Cherokee Senior Softball Association

CSSA BOARD MEETING MINUTES
June 5, 2023
The meeting of the CSSA Board of Directors was held June 5th, 2023, at Wicked Wings, Kennesaw, and called to order by Norman Thiem at 6:40 P.M.

Board Members Present: Norman Thiem, Dick O’Connor, Ray DeLuca, Dewey Hom, Maria Burden, Bob Werner, Mike Parson, Leland Brown, Marty Aftewicz, John Humeston, Randy Bergman, Dan Bonham, Mike Maguire and Steve Fleming
Board Members James Bauch, and Robbie Crider were absent. Jerome Willingham was a guest.

A. Minutes of the April 4, 2023 meeting, having been emailed to all, were Board approved.
B. Financial Statement: Norman Thiem presented a mid-year financial statement and balance sheet, and aside from the slightly higher cost of credit card processing with the TeamPages site for events and registration fees, expenses are in line with expectations and CSSA is in good shape financially. Sam Clemons was presented with a check from the CSSA benefit fund and an additional $1,000 was collected from CSSA members on the TeamPages site which has been delivered to Sam as well, to assist with recovery from the loss of his residence in a recent fire.
C. 2023 Fall Sponsors: Even with our newest Dreamers league, we have enough sponsors for the Fall season and beyond, however, we are always actively seeking interested sponsors to join us in the event that an existing sponsor drops out.
D. CSSA Golf Tournament: This year’s summer tournament will be held on June 19th, 2023 at the Fairways of Canton Golf Club 400 Laurel Canyon Pkwy, Canton, GA 30114
More foursomes are needed!
Fees: $90/single – $360 /foursome. Also available for purchase….Strings, Red Bombs and Mulligans for $5.00 each! Package Includes: Green Fee, Cart Fee, Range Balls,Tax & Gratuity, and a buffet lunch including hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and coleslaw. Register and pay at : https://www.teampages.com/forms/25013-Charity-Events
Hole Sponsors: Hole sponsors are needed for the June 19th golf tournament–only $100 and sponsors will have a big presence at the event with custom signs. Please contact Norman Thiem (770) 757-8467 to sponsor a hole.
E. Evaluations: Fall Evaluations will be held Saturday, July 22nd from 12-2 p.m., Sunday July 23rd from 12-2 p.m., Saturday, July 29th from 12-2 p.m. and Sunday, July 30th from 12-2 p.m. The Board again discussed evaluations and how to better screen new players trying out to determine when they are not available to play and make the tryout/draft process even more seamless. As a reminder, for the Fall evaluation days every league director will be present and will evaluate players to provide more information for the draft. New players will be assigned a league or leagues based on the results, and can only be drafted to teams within that league (or leagues). It was decided that an additional “interview station” will be set up at check-in manned by Norman Thiem to be sure that the right questions are asked of new players so they are not drafted to a league that plays when they might not be available for scheduling reasons. There will be an all-managers meeting prior to the beginning of the draft to review the rules and ensure a smoother draft process.
F. Proposal for CSSA Hall of Fame (HOF): The Board voted to form a study committee with Ray DeLuca at the head, to create a proposal for a CSSA Hall of Fame to honor exemplary members. The committee will propose criteria for qualification as a HOF inductee, recommendations for a selection/induction committee and how to recognize and document inductees in the HOF.
G. Run Differential Calculation: There was a discussion of whether to change to a run differential rule calculation, and the Board decided to make no changes to the current rule.
H. Proposal for MSA Softballs instead of Trump Rocks: CSSA has the opportunity to acquire CSSA branded MSA balls for a significantly lower price than the Trump rocks currently in use. Trump rocks, and all softballs in general have gone up greatly in price and it was decided to try some of the MSA balls in next week’s games to see how they perform, and revisit the subject at the next meeting.
I. New First Aid Kits: Norman Thiem will order two new First Aid Kits, one for Hobgood Park and one for Skip Wells. The kit at Hobgood Park has been depleted. The new kits will be kept in a more secure, but accessible location.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. The next BOD meeting will be Monday, July 5th at 6:30 p.m. at a location to be determined.