RCMSPL 2011 – Opening Meeting

Date: February 23, 2011

Attendance: 27 of 31 teams were represented.
Absent: Thunder, New Elite Team (Greg), DDG, Lyon Financial

Constitutional Proposals

(deferred from AGM)

Suspensions

Proposed: GTCSPL and RCMSPL will honor each other’s player suspensions.

Detail:

• If a player is suspended from RCMSPL play for a set period of time, he will be suspended from GTCSPL play until such suspension has been fully served – and vice versa. Any player who knowingly disobeys this rule will receive further suspension.
• This further includes honoring NSA, SPO & SPN suspensions. This is an insurance liability and no exception will be made.
• Any suspensions handed out by RCMSPL will be conveyed to NSA, SPO & SPN in order to make them aware of the suspension and the details surrounding it.

Discussion:

• It would be unfair to be suspended from league play when suspended from Tournament play and vice versa.
• Insurance concern – if a player is suspended from an NSA Tournament, are there any insurance issues we need to worry about?
• Dwayne Scott – we had approximately 5 circumstances in Coed where a player was ejected and did not serve the 1 additional game that is stated in their constitution. The 2 leagues are separate but any ejection needs to be communicated to the UIC.

Issue deferred to determine Insurance ramifications. Next Meeting.

Result:

• If you are suspended from NSA by NSA then RCMSPL will honor that suspension.
• If you are suspended from RCMSPL but not from NSA it will have no effect outside of RCMSPL.

Bat Protest Policy

Proposed: Let’s form a Committee to reword the existing policy.

Executive proposal: 2 year suspension for owner of illegal or altered bat and disciplinary action in regards to the coach and the person swinging the bat at the time of the protest to be determined by a committee.

Discussion:

• Reviewed Exec’s proposal.
• In tourny play they often have a compression tester. For the $600 investment this would be for the league, it would be more direct and with less administrative costs.

A Committee has been formed with representaion from all divisions and they will work through email and conversation to revise our existing policy.

Result:

• We reviewed the correspondence from NSA Canada and the bat manufacturer concerning the protested bat (handout at meeting).
• While NSA Canada was not prepared to issue any suspensions, RCMSPL has documented League based sanctions as a result of owning/swinging a bat deemed to be illegal, as well as to the Coach of the offending players. While this sanction policy is new, RCMSPL has decided to impose the approved suspensions on the offending parties retroactive to include this latest illegal bat.
• The new Bat Protest Policy and Sanctions have been appended to the Constitution.

Financial Report

We reviewed our Proposed Budget for the 2011 season. Our preseason budget allows for a loss on the season of just over $1900 (attributed to our Opening Tournament). Our current financial picture allows us the luxury of maintaining league fees at the same rate as last season while still rewarding returning teams with a credit.

Opening Tournament

Date: May 6th and 7th.

Note: The format has been changed to Friday night and all day Saturday. This is to accommodate Mother’s Day falling on the Sunday of this weekend. We are unable to get on the fields any earlier and the diamonds are not available for any other weekends close to this time.

Future Dates

Meeting – March 23

50% of league fees due.

Meeting – April 27

Balance of league fees due.

May 2 – Opening Day