Merck Soccer Club Meeting Minutes

Monday, Feb 5, 2018; 6:00PM

Pizza Time

1. Introduction

2. Business

1. Treasurer; our current Treasurer, Ashley Princiotta is in Singapore for the season.  An interim replacement may be needed for this season.

1. Dave Moore agreed to assist and handle any items that need to be addressed locally.

2. Jim Elliott is in the process of applying for non-profit status so that the league can open a bank account in the name of the organization and avoid issues with transfer to future treasurers.  However, the non-profit status will have to be transferred as the accountable person moves on.   

2. Start of Year Budget (Jim Elliott). $2,866.81 + $200.00

3. 2018 Season.

1. 2018 Dues.

1. The group agreed to target the dues at $85/season ($75 “earlybird”) however a review of the finances will be completed before this is made final.

2. Season start to be in May.

1. The group agreed to start the season with the first game being April 30th.  The week of the 4th of July will be a BYE week for the league.

3. Need a scheduler.

1. Jennifer Cislo offered to prepare the season schedule.

4. Team shirts.

1. The majority of the teams have not ordered shirts in many seasons.  Therefore, there will be a coordination effort to purchase the shirts en-masse.  The red tam purchased shirts just last season and to avoid them having to order again the rest of the league will use the same source and design, but individual team colors.  Gina Scotto agreed to coordinate the effort.

2. We will request Nuri to add “Shirt Size” to the online registration this season, to aid in the purchase of shirts.

5. Referee. $60/game x 45 games = $2,700

1. Overall referee fees may change if the number of teams is increased.

4. Membership.

1. Membership levels for 2018.

1. Recruiting.

1. All agreed that we would like to see even higher levels of membership this year.  We will attempt to field eight teams this season.  If the league reaches 8 teams then the schedule will be based on 14 games per team and the playoff period will be extended to include every team.

2. Flyers.

1. Jennifer Cislo offered to work with Jim Elliott in leading recruiting efforts for this season.  Flyers will be prepared as well as leveraging organizations such as “Merck Millennials”, etc.

3. Start and end dates for sign up.

1. The first date of the recruiting season will be 26Feb2018.  Flyers will be placed around the West Point plant site, Upper Gwenydd, and possible North Wales.  “Early Bird” registration will be for the first 3 weeks.  The flyers (and website) will make clear that the signup period will end on 6Apr2018.

2. Web Site – Current status (Nuri Eraydin).

1. A follow up will be done with Nuri to confirm the cost of the website for 2018.

5. Fields.

1. Status of B97 (Jim Elliott).

1. Merck has secured the B97 field for the 2018 season.  Therefore we will play our season on our familiar field once again this year.  A new field is in the process of being constructed and is on the opposite side of the West Point plant site.

2. Christopher Dock.  

1. 2017: $225/game x 3/wk = $675/wk. (4wks = $2,7000)

1. Post meeting note:  Jim Elliott checked with Christopher Dock and the rates are the same for 2018 as they were for 2017.

3. First Field Lining for 2018.    

1. We will organize the first field lining prior to needing for the first 2018 game at B97.

2. The home team on the Monday game for the week will be responsible for the week’s field lining.

6. Equipment

1. Nets (newly purchased, need to be installed this year).

1. We will install our new nets this season and take them down at the end of the season, to preserve their condition.

2. Need new flags for the posts.

1. We will implement a practice of taking down the corner flags after the last game of the week and putting them back up on the Monday game.

2. Additional posts and flags will be obtained for the mid-field line at the sidelines.

3. Flags and posts are to be taken down at the end of the season as well.

3. Balls.

1. Team captains are to send an email to Jim Elliott if they need any team balls, and indicate how many.

4. Paint for field.  

1. Paint may be obtained at Home Depot or Amazon at a better price than we have been paying at the Sporting Goods store.  Dave Moore will look into the better option and whether the cans will work on our lining equipment.  We will purchase ½ of the season’s worth of paint (based on 6 cans per week).  As the mid season point is approaching the remaining paint will be purchased.  All of the cases will be organized and labelled in the shed.

7. Other.

1. Open to other topics by committee members.

1. Calling off games due to weather.  The decision to cancel a game or not will be made by 4:00pm on the day of the game.

2. As new players sign on to the league the pool of female players will be evenly distributed among the teams.

3. In order to address the mid-summer difficulty of fielding a full team the following will be applied.

1. A checkbox will be added to the registration where players can indicate if they would be open to being contacted as a fill in player on other teams on other days of the week from their team’s game.  From this will be generated an email list of alternative players.

2. We will offer a “drop in fee” for non-league players to join in to individual games.  The fee will be $10/game and the player MUST sign a copy of the league waiver.  These players can only be brought in if there is a deficit in a team’s roster for that game.  Post meeting note: we should also include the requirement that the deficient team has also reached out to the list of fill in players from the league.

4. Player substitutions during games will be clarified to include any time the ball stops and is out of the field bounds.  For example, substitutions are not allowed on a free kick but they are on a goal kick, however.

5. If we expand to eight teams we will need additional first aid kits.  Also, we are in need of more of our most used item, ice packs.  Post meeting note: contact Cathy Buruschkin if you are in need of additional ice packs.

Monday, February 6th   

Merck Soccer Club Team Meeting

Attendees: President James Elliott, Treasurer Ed Smith, Secretary Cathy Buruschkin

Team Captains: Steph Reid, Gina Scotto, Frank Gifford, Zach Schulz

Budget

Treasury position will be available.  Ed will continue until position is filled.

Start of the year budget. $1700.00

2017 dues – keep at $75.00 early registration.  $ 85.00 late registration. Dates TBD/end February.

Fields

Building 97 will be available this year.  Jim will check grounds crew availability

Christopher Dock – obtain blackout dates for all playoff games at Dock

First field lining – Ron did last year.  Looking for volunteers.

2017 Season

Season to start in May.  Dates/schedule TBD. Pending successful sign ups.

Amended league rules – Red Card

1 red- sit one game

Yellow card sits for 5 minutes before entry back on the field

Total of 5 cards in a season – sit out next game.  All cards wiped out for playoffs

Referee responsibility to report all cards at the end of the game.

Sean generally contacts Vince for referee availability

Membership

Web site management – Nuri Eraydin

Site availability for early sign-ups end of February - Nuri

League Photos have been added.

Recruiting – continue with the same level of recruiting. Flyers/team captains to contact old members

Equipment

Tee shirts with numbers on the back – Shirts left up to the team. More discussion needed.

Nets – new nets need to be installed

Need new flags

Balls – team captains will take inventory

Paint – need to be proactive this year. Jim will take inventory

First Aid – 7 first aid kits/1 case of instant ice packs purchased. Team captains will keep kit in their possession for all games.   Additional first aid equipment will be placed in the shed.

Activities

2017 Summer tournament – Looking for a good date in June

Monday, May 23, 2016; 8:00PM

Pizza Time

1. Introduction

2. Business

1. The Merck Soccer League has been recognized as an organization by the Merck Activities Committee.  

2. Current Budget. (Ed Smith)

$ 3300.00 after referee fees.  Banking ownership issues and looking to transfer funds to another bank

3. Membership

1. Membership drives through Merck.

2. Teams  126 Members signed

1. Captains.

Web Site – Current status and needs. (Facebook, social media?)     

Our website will be launched on Sync (Merck’s Club Page).  $50.00 for mid-season sign ups.

2. League Photographer.  Terri.

2. Season Schedule.

1. Game schedule; Ongoing. Vince notification of schedule changes.

3. Fields

1. We have the use of the B97 fields through 2016.  

2. B97 start date; Tuesday May 31

3. Field Lining.   Ron did the initial lining of the field, building 97.

4. Cuttings.  Jim will reach out to grounds keep for Monday cuttings

6. Equipment

1. Nets. Looking to replace nets

2. Balls

3. Paint for field.  Nuri will check for better quality paint

4. Corner flags.  Ed will check for purchasing new nets

7. Activities

1. Kick off parties.

2. End of Year Party. Need to start working on this – time with the final game.  

3. Tournament.  Pass this year

8. Other.

1. Open to other topics by committee members.

• Purchase First Aid kit for Shed.  Captains will be instructed to bring out each game.

• CPR – Merck Health Services offers FREE CPR to MERCK employees only.  It would be nice to have at least one person on each team to be certified. Send a list of any interested people on your team (no limit but must be a Merck employee) to Cathy_Buruschkin@merck.com.  A link will be sent out with the CPR on-line course.  After completion, you will be set up for a time to come to WP Health Services to take the test.

Attendees:

Jim Elliott: President.

Ed Smith: Treasurer.

Cathy Buruschkin: Secretary.

Agenda:

1. We must assure that we have all of the requirements submitted to Lisa McManus to be an officially sanctioned group.

Requirements for Merck sponsored clubs.

• A statement of the name of, purpose for and proposed activities of the Club

• A Mission Statement,

• Constitution and

• By Laws for the Club. (Note: Must include a provision for elected volunteer leaders responsible (Merck employees) for administration of the Club.)

• A statement that the Club will operate consistently with the Company's Corporate Policy 16 – Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action

• A proposed financial structure.

• Proposed member eligibility requirements.

2. Liability Insurance.

1. Waiver

3. First organizational meeting: Late Feb?

1. Determine the season schedule dates.

2. Christopher Dock

4. Treasury.

5. Recruitment.

1. Merck membership recruitment officer.

6. Club Officers.

1. Open for vote?

2. V.P.

The meeting was held at the, above stated, time with the stated attendees, covering the topics noted.  The minutes are as follows:

1. The requirements to be a sponsored club on the Merck network.  

1. A mission statement, Constitution, By-Laws and member eligibility requirements have been authored and are being reviewed by the officers for approval.

2. The statement concerning Corporate Policy 16, the statement of the name, purpose, etc., and the financial structure are yet to be authored.  Jim Elliott will take this assignment.

2. The liability Insurance status will be confirmed by Jim Elliott.  We have a waiver from last year that was reviewed by the legal department.

3. The first organizational meeting (officers and captains) will be held in mid-February with the idea of the season beginning in late April with registrations beginning in March.  Jim Elliott will arrange a date and time.

4. Treasury items will be followed up on by Ed Smith.  He will determine the status of the accounts and look into opportunities to streamline the use of the accounts while adding access to the President and Secretary.

5. Recruitment.  A Merck membership recruitment leader will be appointed.  A primary candidate is in mind.  Recruitment will be a major effort in the upcoming months.  Ideas and thoughts are:

1. Have a link established from the Merck activities site to the MSL external site.  Cathy Buruschkin will follow up on having this link established.

2. Prepare a recruitment flyer.  Jim Elliott will create this.

1. Ed Smith will obtain an email list of all of the Merck players registered in the 2015 season.  The flyer will be sent to them to post in their break areas and/or distribute to other interested Merck employees.  

2. The flyer will be posted in the differing cafeteria areas (B53 hallway, B38, B97, etc.).

3. Jim Elliott will inquire about posting in the Fitness Center.

3. A website coordinator / social media coordinator will be identified to coordinate these items, potentially Facebook, etc.  

4. Should we find someone to volunteer as the league photographer?  This person would take team photographs, random game photos and special events.  These can then be used in social media and on the website.

6. Club Officers.  We should open up the officer positions for this season to those Merck employees that would like to take on a role.  Ed Smith will obtain the list of Merck employee emails and Jim Elliott will send out an email offering the opportunity to any Merck employee currently in the league.  If there is interest by more than one person for any of the positions it will be put out to a vote.  If there is no expressed interest the positions will remain filled as for the 2015 season.

1. Vice President.  There currently isn’t a sitting V.P.  The By-Laws do not require a V.P., however it is preferred to locate someone to fill this position that can fill in for the president, when needed, and take over the role as President in the future.

7. Miscellaneous.  The following topics were also discussed in addition to the agenda items.

1. Team competitiveness.  As in past seasons there are teams that have higher levels of skill levels than others.  This can result in a level of frustration for both, teams that always expect not to win over these teams and the team that feels little competition against the others.  Wholesale redistribution of players is not preferred as many players enjoy the camaraderie of players that they have been associated with over the years. This will be brought up as a topic with the Captain’s meeting.   Some thoughts on this include:

1. Each captain choosing a core of 12 players and the remainder become free agents to be distributed amongst the teams.  Probably not a preferred option.

2. In place of playoffs will be an end of year tournament.  Every team will be included in the end of the year tournament regardless of place on the table at the end of the year.  Table placement may be used for matchup decisions.

3. Consider a separate cup tournament unrelated to table standings with matchups chosen at random similar to most of the European Leagues.

2. Female (Co-Ed) fraction of the league.  There has not been a shortage of female players but to encourage more of a co-ed league some emphasis will be placed on female players.  

1. If enough are obtained the rules may be changed to require two women players on the field at all times, in place of one as is the current rule.  The rule can be altered during times when there are scarce players and the two teams can only field one.  Guidance may be given to the referees to make this decision.

2. A topic of discussion at the captain’s meeting will be to be mindful of when multiple female players are at the game to use them evenly and not rotate all through one field position.

8. End of Minutes.

Merck Soccer Club

6-10-15 @ 6:30pm

Pizza Time

Attendees:

President – Jim Elliott

Secretary – Catherine Buruschkin

Green Team Captain – Frank

Minutes taken by Catherine Buruschkin

Agenda prepared by Jim Elliott

Roles and responsibilities were discussed. Vice President seat is still vacant. Member eligibility.

Discussion of liability Insurance/waiver – legal review – Cathy will discuss requirements/legal review with Club organizer Lisa McManus/Merck attorney.

Mission Statement

By-Laws-to be included in website.

A statement that the club will operate consistently with the Company’s Corporate Policy 16 – Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action

Budget was reviewed, Dock fields, game balls, website fees.

Payments already processed to Doc for fields $2250

Payments already processed to Sean – game balls $419

Payments already processed for website fees $225

Current paypal balance $2412

Current TD bank balance $2620

Total Balance $5032

Each team gets two balls. See Jim if your team did not receive.

Nuri has password for the website. Each captain has own password and should access the site to review roster and player payment. Also, captain needs to ensure that emails are going to players.

Storage/compliance of minutes on website to be discussed with Nuri.

Membership:

New member sign up after, TBD, will be charged ½ the membership fee.

Any new members will be assigned to the Gold/Green/White team to balance roster.

Flyers will be distributed within WP Merck buildings to boost membership. Flyers distributed by Jim and Cathy

Fields:

Dock field usage ends on 6-10-15

Bld 97 to begin 6-15-15 – Concerns of high grass. Does anyone know anyone in maintenance?

Flags - are in bad shape.

Posts – North post good. South post is slightly wobbly. Slight adjustment needed

Nets – are in good shape. Jim will purchase tie wraps to secure nets.

Paint lining – 7 cases. Initial lining will require accurate measurement. Three members will meet on June 14^th for the initial lining. Additional volunteers needed. Plastic stakes will be applied for future linings.

Additional activities – monthly meetings, season end party, bus to Union games.

GO USA women’s world cup.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm See agenda for additional items.