for a prize. Scott N. said the concept of a series of runs was not attractive to him. What about doing away with the handicapped starts and starting all runners together? Deb C. had the numbers for all races going back to 2005 and will send the numbers to board members for discussion at next months meeting, with an attempt to identify solutions. Bottom line is, how do we attract more runners to the club?

October Trophy Series Race- October 2, 2016 at 8 a.m., Carpenter Park 108th & Colorado- This will be a 4.5-mile loop run twice for a total of 9-miles. There is also a 5k option. Dave R. provided a map of the course and gave an overview of the event. There will be two water stops and a course marshall. There are no street crossings, with the course completely within the park boundaries. Dave R. will coordinate with Lisa W. to create a Face Book event for the run. Mike B. re-stated the importance of forwarding the Face Book event to friends to get them to the races.

Marathon Training Series- 26 runners attended the last run, with some runners travelling long distances to get to the races. Two runners came from as far away as Pueblo.

Volunteer of the Month- David Kahn donated a PC to the club which will be used for scoring.

November Race- Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Sunday November 6th 09:00 start.

End of Year Awards- Volunteers and Race Directors- Dave R. had looked into beer growlers but we would have to buy a minimum of 72. The price of about $500 from Discount Mugs and Gifts For You include a single etched logo and shipping. Mike B. will contact a woman he knows from the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce that has a business and may be able to help us out with promotional items. Dave C. will check with Stephanie to determine if she purchased stadium seats yet. Dave R. suggested the possibility of polo shits with embroidered RMRR logo. The polo shirts seemed to be well received by the board members. He will look into this option too. Quantity would be 25-30 and around $25 or under per item. Mike will also check into shirts and hoodies.

Track- ends in October.

Anything Else?- Dave C. provided training for the new scorers. The training went well. The agreement with them is that they will not start until the new year. The website and membership training did not take place because Dave C. was about to blow a gasket for some unknown reason. This will be rescheduled.

Next Meeting- Tuesday November 1, 2016 6:30 p.m.

Related Images:

RMRR Board Meeting

RMRR Board Meeting
Tuesday September 6, 2016

Present: Dave Cunningham., Debbie Cunningham., Rick, Lisa Wilson, Dave Rothenberger, Steve Bennett, Jim Mair

Treasurers Report- Leslie Mitchell was not present but sent the board member an email which stated,
“As I have mentioned before, I have had numerous difficulties preparing RMRR financial reports. It was a perfect storm of the 1) credit union changing its Bill Pay program, 2) I switched from a PC to a Mac, which lead to 3) having to convert from Quicken for PC to Quicken for Mac. I have finally been able to convert all of our records, so the data is now accurate; however, the formatting of the reports is not working out. I have since learned that Quicken for Mac isn’t well regarded and I understand why. I’ve attached a balance sheet, as well as YTD income statements for this year and last. I am unable to prepare one report with both year’s data for easy comparison. The reports are cumbersome. Sorry.
Here are the highlights: We continue to keep around $23,000 in our bank accounts.
YTD gross income is up $1,100, due to Membership (+$900), and Coaching (+245). We have received almost all of the Living Social revenue (they hold back for refunds) and should get the last few dollars in October. YTD expenses are lower than last year by $3,100, with the biggest difference in Membership Benefits. Overall, we have a YTD “profit” of $1,200 compared to a YTD “loss” last year of $3,000.
A few reminders:
If you need a bill paid or to be reimbursed, just send me an email. You can either scan the documentation and email it to me, or mail it to me. I will order a check asap. Deb Cunningham has the checkbook and is an authorized signer if you need a check immediately.
If you have any checks for the club, please get them to me as soon as possible. I am unable to attend most of the board meetings and events, so it’s best if you either drop them off at my house or mail them to me (1451 S Vine St, Denver, 80210). We had a situation last month where a check to the club was returned by their bank because it was older than 3 months when I finally got it and deposited it. We incurred a fee of $33 from our bank (ouch) for the return. Please don’t hold onto checks and plan on giving them to me at a meeting or an event. I’m sorry that I’m out of town so much. I am home often enough to check my own mail as well as the club’s post office box.”

August Trophy Race- the course seemed to be liked by the runners over last year’s course which started with a hill. There were no real problems with scoring but it is important to record all the 0:00 starters. Deb C. suggested adding the handicap time at the end of the race and starting all runners at the same time. Rick suggested moving back to the way things used to be done with any 0:00 runners having to talk with the Race Director to determine if the reason is legitimate. Discussion about this focused on the origins of the RMRR and keeping the start the same. Dave R. reported that the September Trophy Series is all set and ready to go. The August 28 Marathon Series had 39 runners with most doing the 20-miler.

Volunteer of the Month- Jerry Greenwald was nominated for his work as cook at the BBQ last month.

October Trophy Series- Lisa Wilson reported that the race has to be conducted October 2 at the 108th & Colorado location. Deb & Dave C. will be race directors due to the scheduled director being out of town. At this late date there cannot be a road crossing and police would be required. There was discussion about the course. Rick suggested 3/3-mile loops and change the November Rocky Mountain Arsenal run a 10-miler instead since that run has to be changed anyway.

Marketing- Lisa Wilson reported that the club Face Book page views and engagements were up even though we haven’t had our September race yet. Usually views go up after a race when people have just raced and want to see pictures and results. Lisa also reported on the Colfax Marathon. She has emailed Carol Hiller- volunteer coordinator for the marathon, and told her the RMRR would like to be involved with a water station at the race.

Board Positions- Dave C. reported that many, many people have expressed an interest in volunteering next year. Dave will conduct scoring training on Thursday September 8 with four (4) people and website training on Sunday September 18 for four (4) people. There was somebody (?) that volunteered to be a Sponsor Visitor to local running stores and reach out for giveaway items, club discounts, and advertise the RMRR Club. This is a position that has not been staffed for some time so there are base level responsibilities that need to be re-introduced, such as meeting with some of the smaller running stores and non-traditional stores such as REI, Boulder Running Company, and Runners Roost.

Discussion was held re: the manner in which board members are determined. Deb C. said the club by-laws dictate a volte to be held at a general meeting, but since there are not general meetings this could be accomplished at the annual banquet. Dave C. will email all nominees to determine if they are interested. Steve Bennett, who was in attendance at the board meeting, indicated he would be interested in the VP position if Lisa Wilson was club president.

End of Year Gifts- There was discussion about end-of-year awards and volunteer gifts. The costs should be about +/- $25 per item. Did Stephanie purchase the stadium chairs that had been previously discussed? Dave C. will email her to determine. After lots of discussion the topic was tabled to next month.

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