Hey Everyone,
     I think our first meeting went well considering our lack of
organization.  I can tell that we have a lot of enthusiastic people from
all walks of live
and everyone will be able to add their own experiences and background to
make this a better club.  It also obvious that everyone has pretty busy
lives
and I appreciate everyone taking the time to make this meeting.
     I would also like to thank Tim for bringing the pizza, Jarlath for
bringing an ample amount of soda, Susan for bringing a wonderful pan of
ginger bread, and others that brought stuff, including some mangled
trophies.

In attendance:
Mike Totta (Bill's friend from the Maine Rowing Assoc.)
Bill Purdy
Rick Davis
John Doty
Beth Kirkpatrick (John Doty's wife)
Tim Ebbers
Dave Jacobowitz
Susan MacLennan
Erik Breiland

For organizational purposes, we set up some tentative officers.  We can
decide to have some official election later on if that is what the club
wants
to do.  We first need to get some bylaws for our club.  Bill Purdy has
volunteered to get bylaws from the MRA or other rowing club and make a
rough
draft for us.  If you have access to bylaws of some other club that you
think might be helpful, please contact Bill with this information.  It
would be good
to get an electronic copy of these bylaws to look over and make comments
about before we have meeting to vote on the bylaws.
Tentative Officers:
pres-Erik
vice - Rick
treasurer - Bill
secretary - Susan
Outreach secretary - John
Map and Environmental Specialist - Jarlath
I think when we get the bylaws and define who is a club member, we can have
some formal voting.  Club dues is probably the easiest way to make a person
a voting member.  What amount should we charge?

BECOMING A CLUB
It was decided that we should form a club and our name should be "Green
Mountain -----."  The blank was filled in with "Rowing", "Rowing
Association", "Sculling", and "Rowing Club."  Dave is going to check with
the state of Vermont to see what names have been taken.  There
will be some cost to register with the state.  Dave can you check what the
cost is?

USRA AFFILIATED
The benefits of being a USRA affiliated club were also discussed.  The
fee's to the USRA for a club our size and up to an amount of 100 people
would be $262.  The fees go up as follows:
101-250 members - $369
251-500 member - $467
This becomes pertinent if our "club" decides to have a "club race" and our
club size suddenly increases.
Mike Totta explained that people interested in racing with the Maine Rowing
Assoc., must first join their club for a five or ten dollar fee.
This allows them to afford the cost to hold summer regattas throughout
Maine and cover the liability of the volunteers working the race.
The idea of organizing an erg race was brought up at a Health Club, and we
could make this a club event as well.
Other Benefits:
Certificate of Membership
Being a member of a USRA affiliated club means you don't have to be a
usrowing member to row in races such as the Head of the Charles.
I think we should have more discussion about this, but I think we need to
boil down the information from the USRA.
Susan will be requesting a "new club" packet from the USRA.

BOATHOUSE
This was topic that was probably discussed the most.
Gordon Thom is considering selling his property, but said that we should be
okay to row as is in the 2002 season.  He is trying to
convince his wife with arthritis to stay because he can stand the heat in
Florida after April.  I don't know who will win this argument,
but they aren't getting any younger either.
We should have some contingency plans in the chance that he does decide to
sell in the next couple years.  Each of the different
scenarios are going to looked at from a feasibility and cost issue.  Rick
and Bill will be heading up a comittee on this work, but I can
see that there will be a lot of work in this area so let them or me know if
you would like to help out.
Scenarios that were discussed:
1. Buy farmhouse and barn.  Rick said Gordon would be asking about 400K,
but thinks that figure is kind of high.  I would like
him to sell it for a cool mil so buyers will only do a drive by. : )
Questions and Concerns with this scenario:
     1. Coming up with the money and getting a decent mortgage rate.
Second mortgages are higher.
     2. Property is on a flood plane and no knew permanent structures are
allowed to be built making expansion limited.
     3. Property can not be subdivided so selling off the house is not
possible (We should double check this)
     4. Would renting out the farm house be able to cover the mortgage
costs?
     5. If we try and do this, would UVM be willing to help with the money?
     6. How would land rights go between them and us?
2. Get a 99 year lease on use of the barn.  I don't know if this is
different from having rights to the barn that will transfer with new
ownership of the property.
Questions and Concerns with this scenario:
     1. I would guess that Gordon would be advised against doing this for
the loss in property value.
     2. The new owners may not like college kids showing up at 5am.  Do
they have rights to rip up the lease?
3. Finding a new site on the river to start our club.
Questions and Concerns with this scenario:
     1. Where are the potential sites and who owns the property? (road
accessable, parking, boathouse site, dock access)
     2. What is the cost of a temporary structure and what kind of
structure makes the most sense? (shed, greenhouse, storage container, tent,
etc.)
     3. A dock permit would need to be obtained from the state and bedrock
should be put in to prevent erosion.  Gordon obtained his
for about 150-175 dollars.
     4. Do we need to buy a dock and ramp?
     5. Would UVM be moving with us? Rent or joint ownership?

This is an important topic that really asks what is the long term goals of
this club.  Mike Totta had his own MRA experience to add.  They used to row
in an area that was run down and they leased the land from the state.  They
had a chain linked fence around a white plastic greenhouse.  This worked
great as a boathouse until a park was created and this area became a focal
point for the comunitee.  They were considered an eye sore and there lease
was not renewed.  They since then got four people together to purchase a
piece of land that they will be able to use as they see fit.
My college crew team was in the same scenario with the city boathouse of
Albany.  They and other crews had to move out into SUNY Albany's boathouse.
Permanent rights to a piece of land would be nice.
I do also think we should get a copy of the zoning laws around the river to
verify the assumptions we made up above.  Rick said he won't be able to get
started on this stuff until the spring, but please let him or Bill know if
you would like to help.

PETERSON DAM REMOVAL
I asked Gordon Thom for the minutes of the meetings that were happening in
Montpelier.  If it was to happen, I am not sure how much of an impact it
will have on use because we row at the Lake level.  I don't know how much
more surging of the currents would take place in mid April to the end of
May without the dams.  Jarlath will be looking at this as well as create a
large map of the river from satelite photographs.

BOAT SHELF EXPANSION
Early last season, Gordon was thinking of trying to built a boat ramp up
the back of the barn to the loft.  The ramp would go back about 30 feet.
It looked like a viable solution, but he backed off from late in the
summer.  He did say that we was willing to put up some kind of temporary
structure behind the barn to get more rack space.  I think we should help
him come up with a good solution as far as dimensions, materials, and
design.
     Jarlath is currently in what Gordon considers a temporary solution and
Tim just got himself a used Van Dusen double.  We also get new
folk interested in rowing so I'm sure we would fill the racks as soon as we
built them.  Should we help share the costs of this structure with Gordon
to help make sure it is built the way we could use it best?
      More discussion is needed on this topic and we currently don't have a
focal point for this project.  Anyone?

PEOPLE EXPANSION
There are people in the Burlington area new and old that would like to row.
Do we want to plan for new folks?
Get a learn to row program going?
Have some rec single club boats?
Jarlath said that UVM gets an email from someone about once every two weeks
asking what kind of adult programs are in the Burlington area.
John is going to compile email addresses to start off and talking to some
folks in Baltimore for ideas.  If you have any contact info on new people,
send it to him. A long range plan for what this club wants is what needs to
be discussed.

BLADE DESIGN
Bill will be heading a blade design comittee.  We came up with a couple
ideas from the meeting and the idea is to try and get some simple
looking "Green Mountains" on the oar.  Jarlath will be sending an email
with some of the intial designs from the meeting.  If you would like
to be part of the blade design comittee, let Bill know.  They will be
having another meeting in the next couple of weeks.

BOAT FUND MONEY
This was not discussed too much, but the 3000 dollars comes much as a
surprise.  I think for right now we should do nothing with it until we
understand the other costs that are developing.  I think it is also
important to hear more from the people who contributed and what the
original purpose for this money was.  I'd be all for getting a club double
if that's what everyone wants.

That's all I can think of.  Please let me know if I forgot something or
have something to add, especially to those who could not make it.

We can have another general meeting after some of these tasks get some
progress.  Thanks.
 
 

Regards,
Erik Breiland
ASIC IMAGE/PACKAGE TEAM
(802)769-6171 or 446-6171