ATTENDEES

· Officers:

[x] Sherry Litasi, President
[x] Sverre Froyen, Vice President
[x] Rich Gostenik, Treasurer
[x] Brooke Mann, Secretary
[x] Brian Coleman, Scouting Coordinator
[x] Mil Plant, Membership Coordinator

· Other Members:

[x] Doug Berling
[x] Kathleen Brennan
[x] Sharon Crawford
[x] John Crowther
[x] Bob Ellis
[x] Adam Feerst
[x] Gordon McCurry
[x] Kyle Peter

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A. Quorum:

We established that we have a quorum for voting purposes. (RMOC Bylaws Section 4.4: "A quorum at any general meeting of the membership shall consist of twice the number of elected officers plus one voting member.")

1. We completed all necessary paperwork to be incorporated as "RMOC, Inc.".

2. We completed all necessary paperwork to be established as a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization.

3. We developed and approved club bylaws; we implemented ~monthly business meetings.

4. We had record turnouts at many meets, particularly our National Orienteering Day meet at Bear Creek Lake Park, due largely to Brian Coleman's Boy Scout marketing and recruiting efforts.

5. We created a new map and hosted the US Classic-Distance Championships at Buena Vista.

6. We have a new "A"-meet caliber map in progress at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch.

7. We have a new beginner map in progress at Chatfield State Park.

8. Our bid to host the 2007 USOF Convention was approved.

9. We have new club jerseys, designed by Jason Poole.

10. We have exposed as many as 1,000 new people to the sport of orienteering, through the orienteering courses that were included at the Bearable Adventure Race and the Frisco Adventure Race, as well as the Scouts recruited by Brian Coleman.

C. Sherry presented her "Top 10" Goals for 2007:

1. Deliver high-quality events via standardized procedures and training on OCAD, meet administration, OCAD usage, course vetting, etc.

2. Develop a Junior Training Program and Competitive Junior League (high school kids, scouts, etc.).

3. Create more maps (Peaceful Valley, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Chatfield expansion, Saylor Park, Ski-O Areas (Gold Run, Devil's Thumb Resort, Eldora), etc.).

4. Sell the 2007 Convention as an education opportunity for everybody at all levels of orienteering skill.

5. Deliver an excellent 2007 Five-Day Meet and USOF Convention.

6. Build volunteer strength and enthusiasm.

7. Improve relationships with land managers (especially USFS).

8. Exploit technology to improve efficiency (especially in the area of registration).

9. Consider e-punching.

10. Recognize volunteers through a better, more structured program.

D. Vice-President's Report from Sverre Froyen:

1. Permitting: Most areas are fine; a few exceptions:

• Colorado Springs gave their approval for Fox Run Regional Park at the very last minute, even though our permit request had been submitted several months in advance. They also required that Sverre meet with them in person (taking time off from work and driving from Denver).

• We have a better chance of getting a 2007 permit for Kelly Dahl if we submit our request to USFS in the fall.

• Our long-time contact at Chatfield State Park has retired; the new ranger seems good to work with, though.

2. Sherry commented that we already have verbal USFS approval for our 2007 Five-Day Meet.

3. Brian Coleman suggested that we develop land manager partnering opportunities by highlighting the educational aspects of orienteering.

4. Adam Feerst pointed out that a blanket approval for all USFS permit requests is not possible; individual ranger contacts are required for each district.

5. Kathleen Brennan is on several boards with the USFS chief forester; perhaps we can leverage her contacts if we have trouble with our USFS permits.

6. Adam suggested that we use Sverre's list of land manager contacts as a list of positive references.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-01: Formulate our list of 2007 meet dates at USFS areas, so that the USFS permit request can be submitted ASAP.
OWNER: Sherry Litasi.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 (monthly meeting).

E. Treasurer's Report from Rich Gostenik:

1. Rich reported that Dick Matthews kept very meticulous notes and reports. This made the transition of the Treasurer role very smooth.

2. The current RMOC balance is $36,466.24.

3. Sherry passed around the special award Brian Coleman bought for Dick Matthews. We are waiting to give the award to Dick at a club event where we can present it formally and take photos. Sherry also gave Rich a special "thank you" for stepping into the Treasurer's role.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-02: Produce a more detailed cash flow summary report for 2006 (similar to previous years' reports from Dick).
OWNER: Rich Gostenik.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 (monthly meeting).

F. Secretary's Report from Brooke Mann:

Brooke reported that her most significant goal of the year was to upgrade and overhaul the RMOC website; this has been accomplished. The new site allows for members-only content, member-submitted articles, a photo gallery, and a document repository. Also, the results pages are database-driven, which allows for easy generation of reports and statistics.

G. Membership Report from Mil Plant:

1. Mil provided a print-out of the current membership database. The database reflects 82 individual members and 61 family memberships.

2. Mil reported that we have acquired a significant number of new members in the past couple of years, but they don't always renew their membership. So, the net membership change is relatively flat.

3. Mil Plant suggested that we need a better solution for confirming eligibility at members-only meets.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-03: Convert the current Access database to a web-based (MySQL) database that Mil can use to update membership data. Create web-based reports that Meet Directors can use to generate real-time lists to confirm membership status at meets.
OWNER: Brooke Mann.
DUE DATE: Prior to our first meet of 2007.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-04: Check into the "SignMeUp.com" website suggested by John Crowther. (SignMeUp.com is a potentially less expensive alternative to Active.com.)
OWNER: Brooke Mann.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 (monthly meeting).

H. Award:

Sherry presented the "2006 Volunteer of the Year Award" to Brooke Mann.

I. Elections:

According to the RMOC bylaws, the roles of Vice-President and Secretary are up for election in even years. There were no volunteers or nominees, and Sverre and Brooke are willing to continue in these positions. So, it was moved that Sverre and Brooke continue as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively, through 2008.

J. 2007 USOF Convention Update:

1. Sherry reviewed the schedule for the convention and five-day meet. The meets on the second weekend are scheduled such that there aren't any significant events after the Long-O (per a request from John Fredrickson, one of the US Junior Team members).

2. Our "A" meet days are not sanctioned yet.

3. Peaceful Valley field checking is now underway, conducted by Christoph Zurcher.

4. Karen Dennis will be updating our Garden of the Gods map for the Trail-O. She will also be teaching the Trail-O related courses at the convention. Her son lives in Colorado Springs, so she has trips planned for December and May to work on the map.

5. It was suggested that we invite injured Ft. Carson soldiers to participate in the Trail-O.

6. Sherry is continuing to work on commitments for Course Design, Course Setting, Course Vetting, and Mapping.

7. RMOC volunteers will be needed for logistical tasks (registration, start/finish crews, etc.).

8. Barb Gostenik has agreed to coordinate activities for kids age six through 12.

9. Adam and Brooke expressed concern about over-commitment of club resources with the convention, five-day meet, junior orienteering league, new maps, etc. They suggested that we continue to focus on the local meets and local maps that are attended by the majority of our membership. Sherry is confident we have enough volunteers to do all of these projects in 2007; she feels that hosting the convention is not that much additional work beyond what's usually required for our bi-annual five-day meets.

10. Sherry reported that there may be some Olympic athletes willing to speak at the Annual General Meeting dinner that will take place during the convention.

11. We will be creating a permanent "O" course at Peaceful Valley.

12. We agreed to give e-punching a try in 2007 before making a final decision about e-punching for RMOC local meets. Valerie Meyer will teach an e-punching hardware / software course at the convention and will then serve as a consultant for all the convention- and five-day-related events. Doug Berling noted that the course setters will need e-punch training in advance of the five-day meets (not the night before); Sherry acknowledged this. Since a full set of e-punch units costs $10-15K, we will rent the equipment from USOF. The rental cost is unknown.

13. It was suggested that RMOC formalize a different financial arrangement with Mikell Platt for the 1000-Day meet, since so many RMOC volunteers are involved yet RMOC doesn't get any of the meet proceeds.

K. Brian Coleman -- New RMOC Punchcard:

We gave Brian suggestions for the new RMOC punchcard design he devised. Highlights: the new punchcards will be printed on a material similar to Tyvek; the punchcards and stubs will be numbered sequentially to allow for easier matching; the stubs will have a hole to allow them to be stored on a ring during the meet.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-05: Create a final punchcard prototype based on today's comments. Get cost estimates for various punchcard quantities.
OWNER: Brian Coleman.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 (monthly meeting).

L. Adam Feerst -- RMOC Road Show:

Adam suggested that we develop an RMOC road show -- a public presentation to be given at places like REI. This might include a slide show presentation, a sample map, a fun practice exercise, etc. The goal would be to expose more people to the idea of orienteering as a fun and challenging sport, not just "map and compass skills".

We all liked this idea. Brian Coleman suggested that we piggyback on the monthly USGS courses at REI.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-06: Develop the RMOC road show prototype.
OWNERS: Bob Ellis and Adam Feerst.
DUE DATE: March 2007.

M. Adam Feerst -- Annual Scoring System:

Adam suggested that we implement an annual points series or scoring system to promote friendly competition and increased meet attendance. Small trophies or plaques would be awarded to the winners in each category. Several other "O" clubs already have similar programs.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-07: Draft a proposal for an annual points series or scoring system.
OWNER: Adam Feerst.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 -OR- Tuesday, January 9, 2007 (monthly meetings).

N. Gordon McCurry -- First Aid Kit:

Gordon noted that our first aid kits are lacking in several basic items, and some of the other supplies are old and outdated. The kits need to be inspected and upgraded by someone who knows a bit about first aid.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-08: Sherry will ask her client, an EMT, to inspect both kits and make recommendations.
OWNER: Sherry Litasi.
DUE DATE: Prior to our first meet of 2007.

O. Gordon McCurry -- Yearly Waivers:

To streamline the meet registration process, Gordon suggested that we have members sign the liability waiver when they renew their RMOC membership. The waiver (with amended wording) would then be effective all year. This process is used by the Colorado Mountain Club.

Kathleen Brennan pointed out that one of the goals of reading and signing a waiver at each event is to remind the participants of any inherent risks. This reminder is not as effective (and may not afford as much legal protection to RMOC) if it's only signed once per year.

We did not reach a clear decision on implementing an annual waiver. However, the waiver process could be integrated into the online pre-registration process (as is done on Active.com); this would achieve the same goal of streamlining the race-day registration process.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-09: Update the online pre-registration process to include waiver acknowledgement.
OWNER: Brooke Mann
DUE DATE: Prior to our first meet of 2007.

P. Gordon McCurry -- Race Clocks:

Gordon suggested that we buy large clocks to use at the Start/Finish at our local meets -- something with large digits and atomic-clock synchronization, similar to Sharon's clocks that are used at our "A" meets.

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-10: Research various models and costs; make a purchase recommendation.
OWNER: Brooke Mann
DUE DATE: Prior to our first meet of 2007.

Q. Gordon McCurry -- Financial Compensation:

Due to the significant amount of work required to be a Meet Director or a Course Setter -- even for local meets -- Gordon suggested that there should be some type of financial compensation.

Sherry reminded everyone that, as a 501(c)(3) organization, we are eligible to deduct any mileage incurred as part of club administration tasks.

Rich reminded everyone that all meet expenses should be submitted for reimbursement (map printing costs, snacks and water for the finish, etc.).

Brooke commented that volunteers were awarded with a $60-65 jersey this year -- but we still need to formalize our volunteer recognition program so that potential volunteers have more incentive to step up in the future and regular volunteers are thanked properly.

We did not agree on a monetary compensation plan for Meet Directors and Course Setters.

R. Gordon McCurry -- Vetting:

Gordon suggested that we be more consistent with course vetting at our local meets, to avoid some of the glitches and mistakes we encountered in 2006. We all agreed this would be a good idea -- actually kind of a no-brainer. To highlight the importance of the Vetter at each local meet, Brooke will add a column for this role on the Course Schedule webpage. Bob Ellis will serve as the Vetting trainer. We still need qualified people to actually volunteer as vetters (which goes back to the issue of volunteer resource availability and our lack of a formal volunteer recognition program...).

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-11: Draft a volunteer recognition program.
OWNER: Adam Feerst.
DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 -OR- Tuesday, January 9, 2007 (monthly meetings).

S. Brooke Mann -- Group Memberships:

Brooke is confused about the specific costs and requirements of the "group membership". We never set a cost for the group membership, even though it was discussed a year ago, and meet fees seem to be assessed inconsistently.

Instead of devising a group membership scheme that is complicated to track and administer, Brooke suggested that we just give all school groups and scout groups the RMOC member rates when they show up to a meet.

Also -- would this policy apply to members of other "O" clubs who occasionally attend our meets?

* ACTION ITEM #2006-11-19-12: Document all the costs and requirements for our various membership types and meet fees.
OWNER: Sverre Froyen.
DUE DATE: Prior to our first meet of 2007.

T. Sherry Litasi: 2007 Schedule

Sherry has developed a draft schedule for 2007; she will distribute it soon.