1 1 (Saugus Youth Hockey meeting called to 2 order at 7:42 p.m. on February 3, 2009.) 3 MR. BRAZIS: All right, everyone, I'll 4 call this monthly Board meeting to order. 5 It will be 7:42 p.m. on February 3, 2009. 6 Once again, I'd like to just introduce 7 our stenographer, Miss Colleen Applegate. 8 She's here donating her time to Saugus Youth 9 Hockey, and he we appreciate her time for 10 doing this. And I'd also like to call a 11 roll call, so Mr. Secretary at this time -- 12 MR. GROARK: Scott Brazis. 13 MR. BRAZIS: Present. 14 MR. GROARK: Pat Norton. 15 MR. NORTON: Here. 16 MR. GROARK: Pat Groark, here. 17 Dwayne Oxley. 18 (Pause.) 19 MR. GROARK: Stacy Tait. 20 (Pause.) 21 MR. GROARK: Kevin Nigro. 22 (Pause.) 23 MR. GROARK: Anthony Bono. 24 MR. BONO: Present. 2 1 MR. GROARK: Rich Zabroski. 2 MR. ZABROSKI: Present. 3 MR. GROARK: Dana DeMatteo. 4 MR. DeMATTEO: Present. 5 MR. GROARK: Ken Patterson. 6 (Pause.) 7 MR. GROARK: Fred Moore. 8 MR. MOORE: Present. 9 MR. GROARK: Ellen Coccoluto. 10 (Pause.) 11 MR. GROARK: Joe Shrimpf. 12 MR. SHRIMPF: Present. 13 MR. BRAZIS: The first order of 14 business that I would like to bring up is we 15 had an Ice-Search Committee that was formed 16 last month and we had three members, and I 17 believe it was Mr. DeMatteo, Ron, and Frank 18 Serino. They hit the pavement quickly and 19 went out there and got in touch with some of 20 the rinks in the area, FMC and Hockey Town, 21 and I want to thank them for their efforts. 22 They got us some good feedback to see where 23 we are going to be next year as an 24 organization and get the best deal for 3 1 Saugus Youth Hockey. Once again, we are not 2 looking to leave Kasabuski, but we are -- 3 and I think we're obligated to find the best 4 deal that we can for this organization to 5 keep tuitions down or at the same for next 6 year. So with that, we have the figures in 7 from these other rinks in the area and the 8 E. Board is going to be setting up a meeting 9 with Mr. Maniff within the next two weeks to 10 discuss with him what Kasabuski can offer 11 Saugus Youth Hockey. Preliminarily, he's 12 made some comments to our treasurer on how 13 much ice will be next year and signing 14 contracts and what have you, and those are 15 the things that we intend on talking to him 16 about, but I can't thank Dana and Ron and 17 Frank for all their help in going out there 18 and getting us all the information from 19 these local rinks because it's always good 20 when you go to talk to the rink that you 21 would like to stay at to know what everybody 22 else is offering you so that at least we 23 have basis. And like I said, the thing that 24 we want to do is do what's best for this 4 1 program and for all of the parents that have 2 to pay the tuition. We are not looking to 3 leave Kasabuski, but if we have to find a 4 deal elsewhere that's better for the 5 organization, then so be it. 6 The next thing that I would like to 7 bring up is -- actually, I'd like to make a 8 motion. Looking through the bylaws, I 9 noticed that we do not have a publicity 10 director and that is in the bylaws. I'd 11 like to make a motion that we, as a Board, 12 start to accept applications to fill that 13 vacancy for the publicity director. Yes, 14 Rich. 15 MR. ZABROSKI: I know in years past 16 the publicity director was kind of morphed 17 into the web director, because we never had 18 a web until the last couple years, so I 19 don't know -- it was never updated in the 20 bylaws 'cause the bylaws were never updated, 21 but it was -- we did used to have one. 22 Stacy Deveau served as the publicity 23 director and when she stepped down, we got 24 the website started and that's when Ken 5 1 became the web designer or whatever his 2 title is also. So I mean, we could still go 3 ahead and have a publicity, but it was 4 discussed. 5 MR. BRAZIS: Well, I'll ask you, do 6 you feel that we have to fill this position? 7 I mean, the bylaws does not recognize a, 8 say, web director. 9 MR. ZABROSKI: No, it does not. 10 MR. BRAZIS: It recognizes a publicity 11 director and it is a vacancy on this Board. 12 I will ask, do we feel that we should look 13 into filling that vacancy? 14 MR. SHRIMPF: I'd like to second the 15 motion that we look into filling the 16 vacancy. 17 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. All in favor? 18 (Group agreement.) 19 MR. BRAZIS: Opposed? 20 (Pause.) 21 MR. BRAZIS: And if you could, Mr. 22 Secretary, we'd like to advertise that on 23 our website now that we will be accepting 24 applications for anybody that would like the 6 1 publicity director seat. And what we will 2 do is hopefully when we get all those 3 applications we can have a vote at next 4 month's meeting; how does that sound, and we 5 can fill that seat? 6 MR. MOORE: Excuse me, one question. 7 Are we going to -- using the same type of 8 amendments to the bylaws that we 9 implemented? 10 MR. BRAZIS: Those are in affect until 11 June 30th, so that's correct. 12 MR. MOORE: I'm just confirming that. 13 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you, Fred. For new 14 business, that's really all I have for right 15 now. I'll hand it over to the vice 16 president. 17 MR. NORTON: We have some good news 18 and some bads news on the tuition collection 19 this year. The bad news unfortunately is we 20 weren't able to get the required payments 21 out for the Midget team, and unfortunately, 22 for the second half of this season the 23 full-season Midget team has been suspended. 24 We're hoping that we can work with the 7 1 parents of that team to get them up so we 2 can get the team running for next year. We 3 don't want to eliminate that team, we don't 4 want to do a disservice to those kids, but 5 we just weren't in a position, given the 6 non-commitment to payment, to incur any more 7 costs given that we're struggling to pay the 8 costs that we already have. 9 On the brighter side, we had a good -- 10 we made a lot of progress in collecting some 11 past-due balances. As it stands right now, 12 there is only one child that is not paid in 13 each of the Bantam, the PeeWee and the 14 Squirt level. As soon as they make their 15 full payment, their parents know that 16 they're welcome to come back and rejoin the 17 team. So that was a lot of hard work and I 18 appreciate everybody's hard work on that. 19 As we look now the -- we're looking to 20 schedule the registration for the upcoming 21 year and the dates that we were looking at 22 are March 11th, which is a Wednesday and 23 Saturday, March 14th. Probably doing the 24 afternoon for the folks who can't get there 8 1 after work and then a Wednesday evening. So 2 can we have that posted? Does anybody see a 3 problem with those dates? If we can have 4 that posted for the website, that would be 5 great. 6 MR. DeMATTEO: I do have a question. 7 MR. NORTON: Sure. 8 MR. DeMATTEO: At the registration -- 9 and I've talked to a lot of people and the 10 way the fee structure is, is there a way we 11 can visit it and look to see if we can make 12 it a little more accommodating? It's going 13 to be a lot of hardship where -- it's pretty 14 much asking for all the money upfront before 15 they even skate, you know, when you look at 16 what's on website, and I know some people 17 can pay it, some can't, but when you have 18 two or three kids in the program, it's a lot 19 of money to get upfront. And I was hoping 20 we could at least revisit it and maybe come 21 up with something that suits whatever our 22 needs are for making payments, and that we 23 can maybe spread it out a little bit. 24 MR. NORTON: I think there may be some 9 1 room. We can talk about this behind -- 2 MR. BRAZIS: Dana -- if I may? 3 MR. NORTON: Yeah. 4 MR. BRAZIS: -- you bring up a very 5 good point and maybe that wasn't taken into 6 consideration when that was put on the 7 website, but I think that's something that 8 the E. Board and the Board of Directors 9 should talk about in executive session. 10 MR. DeMATTEO: Great. 11 MR. BRAZIS: I would be more than 12 happy to bring that up in executive session 13 and let's hash it out. 14 MR. DeMATTEO: Perfect. 15 MR. BRAZIS: Once again, for what's 16 best for the organization. 17 MS. PLOUFFE: With regards to 18 registration. I mean -- 19 MR. BRAZIS: I'm sorry, could you just 20 state your name, please? 21 MS. PLOUFFE: Lucia. The $500 upfront 22 a lot of people -- from what I've heard 23 speaking to some parents is you're going to 24 find a lot of parents will opt to not 10 1 register and then pay when they start, so 2 you won't have the turnout at tryouts. Like 3 my situation, that's $1,000 a month and a 4 half after my final payment or whatever, two 5 months after my final payment for my two 6 kids to tryout. I mean, for some parents 7 it's feasible, other parents it might not 8 be. There's some parents who have three 9 kids in the program, that's $1,500 to walk 10 in on March 15th. That's just my opinion 11 and some of the parents that I have spoken 12 to. 13 MR. BRAZIS: That's fine. I encourage 14 if there's anybody else that would like to 15 speak on that, if you would, we have our 16 forum at the end that you can come up here 17 and speak after we've gone around through 18 the E. Board and the Board of Directors, so 19 just to keep everything in line here -- 20 thank you for your comments, Lucia, but if 21 we're going to talk about this any further 22 from our parents that have attended the 23 meeting, please, at that time just come up 24 to the podium and speak when we have the 11 1 open forum. 2 MR. NORTON: The last item I had is we 3 are having the second goalie clinic. It is 4 for the Mite and the Squirt goaltenders. 5 That will be on February 10th at 4:50. I 6 think most of the folks are aware of it, but 7 if we can just let the coaches know again to 8 remind them. 9 MR. MOORE: Should we know that? 10 Could you send out an email on that? 11 MR. NORTON: To the Player's Selection 12 Committee or to everybody? 13 MR. MOORE: To everybody, so the 14 coaches -- 15 MR. NORTON: Sure. 16 MR. MOORE: I'm sure there'll be one 17 or two that won't get it. 18 MR. BONO: I'll be updating the 19 schedule as well. 20 MR. MOORE: I was just trying to think 21 of that date. 22 MR. NORTON: Yeah, there was a 23 concern. Dwayne had said something about 24 some other kind of a Bruins skills session 12 1 or something. 2 MR. BONO: That's this week. That's 3 the Ace Bailey's Skills, that's this week. 4 MR. NORTON: So there isn't a 5 conflict? 6 MR. BONO: No. 7 MR. NORTON: Okay. 'Cause Coach 8 Mitchell is still available to do it on the 9 10th. 10 MR. BRAZIS: So he will be there. 11 MR. WORTHLEY: I'm sorry, I don't know 12 if I was paying attention. Did you say that 13 this next goalie, is it going to include -- 14 be more encompassing of the number of 15 goalies that we have? 16 MR. NORTON: It's going to be the 17 Squirt goalies and the Mite goalies. 18 MR. WORTHLEY: You said that. 19 MR. NORTON: Yeah, the Squirt and the 20 Mite goalies will do this one. The Bantam 21 and the PeeWees did the last one. Coach 22 Munsen from Austin Prep has offered up doing 23 another one. We can do it in March 24 potentially or later in the month of 13 1 February, but we'll see how this one goes 2 and maybe change the format so he works with 3 the younger kids or maybe Mr. Mitchell will 4 work together and we can have one for all 5 the goaltenders at the same time. We'll try 6 to get at least one more goaltender clinic 7 in after February 10th. 8 MR. MOORE: Quick question for you on 9 that. I have a kid that's on my team that 10 plays goalie kind of like part-time, he 11 fills in, would that be fine if he -- 12 MR. NORTON: Sure. 13 MR. MOORE: You know what I mean? 14 MR. NORTON: Of course. 15 MR. BRAZIS: Are you all set? 16 MR. NORTON: Yeah. 17 MR. BRAZIS: If I may interrupt for a 18 minute. Ellen Coccoluto, I see you've -- do 19 you want to come up and join us and we'll 20 put you in as present? 21 MS. COCCOLUTO: I have to sneak out at 22 25 passed 8. 23 MR. BRAZIS: That's okay. Could you 24 just recognize that Ellen Coccoluto is now 14 1 present? 2 (Ellen Coccoluto is now present.) 3 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. We will 4 recognize you when we go around. 5 MR. GROARK: First item, I know it's 6 probably tough to get through all the 7 minutes from last meeting, Colleen did such 8 a good job, but if someone could make a 9 motion to accept the minutes. 10 MR. NORTON: Motion to accept the 11 minutes. 12 MR. BONO: Second. 13 MR. GROARK: All in favor? 14 (Group agreement.) 15 MR. GROARK: Any opposed? 16 (Pause.) 17 MR. GROARK: Next item is the plaques 18 for the sponsors. Lucia had the plaques for 19 the sponsors completed, which is great. We 20 are now working on just drafting a letter 21 for the sponsors as well to get the letters 22 and the plaques out to the sponsors. I know 23 you had an idea, we can talk about that 24 after. 15 1 MR. NORTON: How do you propose 2 delivering them, it's going to be coach or 3 directors? 4 MR. GROARK: We haven't decided. 5 Lucia actually asked about a possibility 6 today. Would you like to mention that? 7 MS. PLOUFFE: I thought it would be 8 nice if we invited the sponsors to the 9 banquet and as the teams get their whatever, 10 have the team give them their plaque. The 11 plaques are very nice. It's a nice team 12 picture with everything engraved on it. 13 They're actually pretty nice, and I just 14 thought it was a nice idea, rather than just 15 handing them the plaque, that they be 16 invited, and then it's up to them if they 17 choose to come or not. 18 MR. NORTON: That's a good idea. 19 MR. BRAZIS: Great idea. 20 MR. GROARK: And if they didn't come, 21 we could make other arrangements. Maybe get 22 some of the kids from the team of the 23 sponsor, hopefully get a group of them, 24 bring them the plaque. 16 1 MS. PLOUFFE: Most of them are local. 2 There's only like one or two that aren't 3 local. 4 MR. MOORE: We could at least 5 acknowledge them, too, when their team comes 6 up if they're not there. 7 MR. BRAZIS: Great idea. Thank you 8 and great job on the plaques. 9 MR. GROARK: Excellent job, thank you. 10 My only other item was the Texas Holdem, but 11 I see Ken's not here at the moment, so we're 12 going to leave that for now. 13 MR. NORTON: If he doesn't come, we do 14 have to visit that tonight. We have to get 15 it set up. 16 MR. GROARK: Yes, we need to see how 17 far along he is or what have you. Next item 18 is the Mites from the Mite director. 19 Parents of -- got an email from the coach of 20 the Mite B's, the parents -- some of the 21 parents of the Mite B's are questioning the 22 number of games and possible refunds, that 23 type of thing. Basically they want to know 24 if they're going to get their full allotment 17 1 of games because they started at least a 2 month late, maybe a little bit more than a 3 month. I checked with the Valley League and 4 I got an email back, and he's going to try 5 to do -- they're going to try to do 6 everything they can to get those 30 games 7 in. He's not going to know for sure, it 8 might end up being 27, 28, but it's going to 9 be close, so I did let the coach -- 10 MR. NORTON: I seem to remember they 11 paid like 1,000, but if they played so much 12 it was 1,200. Was that the Mite B's? 13 MR. GROARK: That was the Mite B's and 14 for that matter, the Mite C's 'cause they're 15 both on the same schedule and the same 16 payment plan. 17 MR. WORTHLEY: The Mite B's and the 18 Mite C's, the tuition for them was posted 19 for a very lengthy period of time on the 20 website at the beginning of the year. Was 21 that Dwayne and I were having a discussion 22 about what exactly they're going to pay. 23 Since they got -- you know, North Suburban 24 folded at the Mite level, we scrambled 18 1 around, we didn't want to be -- you know, we 2 didn't want to ask for more money and not 3 have these kids play any games. So it was 4 posted out there as tuition is $1,000, could 5 be as high as 1,200 depending upon what 6 happens by the end of the season. I also 7 met with the parents in each locker room to 8 discuss that back in September. I said, 9 "You're going to see this on the website and 10 we're going to" -- you know, "This is the 11 reason why based on what you got for 12 feedback," so -- 13 MR. NORTON: So the 1,000 was a 14 minimum, and then 1,200 if you got 30? 15 MR. WORTHLEY: Could go as high as 16 1,200 if all 30 games were played. 17 MR. NORTON: But it was never 18 contemplated that there'd be a reduction 19 below 1,000? 20 MR. WORTHLEY: Never. 21 MR. GROARK: Just so you know, I spoke 22 to the coach and I asked him about this and 23 he had no knowledge. My guess is he 24 probably wasn't at the meeting, and maybe at 19 1 the time he may not have even been the 2 coach. 3 MR. WORTHLEY: He might not have been 4 the coach. 5 MR. GROARK: Right. I don't know if 6 this is going to be a surprise to some 7 people or not if we have to -- 8 MR. WORTHLEY: It was on the website 9 posted for a lengthy period of time and 10 there were two meetings, one for each team. 11 I mean, I don't know what else -- 12 MR. NORTON: How many games do they 13 have to get to get the 1,200? Was there a 14 number of games if they played 28 games they 15 paid 1,000; if they paid 30 games, they paid 16 1,200? 17 MR. WORTHLEY: No, we weren't even 18 sure -- we hadn't even played a game yet, so 19 we were just -- if you played the 30 games 20 it was going to be $1,200. If you didn't 21 play the 30 games, we were going to stay, 22 you know, around 1,000, but we were going to 23 check it out by the end of the year. That's 24 kind of how it was moving along, and then 20 1 subsequently, you know, it got pushed off to 2 the side. 3 MR. GROARK: Originally what happened 4 was those two teams were scheduled to play 5 in the North Suburban League. The North 6 Suburban League, for the most part, just 7 folded, so our options were to get them in 8 the Valley League; is that correct? 9 MR. WORTHLEY: It was our only option. 10 We did a lot of scrambling to try to get -- 11 the Mite teams were easy because they go 12 down to Mite 5's, so it was easier to get 13 them in. The Mite B's were difficult. We 14 had to wait for parity to be over. So I 15 mean, so parity ends, what, the beginning of 16 October, middle of October, so that's when, 17 you know -- plus there were some other games 18 that were played, you know, in East Boston, 19 some compensation games, too. So at the end 20 of the day they're going to be very close. 21 And as a Mite B parent, I think the tuition 22 is very much in line with, you know, what 23 was done, but again -- 24 MR. NORTON: Which tuition, 1,000 or 21 1 1,200? 2 MR. WORTHLEY: Whichever one the Board 3 decides on, to be honest with you. I think 4 $1,200 for 30 games is very palatable. If 5 it's 28 games and you pay 1,100, that's very 6 palatable. At $1,000 for 30 games, I think 7 is a discount. 8 MR. GROARK: Taking a loss. 9 MR. RUSKOWSKI: Pat, when I was the 10 coach there and started in September, we did 11 play -- while we were in lingo there we did 12 play a few scrimmage games in East Boston, 13 you set me up with some. So we had about 14 two or three scrimmage games. 15 MR. NORTON: When you were there, is 16 it clear that the parents received the 17 message that there could be some 18 flexibility? 19 MR. RUSKOWSKI: Yeah, we had a 20 meeting. 21 MR. GROARK: So it sounds like it's 22 pretty clear that the Mite B's and C's were 23 notified of the situation about the $1,200. 24 MR. NORTON: We should let them know 22 1 now that we still haven't finalized it. 2 There could be -- let them know now that 3 there could be some adjustment based upon 4 the final number of games, and then we'll do 5 a reconciliation at the end of the year. 6 MR. WORTHLEY: I suggest you throw it 7 back up on the website, what was there to 8 begin with. It doesn't hurt. It was there 9 for a good three months. 10 MR. RUSKOWSKI: I'm sure Kenny can see 11 that, too. 12 MR. MOORE: Last year we kind of had 13 the same situation because we were in limbo 14 with the North Suburban and we had to leave 15 the North Suburban, so I believe what had 16 happened was -- and I was wondering if you 17 could do this with maybe the coaches is find 18 out exactly how many games they played, 19 including these East Boston games, so that 20 way you have it documented and you can 21 state, you know, so if it's 29, it's 29; if 22 it's 24, it's 24. That way at least, you 23 know, you're giving the fair -- like I said, 24 we had -- I think there was a small rebate 23 1 for our team last year, you know, because we 2 had lost -- we ended up -- and the Valley 3 did do a good job on trying to get those 4 extra games in for us, granted we had to 5 play a few over vacation. I think February 6 vacation we had like three or four 'cause 7 they're going to try and get those games in 8 before they're going to want to give you 9 any -- 10 MR. WORTHLEY: The league is being 11 billed for 30 games. You know, I've seen 12 the invoices, so as an organization we're 13 getting billed for the 30 games. So it is 14 to Fred's point, it would behoove them to 15 not get the 30 games in. 16 MR. GROARK: If they didn't, they are 17 going to come very close. If they didn't 18 get to 30, they are going to be very close. 19 MR. NORTON: Without giving affect to 20 the exhibition games. 21 MR. GROARK: Right, so essentially if 22 you add them in, they could be up over 30. 23 And the Mite C's, they're going to get all 24 30. They started right off the bat. 24 1 MR. MOORE: I actually went through 2 all my game sheets and counted them up and 3 gave them to Dwayne 'cause he wanted it for 4 accounting purposes also, you know. Not 5 just as much for the parents, but for the 6 organization, too, you know. 7 MR. GROARK: I think we have a good -- 8 we're keeping good track of the Mite B's. 9 We know how many games they played. I think 10 they're up to a 17-game schedule as of right 11 now, and we'll see what happens when they 12 put out the next schedule in a week or two, 13 whenever that is. Rich? 14 MR. ZABROSKI: Joe was first. 15 MR. SHRIMPF: During that period they 16 were practicing, though, they were on ice -- 17 MR. GROARK: Yes, they were. 18 MR. SHRIMPF: -- practicing, and 19 getting all the other benefits that comes 20 with their package? 21 MR. GROARK: Yes. 22 MR. ZABROSKI: Can't you just go on 23 the Valley website and pull up the team for 24 the year and it has all the games they 25 1 played? 2 MR. NORTON: The only hole is going to 3 be how many exhibition. So say you're at 28 4 at the end of the year, but they played 5 four, so now you've made the 30. 6 MR. ZABROSKI: If they play anything 7 over 25 Valley games and two or three 8 scrimmages, it puts them just about at 30. 9 So I mean if they end up playing 20 games in 10 the Valley then you can see giving them a 11 lesser rate, but anything over 24, 25 Valley 12 games should be at the higher rate. 13 MR. WORTHLEY: The lesser rate, too, 14 Rich, to your point was the $1,000. 15 MR. ZABROSKI: Right. 16 MR. WORTHLEY: So if you get the full 17 Valley League, you know -- the combination, 18 any combination getting to 30 games was 19 going to be an expected $200 increase. 20 MR. NORTON: I don't know if we want 21 to put it on the schedule, we can do that, 22 but do we just want to remind them? Want to 23 have a meeting? 24 MR. GROARK: We need to remind them. 26 1 MR. NORTON: Personally, maybe at a 2 game, just talk to the parents specifically, 3 so they don't have a surprise. We can 4 reconcile at the end of the year. 5 MR. WORTHLEY: Yeah, please remember, 6 the majority, large majority of the parents 7 know. This is just to make sure you get the 8 onsie, twosies. 9 MR. GROARK: Right. 10 MR. BRAZIS: Any further discussion, 11 Pat? 12 MR. GROARK: On that topic, no. I 13 think we need to have a meeting with the 14 Mite B and C parents just to let them know 15 there's going to be an additional $200 due. 16 MR. NORTON: Possibly. 17 MR. BRAZIS: Possibly. 18 MR. NORTON: We'll reconcile at the 19 end of the year. The C's are a given. 20 MR. GROARK: The C's are pretty much a 21 given. They started right from the get-go. 22 They're going to get their 30. 23 MR. NORTON: The B's are the ones we 24 need to reconcile. 27 1 MR. GROARK: Yeah, and they're going 2 to come pretty close. Last item for the 3 Mites is we had a complaint from some cross 4 ice coaches from other towns about our cross 5 ice teams. I spoke to the coaches and kind 6 of got a better feeling for what's going on. 7 I really don't think the problem lies with 8 our coaches and our teams. I think there's 9 another coach within the North Suburban 10 League kind of causing the trouble, I think 11 there -- I think Hatch kind of put it as our 12 team was being maybe a little bit too 13 aggressive, maybe too competitive; and from 14 talking to the coaches, it sounds like it's 15 this one other coach from one other team. 16 So just so you're aware, I'm still working 17 with Hatch, I spoke to him again today, told 18 him the feedback I got from our coaches. I 19 spoke to our coaches individually, not as a 20 group, and I got the same feedback about 21 this one other coach, so I gave Hatch that 22 information. I actually have an email from 23 one of the coaches which pointed out some of 24 the things that were going on, but I'm 28 1 waiting to hear back from Hatch now. He's 2 going to talk to the director of the cross 3 ice and he's going to get back to me. 4 MR. NORTON: The director for North 5 Suburban? 6 MR. GROARK: Director for -- yeah -- 7 not the North Suburban. The director of the 8 cross ice, yes. So once Hatch gets back to 9 me and we talk to these folks, then I'll let 10 you know what happens. That's all I have 11 for now. 12 MR. BRAZIS: Very good. Ellen, where 13 you have to go, I'll go out of order. Would 14 you like to go next, anything to report? 15 MS. COCCOLUTO: I really don't have 16 anything, to be honest with you. I'm open 17 to any suggestions, anything anybody wants 18 to put up on the board for fundraising, I'm 19 willing to follow through with it. 20 MR. WORTHLEY: I'm looking to start a 21 wrestling event for March. 22 MS. COCCOLUTO: That's fine. I'll be 23 more than happy to help you sell tickets. 24 Any particular dates, Steve? 29 1 MR. WORTHLEY: That's what I'd like to 2 work out, you know. You seem to know when 3 is good for, like, baseball and all those 4 other things, so I'd like to get with you, 5 get a good idea from you in terms of what 6 the dates would be. 7 MS. COCCOLUTO: Okay. 8 MR. BRAZIS: Anything else, Ellen? 9 MS. COCCOLUTO: No, that's okay. 10 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. Anthony Bono, 11 our ice coordinator. 12 MR. BONO: Not much. I will update 13 the February schedule to include the goalie 14 clinic, and I'm going to send an email out 15 to all the coaches tomorrow, they can let 16 everybody know. And I just want to mention 17 that tomorrow and Thursday, Kasabuski is the 18 Ace Bailey Skills. From what I understand 19 from John Hatch is it's put on the by the 20 NHL for the Ace Foundation, and I guess 21 anybody can attend, so -- 22 MR. NORTON: What time is it? 23 MR. GROARK: I believe it's 4:50 for 24 Squirts. 30 1 MR. BONO: I honestly don't have any 2 times. I was not given any hours. 3 MR. MOORE: I actually ran into a 4 problem today, I don't know if you know 5 that. I have the 7:10. 6 MR. BONO: The practice schedule kind 7 of -- he just says, "No practice. Ace 8 Bailey Skills." It had nothing to do with 9 the times really. The times don't coincide 10 with anything, so I'm not sure -- I can try 11 to touch base with John Hatch tomorrow to 12 see if it's Squirts and Mites at 4:50. 13 MR. BRAZIS: It's actually just 14 Squirts and PeeWees. 15 MR. ZABROSKI: I looked online today. 16 MR. GROARK: You can go to Ace Bailey 17 Skills and plug that into the search engine, 18 it will bring up what you're looking for. 19 MR. NORTON: We're not charged for 20 that ice; right? 21 MR. BONO: No. 22 MR. BRAZIS: This has nothing to do 23 with us. 24 MR. BONO: I think anybody can go. 31 1 MR. WORTHLEY: But this would be a 2 good week to examine the bill. 3 MR. BONO: I keep track of hours and 4 send hours to Dwayne to make sure that we're 5 not getting billed incorrectly, so I just 6 wanted to bring that up. Other than that, 7 I'm all set. 8 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. Mr. Zabroski, 9 Squirt/PeeWee. 10 MR. ZABROSKI: One of the things I 11 wanted to talk about was the Ace Bailey 12 Skills and how, you know, as a Squirt/PeeWee 13 director I think the rink should at least 14 notify the Board to let us know that, you 15 know, we have Squirts and PeeWees in our 16 rink that it's open to. Without seeing it 17 on the practice schedule Friday and I looked 18 in the internet to find some information 19 about it, it was like -- you know, if we 20 didn't see it, we probably would have known 21 nothing about it. 22 MR. NORTON: Is Maniff throwing the 23 select type kids in there? 24 MR. ZABROSKI: Supposedly from what I 32 1 read, there's a house and travel. They 2 broke it down Squirts and PeeWees house. I 3 think they have anything that's Tier 4 and 4 lower is considered house, and house go 5 against house kids for times, and then 6 travellers -- it said 3 and up. It didn't 7 say select, so I'm not sure if it's open to 8 Tier 1 or just Tier 2 and 3, and it has also 9 PeeWees travel and house, so it's $20 a 10 person to register online, but I mean, if 11 they've known about it for a while, they 12 should at least let Saugus Youth Hockey know 13 so we can let our kids know. 14 MR. NORTON: I'll talk to Hatch. 15 MR. BRAZIS: I wouldn't have known 16 about it unless Tony put it on the practice 17 schedule. 18 MR. ZABROSKI: Right, and I found out 19 Friday when you sent it out and I'm like, 20 What's this? And people saw it, too. 21 They're like, What's this? And nobody 22 seemed to have any information on it. 23 MR. MOORE: Can I ask a quick 24 question? What are the times it had online? 33 1 MR. ZABROSKI: It had Squirts first 2 and then PeeWees. There might have been 3 4:50 and 6:00. 4 MR. MOORE: Not past 7:10? 5 MR. GROARK: I'm pretty sure that's 6 what it was. I looked at it today. 7 MR. NORTON: You don't know if you 8 have practice, is that what you're trying to 9 get? 10 MR. MOORE: I had a problem with John 11 and I don't want to -- I can talk to Tony 12 about this after. I had switched with Chris 13 Connors for Thursday night at 7:10, and then 14 I called him today to confirm that I had 15 refs and scorekeepers for 7:10, and he was 16 like, Oh, crap. He said that possibly that 17 that might be going real late, and I have a 18 team coming from Nashua for the 7:10 game, 19 you know. 20 MR. BONO: Tomorrow? 21 MR. MOORE: Thursday night. So he 22 said that I might end up going on late, but 23 I'm concerned 'cause these kids are coming 24 from Nashua. Again, I'll talk to you about 34 1 that. 2 MR. ZABROSKI: 'Cause we don't know 3 how many people are going to be going on. 4 It doesn't say it's open to a number of 5 players. It just says, you know, you 6 register online, so if you have 200 kids 7 come out -- and I don't know how they broke 8 it by days 'cause the Squirts and PeeWees 9 going on both days. I'm not sure if one's 10 house and one's travel, but I mean that's -- 11 I looked quickly tonight, so I got a little 12 information. I didn't get a lot on it. 13 MR. NORTON: Is that the only 14 potential conflict is yours at 7:10; we have 15 nothing else scheduled? 16 MR. BONO: We have no hours for 17 Wednesday and Thursday. 18 MR. MOORE: I have the 7:10 right now. 19 I switched with Chris Connors. He called me 20 to ask if we could switch. I said, "Yeah," 21 and then because Nashua can't come down for 22 a 6:00 or a 4:50 -- they just can't, people 23 can't get out of work. So when I got that 24 opportunity for the 7:10, I was like that's 35 1 the only opportunity I'll get to make up 2 that game. 3 MR. ZABROSKI: Getting to the next one 4 was I had contacted Kevin over the weekend 5 about possibly trying to get the PeeWee A's 6 moved down a division. We're in most games 7 for two periods, and after that it's just -- 8 we're like four and fifteen this year and 9 it's wearing thin on the players, and every 10 time they come there they compete for a 11 while and then the other team just blows us 12 away in the third period 'cause they just 13 got more talent, more lines and everything 14 else, so I was going to talk to Kevin and 15 see how he made out with that later. 16 MR. NIGRO: I contacted Paul 17 Gillmartin, Matt Johnson and I copied 18 Tracey, and I haven't heard back from them 19 yet, but they did send out notice that 20 everything was locked. I think January 21 19th, rosters and I believe divisional 22 designations, but they even inquired before 23 on their own about some of our teams saying, 24 "Hey, what's going on? Can you tell me a 36 1 little bit more about this team? Did they 2 lose players? Is something happening?" 3 They inquired if we wanted to move, so I 4 don't think it's out of the question. So 5 we'll definitely follow-up if I don't hear 6 from him again tomorrow. 7 MR. MOORE: I'm surprised they didn't 8 inquire about you, just when they inquired 9 about me. 10 MR. ZABROSKI: Right. 11 MR. MOORE: So maybe there were some 12 scores there. Were your scores better? 13 MR. ZABROSKI: I mean, we've lost a 14 lot of games like 5-3, 6-3. 15 MR. NIGRO: That's not going to raise 16 a red flag. 17 MR. ZABROSKI: Right, but we still get 18 a minus 20 goal differential and the last 19 two games we played teams that came up from 20 the lower division and we lost 7-2 and 4-1 21 and it wasn't even a close game. If we're 22 playing teams like that, then we should get 23 moved down a division to be more 24 competitive, because, you know, four of the 37 1 wins, two came against one team, and the 2 other ones we won and lost against teams 3 that got moved down, so it's just -- you 4 know, we've been in the white division all 5 year, and, you know, we don't have the fire 6 power and the offense to keep up with these 7 other towns; and luckily our goalie has 8 played very well and he's the reason why 9 some of the scores have been down, because 10 he probably faces 30 shots a game and stands 11 on his head most nights, but that was the 12 second one. 13 The third one we can probably discuss 14 later. Mr. Salvetti wants to discuss the 15 league-wide gender policy. I don't know if 16 you want to do that now or later at open 17 forum. 18 MR. BRAZIS: Open forum. 19 MR. ZABROSKI: That's all I have. 20 MR. BRAZIS: If I may, Colleen, I'd 21 just like to recognize that Kevin Nigro, the 22 league rep is -- are you now present? 23 MR. NIGRO: Yes, I am. Present. 24 MR. DeMATTEO: Nothing really on the 38 1 Bantams, but just to reiterate what Pat said 2 on the Midget's team, we had to pull the 3 team, but part of it was the numbers. There 4 were only 12 kids on the team and there 5 weren't enough commitments. So the people 6 who were left who were paid up or who were 7 making the commitments, it still wasn't 8 enough players and that's why we had to pull 9 the team. So unfortunately, we had to pull 10 the team because of the small numbers of 11 players on that team. If it was a 15- or 12 16-player team, we could have kept the team 13 going. Unfortunately, the numbers just hurt 14 us and that's really it on the Midgets. 15 That's really it. 16 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you, Dana. Fred, 17 equipment director. 18 MR. MOORE: I gotta buy some socks, 19 but I don't know -- there's, like, one or 20 two pairs of socks I need and I'm having 21 trouble just finding them. They can order 22 them, but, you know. When I ordered it at 23 the beginning of the year, I just ordered 24 real tight to try and keep the number down, 39 1 but then for some reason, you know, just 2 missing certain particular sizes. I don't 3 know. 4 MS. PLOUFFE: What colors or size do 5 you need? 6 MR. MOORE: I need the blacks. Do you 7 have the blacks? 8 MS. PLOUFFE: I think I have two pairs 9 of blacks, long ones. 10 MR. MOORE: Where did you get them? 11 MS. PLOUFFE: From last year and this 12 year. Christopher's still wearing ones from 13 like three years ago 'cause he's so small. 14 MR. AIKEN: Old School just ordered a 15 whole bunch. 16 MR. MOORE: Oh, really? 17 MR. NORTON: Who's Old School? 18 MR. MOORE: I probably would recommend 19 next year that maybe buy another five, ten 20 percent just because it's been -- you know, 21 certain particular sizes, some years you go 22 through more medium or more small, but 23 that's it. Everything else is fine. 24 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. Joe, ethics. 40 1 MR. SHRIMPF: There was an incident 2 with a Bantam player. The assistant coach 3 approached me after the game and said he was 4 taking a lot of lip from one of the players 5 on the team. I went to the head coach, he 6 said he knows about it. He said he spoke to 7 the kid on the bench. I went to the parent, 8 the parent said he had been notified by the 9 coach and he spoke with the child and he 10 guaranteed that it will not happen again. 11 He said that -- I told him it's on notice 12 and if it does happen again we're going to, 13 you know, pursue it a little further if we 14 have to. 15 MR. BRAZIS: Very good. Thank you. 16 MR. SHRIMPF: That's it. 17 MR. BRAZIS: Kevin, you didn't have a 18 chance. 19 MR. NIGRO: As Rich said, we're 20 working with the PeeWee A's and the Valley 21 League to see if we can do a little 22 realignment. I'll follow that with an 23 email, copy you both on it. 24 MR. NORTON: You don't need our 41 1 approval, though; right? If you get the -- 2 we're fine, if you get the go, just send 3 them down; right? You don't need approval. 4 MR. NIGRO: Very good. 5 MR. BRAZIS: We're good with that. 6 MR. NIGRO: The other thing is, 7 Freddy, we're all set. 8 MR. MOORE: Well, my goalie is still 9 not on there. 10 MR. NIGRO: I put him on the roster. 11 MR. MOORE: I just want to confirm. I 12 know Stacy said I'm all set with that, but, 13 you know, I'm playing in the Districts next 14 week and I want to make sure that -- 15 MR. NIGRO: I'll chase it. Freddy 16 asked that I update his Valley players 17 roster with numbers and names, make sure 18 they're right. What you can do to me -- for 19 me is I need, I think, his date of birth. 20 There was one field that was empty and I put 21 something 2000. 22 MR. MOORE: Is that possibly why he's 23 not on it right? 24 MR. NIGRO: I'm guessing maybe. 42 1 MR. MOORE: I know Stacy has it on the 2 roster. 3 MR. NIGRO: Email me his correct 4 birthday. Yeah, and I didn't have the 5 benefit of that, so send me that and I'll 6 follow-up with Gillmartin again tomorrow to 7 see why it wasn't changed. There's a change 8 once a week, so I expected that change to be 9 shown by now. 10 MR. MOORE: All that was on there. 11 The only thing was when I went to look at 12 it, my goalie wasn't on there. 13 MR. GROARK: Is the player on the 14 actual USA roster? 15 MR. NIGRO: Yeah. 16 MR. MOORE: You notice now that every 17 time you go on the Valley site, you know, 18 I'm just concerned that, you know, come 19 playoff time -- we haven't won many -- but 20 come playoff time, I think the last one I 21 want to lose is my goalie. 22 MR. GROARK: True. 23 MR. NIGRO: The other thing is I 24 helped Frank Serino cancel the game 43 1 Superbowl Sunday 6:30. 2 MR. BRAZIS: They made that up, 3 though. 4 MR. NIGRO: We made it up. He had his 5 own time. He did his own swap. I contacted 6 the Valley. This is what came up and I 7 don't know what to do about it. You have to 8 let them know what's going on, you fill out 9 the game cancelation, then we alerted them 10 that we rescheduled it, "Please send 11 referees and scorekeepers." Well, they sent 12 referees, they forgot to send the 13 scorekeeper. A parent, I think, did it, but 14 they also had to pay the referees when they 15 showed up. So Frank Serino paid $60 out of 16 his pocket, $30 dollars a piece to the refs. 17 I called Gillmartin and asked him, he said 18 that's standard procedure that when they 19 show up they have to be paid. And now I 20 have Scott Wittredge also cancelled and 21 rescheduled, he's got his own referee, which 22 I don't think we need to tell the Valley. 23 We're going to say it's provided for 24 Kasabuski, it's cheaper, but Scott is going 44 1 to pay the $25 out of his pocket. So is 2 there a policy about reimbursement for the 3 coaches? 4 MR. BRAZIS: I had a make-up game back 5 in October and I paid for the referees and 6 the scorekeeper myself. 7 MR. MOORE: So what did that run you, 8 $90? 9 MR. BRAZIS: It was $50. $20 each for 10 the referees and 10 for the scorekeeper. 11 MR. NIGRO: I think it's PeeWees are 12 more money. 13 MR. MOORE: I mean, that's great, 14 that's fine and dandy, I'd probably do the 15 same thing, but I mean, some people 16 aren't -- 17 MR. NIGRO: Well, here's the thing, I 18 asked Gillmartin, it doesn't seem right, you 19 used Saugus Youth Hockey's practice hour to 20 substitute for a Valley hour. He said that 21 if you notify him ahead of time and they can 22 reschedule and use that sleeve of ice, you 23 don't get charged for it, you get a credit 24 back. That's why we're keeping that log. 45 1 So if they do sell the ice, there should be 2 a credit realized by the end of the season. 3 MR. NORTON: Did they charge us for 4 the officials for the other one or is it 5 built in to the overall ice time? 6 MR. NIGRO: It's built in to the 7 overall cost of the game, $135 a piece. 8 MR. NORTON: So we're not going to get 9 a break on that then? 10 MR. NIGRO: I don't think so. But, of 11 course, if they can sell the ice then you 12 obviously get a credit. If you credit the 13 $60 dollars, you paid the refs the $50, 14 whatever type of game it is, that still 15 leaves a credit for that sleeve of ice, $135 16 minus the 60. It's something you might want 17 to consider. I don't know how many other 18 coaches have paid out of their pocket. 19 MR. MOORE: I have. I've paid myself 20 once, but I've had other occasions where you 21 go and sometimes everyone -- like one year 22 every parent throws up a dollar or two 23 dollars, you know what I mean? 24 MR. NIGRO: Yeah, I almost hoped that 46 1 that would happen so the coach wouldn't have 2 to pay $90 out of pocket, $60 out of pocket. 3 I don't know. Maybe it's something we can 4 discuss in another meeting of how coaches 5 are reimbursed. That shouldn't happen. 6 They're already volunteering their time, a 7 lot of effort, a lot of preparation. 8 Recognition that it's hard work. You 9 shouldn't have to pay $90 out of your 10 pocket. Maybe something for future 11 business. 12 MR. BRAZIS: Very good. 13 MR. NIGRO: Let's see. I have 14 Wittredge I have to take care of this week 15 and get him a time keeper, we'll take care 16 of the PeeWee A's and that's it. 17 MR. NORTON: When is the make-up for 18 that one? 19 MR. MOORE: Friday. I think it's 20 Friday at 4:50. Call John, that's what I 21 did for Thursday night. 22 MR. NIGRO: I'm just going to call 23 John. 24 MR. MOORE: John took care of the refs 47 1 for me. 2 MR. NIGRO: I call both. I call 3 Gillmartin and I call John Hatch. I always 4 make sure I call Hatch to let him know 5 what's going on. 6 MR. BONO: I think it's Friday at 7 6:00. 8 MR. NORTON: It must be 6:00. 9 MR. BRAZIS: Anything else, Kevin? 10 MR. NIGRO: No, that's it. 11 MR. BRAZIS: Does anybody else have 12 anything else? Directors, E. Board. 13 MR. NORTON: Do we want to at least 14 talk about the Texas Holdem before we open 15 it up? I know Ken's not here. I think we 16 need to -- we'll give Ken a call, but I 17 think we need to get it scheduled for March. 18 I know it's been dragging. Lucia, do you 19 have any information on that? 20 MS. PLOUFFE: My only information I 21 heard, I had asked Kenny about it, was that 22 Frank Serino was looking into something in 23 Saugus. You're not going to get an okay 24 from the police chief in Saugus from what I 48 1 understand 'cause other people have tried. 2 I did offer up to Kenny, I had spoke to Mark 3 and he said he would let us use his permit 4 for Bostonville. Either that or you're 5 going to have to approach the police chief 6 for permits and they give you so many times 7 that you can either permit for a Texas 8 Holden tournament. 9 MR. NIGRO: Through the chair, if I 10 could. Did they try the new chief? 11 MS. PLOUFFE: My understanding was 12 someone just approached the new police chief 13 about it in Saugus for another fundraiser 14 and they were told no way in hell. 15 MR. BRAZIS: So that's a no. Yeah, 16 'cause Bostonville was mentioned the last 17 time. 18 MR. MOORE: It's convenient. It's 19 right there. 20 MR. NORTON: We gotta grab it now. 21 It's getting late. 22 MS. PLOUFFE: Are you guys going to 23 use a company to run the tournament? 24 MR. NORTON: There's a couple. I 49 1 guess Mr. Mitchell he was very happy with 2 the one they used. And then Ken said he was 3 very happy with the one they used last time. 4 I think it was Capone's. 5 MR. NIGRO: It may be worth talking to 6 him. We did it for Saint Mary's in Melrose 7 and we hired the person for his tables and 8 his expertise and had volunteer dealers to 9 defer you the cost. They basically act as a 10 pit box, you know, raise your hand if you 11 had a problem. 12 MR. NORTON: The push back that was 13 brought up last time -- I think it was you, 14 Fred -- is that a lot of these, if you bring 15 Capone's or Mitchell's guy, they bring their 16 own following with them. They're there to 17 play poker, they're not there for the 18 charity, and if you don't know have dealers 19 that they know, they get irritated at the 20 parents who don't know how to really deal. 21 MR. NIGRO: Yeah, that's happened. 22 MR. MOORE: We just had a meeting for 23 baseball, I think last week or two weeks. I 24 don't know if anybody here was there, but 50 1 the guy actually came in and gave a small 2 10-minute presentation. 3 MR. NORTON: Which guy was this? 4 MR. MOORE: I didn't get his name, but 5 it was nice. He came in and laid everything 6 on the table, this is what it does, 'cause I 7 mean, he wants the business, you know, and 8 -- but he said the key to get the word out 9 and get yourself, like, at least a month, 10 two months. He didn't even think a month 11 was enough, but two months of advertising 12 and letting them know that it's happening 13 'cause that's how you get the people. He 14 said sometimes he'll have 30 or 40 of his 15 guys will show, sometimes it will be 10 16 guys, so you want to get the word out is the 17 key. 18 MS. PLOUFFE: I know the place that 19 Mark uses, they send out emails all the time 20 whenever they're doing them anywhere. 21 MR. MOORE: They have customers that 22 go to a lot of their things, so sometimes 23 they'll get all their following, half their 24 following. 51 1 MR. NIGRO: The key to the Saint 2 Mary's one we were told is they priced it 3 right. Some of them were $125, you get 45 4 people if you're lucky, but then when they 5 make them 75 with some buy-ins, you know, 6 different games when people get knocked out, 7 you got a bigger crowd, a lot more people. 8 Mark Mitchell, I mean, he's the one who runs 9 them successfully through the Saugus Braves. 10 MS. PLOUFFE: He did it for the 11 Cyclones not too long ago. 12 MR. NIGRO: He gets a good crowd. 13 MR. WORTHLEY: If the Board doesn't 14 mind, I'd be happy to work with Mark 15 Mitchell and get this thing off the ground. 16 MR. NORTON: Can we work with Ken? I 17 think Ken's done some footwork on this, can 18 we reach out? 19 MR. WORTHLEY: I'll reach out to Ken, 20 I'll reach out to Mark and get this thing. 21 MR. NORTON: Yeah, especially if he 22 thinks it takes 45 to 60 days, now you're 23 talking middle of March, end of April, now 24 you're into baseball season, so it would be 52 1 good to kind of get things together as soon 2 as possible, but I wouldn't want to cut Ken 3 out 'cause he's done a lot of footwork on 4 this thing. 5 MR. MOORE: Can you advertise that in 6 the paper? 7 MR. WORTHLEY: I'll talk to Mark about 8 it. 9 MR. NORTON: Do you want to talk to 10 Mark and keep Ken in the loop and can you 11 get back to us this week or next week? 12 MR. MOORE: I mean, local papers to 13 attract. I mean, yeah, do the Herald, do 14 the Globe, but I know that's expensive to 15 advertise. But if you do something local to 16 attract people that want to help this 17 organization, you know what I'm saying? 18 MR. NORTON: They're hiring these guys 19 for their expertise, so hopefully they'll be 20 able to tell you. 21 MR. MOORE: That guy that did the 22 presentation for the baseball was very 23 thorough. He laid everything out on the 24 table. The do's and don't's pretty much. 53 1 MR. NIGRO: There were two poker 2 tournaments in the past for Saugus Youth 3 Hockey. One was very successful, the second 4 wasn't. 5 MR. MOORE: The Patriots. 6 MR. NIGRO: You have to check the 7 calendar. Be very careful what date you 8 pick. Playoffs coming up with Bruin's, 9 baseball starting. You have to really look 10 closely. 11 MR. NORTON: That's another good 12 reason to do it at Bostonville because at 13 least you have the TVs as opposed to -- you 14 can get -- 15 MR. MOORE: That room only holds so 16 many people, too, back there. 17 MS. PLOUFFE: I think Mark said that 18 other room on the other side now they can 19 set that up, too, now. 20 MR. WORTHLEY: I would just think -- 21 at least with the way the economy is, I 22 wouldn't necessarily think 100 people. Go 23 in with certain expectation and if they meet 24 those or exceed them, that's good, instead 54 1 of thinking that you're going to get -- 2 MR. MOORE: This guy points out that 3 there's like a magic number. It's like 60 4 or 70. If you can get that 60 -- 5 MR. NORTON: Everything else is -- 6 MR. MOORE: -- then you can make some 7 money. 8 MR. WORTHLEY: It's a weird thing. I 9 put on ten of them, and, you know, like 10 Kevin was saying earlier, you can be on a 11 roll and get all the people in there and 12 just no one show up when you get a ton of -- 13 you get a ton of confirmations. 14 MR. NORTON: If you can work with Ken 15 on that and Mitchell and get us a good 16 update by the end of next week, then we can 17 try to move forward the best we can. We 18 haven't seen all the final figures. We 19 still have some more money to collect, but 20 we're going to need at least that, if not 21 something else to help. 22 MR. WORTHLEY: At least what? 23 MR. NORTON: I don't have that in 24 front of me right now. We're going to need 55 1 -- Dwayne hasn't finished putting everything 2 that we've received in on the collections 3 and where we are, and then we're going to 4 need at least one, if not two good 5 fundraisers just to break even this year. 6 Thanks. 7 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. Board, any 8 last? 9 MR. ZABROSKI: Have you guys talked 10 about tryouts, when they're going to happen 11 yet? 'Cause some parents might have 12 questions about registration in March and if 13 you have tryouts six to eight weeks later. 14 MR. NORTON: We said we're going to 15 have the tryouts on Wednesday, March 11th. 16 MR. ZABROSKI: Registration. 17 MR. NORTON: The tryouts we're hoping 18 to get that done before the end of March. 19 We're trying to get folks from area high 20 schools to be the evaluators. We're talking 21 to the some of the coaches at Austin Prep, 22 at Malden Catholic, at Saugus High, a couple 23 of others to come in, independent 24 evaluators, each take a session, so that you 56 1 have rather than just a -- you know, try to 2 get some folks who understand the game to 3 kind of evaluate the players. 4 MR. BRAZIS: We're looking at what, 5 March 16th and the 23rd? 6 MR. GROARK: The last week in March we 7 were looking to do tryouts. Before the 8 playoffs, right. 9 MS. PLOUFFE: Will you guys take into 10 consideration other tryouts that are going 11 on, 'cause that 16th through the 23rd, 12 there's a lot of select team tryouts, and I 13 know a lot of them will be at Kasabuski, 14 too? 15 MR. MOORE: I think if you start doing 16 that, you're never ever going to be able to. 17 MS. PLOUFFE: But I always thought 18 that's why Saugus Youth Hockey always did 19 their tryouts in April because March is 20 usually the time for all your select 21 tryouts. 22 MR. NORTON: I wasn't aware of that. 23 MR. NIGRO: It is mostly in March. 24 MS. PLOUFFE: Yeah, they're all select 57 1 tryouts. 2 MR. WORTHLEY: We have a reference in 3 the room that can talk about the past if you 4 guys want, if you're interested. 5 MR. BRAZIS: Sure. 6 MR. WHITLOCK: Are you supposed to be 7 recognized at the podium or -- 8 MR. BRAZIS: Go ahead, John. Speak 9 up. 10 MR. WHITLOCK: A couple years we did 11 April 'cause it was the end of the season 12 and obviously after playoffs, it took a long 13 turn around time to get the committee 14 together, get the rosters out there, so we 15 said let's do it in March. We actually did 16 it in mid March one year and there were some 17 select tryouts, not that we took into 18 consideration what selects were doing 'cause 19 Saugus Youth Hockey is its own entity, you 20 play Saugus Youth Hockey, that's it. We 21 kind of looked at some schedules and had an 22 idea. We didn't really work around it, but 23 we figured it out. 24 MR. NORTON: What worked better for 58 1 the whole process, to have it in March or to 2 have it in April? 3 MR. WHITLOCK: I think in March, the 4 last week in March. Only concern you had 5 was some coaches will be saying, "Well, 6 we're getting ready for playoffs, why aren't 7 we practicing?" Usually they got a practice 8 in any way. 9 MR. MOORE: I think there's so many 10 programs right now. I mean, you could find 11 a tryout for every day in March. 12 MS. PLOUFFE: Most of them are done 13 before the last week. I went on the 14 websites and checked some of them out and 15 they're that week up to the 23rd. Then that 16 last week of March it didn't show many, but 17 I know, like, the Wings have a lot of 18 tryouts at Kasabuski this year and it's all 19 that week that you guys first mentioned. 20 MR. BRAZIS: But not the last week of 21 March? 22 MS. PLOUFFE: No. 23 MR. WHITLOCK: If you do March 28th 24 on, you'll be fine. I know that. 59 1 MR. BRAZIS: Colleen, could you notice 2 that the treasurer, Mr. Oxley, is here? 3 (Mr. Oxley now present.) 4 MR. BRAZIS: Dwayne, would you like to 5 speak on anything? 6 MR. OXLEY: Yeah. As of today, the 7 collections have gotten better through the 8 latest round of efforts. We have about 9 $8,000 in the bank. I have about another 10 nine or ten thousand on my -- not on me 11 tonight, but with me to deposit, and then 12 whatever Pat has collected this week. So, 13 you know, roughly we have $18,000 in the 14 bank or will be in the bank this week. We 15 still owe the Valley League $18,000. That 16 number will go down at their year-end audit 17 because the Midgets, the Midget team didn't 18 end up doing the second half of the season 19 and we were already billed for that. I 20 don't know what that dollar impact is right 21 now. So I'll plan on paying the Valley 22 League something this week, probably about 23 $5,000 because we will owe the Kasabuski 24 rink, Mr. Maniff roughly $10,000 for 60 1 January's ice time. So 18,000 minus 10,000, 2 minus, say, 5,000 leaves us about $3,000 and 3 we still have to pay for the whole month of 4 February, whole month of March. 5 MR. NORTON: And 13,000 on the Valley. 6 MR. OXLEY: And we'll still owe 7 Valley. 8 MR. NORTON: So roughly 20,000 -- 9 MR. OXLEY: We still have money 10 outstanding for this year. 11 MR. NORTON: Were there some payments 12 made this month on some things? I thought 13 we had like 23,000 last month. Did we send 14 out some checks this month? 15 MR. OXLEY: Well, we paid -- we're 16 paid -- right now we're paid up for the ice 17 time for practice ice. We pay them, you 18 know -- January, I'll pay them within the 19 next two weeks. He had wanted his money 20 upfront, but, you know, he's agreeing -- he 21 hasn't really come looking. He'll start 22 probably calling me next week for January's 23 payment. The Valley, we sent -- I sent the 24 Valley $6,000 a few weeks back, that brought 61 1 it down from 24 to 18, and then we just got 2 a bill from the Valley for next year, if we 3 decide to stay in the Valley League, the 4 registration for next year based on 11 5 teams -- I'm not sure we'll have 11 teams -- 6 would be 2,200. It's $200 a team for 7 registration. 8 MR. NORTON: Is the ice going to run 9 10,000 a month for February and March as 10 well? 11 MR. OXLEY: Roughly. It's been -- our 12 hours have been a little bit less, but it's 13 not just the practice ice, it's the cross 14 ice and instructional games that are 15 happening, so I forget what those are per 16 game, but if we're playing more games -- I 17 don't know how many teams we have playing 18 cross ice versus instructional, but we get 19 billed for those games for the month. The 20 practice ice has been pretty consistent, the 21 hours are roughly the same, and they'll 22 probably be -- I wouldn't be surprised in 23 February if we lose a couple, you know. 24 Generally, high school teams, if they make 62 1 the tournament, will ask if we're willing to 2 give up an hour here or there, that's 3 happened in the past, but for the most part, 4 we'll have the same hours. That's been 5 running between eight and ten thousand just 6 for the practice ice. 7 MR. NORTON: So for January, February, 8 March we owe 30,000 to the rink, 9 approximately. 10,000 a month. 10 MR. OXLEY: Yup. 11 MR. NORTON: 13,000 will be the 12 remaining balance to the Valley after you 13 pay the 5,000 tomorrow; right? 14 MR. OXLEY: Yup. 15 MR. NORTON: So that means we owe 16 43,000 -- 17 MR. OXLEY: The Valley's will be less 18 than that because that number has the full 19 season Midget built into it. 20 MR. NORTON: So somewhere around 21 43,000 we owe, and we've got between 17,000 22 and 19,000; right? How much do you have? 23 MR. GROARK: I have 3,000. 24 MR. NORTON: So we have 20,000 to 63 1 cover. So we need about 23,000 to raise. 2 That's what we're staring at as a shortfall 3 right now and we have some recoveries -- 4 MR. DeMATTEO: To me it looks like 5 it's 33,000 less whatever the credit you get 6 from the Midgets, whatever that might be. 7 So, you know, I think it might be even more. 8 It might be 25 to 30. 9 MR. NORTON: There are some 10 outstanding balances on the Midgets to 11 collect, and I think there's -- 12 MR. DeMATTEO: We have some money that 13 we're collecting, yeah. 14 MR. BRAZIS: There's some other money. 15 MR. NORTON: So we're probably looking 16 at somewhere around -- between 15,000 and 17 18,000 is what we need to raise to cover the 18 rest of the expenses this year. 19 MR. WORTHLEY: I'll get you that Texas 20 Holdem thing by the end of the week. 21 MR. NORTON: That will be helpful, if 22 we can get that in place. If there's any 23 other ideas. I know that Coco Keys or 24 anything else anybody wants to look into. 64 1 We're open to any suggestions now. 2 MR. DeMATTEO: What happens if there 3 is a shortfall and we don't raise anymore 4 money, and we collect everything we can and 5 we're still in the hole $18,000? What 6 happens? Do they shut us off, like, in 7 March? 8 MR. OXLEY: No. Well, you know, 9 again, we've never been in this position 10 because every year -- again, I used to be 11 able to float the North Suburban League. 12 You know, North Suburban, which was North 13 Suburban League and the practice ice, I 14 always paid the Valley; and then when I got 15 it, as it came in, I paid North Suburban and 16 I'd pay Kasabuski, you know, for the -- so 17 I've never been in this position. I 18 doubt -- you know, I think the Valley will 19 work with us. I think that they play -- 20 they're tougher. It's a business. They are 21 businessmen, but I think, you know, we're 22 not the only -- I know we're not the only 23 organization that's having this problem, so 24 they're dealing with people, you know, with 65 1 programs that are coming up short. 2 MR. DeMATTEO: Dwayne, is there a way 3 of finding out -- 'cause I know we 4 definitely closed the gap -- but whatever 5 last year's shortfall was and then you do 6 something for this year to see how much 7 we've closed the gap to show that we're 8 improving, 'cause I'm sure we gotta be 9 improving? 10 MR. OXLEY: Yeah, it's better. I can. 11 It's hard because I always -- 12 MR. DeMATTEO: It's a moving target. 13 MR. OXLEY: Every year we'll do our 14 registration in March and all that money 15 goes into the bank, and unfortunately, it 16 pays the bills for last year, for this year, 17 so I can get close to separating what the 18 real -- 19 MR. DeMATTEO: Right, without touching 20 the registration coming up in March just to 21 know what that real number is. 22 MR. OXLEY: You know, the factors that 23 hurt us this year -- we've done a better job 24 with collections, even though they were kind 66 1 of painstaking at the end. The biggest 2 factors were we went into this year thinking 3 we were going to be in Valley and North 4 Suburban, and, you know, pulling a full 5 season Valley 45-game schedule is more 6 expensive than the split that we used to do. 7 Valley games are 240, 245 a game compared to 8 North Suburban used to be 185, 200, tops. 9 So that and our numbers, you know, we had -- 10 I don't know what they are, but we had a lot 11 of kids leave the program, and if the 12 payment for a team is based on, say, 13 13 skaters and a goalie, and any team has less 14 than that right now, we're not covering the 15 costs. 16 MR. DeMATTEO: I was going to say, is 17 that the sweet spot, 13 or higher? 18 MR. OXLEY: Roughly. That's nine 19 skaters, four defensemen, so I know we lost 20 a lot of kids this year. 21 MR. NORTON: That doesn't include 22 there's another 10,000 that's owed, too; 23 right? Is that to the town or something? 24 MR. OXLEY: Yeah, that's actually from 67 1 the beginning. The first month of the year, 2 September, before the ownership changed 3 over. We still owe the town, you're right. 4 I forgot about that 'cause no one's been 5 asking about that, but that's still, you 6 know, money we owe the town. 7 MR. MOORE: It's getting better by the 8 minute. 9 MR. BRAZIS: Anything else, Dwayne? 10 MR. OXLEY: I think that's good. 11 MR. BRAZIS: Anybody else? 12 (Pause.) 13 MR. BRAZIS: Please, if there's 14 anybody that would like to come up and speak 15 from the crowd, please come up and state 16 your name and use the podium. 17 MR. SALVETTI: My name is Mark 18 Salvetti. My daughter, Catherine, is the 19 only girl on the PeeWee A team. Before we 20 get to that, though, I actually maybe wanted 21 to wait for Dwayne to come back, but if 22 we're looking at these kinds of shortfalls 23 now and we've already talked and Dwayne 24 mentioned that we kind of in the past have 68 1 tendered to this, brought Peter to pay Paul, 2 by using registration money to kind of cover 3 the bills, and people leaving the program 4 has left us in a hole, what do we do when a 5 lot of people don't register cause they 6 don't want to pay that money upfront and we 7 start -- I mean, at some point we could be 8 looking at numbers this spring that mean 9 we're not viable at all for next year and 10 what do you we do? I mean, we can't go into 11 next year looking at numbers that mean we 12 have to pay $2,500 or $3,000 a piece to have 13 enough money to have an association. 14 MR. BRAZIS: You're right. 15 MR. NORTON: We've looked at that and 16 we have to weigh the numbers as they come 17 through, but we also -- we don't live in a 18 time where we can float people the way we 19 used to, because we don't have the 20 flexibility. The bills are coming in and 21 they're coming due. It's going to require 22 some rationalization potentially of the 23 league. If there's a different number of 24 kids that come, that's what it's going to 69 1 take. We're going to work and take comments 2 as to what the payment schedule is and what 3 may make sense, but, you know, it doesn't 4 work if we're still trying to collect money 5 next January to pay bills that were due in 6 September, October, November. And that's 7 sort of the problem that we're facing this 8 year, you know what I mean? 9 MR. SALVETTI: It sounds like we've 10 almost collected all the money that we're 11 going to get. We've only got three kids in 12 PeeWees, Midget -- I mean, Bantams, PeeWees 13 and Squirts. 14 MR. DeMATTEO: We have some Midget 15 money coming and then we've got some credit 16 coming from the Valley League on the Midget 17 ice. 18 MR. SALVETTI: I guess what I can see 19 happening is that we end up with 20 registration, we use that money to pay 21 current bills, we don't have the numbers, 22 things spiral, and we're not sure that we 23 have a league next year and we just spent 24 next year's money to pay this year's bills. 70 1 MR. WORTHLEY: Essentially it sounds 2 like you're worried about paying the money 3 and losing it? 4 MR. SALVETTI: Well, I just thought of 5 that as I'm rambling, but I think it's 6 something that we need to think about, maybe 7 not now and maybe it's something you do in 8 executive session. I'm planning to register 9 Cat in March even though I'm not sure if I 10 want her to play Bantams next year. We're 11 just going to have to see, but I don't have 12 two kids. I know when I did it was painful 13 to pay two kid's tuitions. I don't think I 14 would do it this year, you know. But 15 anyway, just some comments related to -- 16 something to keep in mind. 17 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you, Mark. 18 MR. SALVETTI: The main purpose I came 19 up -- and Richard mentioned it earlier -- is 20 to get some input or try to understand what 21 the gender policy is. I think, Scott, you 22 may have spoken to Rich last week -- 23 MR. BRAZIS: Yes. 24 MR. SALVETTI: -- but I guess I wasn't 71 1 aware we had a gender policy, so I thought 2 it would be worth just asking the Board to 3 explain what that is, how it came about and 4 what we're talking about. 5 MR. BRAZIS: It actually comes out of 6 USA Hockey handbook, and it is the 7 guidelines that they are asking everybody to 8 follow on cross-gender in the locker room. 9 MR. SALVETTI: But I guess I haven't 10 seen a policy. I've seen a goal, which is 11 to prevent each gender from being in the 12 same locker room when they dress and 13 undress. That's the purpose, right, that's 14 what the USA Hockey says, they don't want 15 the -- different genders should not be 16 seeing each other dressing and undressing? 17 MR. BRAZIS: Correct. 18 MR. SALVETTI: The policy that we need 19 to have is how do we prevent that from 20 happening, and I'm not aware we have one 21 other than "You can't do that." And if you 22 look at that February 2007 memo from USA 23 Hockey, the subject of that is "Gender 24 equality co-ed locker rooms." It tries to 72 1 address the concerns that you need to think 2 about when you're trying to implement this 3 dressing room policy, but it doesn't say 4 "this is what you must do." It just says 5 that what you must do has to be equal, and 6 one way of looking at it is it has to 7 inconvenience everybody equally. Again, I 8 don't see that we have a true policy. This 9 far reaching, it affects not just Catherine 10 on the PeeWees, it should flow all the way 11 down to Learn to Skate, and I don't know 12 that we have one that -- I guess I'm trying 13 to understand what do you want us to do with 14 Catherine, because from what Rich explained 15 to me is basically you don't want her in the 16 locker room when the boys are there, but I 17 don't see that we have a policy that says, 18 well, how we do that. 19 MR. BRAZIS: Is there an actual policy 20 in Saugus Youth Hockey, no, there's not. 21 That's why we refer to the USA Hockey 22 guidelines. Did I say -- if Rich told you 23 that we don't want her in the locker room 24 with the boys, that's not the case. 73 1 MR. SALVETTI: I realize that, but I 2 guess I over simplified, but what do you 3 want us to do? I mean, I think right now -- 4 and there's half a dozen PeeWee A parents 5 here -- I think we have it under control 6 right now. Catherine comes to games in a 7 T-shirt, basketball shorts, hockey jacket, 8 sweatpants. When she gets dressed, she 9 takes off her sweatpants and her hockey 10 jacket and she puts here gear on over those 11 pieces of clothing. When she undresses, she 12 takes off the gear and she comes home in her 13 sweaty T-shirt and her sweaty shorts, so she 14 never exposes anything other than what you 15 might see her walking down the street with. 16 That's also true to the boys. I mean, 17 they're wearing T-shirts, they're wearing 18 boxers, the coaches are always in the locker 19 room, and I guess -- we don't have to settle 20 it here, but I feel if the parents are 21 unanimous with the coaches that we don't 22 have a problem, then I don't think we have a 23 problem, but I don't know what the 24 alternatives are. 74 1 MR. BRAZIS: Well, we don't want to 2 see any problems. That's why I referred to 3 the USA Hockey guidelines. I don't want to 4 see any problems. I think the discussion I 5 had with Rich was -- and not only for your 6 daughter, but any girl -- is that if a young 7 girl is on a team, she should get dressed in 8 another locker room or in the ladies' room, 9 and then come in with helmet, gloves, and 10 skates to be put on; and have an adult in 11 that locker room with them at all times. 12 MR. SALVETTI: I guess I don't see 13 that that's practical because there isn't 14 room in the boy's room for all the boys to 15 get dressed. That's what we're talking when 16 we're talking equality. I don't understand 17 how Catherine dressing in a dirty bathroom 18 with no bench, no hooks for her clothes, no 19 rubber mats on the floor to protect her 20 skates. Then when she comes out, she'll go 21 to the locker room and presumably the boys 22 are dressed, so she gets to go in. Oh, a 23 couple guys show up late, she has to leave. 24 That's not gender equity. 75 1 Ideally, what USA Hockey says is that 2 in a perfect world, you have separate rooms 3 for the boys and the girls to get dressed in 4 and they convene in a third room, and then 5 you reverse that. 6 MR. NORTON: I have a similar issue 7 also, obviously, 'cause I have a daughter as 8 well. It's difficult. I have -- Mae will 9 typically get dressed outside or she comes 10 mostly dressed, you know, and then she goes 11 in and I'll pull her out when -- a lot of 12 the boys will come with their gym shorts on, 13 but then when they come down into their 14 skivvies, I just kind of bring her out. 15 MR. SALVETTI: Sure. 16 MR. NORTON: So I talked to them about 17 trying to, like you said, just to wear the 18 shorts. You know, we've had those 19 conversations, so she doesn't have to be 20 pulled out. 21 MR. SALVETTI: To me, I guess I'm okay 22 with the coaches and the parents on each 23 team figuring out the best way of doing it. 24 MR. NORTON: Are the boys wearing 76 1 basketball shorts as well? 2 MR. SALVETTI: Sometimes. I think 3 it's a mix of basketball shorts and probably 4 boxers, which are pretty much the same 5 thing. I don't consider a boy changing his 6 T-shirt being really undressing 'cause it's 7 okay to walk down the street with no shirt. 8 What I don't find acceptable is a situation 9 where Catherine is always the one -- or any 10 girl is the one coming and going. You know, 11 she should not have to get dressed 12 separately and loiter around outside the 13 locker room waiting for all the boys to get 14 dressed. Before a game, especially, you got 15 people trickling in at all times, and 16 there's gotta be a way to avoid her always 17 being the one inconvenienced. The policy 18 touches on that. I mean, to me, they 19 suggest a ridiculous alternative, which is 20 before a game the girls go in and get 21 dressed, come out; the boys go in and get 22 dresses, and then everybody gets together 23 for pregame. Postgame you have the coaches 24 meeting and then you reverse that order. If 77 1 the girls got dressed first, the boys get 2 undressed first while the girls wait 3 outside. I mean, I don't think there's 4 enough time in a realistic game situation 5 for everybody to get there in enough time to 6 go through all those durations at the 7 beginning. If we can't handle it the way 8 we're handling it now, and the only solution 9 is for Catherine to always be the one that 10 has to leave the room and come back, we're 11 not playing. 12 MR. NORTON: That was the unintended 13 consequence. If you guys are comfortable 14 now -- the important thing is that there is 15 an adult in the room at all times. 16 MR. SALVETTI: We have that. 17 MR. NORTON: That's very important. 18 Scott, stop me if -- if you're comfortable 19 with the way it is, the boys are equally 20 clothed to Cat, except for maybe taking off 21 their shirt, maybe this works for now, and 22 we can figure out how to make a more fair 23 policy if we need to or just figure out how 24 we're going to do it. 78 1 MR. SALVETTI: I think you need to 2 consider -- and I'm speaking for all the 3 parents, and hopefully, if somebody 4 disagrees, they'll speak to Rich separately, 5 but I think we have unanimous agreement that 6 we're okay right now. But if we didn't, 7 then I don't know how we would proceed on 8 this team or any other team. 9 MR. MOORE: Is that the only 10 suggestion they make? 11 MR. SALVETTI: No. 12 MR. MOORE: Do they give other 13 scenarios? 14 MR. SALVETTI: Not really. There's 15 only one sentence that says that different 16 genders should not see each other dressing 17 and undressing. They don't define dressing 18 and undressing, and they do say that, you 19 know, "Here's an example," and the 20 associations have to develop a similar 21 policy stressing the qualities in order to 22 avoid complaints and lawsuits. 23 MR. NORTON: The intent wasn't for 24 ambiguity. It's obviously probably more 79 1 difficult than just a memo, but if you guys 2 -- if we can agree for the period of time 3 that there will be an adult and that they're 4 equally clad, then we'll just move forward 5 with it if the parents are okay, and then 6 we'll try to figure out -- maybe we could 7 use your help, we could use a parent's help. 8 I'll talk to the parents on the Squirt team 9 and other folks and maybe they can help put 10 together some guidelines and we can have -- 11 'cause you're right -- that we can use for 12 everybody. That makes sense. 13 MR. SALVETTI: When you have an issue, 14 you have something you can point to. It may 15 just be some policy that says, you know, 16 this is where you might start, and if 17 there's not an agreement among all the 18 parents and coaches that that's going to 19 work, then whatever you come up with has to 20 be gender equal and approved by the Board or 21 something like that. 22 MR. WORTHLEY: Mark, what was the 23 agreement that the parents made? 24 MR. SALVETTI: We never really had a 80 1 -- we talked about it. I know we talked 2 about it last year with Squirts. 3 MR. WORTHLEY: You just mentioned that 4 all parents are in agreement. 5 MR. SALVETTI: You're right. Nobody 6 has complained, as far as I'm aware. 7 MS. AIKEN: I'm okay with that. 8 MR. BRAZIS: That's good. I get the 9 drift about the policy. We'll come up with 10 something for youth hockey so that -- and 11 it's not just your team. It's for the whole 12 organization. 13 MR. SALVETTI: Exactly, it does 14 trickle down. 15 MR. BRAZIS: We'll come up with a 16 policy. 17 MR. NORTON: It should be addressed 18 each year for each team. 19 MR. SALVETTI: I think you need to 20 think about it. I don't know what the 21 bylaws say about how you would publish a 22 policy. 23 MR. BRAZIS: There's nothing -- oh, on 24 publishing a policy? There's definitely 81 1 nothing in there on cross-gender. 2 MR. SALVETTI: You don't need it 3 'cause you can reference the USA Hockey 4 Rules and the Coaching Code of Conduct. 5 MR. BRAZIS: Mass. Hockey has a legal 6 department and we will get in touch with 7 them. 8 MR. SALVETTI: I think it's worth 9 doing before this is a problem and it's not 10 easy to solve. 11 MR. NORTON: We weren't trying to make 12 it difficult for Cat. 13 MR. SALVETTI: I realize that, but as 14 a parent in that situation, I can think of 15 all these different questions that don't 16 necessarily come to mind when you first 17 think about it as though there's potentially 18 an issue, so I just wanted to voice our 19 opinions. 20 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you very much. 21 MR. NORTON: Thank you. 22 MR. BRAZIS: And thank you for your 23 words before, too, because hopefully that is 24 not a reality, but it's definitely staring 82 1 us right in the face about the shortcoming. 2 Would anybody else like to come up? 3 Come on up, Lucia. 4 MS. PLOUFFE: Sorry, I have a bunch of 5 things and I kind of gave Ellen a little 6 heads up, but not on everything. I was 7 approached by a Mr. Melchiano, I guess, with 8 regards to a cookie dough fundraiser. It's 9 scheduled for March 1st through March 15th. 10 There is a range from 30- to 45-percent 11 profit for Saugus Youth Hockey depending on 12 how much you sell. For example, if you sell 13 anywhere from $500 to $4,999 it's 30 14 percent, and if you go as high -- anything 15 over 10,000, for example, would be a profit 16 of 40 percent on each tub of cookie dough. 17 MR. NORTON: How much does a tub cost? 18 MS. PLOUFFE: A tub of cookie dough 19 costs $14, it's three pounds, it makes 20 approximately 48 one-ounce cookies. I've 21 tried it, it's actually pretty good. The 22 gentleman made some good suggestions with 23 regards to incentives. 24 MR. BRAZIS: You didn't bring any? 83 1 MS. PLOUFFE: The cookie dough, no. 2 He gave it to me like three weeks ago. He 3 gave some ideas with regards to incentives, 4 he showed me some little things, Pop Warner 5 did some cash prizes or money bags. I had 6 mentioned to Ellen that I would talk to her 7 about it. Some of my thoughts on incentives 8 would be, like, the top ten, maybe see if we 9 can get some sort of donation from anyone or 10 taking maybe -- I know that poor Dwayne 11 mentioned the shortfalls with all the money, 12 but maybe, for example, if we could do it, 13 squeak out $250 for incentives, giving maybe 14 a $50 Modell's or Dick's gift card to the 15 top seller, and then, you know, maybe $25 16 for the next four, and then maybe $10 for 17 the next five, just to get the numbers up 18 there. The gentleman, Bill, he was very 19 optimistic. He just gave a number as to 20 give you an idea of what you could do. If 21 you had 150 players and you could get them 22 each to sell 15 tubs -- not going to happen, 23 I told him that -- you're talking over 24 $10,000 in profit, which is great if you 84 1 could do it, but with the calendars it was 2 hard enough to get them to sell five to ten 3 calendars each. Anything is better than 4 nothing, and like I said, the incentives, 5 you could ask them again to maybe sell a 6 minimum of three cookie doughs. It's Easter 7 oriented. I have a couple little ideas to 8 give out little things, little cookie 9 cutters, little things to make -- like the 10 prizes that the schools do -- you know, if 11 you sell one item, you get something -- to 12 try to push as many sales as we can. It 13 would be nice. Saugus Youth Hockey could 14 use any amount of money. It's not costing 15 -- other than if we do do the incentives, it 16 would cost Saugus Youth Hockey the 17 incentives. Other than that, it wouldn't 18 cost Saugus Youth Hockey anything. He'll 19 print up all the letters to go out with the 20 packages, he'll get all the packages ready, 21 we just have to hand them out. 22 MR. NORTON: Do they take orders like 23 a girl scout cookie? 24 MS. PLOUFFE: This is what it looks 85 1 like, and there's nine different types of 2 cookies. They're good for, in a 3 refrigerator, two months; freezer, six 4 months, and they can go back -- if you take 5 them out of the freezer and you thaw them, 6 you can put them back in the freezer. 7 That's one thing. Sorry, I'm going to hit 8 you with a bunch. 9 The next thing was, once again, I 10 understand shortcomings of Saugus Youth 11 Hockey, but the banquet. I, as a parent, do 12 not like not having a banquet for my kid. I 13 have spoken to other parents who feel the 14 same way. I know there were talks in the 15 past also about trophies and whatnot, and 16 I'm sorry, but what it costs to get a trophy 17 is about what it costs you to give a kid a 18 T-shirt, and I think most kids, and also 19 myself, as a parent of young one and an 20 older one, I'd personally rather the trophy 21 that I can put in a case. Not a T-shirt 22 that's already faded and have to throw away. 23 It's just -- it's something to be proud of. 24 It's an accomplishment that they made. 86 1 I have spoken to Anthony Cogliano. I 2 met with him. He has sent me a package -- 3 not really a package, just a little email 4 and if it works out -- and I don't have to 5 go through, like I said to Pat, a million 6 different people to get things rolling and 7 get things going -- it's $6 for the players, 8 that's including everything. Your menu will 9 include chicken fingers, chicken wings, beef 10 teriyaki, crab rangoon, boneless ribs, pork 11 fried rice, vegetable lomein and soda. 12 There will be a cash bar. Adults will be 13 $12 per person also including gratuity and 14 everything. In the past we've paid -- 15 charged adults $20 per person to walk in. I 16 paid $20 last year to go to Bostonville to 17 get pizza, fries and salad. I don't see it 18 being a problem to ask parents to pay $20 a 19 person. So in essence, the $20 gives you $8 20 left over from what you paid for that adult, 21 that will pay for the kid and pretty much 22 almost the whole trophy. So one parent to 23 one child should pay itself. 24 MR. BRAZIS: If I may, could you just 87 1 get in the minutes where you wanted to have 2 this? 3 MS. PLOUFFE: At Jin. Friday nights 4 are welcome. May and June, pretty much any 5 Friday is open. I would like -- I think 6 Friday nights a lot of people like the idea 7 of not having to worry about going to school 8 the next day, getting their kids, you know, 9 you don't have to start at 5:30 because you 10 have to get everybody out of there by 7:30 11 'cause everyone wants to go to bed. 12 MR. NORTON: This is one banquet for 13 the whole program? 14 MS. PLOUFFE: The whole program. The 15 room seats 700. Saugus High School had 16 their football banquet there last week. 17 Unfortunately, I didn't make it over there 18 to check it out, but the bar is in the area. 19 He opted, if Saugus Youth Hockey really 20 wanted to, that you could have the bar out 21 of the room. I don't -- we've in the past 22 had it in the same room and I don't foresee 23 it being a problem. I mean, the room is 24 plenty big. I've spoken to Anthony from the 88 1 rink with regards to DJing, and I've also 2 spoken to people with regards to raffles to 3 sell at the banquet to also -- I mean, for 4 example, I look at just my situation -- 5 'cause that's what I see, and some of the 6 other parents -- I have two kids in this 7 program, and that's my ex-husband, my 8 husband and myself. That's three adults to 9 two kids, so if you get -- I know some of 10 the little kids, both parents would like to 11 go, some parents may not be able to go, and 12 I think it should also be allowed that if, 13 for example, a parent has an older sibling 14 who may not be part of the program, but 15 would like to take them, for example, they 16 should be allowed to. So we can maybe do a 17 cap of four tickets per player or put an age 18 limit so that you don't have little kids 19 running around. This could turn out to be 20 somewhat of a fundraiser for Saugus Youth 21 Hockey if you do your numbers. 22 MR. GROARK: I think it sounds good, 23 Lucia. 24 MR. BRAZIS: Have a banquet and make 89 1 money, that's awesome. 2 MS. PLOUFFE: The only thing is I need 3 a few dates for you guys to pick so that I 4 can show them to Anthony and see what he 5 thinks and a time frame. 6 MR. GROARK: Me and Lucia talked 7 today, and we were looking at the week 8 before April vacation for the kids. 9 MS. PLOUFFE: I had said the Friday 10 night, but I don't know if people leave 11 Friday for vacation or not. 12 MR. ZABROSKI: That's playoffs that 13 weekend. 14 MS. PLOUFFE: That was the other thing 15 I was going to say, maybe wait 'cause their 16 schedule should be out next week, the 17 Valley, including playoff week. 18 MR. BRAZIS: The email I got from the 19 Valley is that Friday night is the last 20 night if you make it to the championship. 21 It's over that night. 22 MR. ZABROSKI: The whole championship? 23 MR. BRAZIS: It's over that night. 24 The drop-dead night, that's it. The league 90 1 is over that night. That's April 17th; 2 correct? 3 MS. PLOUFFE: Yes. 4 MR. BRAZIS: That is the last night. 5 MS. PLOUFFE: So then the following 6 week is school vacation. I had thought 7 May 1st. If you do maybe a 6:00 or 7:00 8 even, 6:30, and it's a Friday night. I just 9 want to make sure what people know of 10 baseball already and don't know baseball 11 already. 12 MR. GROARK: Then you're getting into 13 baseball, and I think that poses some 14 problems. 15 MR. MOORE: I think you're going to 16 have baseball. 17 MR. DeMATTEO: You're going to have it 18 either way. 19 MR. MOORE: They start baseball early 20 now. 21 MR. GROARK: Haven't we had the 22 banquet before baseball started? John, I 23 don't know if you can remember, haven't we 24 had it mid to end of April? 91 1 MR. WHITLOCK: No. 2 MR. DeMATTEO: Last year there were 3 baseball kids. 4 MR. GROARK: Last year was very late. 5 That was way into May, I'm pretty sure. 6 MR. WHITLOCK: Kids show up with 7 cleats on after baseball, but you know what, 8 if it's a Friday night you can get it at 9 7:00, baseball might be over, too. 10 MR. BRAZIS: That's right. I don't 11 think we can box ourselves in to accommodate 12 baseball, like we're thinking should we 13 accommodate the select teams when we have 14 our tryouts. I mean, we're supposed to be 15 doing what's best for Saugus Youth Hockey. 16 MS. PLOUFFE: Right. At the same 17 time, though -- 18 MR. BRAZIS: That's just my feeling. 19 I don't know how anybody else feels, but if 20 it's May 1st and there's baseball, my kid's 21 playing that night, he'll go to his baseball 22 game and then come to the hockey banquet in 23 his uniform. That's the way I would work 24 it. 92 1 MR. OXLEY: There's always been 2 something. Every year there's been 3 baseball, there's been dance, there's been 4 communions. 5 MS. PLOUFFE: Usually it's been during 6 the week. I know usually on a Friday night, 7 May 1st, I figured might not -- if you do 8 like a 7:00, chances are you won't have as 9 much conflict. If they have a 7:00 game, 10 you're not going to get them to come if you 11 do it earlier or later. 12 MR. MOORE: No matter what, you're 13 going to have a conflict, so. 14 MS. PLOUFFE: The little kids, though, 15 the younger kids who will make sure their 16 parents get them to the banquet, probably 17 won't be playing at 7:00 on a Friday night. 18 MR. NORTON: That works. 19 MR. BRAZIS: Did we want to let Lucia 20 have some leeway here in putting this thing 21 together and just report back to us -- 22 MR. GROARK: Yes. 23 MR. BRAZIS: -- what progress she's 24 making? 93 1 MR. GROARK: Yeah. Do we want to 2 shoot for a date as early in May as 3 possible? 4 MS. PLOUFFE: I'll send him an email 5 tonight and see if May 1st works for him. 6 MR. ZABROSKI: Lucia, just to let you 7 know, earlier in the year I poled the 8 Squirts and the PeeWees and just about every 9 single player wants a trophy, so at those 10 two levels you're looking at -- 11 MR. BRAZIS: I remember being at prior 12 meetings and everybody saying let's get 13 trophies. It was "Let's get away from the 14 T-shirts and get a trophy." Fred said he 15 remembers his trophies from his younger 16 years. 17 MS. PLOUFFE: I still have all my 18 trophies from when I was younger. 19 I did approach one company, Dinn 20 Brothers, and she was very nice to send us 21 just a hockey brochure for trophies, and 22 they average anywhere -- I mean, you can 23 just -- they can run you anywhere from $3 to 24 $8 depending on what you get, but I mean, 94 1 some of them -- you can even do -- now, my 2 other question is is cross ice included in 3 this, too, I just want to make sure? 4 MR. GROARK: Yes. 5 MS. PLOUFFE: In the banquet? 6 MR. GROARK: Yeah. 7 MS. PLOUFFE: For example, your cross 8 ice and your Mites you might be -- like the 9 cross ice you can do the smaller one. Then 10 Mites and Squirts -- 'cause they have small, 11 medium and large -- and then your older kids 12 -- and they also allow for ordering, like, 13 if you wanted ten of player ones and two 14 goalie ones, you could do that. It's still 15 included as part of your price, so it 16 wouldn't lower the number of -- because 17 obviously the more you order, the less 18 expensive they get. That was the other 19 thing -- I did ask her about it -- and same 20 thing with the engraving. Engraving all of 21 them individually by team or by name isn't 22 affected. It's all free, part of the -- 23 MR. OXLEY: Lucia, make sure you get 24 the most updated rosters 'cause we've run 95 1 into problems in the past with getting kids 2 on the wrong team. 3 MS. PLOUFFE: With the calendars, 4 too -- with collecting from calendars and 5 dealing with a lot of the coaches, I kind of 6 made my own roster from what I've had to 7 deal with over the last couple of months 8 with regards to kids being on the right or 9 wrong rosters. I will hit one more place 10 that Gina had told me about that you guys 11 had used in the past. I don't remember the 12 name. 13 MR. OXLEY: For trophies? 14 MS. PLOUFFE: Yes. 15 MR. WHITLOCK: Crown in Milton. 16 MS. PLOUFFE: Yeah. This place now 17 has one in Stoneham. They're right in 18 Stoneham. They have a showroom in Stoneham. 19 MR. ZABROSKI: Dinn? 20 MS. PLOUFFE: Yeah, they're good. 21 Just one other comment with regards to 22 fundraising. I tried to do that fundraising 23 next week, and unfortunately, I was 24 unsuccessful in hearing back from Mr. Hatch. 96 1 I am willing to try to put something else 2 together maybe somewhere else, but I just 3 need to know from the Board and from 4 whoever, what the procedure is, because -- 5 MR. NORTON: What fundraiser are you 6 trying to do? 7 MS. PLOUFFE: The Valentine's Day 8 Skate, and John Hatch, every time I called 9 him, "I'll let you know. I'll let you know. 10 I'll let you know." I was unsuccessful. I 11 tried to get help from outside, but it 12 didn't work out. 13 MR. MOORE: What day are you looking 14 for, Valentine's Day? 15 MS. PLOUFFE: No, I was looking for 16 the 13th because we have a practice ice at 17 6:00, and 7:10 is the public skating. We 18 were -- I had told him we were willing to 19 pay for the hour of public skating if he'd 20 give it up. 21 MR. MOORE: Is that a Friday night? 22 MS. PLOUFFE: Yes, so that we'd have 23 two and a half hours on the ice for that 24 fundraiser. 97 1 MR. MOORE: I know they've been pretty 2 crowded down there. I mean, the last one I 3 was at was pretty crowded, so. 4 MS. PLOUFFE: Want to know something, 5 that Friday night he won't be very crowded 6 because I've heard there's a lot of dances 7 going on and whatnot for Valentine's Day. 8 MR. MOORE: I'm just trying to see if 9 in the back of his head they're saying, "We 10 can make more money with the public skate 11 than we can with doing a fundraiser." And 12 it might not -- he might be giving you the 13 run around because he probably knows the 14 answer. 15 MS. PLOUFFE: He told me, "Oh, I might 16 be able to do it for the Saugus Youth Hockey 17 rate." I said, "It doesn't matter if we 18 have to pay the 240 for the ice because it 19 would have been taken care of." He just 20 never -- and told him "One way or the other 21 let me know, 'cause if not, Hockey Town gave 22 me Sunday night's ice for two and a half 23 hours, 180 an hour." 24 MR. OXLEY: Don't let him charge you 98 1 240. That's not what the rate is anyway, 2 so. 3 MS. PLOUFFE: Right, but that's why I 4 said -- 'cause he had said, "Well, you know, 5 this is what they're charging." I said, if 6 that's the case, if we need to get that hour 7 of ice, where we're already paying for the 8 6:00 hour, it would been a lot less 9 expensive than if I went to Hockey Town or 10 somewhere else. 11 MR. NORTON: Is there a Sunday 12 available at Kasabuski? 13 MS. PLOUFFE: No, but now that week is 14 school vacation. That's why I tried to kind 15 of stay away from Sunday night. Like I 16 said, I don't have a problem looking into 17 doing other things, I just need to know how 18 far you want to go. 19 MR. WORTHLEY: Would it be crazy, out 20 of the question, if you did it the same time 21 as Learn to Skate, try to figure that in 22 somehow? 23 MR. NORTON: 6:00 on Sunday. It 24 doesn't look like there's anything after 99 1 that. 2 MR. BRAZIS: There's a bunch of guys 3 that rent the ice after that. That's all it 4 is. I know the guys. It's just a bunch of 5 guys renting the ice. 6 MR. NORTON: See if we can get 6:00 to 7 8:00 on a Sunday night. 8 MS. PLOUFFE: I have no problem. I 9 just -- I don't know if he's just not 10 getting back to me just 'cause I'm the low 11 man on the totem pole. 12 MR. NORTON: Anthony, you talk to 13 Hatch regularly; right? 14 MR. BONO: Yeah. 15 MR. NIGRO: What is it you're trying 16 to do? 17 MS. PLOUFFE: I was trying to do a 18 Valentine's Day Skate. Anthony said he 19 would help us out with the DJ, he would DJ. 20 MR. MOORE: So ideally it would be 21 that Friday night. 22 MS. PLOUFFE: Yeah, it was that 23 Friday. 24 MR. MOORE: That's where you think we 100 1 could make money? 2 MS. PLOUFFE: You could make money. 3 He charges $5 to get in to skate, public 4 skating. If you charged $8 and included a 5 soda and a piece of pizza, which the pizza 6 was getting somewhat donated to Saugus Youth 7 Hockey, you're looking at -- 8 MR. MOORE: Then you're running into 9 Julie's thing, too, though. 10 MS. PLOUFFE: No, because I asked 11 about that and it shouldn't have been a 12 problem because it's a Saugus Youth Hockey 13 fundraiser. I asked her. 14 MR. MOORE: I think they're saying 15 it's not a problem, you know what I mean? 16 MS. PLOUFFE: I did ask her and she 17 said she couldn't do anything on the drinks. 18 She said she could do a $1 a slice for the 19 pizza. 20 MR. BRAZIS: I brought food in for the 21 Alumni and she was okay with that. 22 MR. MOORE: What I'm saying is that 23 that's a different thing. That's their 24 Friday night where they attract all those 101 1 people that go to the public skating, and 2 Dan, probably, that's a money maker for him. 3 MR. WORTHLEY: But if there's other 4 events going on around town, wouldn't the 5 kids go to that as well? Weren't they 6 originally planning it? I'm just wondering 7 -- all right, if the numbers would be down 8 for a public skate, would they also be down 9 for the same reasons for the fundraiser? I 10 don't know. 11 MS. PLOUFFE: It depends, because if 12 you have kids who could either go to the 13 school dance or go and skate on the ice for 14 two and a half hours with their friends, you 15 might get -- 16 MR. WORTHLEY: I'm pleading ignorance 17 because I got young kids and not the older 18 ones. 19 MR NORTON: Let's see. If you talk to 20 John, 'cause you do have -- just see what 21 that Friday night looks like, if we can pull 22 it off. Otherwise, the Sunday? 23 MR. DeMATTEO: The Friday is probably 24 the better 'cause you get all the hours in 102 1 one shot. You are going to pick up some 2 people coming in for skating anyway, so 3 you're going to get some other people, plus 4 everyone we can get. That's probably our 5 best thing. If you try to do Sunday, you 6 might not get a lot -- 7 MR. NORTON: But if we don't get 8 Friday, are we better off not doing it or 9 should we do Sunday? 10 MR. MOORE: I think Sunday would be 11 terrible. 12 MR. DeMATTEO: I think Friday's the 13 one you want. 14 MR. MOORE: So we talk to John. I'll 15 give him a call, too, and just if it's a yes 16 or a no. 17 MS. PLOUFFE: That's the only -- 18 because the thing is, when I first 19 approached him it was the beginning of 20 January. When I first mentioned it to you, 21 I had approached him right away. I mean, I 22 even showed up at the rink and I spoke to 23 Mr. Maniff's wife and she's like "Oh, my 24 God. That's such a great idea. I'll make 103 1 sure that John looks into it. Make sure no 2 one else is taking the ice," and I don't 3 have a problem -- the only thing is now at 4 this point, next Friday night I had planned 5 on putting it in the paper and also making 6 copies to send out to the schools, so that 7 you attract more than just Saugus Youth 8 Hockey. Next Friday might not fly at this 9 point 'cause the super intendant has to 10 approve anything that goes out. 11 MR. NORTON: What's a good time for 12 you? 13 MS. PLOUFFE: At this point, you just 14 have to look at a different date. 15 MR. BRAZIS: You have to pick a 16 different Friday. All we have to do here. 17 MR. NORTON: How much advanced notice 18 do you need for the night to get everything 19 you need done? 20 MR. BRAZIS: Three weeks lead time? 21 MS. PLOUFFE: That's more than enough. 22 It's just the advertising. Everything 23 else -- 24 MR. BRAZIS: So the first Friday he 104 1 can give in the three weeks lead time. 2 MS. PLOUFFE: If not, Anthony, I am 3 going to call Hockey Town because she was 4 very nice and told me, unfortunately, she 5 didn't have ice available that night, but if 6 we thought of another night, to call her. 7 She would look into it. 8 MR. BRAZIS: You can report back to us 9 on what Hockey Town has and Anthony will let 10 us know what Kasabuski has. 11 MS. PLOUFFE: I think that was it. So 12 the banquet trophies? 13 MR. NORTON: Go for it. 14 MR. BRAZIS: Report back to us. 15 MS. PLOUFFE: Anything else? Any 16 other questions that I didn't answer for 17 someone who might have some? 18 MR. MOORE: Does that need to be a 19 motion that she can just handle that and 20 report, then the E. Board can make all those 21 decisions as far as the -- 22 MR. NORTON: Throw it up. 23 MR. MOORE: Make a motion that she 24 looks into it and just report to the E. 105 1 Board and set it up. 2 MR. NORTON: I second it. 3 MR. BRAZIS: All in favor? 4 (Group agreement.) 5 MR. BRAZIS: All opposed? 6 (Pause.) 7 MR. BRAZIS: Thank you. Is there 8 anybody else that would like to come up and 9 speak? 10 MR. MOORE: Motion to adjourn. 11 MR. BONO: Second. 12 MR. BRAZIS: All in favor? 13 (Group agreement.) 14 MR. BRAZIS: Opposed. 15 (Pause.) 16 (Meeting concluded at 9:20 p.m.) 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24