New Hampshire Baseball Umpires Association

Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting January 20, 2008

  1. Minutes of the November 7, 2007 Executive Board Meeting were accepted as edited per Mark Cherbonneau’s correction regarding the 3-man clinic and the need to attend every 2 years not a yearly mandatory attendance.
  2. Treasurer’s report was emailed and approved with a balance of $12,346.59.
  3. Secretary: Seven members were suspended as a result of nonpayment of dues. Two other members with special circumstances were discussed. Rick Parslow is going to inquire about one of them and report to the secretary.
  4. U.I.C. Paul Cuetara reported on his trip on January 17, 2008 to the National Federation Rules Meeting. Items discussed include the coaches box rule rescinded, Head Coach attending pre-game conference, line-up cards, pitchers glove with white in it is to be replaced when noticed, all team members to be inside dugout if there is a dugout and uniform of navy shirt and gray pants with different color shirt ok if there is state association adoption. The National Federation did not adopt the “live ball out of dugout NH experimental rule”. Rule Interpretation / Clinic dates and tentative sites are, Pinkerton Academy-March 4th 7:00 PM, Annual Meeting Bow H.S.-March 9th after 10:00 business meeting, Newport H.S.-March 12th 7:00 PM, Holderness School -March 15th 10:00AM and Winnacunnet H.S.-March 17th 7:00 PM. (Refer to the home page for updated information) Any weather related changes of these dates will be listed on the Arbiter and will be the responsibility of each umpire to check there before attending during bad weather. The completed test answer sheet is to be sent to Paul Cuetara by March 29th. A stamped envelope will be provided to all members by the NHBUA to return corrected test answer sheet.
  5. Assigning Chairman Bill Makarawicz was in California to visit his granddaughter.
  6. Supervisor of Officials Mark Cherbonneau on the NHIAA’s Officiating Committee’s emphasis on the coaches jacket / uniform shirt rule. A long sleeve team jacket may be worn over a team uniform shirt. The importance of the umpire enforcing this rule was stressed. Tournament sites were discussed regarding the length of time between semi’s and final’s due to Holman not available early. The Finals at Fischer Cat Stadium are June 14th & 15th. The 3-man clinic is scheduled for Noon May 18th at Pinkerton or Alvirne.
  7. Liaison Tom Fischer reported that there will be the use of a private box during the finals and also available during the regular season for a Fischer Cat game with the attendees paying for the food. A game should not be one with the Portland Sea Dogs. Get back to Tom Fischer with a proposed date so he can make arrangements.
  8. BUD Chairman Jim Walsh reported via email, that he has 23 applications received online and has yet to put an ad in the papers. An ad starting Monday, January 28, that will run for the next month. Our classes will begin Sunday, March 9th at PSU in Plymouth. I can bring the classes south but that defeats the purpose of having the classes up north, to attract northern candidates. A meeting will be scheduled with the trainers. All ov last years trainers have told me that they will return. Shirts will be purchased for each of the trainers. We will continue to meet on successive weeks excluding Easter weekend. Training dates are scheduled at Hopkinton H.S. for a scrimmage as well as requests to help at Nashua North and South.
  9. Performance Review Coordinator Don Micucci reported that all of the performance reviews sent to him by Billy Mak are in the pipeline and the ratings will be sent to the membership this week. Discussion ensued regarding members ratings and games assigned. Assistant PRC, Steve Durrance, described the efforts of a committee composed of Don Micucci, Steve Durrance, Paul Cuetara and Don Foote, who fine tuned the evaluation sheet and made it more user friendly with a more defined explanation of topics listed. This form uses declining scale of 100, 200 and 300 with 100 best. It’s a basic form with 5 or 6 categories with a description to match the number.
  10. Old Business: It is not clear if the registration fee that is paid to the NHIAA is part of the proposed $20 fee for Federation Insurance. Mark Cherbonneau is of the opinion that it is not because the advanced literature regarding the insurance states that “$12 is for insurance and $8 for administrative fees.” He will ask the NHIAA office this week to find out.
    A motion was made and passed that we spend some of our money on 2 publications and give them to our active umpires. They are “2008 Baseball Rules By Topic” and “NFHS Baseball Guide 2008”. The secretary will order them and include them in the packets. Bob Skinner said he would get together with the BUD Chairman and try to form some kind of budget for the program.
    A motion was made and passed that the trainers be reimbursed for mileage either a stipend or a per mile payment.
    In regards to a member not returning his answer sheet on time (post marked by 3/29 for 2008), a penalty of one game be deducted from his schedule for every three days it is late in arriving. A member could lose all of his assignments if his test is that late. This was moved and passed.
    Along these lines, Mark Cherbonneau brought up the definition of “member in good standing”. It is incorrect to consider a member forfeited his opportunity to a tournament assignment because his test was not returned on time or his dues were not paid? If either of these situations is present when Mark has to make a decision on assigning, an umpire is not a member in good standing and thus cannot be assigned to a tournament game.
    Bob Clarke’s interpretation of the of the rule regarding the color of the uniform shirt that says by state association adoption“other colors may be used” refers to the NHIAA state association. Mark and President Jeff Delois will bring this up at the next Officiating Committee’s meeting.
  11. New Business: Bob Skinner voiced his concern that the self assign program may be opened to all umpires before the membership and the apprentices have an opportunity to fill in their schedules. He reminded the board that Billy Mak was going to start self assign for members on Feb 1st and Bob would like to see Billy not open it up to non-members before March 17th, the second week of the BUD class.

Respectfully submitted,

Duane B. Welch

Sec/Treas NHBUA