The BA Soccer League: recreational, non-profit, volunteer-run… and tons of fun
The BASL provides adult men with the opportunity to play indoor and outdoor soccer in a safe, pleasant and respectful environment, on quality pitches and under stable, transparent, consultative management.
Summer 2022 Kicks Off this Weekend
Dear gents of the BA League,
Ah, here it is, the first email of the usually warmer and sunnier, sometimes wetter, and always more grass-stainy of the BA seasons – the outdoor one! Plucked straight from the flower bed that is the league and delivered straight to the crystal vase that is your inbox. Warning, this email is long – longer than a run up the wing from Mike Tourond – but please have a read, we really think it’s all information you should know.
First order of business, a warm welcome to the newest members of the BA Soccer League! We are convinced, and expect you will be soon enough, that this is a league unlike any other. As you have no doubt read in our separate communication to the Newbies that is surely NOT caught in your spam filter, there is an emphasis here on keeping everything fun, friendly and respectful every single week. We really hope you enjoy your first season in the league and implore you to make at least a few appearances at the pub to enjoy the company of your league mates (don’t worry – we’re all sweaty, no one will judge). There will be prizes, and as always good food, drink and company!
Rosters
We found six men crazy enough to take on duties to manage a team this year. May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. Here they are, your BA managers:
- Red – Tom Borbely
- Yellow – Mark Meng
- Navy – Eben Crofton
- Orange – Alex Martel
- Pink – Ryan Zurawell
- Light Blue – Chris Bradley
You can find your team and game info on TeamSnap (see note below). The full list of teams is also on the website – click here
Opening Day Reminders
This is it – you are officially out of time to drop those last 10 pounds from your waistline! Game #1 is this Saturday, May 28th! We considered lying to you about the start time, but in the interest of transparency and after discussing it with our legal advisors, we’re just going to ask you to PLEASE show up at 9:30 sharp this first week even though that’s 30 minutes before the games start – we gather at the junction between the 3 fields. There are a few things we would like to give your captains time to sort out – shirts, quick introductions, and any instructions we have asked the managers to brief you on. Note to all managers – any opposition scouting film you were planning to review on a MS Surface tablet is exclusive property of the league and may not be used without expressed written consent.
Other Reminders
TeamSnap – Please accept your invitation to TeamSnap, whether via the website or the phone app – it’s a vital tool we want to get everybody using, especially as we’ve now got some integration with the BA website that will make everyone’s life easier. Please get that done ASAP so your captain doesn’t have to pull out whatever hair remains on his head (and even if you’re on Tom’s team, do it anyway, please).
Website Launch – Speaking of the website, we all owe Brian Garson a huge tip of the hat for his tireless efforts to redesign and hugely improve our league’s website. It has a fresh and pretty face (for those of you that can’t help falling for one) but more importantly some added functionality, most notably the schedule and standings integration from TeamSnap. On that note, please double check that your availability is marked properly, as the website launch may have altered what you already entered. Managers – please be aware this might be the case and follow up with your guys. Click here to check out our new digital home and set your bookmarks (if that’s your kind of thing).
The Bad Alibi – The big news here is that The Bad Alibi (Youville Dr across from Bob MacQuarrie Rec Complex in Orleans) is introducing a breakfast menu and will have a spot for us on the patio from noon onwards on Saturdays. While the breakfast menu does limit some of their other selections (we are still trying to figure out whether wings will be available), they have confirmed that they will continue to crank the free nachos out of the kitchen for us!
Long weekends – We do not play on Saturdays of long weekends but… great news for those who still need a place to go (sorry, the Bad Alibi won’t let you come in at 10am) – Field 6 at Potvin will be made available for a non-official kickaround on those Saturdays at 10am thanks to Rhys Williams of Capital Property Group http://www.cpgottawa.com. New this year, you can mark your availability for those on TeamSnap! On that note, please tell us if you have a business you would like us to promote on the website, or even better, if you’d like to sponsor any prize giveaways this season – we’d actually love to do both! Send us an email including the logo of your business: info@basoccer.ca
Give back our stuff – Anyone holding a league ball, a team shirt or a first aid kit/cooler hostage from the indoor season – this is your official warning to release the hostages or ensure safe passage via a trusted 3rd party to the field this Saturday, May 28th. Please find Howard Weingarden (team Yellow) if you have a league ball; any shirts from indoor go to Mark Meng (team Yellow), and first aid kits/coolers to Jason Robinson (team Orange). If all else fails and you can’t find these fellows, flag down Rhys Williams (team Orange) and he’ll get stuff to the right people.
What’s In a Name?
In addition to warming up those killer quads and chiseled calf muscles, we need you to fire up some of those (ahem… well preserved…) brain cells and think of a clever name for your team, one that is related to your shirt colour. Your wit shall be put to a league-wide vote and each member of the team adjudged to have the best name will be the recipient of a $10 gift card, probably for The Bad Alibi, in addition to the admiration and envy (it’s possible to have both at the same time!) of your leaguemates.
The BA Code of Conduct
Yes, this is oft repeated, but just call us suckers for the classics. The BASL is known as one of Ottawa’s absolute best recreational leagues when it comes to sportsmanship and camaraderie – this includes equal respect for teammates and opponents alike (within a few years those opponents will be your teammates), as well as referees. Make no mistake, we do love a good and competitive atmosphere, and everyone has a bad day from time to time – there will be slip ups – but anyone who develops a pattern of rash challenges, abusive behaviour, or just general lack of respect for the league’s goal of a fun and friendly atmosphere, will stick out like a sore thumb and will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly. This is our BA code of conduct. New players – you’ve been informed. Returning members – you certainly know this, and we are counting on you to set the example for newer players.
A Note to the Spares
The bespectacled Dave Willey and his partner in crime Chris Bradley are your points of contact for the weekly grind of filling the unfilled roster spots. You should be aware – there are vacations, there is the heat of an Ottawa summer, and most of all, there are aging and tired bodies out there (we’re only really talking about one guy in particular and he knows who he is). All that to say, expect that you will be called upon fairly often this season to fill spots as the season progresses. We would really appreciate if you could pay your $15 game fee immediately upon confirming with Dave/Chris that you have accepted an assignment to play. Those fees can be sent to baslpayments@gmail.com – thanks in advance for your co-operation.
The Derecho… er… Big Storm
Just a general note to mention that we are a family here, not just a collection of individuals that like soccer and beer. If you’ve been impacted by the storm, we’d like to know – whether it’s because we can brainstorm to help with a problem, pool together resources, or just be a shoulder to cry/vent on, we’re all here for all of that. You don’t even have to ask for any help, just putting it out there that your BA family (and the executive team) is here for you.
Lastly… COVID of course
Look, we’d like to party like it was 2019 but we still take our cues from Ottawa Public Health, who is adamant that anyone with any symptoms of illness (Covid-19 or otherwise), or anyone in contact with someone at high-risk of Covid-19 needs to self-isolate for five days. We are not requiring pre-game health checks at this time but please don’t be the guy that blows this for us, especially if you have any reason to consider staying away. That’s all we will say about that.
Here’s to another fun-filled season in the BA. We are all looking forward to getting together to do what we love to do most… and also a good game of soccer beforehand! See you all on Saturday morning at 9:30!
May your gamedays be warm and your beer cold!
Your BA Executive Team
Indoor cup winners | end of year recap| SAGM minutes | new executive committee
Greetings gents,
As most of you are no doubt enjoying the beautiful sunshine that has graced us the last few days, it seems fitting to send out an email to close out a great indoor season; I’m told the temperature in the dome is now approximately equivalent to the surface of Venus. If nothing else, it was undisputedly the best season in at least the last 3 years! We also had our AGM which I will recap below but do encourage you to peruse the attached minutes.
Indoor Cup Winners
A hearty congratulations to Maroun 7 (red) for a gritty performance holding off a late comeback from Pepto Abysmal (pink) in an exciting 5-4 victory. It was a fun watch and certainly worthy of the final. Special shoutout to Dany Paraschivoiu for netting the first goal of the game and going out in a blaze of glory, as a champion. If you didn’t catch the post-game press conference, Dany has announced his retirement – though the paperwork has not yet been filed with the league office, so a comeback cannot be ruled out just yet.
Season Recap
As Ray noted in a previous email, Black and Brewed narrowly squeaked out the league championship by a single point, which was very fitting considering all their nail-biting finishes during the course of the season. Rumours that Treasurer Brian Garson found the extra point for his team by rounding all decimals up to the nearest whole number are unsubstantiated. It is advised that you refrain from confronting him about it, at least until a thorough investigation into the matter has wrapped up.
A warm thank-you to everyone who made this season a truly excellent one – first of all, accommodating an early start (in October) which in the end was crucial to getting as many games in as possible given our unscheduled break in January on the advice of Public Health. Everyone did an outstanding job playing it safe with potential Covid exposures, sometimes even when not required to by the rules. Keeping everyone as healthy and safe as possible was clearly the priority and it was very much appreciated, as was the navigating of absences, limited spare numbers, and all the other stuff that made this such a challenge. Once again, it demonstrates how exceptional this league is and you should all be proud of how we got through it all.
A quick note on hoodies (League winners) and windbreakers (Cup winners) – there was an error with our printing vendor – believe it or not the mistake wasn’t on our end! Your commemorative swag is on the way, we’ll distribute as many as possible at the start of the outdoor season and figure out alternative arrangements for those who are not playing outdoor.
Awards
Spirit of the League – a day after Mother’s Day, let us celebrate an outstanding group of gents who certainly would make any mother proud – this award embodies everything the BA League stands for, an unmatched balance between competitive play, good nature, fairness and an emphasis on the fact that we’re all amateurs that are here for a good time, but not a long time in the grand scheme of things. The nominees were: (Chris Bradley, Darren Lemire, Bruno Paltrinieri, Ron Garson, Josh Georg, Ed Duncan, Stevan Dostanic, Colin Raines). We had an excellent voter turn-out (the Canadian electoral system could learn a thing or two) and the 2021-22 winner is none other than Colin Raines! Congrats – you should be proud to win an award like this in a league full of such fine fellas.
Smells like… Team Spirit – Colin’s attitude was clearly infectious (ahem… no pun intended for those who drank from his Gatorade bottle during a recent Sunday game). Urine Trouble was the only team in the league to play an entire season without a single card. That is an outstanding achievement and you should all be proud.
Best Team Name – at the risk of this becoming an unwatchable Oscars broadcast, we tip our hats yet again to Urine Trouble, which was voted in (again, by you the league) as the best team name of 2021-22. Well done and may all your nouveau-Starbucks-riche boys sip your wealth gently and carefully with not a burnt tongue in sight.
Annual General Meeting Recap
As mentioned off the top – I encourage you to review the full notes recorded by our recording secretary extraordinaire Doug Spencer who if nothing else does an impressive job keeping the huge mugs of German beer from spilling on his computer in the chaos of our AGM. The turnout was excellent, a huge thank you to all those who attended. For the TL;DR version, see recap below:
Changes to exec structure and members: main changes to the structure include eliminating the need for committees on Treasury and Discipline, instead assigning those functions to individuals, allowing them flexibility to recruit assistance on an as needed basis. See below for the 2022 positions, and please join us in thanking the following crazy people for stepping up for duty, as well as the people who served this year and in the past.
Your 2022 Executive members/directorship:
- President: Frank Lamontagne (replacing Ray Martel)
- Vice-President: Denis Levesque (replacing Romeo Pantalone)
- Treasurer: Matt DeSouza (replacing Brian Garson)
- Spares co-ordinator: Dave Willey (replacing Frank Lamontagne)
- Assistant Spares co-ordinator: Chris Bradley (replacing Dave Willey)
- IT & Media: Brian Garson (new position)
- Awards & Events: Tom Borbely (new position)
- Admin/Secretariat: Doug Spencer
- Defibrillator Duty: Bernie Pilon (replacing Shawn Sabourin)
Spares during playoffs: a motion was accepted to make playoff spare protocol the same as during the regular season – allowed throughout the playoffs but only on a like-for-like skill level basis.
Potential future season venue changes: you should be aware that we are actively expressing interest and reviewing proposals for the 2022-23 indoor season at the soon-to-be constructed Garneau dome (off Orleans boul near St Joseph) and the 2023 outdoor season at Julien de Guzman park (Anderson/Leitrim Rd). No commitments have been made but we should get clarity in the next few months on our options.
Bad Alibi Sponsorship: Hopefully everyone has had a chance to enjoy a beverage and something off the menu at The Bad Alibi (Youville/St Joseph). We have officially made the switch after decades at the Blackburn Arms, with which we made the difficult decision to finally sever ties. Officially, we are the BA Soccer League – no longer the Blackburn Arms Soccer League, and we are not the Bad Alibi Soccer League (how awesome is it though that it does still work with BA?). Some of the perks at the Bad Alibi, for those unaware – free nachos, $10 wing deal, 10% of sales go towards year-end party, patio can be reserved. We have also confirmed they are the place to be after Saturday morning outdoor games in 2022 – please show some love for the owners Matty and Jay if you get the chance, they have been great to us so far.
Final tip of the hat to Ray
Perhaps in perfect irony – if you’ve made it this far down the page and are still with us, you’re probably the kinda guy that truly appreciated the greatness of our outgoing president Ray Martel. He served as our president for 6 years, which was probably 6 years more than he had intended. In that time, he did an outstanding job taking a wonderful league and somehow elevating it to even greater levels, from within the executive, to these email blasts (which we can only try our best to emulate), to the time he took to have meaningful individual conversations with so many of you, giving us the best example to model this league after. I think I can speak for the (mostly and relatively) younger generation that is now stepping into the task of carrying on leadership of this league – one of the main reasons we would even consider taking this on is to attempt keeping the standard of this league WAY up there where Ray has taken it. We know you aren’t going to be far away anyway, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t all give you a thank you from the bottom of all our hearts. When any of us end up playing in this league with our kids/grandkids (which some already do), it will be in large part because Ray showed us it is possible to keep a humble soccer league so good for so long, and also that’s worthwhile doing it. Enjoy your retirement, Ray – if this first attempt at a league email is any indication of the effort it requires, you have some time savings in your future.
Thanks all for reading, thanks for a superb 2021-22 Indoor season; we look forward to an excellent 2022 Outdoor season. Expect a communication regarding teams in about a week, followed by more start of season stuff in the days following that.
May your gamedays be warm and your beer cold!
Your BA Executive Team
2021-22 regular season champs crowned: Black and Brewed
BLACK AND BREWED, in the wake of what seems like the most games won by a single goal, took home the regular-season honours over Great Wide Sharks by a… single point. Do you see a pattern here? Anyway, well done, gentlemen. Your “fitting” (well, we hope) rewards await on May 5 after the Investors’ Cup Final, as are those of the winner there.
SAGM in early May / News tidbits (really, they’re fun!) / Capping off the season in style
March SAGM coming in… May
As you might recall from our last missive, we decided to postpone our usual March 2022 SAGM to the early spring, in the hope of holding it post-Covid (ok, stupid wish there) and, perhaps, in tandem with a preseason kickabout. Come the week of April 18 and the passing of the Easter Bunny, you can expect an invitation to both the SAGM and a hopefully not-too-painful mini-series of workouts at the new Julian DeGuzman Field; Mondays early evening, as of April 25, appear to be the best slots offered for now—TO BE CONFIRMED, however. Please respond to the invitation promptly if you intend to join us both for the footie and for the fandango at the SAGM after.
News Tidbits
- Only four spots full-time spots left for Outdoor 2022: All keepers have been recruited (coerced), with one in the body shop for major repairs, however.
- Our managers for Outdoor 2022: Ryan Zurawell, Mark Meng, Chris Bradley, Tom Borbely, Eben Crofton, Alex Martel. Merci beaucoup, Messieurs. Ass’t managers to be announced after the teams are assembled and police checks are completed.
- Cards issued to date for the Indoor Season: 8 (two of which are to one player, who’s been forced to attend Question Period in the House of Commons for the next month)
- Three new Father-Son duos in 2022: Hats off to Chris Bradley, Troy Morris and John Wilson, whose sons will be joining them on the pitch for the first time this summer.
- SAGM documents coming the week of April 18: Agenda, Sept. 2021 minutes, financial statement, positions up for election, by-law amendments, V-P Romeo Pantalone’s summer travel plans, etc. will be delivered with the next BA Update.
- BA Executive meeting and pyjama party April 13: If you want us to discuss a topic or proposal for you, send an email to rjmartel@rogers.com.
Last regular-season game for Indoor tomorrow
Let’s keep it pleasant, peaceful and odour-free out there, lads, as we say so long to the regular campaign tomorrow and get ready for the Investors Indoor Cup (three-game round robin, plus a final for two lucky contenders) starting April 14 and ending May 5. Remember, to respect your teammates, respect your opponents and respect your officials is to respect yourself.
Here’s to your being able to enjoy your fixtures without having to change any lightbulbs. J
Outdoor 2022 Registration starts March 14th
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Back to the pitch on February 3rd
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Update For One And All
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September 2021 AGM Minutes
Outdoor 2021 Semi-Annual General Meeting
September 18, 2021*
(*Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sept. 2020 and March 2021 SAGMs were cancelled.)
Blackburn Arms Pub-Terrace, 12:34 p.m.
Minutes of the SAGM (recording secretary: Doug Spencer)
- Adoption of agenda
- Amendments/Additions:
- Addition to agenda: proposal from Ron Palaczka to use new German Club facility
- Motion to adopt agenda: Denis Levesque. Seconder: Ed Duncan
- Agenda accepted
- Business arising from the minutes of 2020 March SAGM (See file sent with BA Update)
- Any questions? Corrections? None
- Motion to accept the 2020 March SAGM minutes
- James Cuthill motioned, seconded by Noel Gascon. Accepted
- President’s report (Ray Martel)
- COVID chaos and fallout
- Last day of play / Season-end party on Oct. 2
- New dome at Garneau in 2021: update
- Succession planning
Notes:
- A) No first-place trophy or cup in summer 2021
- Top three teams will donate at least $150 to a charity of their choice via BA Exec
- Fourth through sixth will also donate to a charity via BA Exec
- Trophies will be engraved with “2021 COVID Memorial Season”
- B) Pub cannot commit to hosting a year-end banquet
- Cannot have an indoor celebration due to COVID
- Potential for terrace at the Arms, but space is an issue
- Tim Tierney’s office has been helping us get a tent at Potvin in conjunction with Dominion City; they have tents too—but space an issue as well, with restrictions for consuming beer (must be seated)
- Frank: Big concern is food. How do we proceed?
- Bring your own food?
- James comment: Whitewater brewing will donate kegs if needed
- Social on field seven (SW) on October 2-final day? Only field open after noon
- Consensus is that if things remain too complicated, it will be BYOB and sandwich on field 7 after the last games. Details will come through manager or league update.
- C) Garneau Dome has been approved
- Potentially coming in 2022
- State of the art, like Louis-Riel
- Have already requested times with school board, but no formal commitment yet
- Further discussions to take place at Spring AGM (March)
- Potential for slight increase in fees ($5-10 per player)
- D) Things are spread out more, roughly 20 players involved
- Courting people to take over the league
- Ray is planning to end his tenure in March 2022
- Wants to finish three special projects: Bylaws, website, critical path
- Denis applauds volunteers
- Motion to accept president’s report by: Ed Duncan, Seconder: Frank Lamontagne. Accepted.
- Financial update and statements (Brian Garson)
- Assets before Outdoor 2021
- Outdoor 2021 summary
- Indoor 2021-22 forecast
- Motion to approve financial statements
Notes:
- Have about $8k left in bank after summer season
- Added two extra games to winter season (projected $5k deficit)
- Should have a balance of $3-6k at end of winter
- Keepers are needed for winter
- Brian will post financial statement on website under Info
- Motion to accept financial update by: Paul Gibbard Seconder: Glen Borbeley. Accepted.
- Other reports/updates
- Discipline 2021, including update on carding per team (Jared Kitcher)
- Uniforms for outdoor 2021 (Yanic Giroux)
- Uniforms for indoor 2021-22 (Mark Meng)
- Spares update and review (Frank Lamontagne/David Willey)
Notes:
- A) Not much to report for discipline, only one card so far
- B) New kits coming for indoor
- Mark Meng: At end of outdoor season, any kind of BA kit is welcomed back
- Especially the Adidas ones
- Wanting to switch indoor kits from Sportsphere to Adidas
- Frank: Advise players to drop off kits ahead of time if they are away Oct. 2nd
- Outdoor shirts go to Yanic Giroux via managers
- Mark Meng: At end of outdoor season, any kind of BA kit is welcomed back
- D) Spares have been tough to come by this year
- More spares needed for winter
- Should be slightly easier with earlier games.
- Elections/Recruitment (see Exec-coordinator terms sent with BA Update)
- Nominations-election for Exec at large #1
- Nominations-election for Exec at large #2
- Nominations-election for Exec at large #3
- Nominations-election for Finance Cttee member
Notes:
- a) Marc-André Daoust self-nominates; Paul Stanisci seconds.
- Vote passed
- b) Rhys Williams self-nominates; James Cuthill seconds.
- Vote passed
- c) To replace Mark D’Agostino (exec at large)
- James Cuthill self-nominates, Tom Borbely seconds.
- Vote passed
- d) Term is up on the Finance committee
- To help Brian oversee their statements; three-member committee
- Paul Stanisci self-nominates, Marc-André Daoust seconds.
- Vote passed
- Other business
- Special motions received by email before the SAGM—None received
- Special motions tabled at SAGM, if majority of members agree to consider—None received
Notes:
- Sponsorship/Affiliation concerns
- Dave Boeyen: Arms not doing much to improve support, do we consider moving?
- Ray Martel: We have some very interested parties for the indoor season.
- Denis Levesque: We want to do things right, however.
- No local tap at all despite requests /No door prizes anymore.
- Update coming in mid-October.
- Other motion: Colin Knight moves that Doug Spencer step into some type of role next year
- Motion to be revisited
- Field of Dreams proposal at German Club (M-A Daoust reminded chair of the need to discuss)
- From Ron Palaczka & Jon Paradis (are sponsoring special initiative later this season)
- Field opens spring 2022
- First right of refusal to move there in summer 2022
- Implications:
- Staggered times (only two pitches)
- German Club would run the pub
- Farther away for some players
- Some are unsure about playing on turf (heat, harder surface)
- Cost would be roughly the same
- We could have games start earlier (9:30 a.m.)
- Could we have two games on the grass, one on the turf?
- Do not need to decide today
- Mark Skinner: Having only playoffs/Cup there?
- Doing tournament on one day?
- Could we use it for our alternate fields too?
- Execs are sheepish about moving the whole season there
- Colin Knight: When do we need to decide by?
- A few weeks out
- Use Survey Monkey to poll the lads: have a referendum online for this
- Has not been easy this year and others to organize our fields; frequent turnover at Hornets’ office
- Denis Levesque: If we go for next year, do we lose Potvin fields?
- Probably; we could ask for a year off and rebook if needed (see Bill Coleman)
- Mark White: Could we ask German Club/Ron and Jon to put a proposal together?
- Ray will send something more detailed from Ron and Jon within roughly a month, we will get a few specifics and go from there
- Motion to officially entertain Ron and Jon’s proposal to move the BA either fully or partially to the German Club for summer 2022; report to full membership with full detailed offer as soon as possible and hold a league-wide vote if the idea is retained: Motion by: Ray Martel Seconder: Howard Weingarden. Accepted.
- Dave Boeyen: Arms not doing much to improve support, do we consider moving?
- Adjournment at 1:38 p.m.
- Ray Martel moves to adjourn. Accepted.
March 2020 AGM Minutes
Indoor 2019-20 Semi-Annual General Meeting
March 12,2020
Hornets Nest Clubhouse, 9:45 p.m.
Minutes
- Adoption of agenda
- Amendments/Additions: 1)_________________________ 2) _______________________
- Motion to adopt agenda:
- Jared moves, Bodo seconds. Motion carried.
- Business arising from the minutes of 2019 September SAGM
- Vote to allow GKs from other teams to spare in Outdoor Cup Final: motion was passed without the proper majority (2/3), so is invalidated.
- Motion to accept the 2019 Sept. SAGM minutes: Bill moves, Brad seconds. Motion carried.
- President’s report (Ray Martel)
- Logo update /MailChimp vote
- Mark Skinner is updating the logo pro-bono
- Everyone who wants will get to vote on logo via SurveyMonkey in the future
- Logo update /MailChimp vote
- Nine logos were presented, three will be used for the vote
- Website makeover
- Nick and Mark S. are working on revamping the website
- Members in attendance like the concept of having their businesses spotlighted in newsletter and on website
- If members want to have their business featured, they are to e-mail a picture to Ray along with the description of their business
- New dome at Garneau in 2021
- Have already submitted their paperwork to the city, hoping for completion by 2021/2022 season
- BASL sent a letter of interest to them, with conditions, including: same night and time as current indoor league at Hornet’s Nest.
- Issues with current dome arise from its maintenance or lack thereof. Numerous attempts to discuss this with TMSI have proved futile to date.
- Potential wrench in relocation is the Pub; do we look at a new establishment for indoor season?
- Denis will lead a group consisting of James and Askar to discuss incentives with Brennan at the Arms; members are concerned there are no real incentives to go to the BA following indoor games, save the odd plate of nachos.
- By-law adoption process: speak up or hop on
- Need to be officially approved by membership before they come in to effect
- By-laws will be posted for a specified period on the website for all members to review
- Process will be “negative billing”: if you have issues with the by-laws speak up or hold your peace.
- Stepping down in Sept. 2020
- Ray would like to step down as of March 2021.
- Financial update and statements (Brian Garson)
- Summary for indoor 2019-20
- $9k in a slush fund currently
- $5k has been allocated for a future equipment refresh
- Idea brought forward to use a portion of this to get goalie equipment (gloves, shirts etc.)
- Indoor 2019/2020 field fees were raised, but no increase to registration. Deficit offset by summer 2019 surplus
- TeamSnap: can we explore adding scores via the app to make things easier? What would the cost of adding this function be?
- Motion: goalies to play for free, spares have their registration waved (both seasons)
- Frank moved, James seconded.
- Spares for free, maybe full timers pay
- Would this increase a deficit?
- Bodo doesn’t mind paying the keeper fee, appreciates that spares could play for free
- Modified motion: pay EODSA fee for spare keepers
- Spare keepers do not pay/play free for one year.
- Frank Lamontagne motioned. James Cuthill seconded. Motion carried.
- Spare keepers do not pay/play free for one year.
- Budget forecast for Outdoor 2020
- Motion to approve financial statements
- Finance report adopted; motion carried unanimously.
- Other reports
- Discipline Indoor 2019-2020, including update on carding per team (Jared Kitcher)
- One suspension this indoor season, cards are at 8-9, usual levels.
- Cards are distributed evenly amongst the teams
- Uniforms Outdoor 2020 (Steve Cock)
- Mark Meng will take over the job of gathering all the shirts. Will consult with Steve to order new indoor shirts for 2021-2022. Mark will be winter coordinator.
- Last summer (2019) was a poor year for shirt returns
- Looking for someone to take over summer management (see below)
- Steve will ensure we have enough to handout for the summer
- Light blue from last summer is no longer being made by Adidas
- Yanick Giroux will step up and be new kit coordinator for the summer
- Spares update (Frank Lamontagne/David Willey)
- Players not putting in their TeamSnap availabilities
- Unsure if people are not using TeamSnap
- Spares are unresponsive
- Exec and spares managers are mandated to look at ways to tweak the spares bylaw so that spares get the maximum bang for their buck, specifically:
- Motion: Bylaw should be rewritten to allow the spares manager to invite a spare to attend, and then the spares manager would assign them to a team based on their discretion.
- Steve Cock motioned; Brian seconded. Motion carried (2/3rd received).
- Elections/Recruitment
- BA Exec and coordinator terms of office file sent to all on March 5-6
- ELECTION RESULTS
- Frank Lamontagne elected as an executive at large (well, Frank is 6’4’ and has worked as a bouncer, so maybe it should be “executive at very large”).
- Jared Kitcher re-elected as chair/lounger of the Discipline Committee (DC); no cards or fouls involved.
- Mike Tourond re-elected as discipline officer on the DC, but only for on-field matters, not behaviour at the pub.
- Brian Garson re-elected as treasurer/registrar/refund regurgitator.
- Ray Martel re-elected for one-year term as president and chief obfuscating officer.
- RECRUITMENT: Mark Meng and Yanic Giroux appointed as uniform fashionistas for the indoor and outdoor seasons, respectively and with respect; Yan is proposing something with frills for 2021; Mark is suggesting armpit holes for better breathability. Fun times ahead.
- Other business
- Special motions received by email before the SAGM
- Special motions tabled at the SAGM, if majority of members present agree to consider them
- Motion: Allowing spare keeper from another team to fill in during the outdoor Cup final should a team be in need due to injury, work, or family duties, as long as there are no spare keepers available. Frank Lamontagne motioned.
- Could we have a spare keeper already lined up if they needed one?
- Modified Motion: emergency goalie for Founder’s Cup (outdoor tournament) final to be named by executives – Matt DaSouza moved, seconded by Bill Coleman. Vote: Passed by 2/3rds
- Adjournment at 11:40 p.m.
- Motion to adjourn: Frank Lamontagne, seconded by Jared Kitcher. Motion carried.
September 2019 AGM Minutes
Blackburn Arms Soccer Semi-Annual General Meeting
(outdoor season)
September 14, 2019, Blackburn Arms Pub patio, 12:15 p.m.
- Previous SAGM (March 2019) minutes
- Unfortunately, lost during a business trip (they were on paper only).
- Still, election results were properly recorded by a second source and applied.
- President’s report
- Teams are competitive, with five of six still in contention for the league title as of Sept. 14, 2019
- Refs notes: compliments on overall play and behaviour; still enjoy officiating in the league; many requests to Frank Roscoe for chance to officiate in the BA.
- By-law modifications
- Spares
- Currently, no outfielder spares are allowed in Cup play.
- Collective motion by Executive to (starting this season): allow spares in playoffs, with spares coordinators deciding whom to assign, in consultation with the Executive Committee, if needed.
- After lengthy discussion and widely varying opinions, an amendment to the motion was proposed by Jason Robinson and seconded by Bill Coleman: You qualify for a spare if you are below 11 in summer, 7 in winter, to bring numbers up to a full on-field squad.
- Motion passed, not unanimous (but close)
- Steve Cock was asked to provide historical context for current rule: Motion to disallow spares in the Cup was brought up by Dave Boeyen several years back, under the pretext this would allow weaker teams with good attendance a chance to win in important games.
- Mike Murphy: Last day of regular season sometimes used to balance the teams, but can be controversial.
- Jared Kitcher: Vast majority of the spares are really good, so can greatly change balance of teams when they play
- Marc-André Daoust: Argument is based on attendance; it’s no different from allowing spares in the two or three final games of the regular season and the title is still up for grabs; why would Cup competition differ from that? Both hold equal importance.
- Jason Robinson: If teams are below 11, that’s the big difference
- Bill Coleman: Has this been a recurring issue?
- Mark Meng: The Exec could make team adjustments before the Cup starts.
- James Cuthill: Lower teams can make playoffs as is, and it’s a good thing.
- Mike Murphy: Pub league, aimed to be fun; executive should be allowed to make the decisions based on the situation, for the best of the league; being too regimented goes against the overarching philosophy of the BA.
- Bernie Pilon: The system was abused a few times in the past.
- Outdoor Cup keepers
- Keepers from spares list are allowed in the Cup, but what if none are available for the final of the Outdoor Cup?
- Motion by the Executive Committee: In the final of the Outdoor Cup, one of the remaining full-time keepers from the other teams can play.
- Motion amendment by Bernie Pilon, Seconded by Ryan Zurawell: Random draw from available keepers, replacement keeper allowed only in case of injury or personal leave, not if the original keeper has been suspended.
- 10 for, 9 against; motion passed, but contested.
- Jason Robinson: How is this different from outfielder spares?
- James Cuthill maintained that keepers are no different from outfield players.
- General reaction that GKS are different, and not having an experienced person in goal can create a huge imbalance and skewer results.
- Jared Kitcher: Teams should learn to adapt; the proposed rule change isn’t right.
- Marcel Chbat: Injured or absent keepers should be replaced.
- Motion maintained, but executive will keep a close eye on what transpires to see if the changes causes problems.
- Finances
- Jared Kitcher presented a finance update on behalf of Brian Garson
- Winter 2018-19: surplus of $2300, before donations; no equipment purchases
- Expecting $300 surplus in 2019-20, before equipment
- Overall positive balance; league in very god financial health
- Motion to accept finance report by Marc-André Daoust, seconded by Bernie Pilon. Carried unanimously.
- Discipline
- Jared (Discipline Chair) spoke.
- Card count is similar to that of other years; one player was ejected from the league until at least September 2020.
- Uniforms
- Steve Cock (uniform coordinator) announced he would be stepping away from the position and that a replacement would soon be needed. Responsibilities are to collect, store, inventory and replace any shortages.
- No volunteers came forward at the SAGM
- Position will need to be filled for by the end of the 2019-20 indoor season, with Steve completing the sweater arrangements for the 2020 outdoor season before he steps down.
- New purchases to be decided by Executive to replace inventory for certain colours as required; better quality shirts are preferred to the Sports International brand now being phased out.
- Black-White jerseys from outdoor 2019 will need to be all returned or replaced entirely.
- Some Umbro jerseys are discontinued, new company model will likely be required. Steve will inquire.
- New supplier Four-Two-Four (online company) is a possibility.
- Steve Cock (uniform coordinator) announced he would be stepping away from the position and that a replacement would soon be needed. Responsibilities are to collect, store, inventory and replace any shortages.
- Spares
- Ray spoke on behalf of Frank Lamontagne and Dave Willey, spares coordinators.
- Good availability of spares overall; quality also very good.
- Spares need to use TeamSnap more consistently, teams as well.
- TeamSnap (M-A)
- Reiterated that teams and spares need to use it more effectively
- Executive election
- Bernie Pilon is not renewing his position as executive-at-large.
- Roles and responsibilities are being adjusted to be more widely distributed among the committee instead of falling mostly on the president.
- Rhys Williams was nominated by Ray Martel, seconded by Howard Weingarden
- No other nominations were received, so the motion passed unanimously and Rhys Williams elected in absentia (he had consented to being nominated).
- Meeting adjourned at 13:50
Recording secretary: Mark D’Agostino, BASL executive at large