SAL Minutes
Teams Absent: Bensalem & Springfield
1. For next year, relay times must be verifiable at the scratch meeting so that we eliminate the “ghost relays” and inappropriate seed times for Champs.
2. Switching Diving Champs from Sunday to Saturday this year caused a few problems, especially for those divers doing a competitive US Diving away. The notice to the divers came too late. However, LaSalle’s notice to the SAL came late also. Diving was switched to Saturday because we can’t host swim champs if LaSalle has a home basketball game. There are fewer divers so they will allow us to host diving.
3. Discussion about diving counting as an individual event is delayed to the Old Business Section of the meeting.
4. Election of Officers:
a. President – Pete Crippen (PWAC)
b. Treasurer – Tom McManus (NAAC)
c. Secretary – Kathy Garro (UMAC)
d. Boys President – Tom McManus (NAAC)
e. Girls President – John McGinley (UMAC)
f. Diving President – Jim Davidson
g. Diving Registrar – Marj Hawley
h. Registrars are unchanged: Mike Dunn – girls, Mark McElwee – boys
i. Senior Award – Karen Palumbo (HHAC)
j. Webmaster – Andrew Jesaitis (NPAC)
k. Coaches’ Rep – Stu Kukula (UDAC)
l. Champs – Jim Dunlap & John McGinley (UMAC)
Special thanks to Mike Brown (RAC) for handling the web issues from the beginning. Where would we be without him!!
5. New League Records – please submit them timely to the Registrar – and make special note. The registrar will NOT comb thru meet results to find out if a record has been broken.
6. SAL Business: In order to accomplish anything, a quorum must be established. The constitution says a quorum is 2/3rds. There was suggestion to alter the constitution to read
a. 2/3rds of the voting members present; or
b. Majority of the teams present.
The suggested constitutional changes will be emailed to the teams. We have had problems in the past with not having enough members present to vote.
7. For the Fall meeting, there will be an agenda item to break the existing constitution into two parts: Constitution and Operating Procedures. This way, we can change operating procedure without amending the entire constitution. Each team will get an email with the two documents. (I believe this was being handled by Mark McElwee.)
8. There was discussion about “qualifying” for league champs and whether we should consider going to a Q Time approach vs. top 18. It was decided, based on history and current system, to continue using the Top 18 system.
9. Diving as a separate event. The yearly discussion as to whether or not diving should count as one of the four events a participant is allowed per meet. Jim Davidson, Diving President, wants to keep diving as an event but would like to provide athletes opportunity to participate. Another suggestion was that the system remains as is for the meets but allow Diving to NOT count as an event at Champs. There was much discussion but no formal action taken.
10. 2004-05 Schedule – Jamie Forlini (CAC)
a. Vote on whether or not to have the cross-over meet. 5 yes and 7 no.
b. Vote to change the start weekend – even split.
c. Vote on keep the TriMeet – 7 yes and 5 no.
d. Schedule a snow day – 8 yes and 4 no.
After discussion, it was decided to keep the schedule as is for 2004-05. At the next meeting, an alternate schedule will be proposed for 05-06. There are 3 options:
Schedule A: As is
Schedule B: start later and move champs into March.
Schedule C: split into 4 division – based on competitiveness.
Topic will be discussed at the next meeting.
Jamie noted that he set up the 03-04 schedule based on results from previous year and tried to make the more competitive meets at the end of the season.
Note: if two teams want to change a scheduled meet (date, time, etc…) the REPS must agree.
11. If your club is interested in sponsoring Water Polo – see Pete Crippen.
12. Athletes switching teams will be required to get a signed release from their previous club. This is to dissuade clubs from “recruiting” from nearby teams.
13. Top 40 Lists. It was asked if the list could be provided more frequently. It was decided that it would be published at the end of Nov, end of Dec, and then weekly starting in January.
14. The SAL logo was done by Andrew Jesaitis (NPAC). He will revise to include a diver.
15. Be aware that the SAL will abide by all the US Swimming safety regulations.