The September 2005 GCHA Board meeting was held on Wednesday, September 14th, starting at approximately 7:00 pm.

Attendance - Board members George Lehocky, Jim Krailler, Mike Reilly, Bob Burkitt, Greg Fite and Will Straw were in attendance. Paul Baker and Gary Reece were present to address the Board about the upcoming Queen City Shootout. Ron Rosselot and Chris Lazarovski were guests.

Corrections and additions to August 2005 minutes

Review of Minutes - The minutes of the August 2005 Board meeting, as posted on the website, were approved.

Income / Expenditures / Current balance

David Kent

Income / Expenditures / Current balance - Treasurer David Kent presented a financial report showing the current balance of the GCHA checking account is $14,621.

"Share the Passion" Tour
Member Survey
GCHA Board Membership
Fall Meeting
Golf Outing
3-Wall Court Maintenance

George Lehocky
Jim Krailler
Board
Board
Board
Bob Burkitt

Old Business - In deference to the schedules of Gary Reece and Paul Baker, discussion of these items was delayed until after the topic of the upcoming Queen City Shootout was completed.

"Share The Passion" Tour - The Board had previously pledged $500 to the tour at it's July meeting, with discussion of an additional donation to be held at a future board meeting. Dave will send a $500 check to the USHA, and the item will be dropped from the agenda.

Member Survey - A rough draft of some of the survey questions was presented to the board by Jim Krailler at the July meeting, asking for input from other board members. In addition to questions concerning GCHA events, ideas such as tournament prizes (cash award, trophy, gloves, other) consolation brackets and club membership were also suggested. Jim is also seeking input about wording items related to the financial status of the GCHA. Development of the survey will continue. David Kent, Jim Krailler and others (?) to continue development.

GCHA Board Membership - Succession planning for next year's Board was discussed, though final configuration of the officers was not determined. Chris Lazarovski and Ron Rosselot have volunteered and will be included in the board membership.

Fall Meeting - The date for the Annual Fall Meeting has been set for Monday, October 17th. The meeting will begin at approximately 7:30 pm at the Athletic Club @ Waycross, with courts available for play starting at 4:00 pm. Jack Dean and Paul Baker will work out the details on courts and food for the evening. George Lehocky will develop an agenda for the meeting, as well as investigate some award to be presented to those in attendance. Jim Krailler has volunteered to address the issue of the GCHA treasury as it relates to 3-wall maintenance. Ron Rosselto volunteered to draft both a Vision Statement and a Mission Statement for the organization.

Golf Outing - Paul Baker relayed plans for the Annual GCHA Golf Outing. The outing will be held at Greencrest Golf Course on Friday September 16th. Everything, including cost, will be pretty much the same as last year. Entry forms and information have been published on the GCHA website and in the Summer ShortLine. Deadline for signing up is Friday, September 2nd.

3-Wall Court Maintenance - On Wednesday, 8/17/2005, Bob Burkitt met with Mike Schaefer, Green Township, who is directly responsible for maintenance at Veterans Park. Bob's report from this meeting is below.

Three-Wall Handball Courts – Discussion Items The Caples three-wall handball courts located in Green Township's Veterans Park were completed in late 1997 following construction on land provided by the Township. Funding for the project was from a combination of sources including seed money from the Greater Cincinnati Handball Association and a matching grant from the State of Ohio. The GCHA was instrumental in obtaining the grant from the state. The GCHA appreciates the opportunity to work with Green Township to insure the ongoing maintenance and improvement of the Caples court facility. We hope that continued communication will help maintain the courts at a high level for many years to come. While the courts are in generally good shape there are several issues (in no particular order of importance) that we hope can be addressed for the greatest mutual benefit. Items are in plain text, with follow-up and comments in bold text: Backfilling and grading around the outer walls to improve water drainage away from the courts. This was one of the recommendations of the contractors who built the courts (Day Wall and Wright-Seyferth) following their GCHA-requested examination last year; Backfilling and seeding completed Installation of a drain near the plaque to prevent water from seeping under the court floors at the end of the wall. A drain could be directed to the existing storm sewer in the low area between the courts and the baseball and soccer fields. It could also be tied into the existing perimeter drain; Taken under advisement Resetting the bricks atop the perimeter drain to restore level; Noted Extension of the screen atop the courts to prevent more balls from going over the top of the courts; Mike is meeting with a contractor this week to obtain a bid – will report to GCHA Adding more benches of the original concrete and wood construction, removing the unpopular plastic bench; Willing to work with us on the benches, will check to determine availability of the original style. Donor in place. Sealing the joint between the court walls and the floors; Material purchased by GCHA was turned over to Green Township – polyurethane caulk, caulking guns and backer rod provided for one court. Funds for additional material requested from Green Township Installing an outdoor open shower to serve the sand volleyball and handball courts; Noted Review the status of an open shelter building between the courts and the soccer field as storm refuge for both; Inactive, no funds Wireless security camera linked to the Green Township website and police station; Noted Lights for nighttime play; Very unlikely due to dusk closing policy Correct the out-of-level condition at the back of the court floor on court #1; Noted Paved pathway to the court steps; Noted Continued sealing of the court floors to prevent freeze damage; As required Review the status of the proposed shower facility at the maintenance area, including access for players; Project stalled due to lack of funds Raising the fence surrounding the courts; Mike is meeting with a contractor this week to obtain a bid – will report to GCHA Planning for additional court(s). Noted Drinking fountain for the soccer field, sand volleyball, basketball and handball courts. Mike acknowledged the presence of potable water supplying underground sprinkler system at adjacent soccer field The GCHA would appreciate the opportunity to meet with Green Township officials on a regular basis to coordinate efforts by both parties. Mike advised us to attend board meetings to establish and maintain contact. Most available funds are being directed to the construction of a new park in green Township, little is available for Veteran's Park at present. Revised 9/12/05

 

Event

Dates

Queen City Shootout - At the July meeting, a motion was made and passed (5-1) to use the Athletic Club @ Waycross as the site for this tournament. Gary Reece has volunteered to be the tournament director for the Shootout, scheduled for the weekend of December 9th - 11th.

Gary told the Board that he is looking to strengthen player participation in the tournament, especially in the Open Divisions. He is currently seeking a commitment for sponsors to donate prize money for individual divisions - Open, Masters, Golden Masters. Prize money will require an addition $3,000, over and above the standard budgetted amount of $3,000 for all other aspects of the tournament. To get the ball rolling on additional sponsorship, Ron Rosselot donated $500 to the tournament, earmarked for prize money in the Golden Masters Division.

Gary also suggested changing the name of the tournament to the Queen City Open, making accompanying changes to the logo and other advertising materials.. He suggested awarding the first 4 entries a free pair of gloves as an incentive for players to sign up early; entry fees would remain at $40 for a player's first division, plus an additional $10 should they sign up for a second division.

In events related to the tournament, Ralph Weil had previously contacted George Lehocky with an offer to sponsor the Saturday night dinner at the tournament. Ralph volunteered because he'll have his 75th birthday later in December, and chose the Queen City tournament as the venue to celebrate the event with friends and family.

After an extended discussion about the tournament, it was decided that Gary Reece, Paul Baker, Greg Fite, Jack Dean and David Kent will act as the tournament "task force" and meet together prior to the next Board meeting to determine details of the tournament. Information from the task force will be circulated to Board members via email for comments, suggestions, ratification, etc. The expectation is that all details related to the tournament will be finalized at the October Board meeting, with publication and mailing scheduled for shortly thereafter.

Other?

Board

Other

Member News - Condolences to Jim Wohl on the death of his father, Ted.

Bob Hiance has a broken wrist, which will keep him off the courts for about a month.

New Players - At the 3-wall courts, there has been an influx of new players in the past few months, mainly residents of a halfway house located in downtown Cincinnati. Rick is the minister and group home coordinator, and Bob Burkitt stated his intention to invite Rick to the next Board meeting for conversation about mutual interests.

Next
Meeting

Scheduled date:
Wednesday, October 5th, 2005; 7:00 pm

Location:
Take Five Bar & Grill
6957 Harrison Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45247
513-353-0308

Open to all members