22 November 1999 - P.J. Skidoo's

The following club members were present (in no especial order): Clarks Wes, Matt and Mike; Gallagher, Erickson, Murray, Murphy, Torgerson, Hough, Harpold, Rossi, Webb, Bunch, Cecil, Cahill, Devaney, Bejarano, Fasceski, Jenkins, Basilio, Bardot, Hrycay, White, Watkins, Wright, Gravatt and a curiously sedate Harrington - 27 in all.

With a firm - yet kindly - voice President Ned called the meeting to order shortly after the grandfather clock in the hall struck seven.

I stood and mentioned two things: 1) Rover and I will be working as the incorporation committee to get Western Suburbs to the status of a non-profit, tax-exempt Virginia corporation. The incorporation part comes first with the state, then the tax-exempt part is worked out with the IRS. The timeline for this is about four months for incorporation, and possibly six months for tax exempt status. This will benefit the club because donations will be tax deductible and so will dues. (But don't take my word for it - consult your tax expert!) 2) The web site is getting about 140 hits per day. We discussed the possibility of selling advertising on it, and I will investigate what we can do along these lines with Simplenet, the site host.

Tom presented a report that showed we currently have $1,803.88 in the treasury - which is a lot better than this time last year. (Due probably to a more aggressive attitude about collecting dues.)

We didn't dwell on the Fall season for obvious reasons. (The a-side was 0 and 7, the b-side was 3 and 4, and the Old Boys were 4 and 0.) Matt Clark reemphasized the need for commitment and consistent attendance at games and practice from b-siders as well as a-siders. Jeff Gravatt made some remarks as well concerning the need to establish what direction the club wants to go and what we expect from it. There was some discussion about the possibility of Jim Borrell coaching next year - this and other issues will be worked out by the officers.

There was an extended discussion about tournaments and which we wanted to attend. It was recognized that while the club elected to attend the local one put on by the Washington Irish, some members would also attend the one in Savannah.

Elvis presented a very tentative schedule as follows:

We are looking at having the Winter Banquet on Friday, 14 January at P.J. Skidoo's - although this has yet to be worked out. Final information will be available by e-mail, this web site and U.S. postal mail.

"Suburbs Social Hours" will be announced as a way of exploring the various watering holes in the area as a new after-match party site. Dedicated members of the club will be "testing the waters" (so to speak) looking for the ideal site. You should give them every aid and assistance.

Having Sunday football during the winter at Van Dyke Park at 11 AM on Sundays was briefly discussed - but I don't recall what came of it! (I need hearing aids.) Clearly, it would be an excellent idea for members to pursue fitness during the off season months as a way of benefiting the club, as well as one's own heart muscle. (By the way, the ever-vigorous Kelly Watkins has some runs in mind for the winter. If you can't get enough of slogging along a track with him behind you barking "Get up there <fill in your name>!" during rugby seasons, you may want to investigate this.) Kermit has a run in mind as well. Contact them if interested.

We discussed the proposed MARFU Reorganization very briefly. It's still only a proposal; there is a 5 December meeting in Fredericksburg for the various MARFU club presidents to discuss the matter and to vote on it. (I understand things should be settled by as early as 15 December.) Stay tuned to this web site's frequency.

We then elected the following officers and committee heads and members for Y2K:

We then voted on what somebody called "superlatives" ("Best a-side Forward," "Most valuable player," etc.) I have tabulated the results and have sent them off to President Ned by snail mail (because he's the last human being on earth without friggin' E-mail). Results will be certified by the public accounting firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, and these awards will be awarded at the Winter Banquet.

So… it was a swell meeting, and the hamburgers were pretty good, too. Paul Jenkins snatched the half of Kelly's that I wanted - he was faster than I was. (Which is why he's an a-side lock and I'm a b-side lock, I suppose.)

Respectfully submitted,

Wes "Brigham" Clark