Minutes
2008 Jan 17 Feb 7 Mar 18 Apr 4 June 5 June 12 July 1 July 28
  Aug 4 Aug 6 Oct 2 Nov 11
2007 Jan 17 Feb 17 Mar 13 Apr 2 Apr 16 Jun 26 Aug 8
  Sept 10 Oct 23
2006 Jan 18 Feb 22 Mar 15 May 30 Jun 26 Sep 17 Oct 17
2005 Feb 1 Mar 15 Apr 2 Apr 14 Jun 15 Jul 5 Sep 6
  Oct 11 Nov 8 Dec 12
2004 Feb 26 Mar 25 Apr 20 May 25 Jun 24 Jul 27 Aug 17
  Aug 31 Sep 30 Oct 27 Nov 30
2003 Apr 8 Jun 10 Jul 8 Aug 13 Oct 22 Nov 11 Dec 11
Jan 17, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Bill Smuck, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, Torri Pantaleon, Tom Herfordt, and Joe Beninato.
Guests were John Lucash, Bill Riggle,Ed Tworek, and Duke Burgess
  1. Budget - Mert O. presented the final budget totals for the 2007 season. We ended the year with a balance of $9,852 after all expenses were paid. Mert also presented three proposed variations of a budget for 2008, which will be discussed at the Feb. meeting. Motion to accept was made by Duane C. second by Bill S. Passed 8-0. Due to some unknown expenses that may arise from the results of the survey that may have an impact on expenses we will examine the balance that we will carry forward and make any adjustments in the fall to bring the balance in line with what the board agreed to carry of $6,000.
  2. Survey - Duke and the committee presented the results of the survey to the Board and explained their interpretation. It was decided that the Board would discuss in depth and make decisions at the Feb. meeting. It was decided that the results would be posted on the Web Site. A motion to accept results by Bob K. second by Joe B. Passed 8-0. The Board thanked the committee for a job well done.
  3. Season Dates - The following dates were discussed for the up coming season. Motion to accept by Bill S. second by Duane C. Motion passed 8-0.
    • Registration - February 10th to March 31st.
    • Late fee of $25 for registrations received after 3/31/08
    • League play - April 28th to July 23rd.
  4. Fee - Moved by Bob K.to set the fee at $80, which include the cost of new uniforms for all players. Seconded by Duane C. Motion passed 8-0.
  5. Registration - Tom H. volunteered to be the registrar for the upcoming season, and will accept the registration forms. a PO Box will be set up for registration. This will be the only way registration will be accepted. We will post the P.O. Box on the Web Site. Motion was made by Duane C. and second by Torri P. Motion passed 8-0
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15.
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Feb 7, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Bill Smuck, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, Torri Pantaleon, Tom Herfordt, Duane Carolus, and Joe Beninato.
  1. Budget - Mert presented the 2008 budget. Expected revenue for the year is planned at $16,400 with expenses of $17,394. This will leave us with a balance of $8,318. This is higher reserve than we want to carry, but we are anticipating that we will have additional expenses that may be an effect of the survey results. If at the beginning of the fall season the balance is not in line with the board’s guidelines we will make an adjustment for the fall, ( ie lower rates). Motion to accept was made by Bob K., with a second by Duane C. Motion passed 8-0.
  2. Dates - A motion was made to accept the following dates by Torri P., second by Tom H. Motion passed 8-0.
    • Registration - 2/10/08 to 3/31/08
    • Spring Training- 4/01/08 to 4/25/08
    • Draft - 4/16/08
    • League Play - 4/28/08 to 7/23/08
  3. Registration Fees - It should be noted that registration fees are $80 this year and that includes the purchase of uniforms for everyone, which means each player is paying $50 to play ball this spring. If registrations are not received by 3/31/08 a late fee of $25 will be required in addition to the $80 fee.
  4. Changes - The board discussed the results of the survey in detail and a motion was made Bob K. and a second by Duane C. to accept the following changes as a result of the survey.
    • Use the optic yellow ball for the spring season, and purchase enough white balls to play the games for one week with the white. The team Managers will decide which week. (Q#5)
    • Use a 44 core 525 compression ball. (Q#6)
    • Use only ASA approved bats.(Q#7)
    • The pitching screen would be at the pitchers choice, however rules must be developed, and an additional screen must be purchased.(Q#8)
    • The nights of the week for league play will be Monday and Wednesday.(Q#9)
    • Do not use the 11th player.(Q#10)
    • Play at NP Dodge Park, but continue to explore other options. (Q#12).
    • Continue to use one umpire.(Q#11)
    • Continue with the same uniforms.(Q#14)
    • A dollar amount established for League Awards for each season at the beginning of the year, a list of awards to choose from, and let the team decide (Q#19). It was also noted that which ever team wins the spring league will have the honor of hosting the Banquet.
    • Sponsors should be solicited by the Board, with that solicitation accomplished by a board appointed committee.(Q#20)
    • No special rules other than NSS rules.(Q#21)
    • A deliberator needs to be present and the league has asked Wally J. to explore the possibility of a grant to purchase one.(Q#22)
    • An annual membership meeting needs to be established with an agenda, and posted on the Web Site. We will ask for suggestions as to when.(Q#23)
    • We should continue with one league until we have enough players to have two leagues. We did discuss the possibility of exploring a 40 year old league, which could act as a feeder for our league.(Q#24)
    The following items were deferred until the May meeting: Q15, 16, 17, &18. These deal with the election of the Board, the size of the Board, and length of the term. Item 25 (draft) was deferred to the March Meeting. Motion passed 8-0.
  5. Fields - It was reported that we are beginning discussions with Metro Softball for next year to see if we can have fields that are more centrally located. It should be noted that we will not be able to affect the 2008 spring season. We will be playing at NP Dodge Park.
  6. Committees - It was noted that there will be the need for several new committees in the upcoming year. To name a few: Rules Committee ( Pitching screen, and others) and Election Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30.
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Mar 18, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Bill Smuck, Bob Kubat, Duane Carolus, and Tom Herfordt. Absent were Torri Pantaleon, Mert Opfer, and Joe Beninato.

Motion was made by Bill S. and 2nd from Bob K. to approve Feb. Minutes. Motion Passed 5-0
  1. Defibrillator - There was to be a report on a defibrillator by Wally J. but he was unable to attend. He is working on it and should have some information next month.
  2. Draft - The Board discussed what method should be used for the upcoming redraft. The goal is to have each team capable of competing with all other teams. There were several options discussed.
    1. The same as the last redraft, which depended on the number of teams. Pick the top players and assign two to each team who would then draft.
    2. Same as above only those top players pick a Manager and then the three of them draft.
    3. The Board would pick and approve the managers. The managers would then arrange the players on teams making them as even as possible. After all managers are satisfied that the teams are as equal as they can make them, the manager would draw for their team. The Board would facilitate the process. The rational is to achieve parity in the league by having managers place players on a team fairly by not knowing which team will be his.
    A motion was made by Duane C. and a 2nd by Bob K. to adopt option "C". A motion was made by Bill S. to select the Managers on April 1st and to hold the draft on April 10th. Motion Passed 5-0. The only draw back to the early draft is if there are a lot of late registrations, but it was noted that we have given the players from 2/10/08 to 3/31/08 to get their registration in. That should be enough time and we need to get ready for the season to start. One of the concerns in the past has been the uniforms have not been ready when the season begins.
  3. Annual Meeting - Duane C. is developing a rough draft of how a draft and annual meeting could work, and will present it at the next meeting.
  4. Sponsers - It was reported that Ed T. is working on sponsors for the up coming year.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15.
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Apr 4, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Bill Smuck, Bob Kubat, Duane Carolus, Torri Pantaleon, Mert Opfer, and Tom Herfordt. Absent was Joe Beninato.

  1. Teams - The number of teams for the 2008 summer season was discussed. We had 120 players register. It was moved by Bill S. and a second by Duane C. that we would have 10 teams with 12 players per team and have the ability to add 1 more per team. Motion Passed 7-0.
  2. Managers - We had 7 players indicate they would be a Manager and 8 that said they would if needed. A motion was made by Bill S. and a second by Bob K. to approve the following list of managers.
    • Bruce Babko
    • Dave Banghart
    • Dave Dye
    • Cort Fernald
    • Steve Jordon
    • Bill Riggle
    • Ed Tworek
    • Duke Burgess
    • Paul Kwaak
    • Jim Wilmont
    Motion Passed 7-0. The Board would like thank all of those who stepped forward and said they would help. There will be a Managers meeting at the park on Monday night. We will discuss the draft and team names.
  3. Bats - NSS has adopted the ASA rule on bats. There is a link on our Web Site under ASA that will tell you what bats cannot be used.
  4. Practice - Monday and Wednesday nights at NP Dodge Park from 6 to 7:30 in April. Along with that you can participate in volunteer practice at 10 am on Saturday mornings at Churchich Park.
  5. Rain Line - Will not be operational until the season begins. We will try to notify you by the Web.
  6. Season Start - REMEMBER THAT THE SEASON BEGINS APRIL 28TH AT NP DODGE PARK, FIELDS 3 & 4.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15.
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June 5, 2008
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Brownie's Watering Hole.
Those in attendance were; Bill Smuck, Bob Kubat, Duane Carolus, Torri Pantaleon, Mert Opfer, and Tom Herfordt, and Joe Beninato.

  1. Minutes - Motion was made by Joe Beninato and seconded by Tom Herfordt to approve the April 4, 2008 minutes. Motion passed 7-0.
  2. Treasurer's Report - Mert presented the Treasurer's Report. Currently, there is $9,652 in the League's Account.
  3. League Comments - Duane asked the members to comment individually on how the League is going, to which all responded positively. However, the members acknowledged that an error was made in allowing 3 teams to select red uniform shirts and 2 teams to select blue uniform shirts. In addition, shoulder patches were not placed on the shirts as planned. Bob Kubat stated he is ordering iron-on patches to rectify the situation.
  4. Board Elections - Duane presented his proposal for an elected Board of Directors. He envisions a Board consisting of a Commissioner, Associate Commissioner, and 7 Directors, each elected for a 3 year term. Current Board positions will become available on a staggered basis, allowing election of 3 new members every year. He has asked Paul Kwaak, Del Stokes, and Jim Albin to be on the Nominating Committee to determine the method of selecting and nominating those League members who apply for these positions. Further details of this process will be discussed with the 10 managers on June 12th.
  5. League Meeting - Duane made a motion to hold the First Annual League Meeting between the Summer and Fall seasons; date, time, and site to be determined. The election of new members to the Board will be held at this general meeting, with those selected to start serving at the conclusion of the Fall season. Motion seconded by Bill and approved 7-0.
  6. Ball Color - Bob Kubat stated he could not obtain white 44 core 525 compression softballs for the one week trial period planned this season; instead, he has ordered white 47 core 400 compression softballs. The one week trial period will be scheduled once the balls arrive and the managers are consulted on the dates.
  7. Umpire Fees - Motion was made by Bill Smuck and seconded by Mert Opfer to raise the umpire fees from $20/game to $22/game. The extra distance to Dodge Park and rising gas prices were cited as justification. Motion passed 7-0.
  8. Defibrillator - The defibrillator issue was discussed at length. A total of 4 individuals are attempting to obtain this piece of equipment via a donation for the League. If we cannot obtain one through this method, the Board is prepared to entertain purchasing one with our own funds. Mark Niebauer, a Cardiologist and Royals player, has volunteered to train volunteers from each team on how to use this equipment. The Board has discussed having 2 players from each team trained on the use of this machine.
  9. Managers Meeting Managers Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 Thursday, June 12, 2008, at Joe Beninato's house. Only Team Managers or their representatives (excludes Board members) and the Board will be present to discuss a variety of matters. Any issues the Managers desire to bring up will be discussed at this meeting.
  10. Fall League - The Fall League was briefly discussed. Bill was asked to contact Bob Knudson, Metro Softball, concerning Seymour Smith start dates. Mert was asked to study the fee structure for the Fall season and present a proposal at the next meeting. Tom was asked to rework the Fall season registration form.
  11. Board Meeting - Board Meetings will be announced on the website. Players desiring to come before the Board to present issues must contact the Commissioner well before the meeting to allow him to brief the other Board members. All individual player issues will be discussed and settled prior to the start of the regular Board Meeting.
  12. Rule Change Recommendations - Two recommendations from Jim Seeber concerning opposing teams furnishing a catcher for teams needing a replacement player and installing a 140 foot no-crossing line in the outfield will be discussed at the Managers Meeting on June 12th.
  13. Banquet - Bill announced that the Offutt Base Lake Pavilion has been reserved for Friday, November 7, 2008, for the League's Annual Banquet.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:05.
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June 12, 2008
The Board/Managers meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M at Joe Beninato's House.
Board members attending were Duane Carolus, Joe Beninato, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, and Tom Herfordt. Absent members were Bill Smuck, Tori Pantaleon, and Tom Fiscus. Team managers attending were Duke Burgess, Bill Riggle, Cort Fernand, Dell Stokes (representing Steve Jordan), Dave Banghart, Gil Stephens, Paul Kwaak, Jim Wilmot, Dave Dye, and Ed Tworek.

  1. Board Membership - Duane opened the meeting by discussing his vision of the Board’s membership. His proposals were:
    • The Board will consist of nine members: Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, and seven general members holding assigned positions. Having nine members allow a scheduled rotation of three members annually, thereby encouraging more involvement from league members.
    • Members will serve, but not be limited to, 3-year terms.
    • Election will occur at the annual league meeting, tentatively scheduled this year for the first Monday after the summer league ends (August 4th).
    • An on-line application/nomination form will be established to allow members to apply/nominate league members.
    • Team managers will be allowed to serve on the Board, but not in the Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner positions.
    • A Member Selection Team consisting of Jim Albin, Dell Stokes, and Paul Kwaak will review all nominated candidates for the Board, as well as solicit league members for candidacy.
    • In the instance where a serving Board member resigns or is removed from his position, the Commissioner will have the authority to appoint a replacement without election, to include considering those individuals nominated for Board membership but not currently serving.
    • Potential Board members must have been registered with the league for at least one year.
    • The Secretary position will be a non-voting position.
    Bob Kubat motioned that the proposal be accepted, unanimous second from those attending. Duane mentioned the need for a Board Secretary. It was suggested to solicit a spouse for the position, with Sue Kunnert being a prime example/candidate due to her involvement with the league. Managers and Board members will advertise this position with players for possible candidates.
  2. Ball Color Test - Duane asked the managers about which games the white ball would be tested. After much discussion, the managers decided to use one new white and one new yellow ball during each game during the July 7th through July 16th period.
  3. Game Cancellations - Duke Burgess proposed a ruling regarding weather conditions. After considering various situations, the following guidelines were adopted:
    • Whenever a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning is issued for Douglas County (or Sarpy County during the Fall League), games for that evening will be postponed. If a game is in progress, the umpire will decide when/if that game is postponed.
    • When the postponement is enacted, team managers will notify their respective players of the decision as soon as possible to preclude players from traveling to the field.
  4. Play Interference - Bill Riggle reminded everyone about his concern for players not moving out of the way when running to second base in a force-out situation. Managers will inform their team members of this before game time. The umpire can declare a runner out if he feels the runner hindered or interfered with the fielder’s capability to throw to first base.
  5. Player Replacement - Dell Stokes raised a question regarding the Player Replacement policy. After much debate, the following guidelines were initiated:
    • The policies regarding player replacement, as defined in Duane’s recent e-mail, will stand as is, with the following modifications:
    • When the umpire officially starts the game ("Play Ball" or first pitch), the replacement/pool player must play in the game long enough to bat one time. Any team member showing up after the game starts must wait until his replacement player has fulfilled the playing requirement.
    • Actual "draw time" for the Replacement Player Pool may be adjusted as necessary by the participating team managers, befitting the current situation.
    Dave Banghart addressed the parity/fairness of the Player Replacement Pool distribution, wishing to change the selection process, using team standings as a factor in the process. After discussion, the current process will stand.
  6. Player Safety - Concern regarding players’ safety and ability to perform was discussed by all. Questions regarding certain players’ physical capabilities and how it affects the game were raised, with a decision to review more closely in the future and enforce the player standards as currently set forth in the league rules.
  7. League Growth - Dave Banghart proposed for future consideration:
    • Possibility of branching out a morning league for those players who would rather play during the day. Various options and circumstances were discussed, with the issue being tabled for further study and review.
    • Possibility of reducing the minimum age to 45 to allow the league to grow. Again, tabled for further review/discussion
    There was general discussion by all concerning the league’s growth. All agreed that there are numerous opportunities to advertise the league and encourage participation. Flyers, advertising, solicitation, and sponsorships were discussed. Duke showed a business card he uses to solicit membership. He will send the Word document to the manager’s to use as needed.
  8. Defibrillator - The issue regarding a defibrillator was addressed. Bob Kubat will have information next week on the acquisition of one.
    • Training will be required, with hopes that current qualified members can conduct the sessions
    • The goal would be to train as many players as possible
  9. Networking - Gil Stephens proposed creating a list of all members’ occupations to encourage "Networking" for help, information, etc. Personal privacy was the main concern regarding this, but a possible option would be to create a page on the current NSS web site for those who wished to release that information to others.
  10. Sliding - Gil also questioned the ruling regarding no sliding into home plate when the safety factor is removed by having the second plate. After some thought, the current rule regarding sliding will remain.
  11. Current Rules - Paul Kwaak raised questions about the league rules being current and posted at the field. He was reminded that Duke promptly posts the current rules on the web site and that a set of rules are maintained by the umpires. The rules will be posted on the scoreboards in protective sheets in the near future.
  12. League Logo - There was general discussion regarding the league logo being put on players’ uniforms. Bob Kubat has someone that will put the logo on, with the consensus that the managers will collect the uniforms at the end of the summer season, have the logos pressed on, and then return the uniform to the players.
  13. Uniforms - Ed Tworek raised the issue regarding player uniforms. Duane maintained that he prefers players wear their respective team hats and dress properly to reflect the league. Most uniform "Rules" are not addressed as policy, but tends to be an unwritten guideline to encourage proper playing attire.
  14. Replacement Positions - Duke brought up a proposal to allow Replacement Players to play other positions rather than the current right field, right center, and catcher as specified. The current policy will stand, with future discussion tabled by the Board.
  15. Finances - Mert Opfer discussed the projected balances for the Fall league, based on expanded number of games, umpire costs, etc. Keeping projected fees at $65 will keep the league within the accepted cash balance amount. Concerns about the league’s cash balance were addressed.
  16. League Tournament - There was general discussion about a league-end tournament, with the issued being tabled for future review/discussion after the summer season.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00.
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July 1, 2008
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Duane Carolus, Tom Fiscus, Tom Herfordt, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat and Torri Pantaleon. Absent; Bill Smuck and Joe Beninato.
  1. Fall Registration - Registration for the 2008 Fall League will begin as soon as the registration form is updated and available online. Tom H. will be working to get this completed as soon as possible. Players should watch the website for the updated form. The registration period will end on July 30. Registration fee will be $65 or $95 if opting for the draft, with a $25 additional late fee for any applications postmarked after July 30. Registration forms should be sent to the address noted on the form, with proper payment included at time of submission.
  2. Fall League - The Board members present reviewed the Omaha Metro Softball proposal from Bob Knudson for usage of fields for the fall league. Due to scheduled field maintenance, it has been requested that the Fall League end by Oct. 15. This would shorten the fall schedule by 1 week. It was suggested to move the start of the Fall League up by 1 week from Aug. 18 to Aug 11, and agreed upon unanimously by all board members present. With this scheduling change it was noted that the first 2 weeks (Aug 11 & Aug 20) of the Fall League would be played at NP Dodge Park, and remainder of schedule will then be played at Seymour Smith fields, beginning the week of Aug 25, and ending Oct 15. The cost will be $190 per team.
  3. Fall Draft - Board Members will meet on Aug 4 to review total numbers of players registered for the Fall League. Current team lineups will be reviewed. Those teams with the least amount of returning players will be dismantled (fall league only). Members of dismantled teams will be automatically put into the draft to be assigned to a new team (fall league only). The Fall Draft will be conducted on Aug 6.
    If a player wishes to change teams, then they can opt to go into the draft. Any player opting to enter the fall draft will be drafted to a new team, and remain on that team continuing into the 2009 spring/summer league. An additional $30 will be required to acquire a new team jersey and hat of their new assigned team. No jerseys & hats will be provided to temporary draft players (members of a dismantled team).
  4. League Champions Prize Selection Options - (Summer & Fall) ­ A catalog indicating prize selection options will be provided to the Champion teams. Team members, as a whole, can then make a selection of the item they wish to receive as League Champions. It should be noted that only one item per team should be selected. All members of the champion team will receive the chosen item.
  5. Defibrillator Acquisition - Bob Kubat reported that he has a couple models of defibrillators that he is looking at. Will bring to the next board meeting for everyone to take a look at.
  6. Issues presented to Board - It was brought to the attention of the League Commissioner an issue regarding league games scheduled for Wed July 9. There will be a number of tournament players traveling for regional tournaments and will be unavailable for the games scheduled for that night. Requests were made to consider canceling League games for that night. However, after some discussion it was agreed that it would not be fair to other League players to cancel these games. A concern for some teams being short more than 3 players would make it difficult to complete their lineups using pool players. The current league rule states a maximum of 3 pool players may be used to complete a team lineup. After further discussion it was moved by Tom Fiscus, second by Bob Kubat and voted unanimously by all present board members to amend this league rule for this one night of league play. Teams may pick up to a maximum of 4 pool players, if needed, for league play for July 9 only. It was also agreed that if a team needs to pick up a 4th pool player, then the additional position to place that pool player would be 1st base.
  7. Rules Reiteration - Teams can draw a maximum of 3 players (current exception will be league games scheduled for July 9, see item 6 noted above). The substitute players may only play right field, right center field or catcher, cannot pinch run, and must bat at the end of line up. If there needs to be a deviation from this rule in any manner, it should be properly discussed between the managers of the two teams playing each other and the Commissioner or his representative.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30.
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July 28, 2008
The League-Wide Meeting was called to order at 7:25 pm at Base Lake. Board Members in attendance were Duane Carolus, Tom Fiscus, Tom Herfordt, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, Torri Pantaleon and Bill Smuck. Absent: Joe Beninato. Approximately 50 League Players, representing all 10 teams of the 2008 Summer League were also in attendance.

  1. Opening Remarks -
    • Duane Carolus opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and thanking them for their attendance. He gave recognition and thanks to Bill Smuck and his volunteers for their organization and preparation of the meeting. Volunteers: Dick Smith, George Scott, Jim Albin, Ed Tworek, Norm Bensinger, and Jim Seeber. These guys put together all the food and beverages provided for the meeting.
    • Duane introduced Sue Kunert as League Secretary to those in attendance. Sue will be attending all League related meetings to keep notes and submit minutes to the League.
    • Congratulations to The Royals for winning the 2008 Summer League with a record of 21-4. They will be in charge of organizing the Fall Banquet. The Blue Jays finished in 2nd place, with a 16-9 record.
  2. Board Elections - The Nominating Committee was introduced: Del Stokes, Paul Kwaak, and Jim Albin. They have prepared the ballots and will do the counting. Duane explained that 3 new members will be elected to the Board of Directors this evening. The newly elected officers will be assigned their Board positions based on their experience and areas of expertise, and will assume their responsibilities at the end of the 2008 Fall League. Bob Kubat and Bill Smuck are resigning their positions on the Board.
    Three League members had submitted applications for consideration for election: Dave Banghart, Ed Tworek, and Steve Quinn. Duane opened the floor to additional nominations. Del Stokes nominated Steve Jordan, who accepted the nomination. Bill Smuck nominated Bill Riggle, who accepted the nomination.
    There were 2 questions on the application form that each candidate was asked:
    • What special skills/qualities do you possess that would be useful to the Board?
    • Why do you want to be on the NSS Board of Directors?
    Each of the 5 candidates then shared their responses with the group. A motion was made by Wally Jernigan, and second by Tom Fiscus to close nominations and cast ballots. League members present were instructed to vote for at MOST 3 candidates.
  3. Financial Report - Mert Opfer reported at the start of 2008 the bank balance was $9,582. The current YTD figures include income of $9,839, and expenses of $11,800 leaving us with a current YTD deficit of $1,961. Our current bank balance is $7,891. When considering additional expenses and projected income from player registration fees for the Fall League, the adjusted estimated bank balance year ending 2008 is $8,225. This is $93 short of the 2008 budget. Currently the only plans for the existing funds are to keep them as a contingency reserve.
    It was discussed that Omaha Metro Softball may need some help in making improvements to the fields at Seymour Smith, and it may be in the interest of NSS to possibly assist in that funding.
    Steve Quinn suggested using some of the reserve fund in an effort to solicit new players, possibly looking into some advertising in local media outlets, and printing publications for use in advertising the League.
    A motion was made, second and passed by all in attendance to approve the Treasurer Report.
  4. Emergency Contact Information - George Scott brought to the attention of everyone the necessity to have some way to access emergency contact information for all players. Duane noted he has a list and carries it with him at all times when at games. However, this wasn’t common knowledge to everyone. Also, unfortunately, Duane is not always at the fields during all games. It was also noted that each Manager is suppose to have this information for each player on his roster.
    Dave Banghart suggested that the League consider adopting a protocol similar to what they use for their National Tournament team. Each player carries with them a small card with all the necessary emergency contact information and keeps it in their equipment bag. This information could also be kept in a central location for easy access, if needed. It was also mentioned that as adults, each person should be responsible for themselves and have that kind of information with them. There was some question as to what information should be provided. Due to HIPAA regulations, the League cannot collect medical information from any player. It was determined that this matter requires further review and discussion, and was tabled at this time.
  5. Defibrillator Report - Bob Kubat reported that the league could purchase a brand new defibrillator at an estimated cost of $1,275 or a rebuilt one (with a 1 yr. guarantee) for an estimated cost of $540. We are looking to have one on site at all times and most models will instruct a trained user exactly what to do. Mark Niebauer (cardiologist) stated that AED defibrillators are very self explanatory with easy to follow instructions. It would also be a good idea to have people with CPR Training using the machine. Duane asked if anyone present would be interested in being trained on an AED defibrillator, and a number of people responded positively.
    Further discussion involved proper storage and maintenance of a defibrillator. Although most are battery operated, the unit would need to be tested on a regular basis to ensure that it is in proper working condition. Another consideration is where to properly keep the unit. It was suggested to possibly split the cost with another league and keep the unit at the softball complex.
    Wally added that he had submitted 5 grant applications to help defer the cost. Unfortunately NSS is not tax exempt, so we do not qualify for any grants. In the end Wally made a motion that the League should move forward and purchase a new defibrillator. The motion was second by Steve Jordan and unanimously passed by all present. Dave Banghart and Bob Kubat will set up training as they have the contacts of the qualified personnel and Bob can get access to a "trainer" unit.
    In an added discussion regarding the defibrillator, it was suggested that the League should consider having a first aid kit on hand. Some suggestions were to make sure the umpires had one on hand at each field. Wally suggested that we propose in any future field contracts that Omaha Metro Softball would supply and maintain a first aid kit. At this time it was determined to table this discussion and continue at another meeting.
  6. Ball Test - Of the feedback that Duane received from Managers, 37 players preferred the yellow optic ball, while 5 players preferred the white ball. The remaining players were either undecided or had no comment. This season the League used the 44/525 yellow optic and will continue with that one. The Board will discuss future options for testing other types of balls at the next Board meeting.
  7. Fall Draft - The deadline for the Fall League registration is July 30, any registrations postmarked up to and including that date will be considered on time. Registrations postmarked after July 30 must include a $25 late fee. The Board of Directors will meet on Aug 4 to assess the number of players registered and determine the teams at that time. The Fall Draft will be conducted on Aug 6. The Fall League will begin on Aug 11; the first 2 weeks will be played at NP Dodge Park and then move to Seymour Smith fields for the remainder of the schedule.
  8. Seymour Smith for 2009 - Bob Knudson informed Duane that there is a possibility that NSS could have access to Seymour Smith for the summer season 2009. However, the only possible available nights would be Tues. and Thurs. Duane asked by a show of hands of those present who would be interested and willing to switch to a Tues/Thurs schedule in order to play at Seymour. The majority of players present were willing to make the change. Further information will be provided as it comes available.
  9. Election Results - The results of the Board Elections were announced. New Board members are Dave Banghart, Ed Tworek, and Steve Quinn. Congratulations guys! A League-Wide meeting will be held again next year, and at that time 3 more positions on the Board will come open. Duane noted that the Associate Commissioner position will be one them. Going forward, the Board will consist of 9 members: Commissioner, Associate Commissioner, and 7 Directors. Board member will serve a 3 year term and can run again. This should allow for an overlap of members and with turnover every 3 years. It would also allow for everyone on the board to participate in one full draft which is held every 3 years. Currently there are 6 remaining positions that are up for the option of leaving the Board next year. The next Board of Directors meeting will be held on Aug 4, time and place to be announced later. The newly elected Board members are invited to attend.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.
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Aug 4, 2008
The Meeting was called to order at 6:40 pm at Gambino’s Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were Duane Carolus, Bob Kubat, Tom Herfordt, Joe Beninato, Mert Opfer, Torri Pantaleon, and Bill Smuck. Absent was Tom Fiscus. Also attending were newly elected Board Members: Ed Tworek, Steve Quinn, and Dave Banghart
  1. Financial Report of League Meeting - Mert Opfer reported that he paid out $260 to Bill Smuck, and $12 to Dick Smith. The free will donations totaled $150, leaving the League a total cost of $122 for the meeting.
  2. Sportsmanship - Duane shared with those in attendance an e-mail he received from Bill Riggle regarding an example of good sportsmanship on the field. Recently during a game between the Braves and the Royals there was an instance when a Braves player had made a play on a short fly ball to the outfield. After sending the ball back into the pitcher, the player was going back to his position in the outfield. Unfortunately the pitcher was not aware that the player was not in position and was starting the throw the first pitch to the next Royals batter in the lineup. Although the batter attempted to inform the pitcher that his fielder was not yet positioned, the pitcher went ahead and threw the pitch. As the pitch came in the Royals batter stepped out of the batter box and took a called strike without complaint. A second instance in the same game was noted when Royals players were in their defensive positions. The Royals outfielders were maintaining a position in mid outfield, as if observing an imaginary line in the outfield before moving up to play the ball on some of the weaker batters. Bill wanted to share this example with everyone and appreciated that good sportsmanship is something that we observe even without having it in writing.
  3. Fall League - As of August 4, there were 88 players who have submitted registrations for the Fall League. It was stated that one more additional player will be bringing their registration to the new player tryouts on Wed. Aug 6. This makes a total of 89 players for the 2008 Fall League. With this number in mind discussion began on how many teams and number of players per team.
    # of Teams - The first suggestion was to go with 12 players per team, making up 7 teams, allowing 5 of those teams to actually have a 13 player roster. The second suggestion was to go with an 11 player roster and go with a total of 8 teams. One team would have 12 players on their roster. There was discussion of the 7 teams vs. 8 teams. If going with a 7 team league for the fall then it would have to be determined whether to set up the schedules with double headers or byes. Some of the sentiment was that no one wants a bye as players paid their registration fees to play ball. Double headers were a concern, simply because not all players are comfortable playing double headers in a day. Although, that would only be one time through a 6 game cycle. Also it was felt that 13 players on a roster is too difficult to get everyone into the game (if all players are present).
    The advantage of an 8 team League makes for easier scheduling, and better balancing amongst the teams. There was some concern mentioned regarding teams being short players sometimes, however, the pool player draw should help take care of that problem.
    Bill Smuck made a motion to set up the Fall League with 8 teams. It was second by Torri, and passed unanimously by all voting Board members present.
    Games times were discussed. Since we will only be having 8 teams for the fall and utilizing 2 fields for games. We can set the schedule for 2 games per night. It was suggested to set game times at 6:30 and 7:45. Bob Kubat made a motion to accept these game times. It was second by Bill Smuck, and passed unanimously by all voting Board members present.
    The Fall Draft schedule will be discussed after all other Meeting business is addressed.
  4. Substitute Player Positions - In an e-mail to Duane, Bill Riggle requested that the Board of Directors consider adding 1st and/or 2nd base as another option for substitute players. His reasoning being that some players although physically limited due to injuries enter the pool and then are used in the outfield. It is felt that this is not a benefit to any team if a pool player with limited mobility is put into the outfield. They may not be able to aggressively play a ball hit to the outfield. If an infield position is available then that player could be used in that capacity. The Board members discussed the matter.
    It was moved by Bill Smuck and second by Bob Kubat to add only 1st base as another possible position for a substitute player. The rule of player position for substitute players will be amended to read: Must play catcher, right field, right-center field, or 1st base. The defensive position of the substitute player will be selected at the team manager’s discretion. The motion was passed unanimously by all voting Board members present.
    All other rules regarding substitute players will remain as stated. The substitute player(s) must bat at the bottom of the lineup, and teams will be limited to drawing a maximum of 3 players from the pool draw.
  5. Balls for Fall - Dave Banghart brought with him 2 balls to the meeting. One is the Worth Large Seam 44/.525 which is currently being used by the League. The other is a Baden Lexum 44/.375. Dave presented some of the pros and cons of each. He feels that the Worth 44/.525 although it is meant to be a livelier ball, and appears to come off the bat quickly, the flight is somewhat restricted by the large seam. He believes that the better quality ball is in the material components. Dave commented that after some use of the Baden Lexum the ball actually cleaned up very nicely, allowing for prolonged use. The survey results were reviewed and found that 28.7% of respondents preferred the 44/.525. However, 26.6% had responded that they would like to use the 44/.375. Dave currently has 4 dozen of the 44/.375 available for use for the 2008 Fall League.
    A motion was made by Bill Smuck to accept the recommendation of the 44/.375 and try it out right away. The motion was second by Bob Kubat. In an added discussion to the motion it was proposed that after 3 weeks of use, the Board would poll the managers regarding the player’s reaction to the ball. At that time it can be determined which ball to continue using next year. The motion was passed unanimously by all voting Board members present.
  6. First Aid Training Proposal - Duane shared with everyone an e-mail he received from Cort Fernald. Cort suggested that the League provide some basic First Aid Training. It was suggested that maybe next Spring/Summer that the managers or their representatives attend a mandatory Managers meeting, and the second half of the meeting focus on basic First Aid Training. Joe went further to suggest that we consider any or all players interested in receiving basic First Aid Training. He can get access to a facility that would allow for a large group to be trained. It was suggested at the start of the season next year; any players interested in basic First Aid Training should notify their managers. The proper time and place could then be established based on the number of people interested.
  7. Player Retention/New Player Acquisition - In an e-mail to Duane, Cort Fernald proposed that an ongoing committee be established to address player retention and new player acquisition. The committee should not be limited to Board members, but include any player who might be interested. Steve Quinn suggest that a representative from each team be on the committee, but it was determined it may be better to make it a voluntary basis. In his proposal, Cort recommended that this matter should be discussed with Team Managers, and get some feedback from them and their players by the end of the 2008 Fall League. Some things this committee could focus on for new player acquisition.
    Dave Banghart suggested:
    • reviewing the rosters of Metro Omaha Softball to find eligible players and solicit in that manner.
    • Print flyers to be posted in businesses in the Metro and surrounding communities.
    • Try to get an article of interest printed in the Omaha World Herald.
  8. Follow Up - AED Defibrillator - Bob Knudson, as a representative of Metro Omaha Softball, sent an e-mail to Duane regarding our request for storage of an AED Defibrillator. MOS has no objection to NSS obtaining an AED unit. Their main concern is storage. He stated that it could be stored in the maintenance room at the fields, but it would be necessary that someone from the League be available during games (start and end) to have access to the AED unit. One concern of the Board is that there is no real security to prevent theft.
    One option was to have a team representatives be responsible for safe keeping. A rotating schedule (based on game schedule) would need to be set up to identify who is responsible for the unit. This might be more confusing than helpful.
    Another suggestion was to acquire a small locking safe that could be secured to the floor. Joe Beninato suggested using a heavy duty locking file cabinet, preferably a 2 drawer. He has some of these types of cabinets in his possession and would be willing to donate to the League. He will check exactly what he has and get back with the Board.
    Also look into the cost to insure the unit in case of theft.
    Bob Kubat will get the final cost to acquire an AED Defibrillator, submit to Duane and Mert for review and approval, and then order the unit.
    Dave Banghart and Bob Kubat will coordinate the training for those interested. Duane will discuss with Bob Knudson proposed storage security issues at the fields.
    In addition to the discussion of the Defibrillator, the acquisition of a First Aid Kit was mentioned. The idea is that a League First Aid Kit could also be secured with the Defibrillator, and be available during games. Bob Kubat believes he can get access to many of the needed supplies at minimal or no cost, and put a kit together. It was also suggested that an e-mail be sent to all players and request donations from either themselves, or possibly their networking sources.
  9. Board Member Items -
    • Bob Kubat suggested that the League consider also using USSSA approved bats along with the ASA list. This matter was tabled for further discussion at a later meeting.
    • Tom Herfordt informed Duane that he has found a way to set up an e-mail address for Commissioner@neseniorsoftball through the website. However, it will not allow a mass e-mail with more than 20 names. He is working on a remedy for this.
    • Bill Smuck (1) Has player shirts with the NSS logo applied. He will pass them out to the managers at the Draft. (2) He will talk to Jim Wilmot about getting scorebooks for the Fall League donated. (3) He is concerned about the Awards for Summer and Fall Championships. He feels that we should get those finalized soon. Duane mentioned that the catalogs that were to be used for the Championship teams to select from do not have any pricing in them, which makes it difficult to identify options for the Champs. Bob Kubat said he can get catalogs with pricing from Directsports.com. He will request and have them shipped directly to Bill and Duane.
    • Dave Banghart mentioned that Scheel’s is a sponsor for the League. As one of our sponsors, League members are entitled to a 10% discount at Scheel’s, but this is not noted on the website, and should be added. Dave is also willing to go out and solicit new sponsors. Bob Kubat also noted that the business cards that were printed a few years back should probably be updated. Apparently there is a phone number listed on these current business cards, and no one is exactly sure whose number it is. New business cards should be printed with the website information only.
  10. Fall Draft, Aug 6 - Tryouts for the new players will be held at Churchich Park at 6:30 pm., Wed. August 6. We have 3 new players, and 3 returning players (played in previous years). After the tryouts are completed the players will be released, and the Draft will move to the Metro Omaha Softball office.
    Fall Draft Schedule was discussed. We are going with 8 teams for the 2008 Fall League, the Athletics and White Sox had the fewest returning players. Those 2 teams will be disbanded for the Fall, and their registered players will go into the Draft and be assigned to a new team for the Fall League (only). There will be 16 players in the draft.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.
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Aug 6, 2008
The Fall Draft was called to order at 7:30 pm at Metro Omaha Softball office. Board of Directors present: Duane Carolus, Tom Herfordt, Joe Beninato, Mert Opfer, Bill Smuck, and Torri Pantaleon. Managers/Team Representatives present: Duke Burgess (Blue Jays), Bill Riggle (Braves), Ed Tworek (Nationals), Dave Banghart (Phillies), Bruce Babko (Cardinals), Bill Smuck (Royals), and Jim Wilmot (Tigers)
  1. Registered Players - 90 players were registered for the 2008 Fall League. 17 Players are in the draft; 4 new registration, 3 returning players from previous years and 10 members of disbanded teams from the Summer League. The draft was set up for 8 teams. Pre-assigned picks were established to bring all teams up to an 11 player roster. The last 2 picks would be determined by a random draw giving those 2 teams the 12 player roster. In the event of any additional registrations for the Fall League, those teams with an 11 man roster would then have a random draw to determine who would take the new player onto their roster.
  2. Draft Guidelines - New and prior returning players drafted for the Fall League will remain as a permanent team member to the team they were selected for the Summer League, if they return at that time. However, as with each season start, any player may opt to enter the draft for the start of the new season. A reminder to all present, it was noted that players registering for next summer will be placed to their original teams based on the date of receipt of their registration. First 12 registrations for any team will be accepted to their original team from 2008 League. Any additional registrations received after the first 12 will automatically go into the draft.
  3. Pool Player Guidelines - Since the teams for the Fall League are set up with a base roster of 11 players, the pool player draw was outlined. All teams must begin with a legal lineup of 6 players, and can only draw a maximum 3 of pool players, thus playing with a roster of 9, and NO automatic out will be recorded. As noted in the minutes of the August 4 Board of Director Meeting, 1st base has been added as an optional defense position for pool players.
  4. New Ball for 208 Fall League - Dave Banghart shared with the managers/team representatives present the new ball we will be trying out during the Fall League. It is a Baden Lexum 44/.375. It was agreed that an evaluation of the ball would be made at the 3 week point of the Fall League.
  5. Draft - Managers/Team Representatives proceeded with the Draft. The Fall League will begin on Aug. 11, at NP Dodge Park.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.
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Oct 2, 2008
The Meeting was called to order at 6:35 pm at Gambino’s Pizza Parlor.
Board of Directors in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Bill Smuck, Tom Fiscus, Tom Herfordt, Mert Opfer, and Torri Pantaleon. Absent: Joe Beninato and Bob Kubat. Also attending were newly elected Board Members Ed Tworek and Dave Banghart, as well as guests, Duke Burgess and Bill Riggle.
  1. Parity in the Draft Process - Presentation by Duke Burgess and Bill Riggle. Duke and Bill provided a presentation which gave case scenarios of draft assignments based on manger value, player value, and team value. The spreadsheets that Bill and Duke created provide an ease of creating League Parity of the teams by properly analyzing manager and player values, thus resulting in balanced team value. This presentation and process is for consideration for future drafts.
  2. Treasurer’s Report - Mert Opfer reported that we currently have $9,060 in the bank with all debts paid to current date. Tom Herfordt reported that a scanner would make adding sponsor graphics and links to the website easier. Tom has already purchased an advanced printer (includes standard printing options, faxing as well as scanning) at a cost of over $100. A motion was made to reimburse Tom $50 to defray some of his own personal cost. It was moved by Tom Fiscus, second by Mert Opfer, and voted unanimously in favor by all eligible voting Board Members present.
  3. Fall Banquet - The banquet will again be held at the Offutt Base Lake Pavilion on Saturday, November 7, 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Cost for the Pavilion is $100, and rental cost for the grill is $65. Bill Smuck reported that the flyers and tickets for the 2008 Fall Banquet have been printed. These will be given to the Managers at the games on Monday, Oct. 6, and wants all money and attending counts returned to him no later than Oct. 13th. The cost per person (player and guest) has been raised from $7 to $8.50. The cost of any additional guests will remain at $15. Bob Morley (Liquor Cabinet - Bellevue) has been approached for purchase of the Kegs and boxes of wine. Steaks will be purchased from Fairway in LaVista. Although the Royals, as 2008 Summer League champs are in charge of the banquet, they are looking for any volunteers that would be available to help with setup on Friday, Nov 7. Torri’s band has also been retained to provide musical entertainment for the evening.
  4. Emergency Contact Information - The issue of collecting Emergency Contact Information was again addressed. This subject was previously presented to the Board at the League Meeting held on July 28. At that time is was suggested to provide cards to each player to fill out the pertinent contact information, and any additional medical information that they would like to provide. Dave Banghart will get cards made up. Players will then fill out the information, and all cards for each team will be kept with the Team Manager, or another player in the event the Team Manager is not present for any game. It was proposed to establish this new policy for the 2009 Summer League.
  5. Defibrillator Update - There were 20 to 25 players who participated in the training of the new defibrillator. We also have additional players who have been certified through other authorized agencies. Duane reported that Joe Beninato has acquired a small wall mount cabinet to store the defibrillator in the small equipment room at the softball complex. However, since Omaha Metro Softball is planning some upgrades to the ball parks during the winter, we will wait until next spring after these upgrades are completed to install the cabinet. At this time, Duane currently carries the defibrillator with him to all games, and is always at the park for all games. In the event that he cannot be there, he makes arrangements for another League member to be in charge of the unit in his absence.
  6. First Aid Kit - Follow up to the First Aid Kit has been tabled pending further information from Bob Kubat, who was not present for this meeting.
  7. New Uniform Shirts for Fall Players - In light of the delay of getting shirts for new players for this fall, it was suggested that a few extra shirts for each team be ordered at the start of the new draft. This would allow shirts to be available right away for any new players joining the League in the fall. · There was additional discussion that new players for the Fall would automatically be entered in the draft the following Spring rather than remain with the team they were assigned to for the Fall. This would allow for those teams that were disbanded for the Fall to have a chance to draft new players (if needed) for the following Spring. It would also allow for those players who chose not to play for the Fall to have first priority to go back to the team they were drafted to in the previous Spring. At this time this was only briefly discussed, and no final decision was made.
  8. Board Member Items:
    • Torri Pantaleon expressed his appreciation to Dave Banghart for his efforts in soliciting sponsors. We have 4 new sponsors. All sponsor information is on the Nebraska Senior Softball website. Dave responded that he is continuing to work with other potential sponsors. One in particular is the Ultimate Baseball Academy which is in the process of building a state-of-the-art facility at 120th & I Street.
    • Tom Herfordt asked about the player standards as they are noted on the website. He suggested, as a League, we either enforce them, do away with them, or even consider to adjust them. Dave Banghart provided the thought process of these standards when they were first established. These are basic skills that all players should be able to perform, and per the website, players should be able qualify in 3 of the 4 skills. Additional discussion included considering a re-evaluation of all players, and how often.
    • Bill Smuck has an additional 10 dozen balls available for the remainder of the Fall Season. He handed out 2 dozen balls at the games on Wed. Oct 1. The Royals have selected a pull over jacket as the 2008 Summer League Champions. Award for the 2008 Fall Champion will be determined at the end of the Fall League.
    • Ed Tworek reported that the Fun Tournament scheduled for Saturday, Oct 4 received excellent response from individuals. He is running the tournament on his own without any sponsorship this year. If turnout and feedback is good, the Nebraska Senior Softball League may consider sponsoring this or a similar tournament in the future.
    • Dave Banghart expressed concern regarding the current process of the substitute players draw. The current rule allows any team who cannot field a full 10 player line-up to draw up to 3 substitute players. Higher skilled players selected in the draw can possibly give a team a better advantage, thus rewarding them for not fielding their own roster. It was proposed that the League consider revising the rule to disallow a team to draw a 10th player, and force them to play with only 9. Also, some consideration should be given to the courtesy runner rule. It was suggested to consider amending the rule to limit a player to courtesy run no more than twice per game. This would eliminate teams over utilizing their fastest runners for slower runners throughout each game.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.
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Nov 11, 2008
The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm at the office of Joe Beninato.
Board of Directors in attendance were: Duane Carolus, Joe Beninato, Tom Herfordt, Torri Pantaleon, Ed Tworek, Dave Banghart, and Steve Quinn. Absent: Mert Opfer and Tom Fiscus
  1. Treasurer’s Report - The current bank balance after all expenses for 2008 have been paid is $7,260. This is $1,058 less than the projected yearend balance of $8,318. There were unexpected costs for the AED Defibrillator ($1,200) and uniform costs were a little higher than anticipated. Expenses for equipment were also a little higher than budgeted. This is due in part of the new balls used for the Fall League. We have some left over from this year to start the season next year. Our income was increased due to additional sponsors. For the Fall Banquet we had planned for 149 attendees based on ticket sales and requests for hold tickets at the door. There were actually 133 members and guests in attendance at the Banquet.
  2. 2009 Season
    • Spring/Summer League Dates - Start April 27, End July 22 (provided in agreement with MOS). This is a 25 game schedule with Monday May 25, dropped for Memorial Day.
    • Registrarion Dates - Registration for the 2009 Spring/Summer League will be open February 1 to March 20, 2009. Any registrations of returning players postmarked after 3/20 will be assessed a $25 late fee.
    • Player Draft - Wednesday, April 15, 2009. A motion was made by Torri Pantaleon and second by Joe Beninato that new players who signed up for the Fall 2008 League would automatically be put into the Spring/Summer 2009 draft. The motion included discussing the matter of those teams that were disbanded for the Fall 2008 as well as returning teams will have the opportunity to draft "new" players if needed. In a show of hands, the motion was carried forward unanimously by all attending Board Members.
      A second motion made by Torri Pantaleon and second by Joe Beninato that any new player from the Fall 2008 League who registers for Spring/Summer 2009 and is drafted to a new team (per motion #1) will receive a new team shirt and hat (if needed) at the cost of the League. Going forward, shirts and hats for new or reassigned players will only be available during Spring/Summer drafts. In a show of hands, the motion was carried forward unanimously by all attending Board Members
    • Practice Dates - Practices will begin Monday April 6, and will be held on Monday and Wednesday. There will be 4 practice dates. Monday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 22 will be reserved for team practice.
    • 2009 Season Location - Duane has been in communication with Bob Knudson of Metro Omaha Softball regarding field availability for 2009. Bob has confirmed that NP Dodge will have 2 or possibly 3 fields available for Mondays and Wednesdays. At this time, he has no information for possible dates or costs for Seymour Smith, but should have more information by mid December.
  3. Issues for 2009 Season - The following 2009 issues were brought up for discussion:
    • Player Qualifications - In the guidelines of maintaining the current standards for evaluating players the discussion included whether current standards should be re-evaluated or whether they should remain the same. It was decided player qualifications would remain as they are outlined under Player Qualifications on the Nebraska Senior Softball website.
    • Testing - With an emphasis on marginal players there was discussion of whether current players should be re-tested to see if they meet the player qualifications. If any re-testing were to be done, who would it include? Should the league review certain players or all players? It was eventually decided that if any current players were re-tested then it would be mandatory for all players to be re-tested. In light of the fact that we could have as many as 120 players registered for the Spring/Summer 2009 season, it would be rather difficult to properly test all returning registered players. However, to maintain the integrity of Player Qualifications it was agreed by all Board Members present that all new players submitting registrations to the League will need to be tested and pass 3 out of the 4 drills outlined under Player Qualifications as noted on the Nebraska Senior Softball website before their registration is accepted by the League.
    • Outfield Line Similar to Co-Ed - If implemented, the Outfield Line would require outfield players to maintain a position behind the line until after the batter makes contact with the pitched ball. It is believed that this would discourage outfield players from playing short and attempting plays from left or left center on slower runners to 1st base. Questions that were brought up with regards to an Outfield Line: Where would the line be placed, 150’ or 200’? Who would mark out the line on the outfield? Would this be a function of Metro Omaha Softball, and if so would they increase our current fees as they are responsible for field preparation? Would one umpire be sufficient to properly monitor that players are abiding by the outfield line? With these questions in mind, it was decided to table this issue until a later time. This matter will be discussed with managers, requesting to get additional feedback from League players. This may be an issue to include on the next player survey.
    • Courtesy Runners - Managers and players should refrain from using courtesy runners primarily for strategy. During the 2008 year it was mentioned a number of times, that it appeared that courtesy runners were being used more in a manner of strategy rather than as a courtesy as the rule was designed. The matter will be discussed at the pre-league managers meeting.
    • Player Draft - Should the draft use the mechanism presented by Bill Riggle and Duke Burgess at the last Board of Directors meeting on Oct 2. It was agreed by all Board members present that the mechanism can be a valuable tool, and will be considered when establishing future drafts.
  4. League 10 Year Celebration - 2009 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Nebraska Senior Softball League. Some items to be considered in the 10 year celebration are:
    • First Pitch Ceremony - Have an official presentation of the US Flag, with a performance of the National Anthem. Invite a dignitary to throw out the 1st pitch of the season.
    • Newspaper Items - Contact Mike Kelly of the Omaha World Herald to do a feature article on Nebraska Senior Softball. Also invite him or another reporter to cover the First Pitch Ceremony.
    • TV Coverage - Contact the local television stations to also cover the First Pitch Ceremony: Ross Jernstrom of Channel 6 and Travis Justice currently of Channel 42 (previously Channel 3), were very instrumental in the first years of the league providing local coverage of Nebraska Senior Softball. Also contact Matt Schick of Channel 7. Matt did a piece about Nebraska Senior Softball this past summer.
    • Banquet - Organize the banquet as more of a Prom event rather than just a Homecoming. There was interest of having the event catered and finding a location more centrally located. We could even consider moving the date up to have the banquet held between the spring/summer and fall leagues. Of course, this would mean that we would only honor spring/summer league champions, and fall league champions would be honored at a later date. This matter is open for further discussion.
  5. Board Member Responsibilities
    • Commissioner - Duane Carolus
    • Associate Commissioner - Torri Pantaleon
    • Secretary - Sue Kunert (Volunteer) Need to rewrite responsibilities
    • Finance & Records - Mert Opfer
    • Law & Taxes - Joe Beninato
    • Marketing & Publicity - Steve Quinn
    • Rules & Purchasing - Ed Tworek
    • Facilities - Dave Banghart
    • Player Development - Tom Fiscus
    • Website & Registrar - Tom Herfordt
  6. Board Member Topics
    • Ed Tworek - Suggested the Millard Legion Hall at 144 & L for consideration for the 2009 Banquet. Recommended that we change the wording of the Spring/Summer League to just be Spring (drop the reference to Summer). He re-addressed a proposal to develop a list of player’s occupation and expertise. He will research the proper way to gather and distribute the information.
    • Joe Beninato - Would like the League to consider and develop an incentive program for recruiting new players.
    • Tom Herfordt - Suggested adding to the registration form a check box for players to indicate if they are willing to have their phone number, e-mail and occupation published. This would be in conjunction of Ed’s proposal for developing a player profile list.
    • Dave Banghart - Brought up the issue of the multiple teams with "Red" shirts this year. There is not enough distinction between the teams when playing each other. This was also a problem with those teams having the dark blue, black and gray. He would like the League to reconsider the replacement player rule, as it is stated on the Nebraska Senior Softball website. He suggested to re-write the rule to state that after meeting roster requirements a team may only draw from pool to bring a their game roster to a maximum of 9 players. This would be a more accurate penalty for those teams that do not have roster players available for scheduled play. It is also believed that this change in the use of replacement players would help teams to encourage all roster players to be in attendance for as many games as possible. Dave also mentioned that the Ultimate Baseball Academy will have the capability of winter Leagues for the months of January, February, and March of 2009. However, most of the night time slots have already been filled, but for those interested and available there may be some morning and weekend "day" slots open. Would we have enough interest as a League or leave it to individual interest?
    • Torri Pantaleon - Last month Torri presented Nebraska Senior Softball at the monthly luncheon of the Omaha Sports Committee. Many of those in attendance were not aware of the League, and with the information and stories he shared he is hoping that he has created some interest for new players.
    • Tom Fiscus - In an e-mail to Duane, Tom provided some banquet feedback. Tom received comments from a number of those in attendance that the food at the banquet was not very good.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 pm.
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Jan 17, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Bill Smuck, Ben Heald, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, Torri Pantaleon, David Dye, and Joe Beninato.
  1. Fields - The Board has contacted all local cities in order to obtain the best possible location for our games. He is a brief synopsis of our efforts; Papillion does not have any fields available for us, Lavista does not have any fields available either, Bellevue could only let us use their lighted field on Friday nights. The only field that Omaha offered is Dodge Park on Monday and Wednesday nights. Our rates will be increased by $15.00 per team to $295.00 for the Spring/Summer season, Council Bluffs was very accommodating, they offered us their best field, (the former Harrah's complex) on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, they will meet or beat Omaha's price. In the final analysis, more players and teams wanted to stay at Dodge than wanted to move to Council Bluffs. The Board voted to return to Dodge Park for Spring/Summer 2007.
  2. Sign up Dates - Registration will be from February 1, 2007 until March 26th 2007 (for returning players from both Spring/Summer and Fall of 2007). Any returning player whose registration is received between March 26th and April 2nd will be entered in the Draft and will have to pay the full new registration fee of $105.00. In the event their application is received after April 2nd they will be charged an additional $25.00 late fee and there is no guarantee that the application will be accepted. Teams are filled on the basis of when applications are received. The fee for returning players will be $80.00, for new players and returning players entering the draft, it will be $105.00. Spring training will start April 2nd, the draft will be April 23rd, and the Season will be April 30 thru July 25th.
  3. Rules and Equipment - We will be using the optic yellow, 44 core, 375 compression ball this year. Motion made by Bob Kubat, Second by Ben Heald, Carried unanimously. After input from the Managers, it was determined that we will modify the rules for adding players when a team has less than 10 at game time. A team will have to have at least 7 of their players to avoid a forfeit. They may add a maximum of 2 players from the 'drawing'. If they have 7 players they will add 2 and play with 9, if they have 8 players they will add 2 and play with 10. If they have 9 players they will add 1 and play with 10. Players added may play only Catcher, Right Field, or Right Center Field. They must bat at the end of the order. Motion made by Ben Heald, second by Rick Simodynes, carried unanimously.
  4. Budget - Mert Opfer read The Proposed Operating Budget. By increasing the registration fee by $5.00 we should be able to keep our Bank Balance at approximately $6,900. Motion to accept the Budget as written by Bob Kubat, Second by Torri Pantaleon, carried unanimously.
  5. By Laws - A motion was made by Ben Heald to modify the by laws so that the Legal Advisor and Web Site Manager become voting Members of the Board. Second by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously.
  6. Board Vacancy - David Dye notified the Board that he will be resigning. Dave has put in a lot of long hours and we all owe him our thanks for a job well done. Please ask your players if anyone would be interested in serving as Communications Officer. This is a new position on the Board. He will be responsible for supervising Web Design, coordinating the Communications process, collecting data, Writing updates and communicate to the League at the Direction of the Board. Please contact any Board Member if you are interested.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15. The next Board Meeting will be at the office of Simodynes and Associates on February 14th, 2007 at 6pm.
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Feb 17, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 1:00 P.M at Gambino's Pizza Parlor.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Torri Pantaleon, Bill Smuck, and Tom Herfordt.
  1. Budget - Mert Opfer presented the proposed budget. The cost per player for the Spring/Summer season will be $76.34. Since our registration fee is $80.00 per player, we are doing a good job of charging the least amount possible while maintaining our Bank Balance. The proposed balance at the end of the year will be $7,005. This is in keeping with our previously agreed on goal to keep enough of a balance to handle unforeseen problems. Motion was made by Bob Kubat to approve, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
  2. Registration. - At the time of the meeting, we had 46 players registered and have collected $3710 in registration fees.
  3. New Strike Mat - A proposal was made by Bob Kubat to use the new SPA strike mat. This is the mat that was used in the SPA national tournament last year. It is 21 inches by 35 inches, so it is four inches wider than our current mat. Second by Bill Smuck and carried unanimously.
  4. Letter to Papillion - Joe Beninato is drafting a letter to Papillion, asking for a partial refund to Nebraska Senior Softball for the expense of the sprinkler system we paid for. We have not been allowed to use their fields as much as we envisioned when we purchased the sprinkler system, and it does not appear that the situation will improve any time soon.
  5. Uniform Shirts - Shirts will be ordered the night of the Draft. The vendor will be at Dodge Park to take the order. Team Managers are responsible to order uniform shirts at that time for their team members that require them. They will need to know the player number, quantity of shirts needed, and size.
  6. End of Spring/Summer Tournament - Team Managers are asked to poll their teams to determine if they would prefer to have a tournament after the Spring/Summer season as we have done in previous years or if they would rather we just schedule league games until the end of the season (as we did last year). Please e-mail Ben Heald with your preference.
The meeting was adjourned at 2 pm. The next Board Meeting will be at the office of Simodynes and Associates on March 14th, 2007 at 6pm.
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Mar 13, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at the office of Simodynes and Associates.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Bob Kubat, Bill Smuck, Duane Carolus, Rick Simodynes, Tom Herfordt,
  1. Registration - We have 86 players registered for Spring/Summer at this time. This includes six new players. Returning players are reminded that their registration is due by the 26th of March. Returning players registering 3/27 thru 4/1 will be required to pay a $25.00 uniform fee and enter the draft. Registrations from returning players received after April 2nd. Will require an additional $25.00 late fee, and there is no guarantee that they will be accepted. If accepted, they will enter the draft.
  2. .Spring Practice Dates - We will begin practicing on the second of April, 6pm, at Dodge Park. We intend to practice each Monday and Wednesday until the season starts on the 30th of April. The Draft will be on the 18th of April at Dodge Park.
  3. End of Season Tournament - There was not much response to my query to the Managers concerning whether of not the players would like to have an end of season tournament. This Tournament would be in place of regular season games. The Board will decide at the next meeting if we are going to have this tournament or just play more regular season games, (as we did last year).
  4. Pitching Net - It was decided that we would experiment with a pitching net in the Fall League.
  5. Web site - Please take a look at our new Web site. Tom Herfordt has done a great job of making it user friendly. A motion was made by Ben Heald to pay Tom $300 for all his hard work on the site. (The Board had budgeted $600 for this expense). Second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned at 7pm. The next meeting will be at 5pm at the office of Simodynes and Associates on the 28th of March.
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Apr 2, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 5:00 P.M.
Those in Attendance were. Tom Fiscus, Bob Kubat, Ben Heald, Rick Simodynes, Mert Opfer, Torri Pantaleon, and Bill Smuck.
  1. Registration - We have 119 players registered. It should be noted that quite a few of them would miss a great number of games. Most affected are the Cubs and the Reds.
  2. Number of Teams - Based on current registrations and the fact that at least 10 players are planning on missing a significant number of games. A motion was made by Rick Simodynes to have 9 teams again this year. Seconded by Ben Heald, carried unanimously. In the event we get a significant number of New Player registrations before the draft, we will consider adding a tenth team. Motion seconded by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously.
  3. Managers - A motion was made by Bob Kubat to keep the seven returning Managers. The only teams in need of new Managers are the Twins and the Cardinals. Second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
  4. Cardinals Manager - A motion was made by Bob Kubat to appoint Rod Kidder as the Cardinals Manager. Seconded by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously.
  5. Twins Manager - None of the Twins that registered agreed to manage. A motion was made by Bob Kubat to assign Cort Fernald to the Twins and appoint him as Manager. Seconded by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
  6. Managers/Board Meeting- There will be a Managers/Board Meeting at Dodge Park on the 11th of April at 5:30. We will discuss issues such as the upcoming draft and the schedule at this meeting. If a manager cannot attend, he should be sure he is represented at the meeting.
The Meeting was adjourned at 6 pm.
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Apr 16, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM at Dodge Park.
Those in Attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Ben Heald, Mert Opfner, Duane Carolus, and Bill Smuck. Managers present were: Cort Fernald, Dave Mitchell, Dave Dye, Dave Banghart, Ed Tworek, Rod Kidder, and Steve Jordan.
  1. Registration - We now have 124 players registered, including 14 new players.
  2. Spring/Summer Season 2007 - After conferring with the Managers, it was determined that we will have ten teams this season! The Managers voted in favor of attempting to try to make up games that are rained out this year. (This will be easier to do since we will have an even number of teams). The Managers voted against having a tournament at the end of the season. The Draft will be 5:30 P M, Monday the 23rd of April.
  3. Manager Responsibilities - Managers are the most important link to our players, (especially new players), and to umpires. All Managers were advised that the Board will be more pro-active and involved should we become aware of any problems.
    Our standard is to treat all Players and Umpires with respect. We especially want to make sure that new players are treated well. The impressions that they get in their first few weeks will establish their long-term opinions about our League. We want to make sure it is a positive one.
  4. New Manager - A motion was made by Ben Heald to have Tom Smith manage our new team. Second by Duane Carolus, carried unanimously. The new team will be the Rockies.
The Meeting was adjourned at 6 pm.
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Jun 26, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M at the office of Simodynes and Associates.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Bill Smuck, Torri Pantaleon, Duane Carolus, Joe Beninato, and Tom Herfordt.
  1. Treasurer’s Report - Mert Opfer reported that we have a balance of $9180. Motion to accept by Ben Heald, Second by Duane Carolus, carried unanimously.
  2. Fall League - Team Managers were asked to provide the Board with their team’s preference for the fall schedule. The following was decided: Due to a Metro Omaha Scheduling issue, the first two weeks of the season (beginning August 13th, will be played at Dodge Park, beginning August 27th, all games will be played at Seymour Smith. The cost will be $190 per team, which is a $10 per team increase from last year. We will have a 17 game schedule.
  3. Fall Registration - The fall registration period will be from July 6th thru July 30th. The fee for fall registration will be $60. Uniforms will not be issued to players that are drafted by a team. Players that wish to register July 31st thru August 6th will pay a $25 late fee. Registrations received after August 6th will require Board Approval. Players are encouraged to mail their registrations to Ben Heald 2813 Nottingham Dr. Bellevue NE. 68123.
  4. New Ball - Bob Kubat made a motion that we try a different ball for the fall Season. He made a motion that we switch to a Worth 44 core 375 compression optic yellow ball, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
  5. Web Site Manager - A motion was made by Bob Kubat to make the Web Site Manager (Tom Herfordt) a voting member of the Board. Second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
  6. Fall Banquet - Our Fall Banquet will be at the Offutt Base Lake again this year. It will be on the second of November. Price will be $7.50 for Members and significant other. $15 for each additional guest.
  7. Rules Reiteration - There has been some confusion with regard to a few of our rules. Here is a reminder Teams that have a twelve man roster can play with as few as 7 of their players present. Teams with an eleven-man roster must have at least 6 players present. Roster size can only be reduced when a manager officially contacts the Director of Player Personnel and notifies him that a player in injured or sick and will miss at least four games. Teams can draw a maximum of 3 players. The substitute players may only play right field, right center field or catcher, cannot pinch run, and must bat at the end of the line up. The white part of the pitching mat is home plate. The Black part is not home plate.
The Meeting was adjourned at 8 pm.
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Aug 8, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 6 PM at Dodge Park.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Rick Simodynes, Bob Kubat, Duane Carolus, Tom Herfordt, and Bill Smuck.
  1. Fall Season - It was determined that there will be eight teams for the fall 2007 Season. The Indians and Rockies will be eliminated. The season will begin on August 13th. The first two Mondays of the season will be at Dodge Park, all other games will be at Seymour Smith. The schedule on the Web Site depicts the first 14 games. The last three games will be scheduled at a later date so we can make up for rainouts.
  2. Registration - At the time of the meeting, we had 94 players registered, which is a significant improvement over last year.
  3. New Managers - Bruce Babko was nominated to be the new Manager for the Angels and Ben Heald was nominated to be the new Manager for the Cubs. Motion made by Bob Kubat, seconded by Torri Pantaleon, carried unanimously.
  4. Draft - Rick Simodynes presented an excellent proposal to the Board and the Managers regarding the Fall Draft. His proposal included all relevant factors. The overwhelming majority of those present felt it is as fair a proposal as could be made. We then proceeded on to the fall draft.
  5. Award for Fall Champions - Managers and Board Members are asked to contact Tom Fiscus and tell him if you think the fall Champions should receive any award. Hats, Shirts, Sweatshirts or Jackets are an option. We could also give the winners nothing due to the fact that the fall season is a secondary season. Players are asked to tell you Manager what your wishes are on this issue.
The meeting was adjourned at 7 pm. The Draft then took place.
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Sept 10, 2007
The Meeting was called to order at 6 PM.
Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Torri Pantaleon, Mert Opfer, Bob Kubat, and Rick Simodynes.
  1. Concerns - Ed Tworek presented a number of concerns to the Board. His areas of concern were:
    • He would like to use a white ball.
    • He would like a ball that is more lively than our current 375/44 ball.
    • He feels we should not adhere to ASA standards that no longer allow the grand fathered bats that will be illegal next year.
    • The Board will take his concerns under advisement.
  2. Treasurer’s Report - Our current Balance is $13,498, we have spent $9606 to date, and our balance at the end of the year should be approximately $7000. Motion to accept by Ben Heald, second by Bob Kubat, passed unanimously.
  3. Rules - Rick Simodynes has done a superior job of compiling a list of “Senior Softball” rules. These rules are a very concise list of rules that differ from standard ASA rules. A meeting that includes the Managers will be held to finalize these rules.
  4. Denny Zakovec Request - Denny Zakovec made a request to the Board that all players over 80 years of age be allowed to use the Mikken Ultra II bat. The Board will discuss this and make a decision prior to the Spring 2008 season.
  5. Awards for 2007 Champions - A motion was made by Bob Kubat to award the Spring Champions sweatshirts and the Fall Champions Hats. Second by Ben Heald, Carried unanimously.
  6. Rainout Games - It was determined that the games that have been rained out will be made up at the end of the year.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 pm
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Oct 23, 2007
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM at Gambino’s Pizza.
Those present were: Mert O, Bill S. Duane, C., Bob K. Tom H, Torri P, and Tom F. Absent: Joe B.
  1. Budget - An operation budget update was given by the Board Treasurer, Mert.
    • YTD Receipts - $16.639
    • Expenses - $11,352
    • YTD Balance -$11,942
    We still have outstanding bills for the banquet and awards. It was also noted that we will have additional expenses next year for uniforms for the entire league for the spring draft and will reduce the balance to be in line with the Board’s cash reserve goal. Motion to accept by Duane C. Second by Bill. Vote 7-0 to accept.
  2. Banquet - Bill Smuck responded that all plans are set and duties assigned for specific activities. It was noted that we needed to make an effort to stay on schedule so as to allow people to enjoy the entertainment afterward.
  3. Board resignation - It was moved by Bill S and seconded by Bob K to accept the resignation of Rick S and Ben Heald. Rick was in charge of player personnel and Ben was Secretary and handled all of the registrations. Motion passed 7-0. The Board would like to thank Rick and Ben for their time and effort given to NSS.
  4. Player Survey - A request was received by the Board to conduct a player survey. The Board discussed this and after some research we concluded that it had been 2 to 3 years since the last one was done. A list of potential questions was submitted to the Board by a group of players.
    A committee was then formed to conduct the survey. The committee is made up of Duke Burgess, Bill Smuck, Bill Riggle, John Lucash, and Ed Tworek. Duke presented a rough draft of the survey at the meeting and asked the Board to review it. The Board conducted the review and made a few minor changes which will serve as the main template for the survey committee.
    A discussion followed on several topics:
    • Timeline
    • How to distribute
    • How to get the results back to the Board
    It was decided that the committee would have the survey ready to distribute by December 1, 2007 or sooner.
    The results of the survey would be due back by December 15th. The information would then be tabulated and analyzed by the committee and presented to the Board by the first or second week in January.
    It was decided that we would develop a web application and access with a password that would be sent to members via email. The Board accepted a motion by Bob K and seconded by Torri to authorize up to $300 for the development of the survey. Motion carried 7 - 0.
    It is the Board’s desire to ensure the timeliness and accuracy of the survey. Results of the survey will be put on the web after the Board has had a chance to review it, which should be by early January.
  5. Commissioner - It was moved by Bob K with a second from Torri that the Commissioner transition be no earlier than May 1, 2008. Motion carried. 7-0. It was moved by Bob K and seconded by Bill S to appoint Duane C as incoming Commissioner. Motion carried 7-0. It was moved by Duane C. with a 2nd by Bob K. to appoint Torri as Associate Commissioner. Motion carried 7-0. Decisions on the status of all other Board positions will be made after the results of the survey have been reviewed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm
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Jan 18, 2006
The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M.
Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Symodynes, Dave Dye, Mert Opfer, Bill Smuck, Joe Beninato, Bob Kubat, and Tori Pentaleon. Absent: Ben Heald
  1. Policy and Procedure. Rick gave a report on the first group of policies and procedures to come before the Board. They are as follows:
    • Checking account access - Who has authorization to write checks
    • Checking account balance - What it can be
    • Formation of Tournament Teams - Who can form a team
    • Tournament Schedule Conflicts - How scheduling conflicts are handled with the league
    • E-Mail accounts - Protection Issues
    • Outside Tournaments
These will be voted on at the next meeting and if passed will be posted on our Web site. It is the Goal of the Board to separate Policy from playing rules.
  • Field Update. Tom F. gave an update on the fields for next year. It is still the NP Dodge Park complex that we will be playing on. It would appear at this time that we will have the fields with the better lighting. Tom is still working with Metro Omaha to finalize this. We will continue to get the best for our players.
  • Web Site. We are still experiencing some difficulties in this area, but as of writing these minutes it appears all aspects are working.
  • New Board Member/Assoc. Comm. We have sent out an E-Mail to see if there is any interest in the Board position that is vacant do to the fact that Cort F. left the Board due to his work schedule. To Date Duane Carlous has indicated he would like to apply for the position. We will vote on this at the next meeting.
  • Purchasing agent. Bob Kubat has accepted this position
  • Insurance. This is in the process of renewal. The old policy expires on 4/1/06. Phil S. is our agent. The meeting adjourned at 8:30. The next meeting will be at 6pm on Feb22, 2006.
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    Feb 22, 2006
    The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Bob Kubat, Ben Heald, Dave Dye, Bill Smuck, and Torri Pantaleon.
    1. Player Registration: As of this date we have 97 players registered, including 5 new players.
    2. Purchase of Equipment: Bob Kubat will purchase 10 dozen optic yellow, Rock softballs for the upcoming season. These are 44 core, 525 compression. The cost is $473.
    3. Tax Situation: Joe Beninato is still working on this problem. No difficulties are anticipated.
    4. Fields: The Spring/Summer 2006 season will be played on fields 3 and 4 at Dodge Park on Monday and Wednesday nights.
    5. Web Update: Dave Dye presented the Board with a very well designed update for our Web Site. His design will greatly enhance ease of operation by our members. It has a much more logical progression from one page to another. Forms and schedules will also be easier to download. Final implementation date is estimated as June 1, 2006.
    6. Policy and Procedure Guidelines: Six new guidelines (Checking account access, Checking account balance, Formation of tournament teams, tournament scheduling conflicts, E-mail accounts, and Outside tournaments) were presented to the Board. Bill Smuck made a motion to approve all six. Second by Ben Heald and passed unamiously.
    7. Election of Board Member: Duane Carolus was elected as a new board member to Replace Cort Fernald.
    8. Banquet: This years’ banquet will be at the Offutt Base Lake again. It will be on November 3, 2006. If you are interested in being the Project Manager for this event, please contact any board member.
    The meeting was adjourned at 7:15. The next board meeting will be at 6:00 P.M., March 15, 2006.
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    Mar 15,2006
    The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus. Rick Simodynes, Bob Kubat, Bill Smuck, David Dye, Torri Pentaleon, Ben Heald, and Duane Carolus
    1. Spring Practice. We will have 2 practices a week beginning April 3rd. Practices will be on Monday and Wednesday at Dodge Park.
    2. Draft Sequence. A motion was made by Ben Heald, that the fall win/loss record of each team not be used in determining the sequence of the upcoming Draft. Only the Spring/Summer records of teams should be used. Second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously.
    3. Consideration for teams that have lost key players. A letter submitted by Bill Weller, Manager of the Twins was read to the Board. In his letter, Bill expressed concern that his team had lost his Co-Drafting partner, and would be at a disadvantage. During a spirited discussion it was noted that another team had lost both of their “Drafting Managers”. While the League wants to establish as much parity as possible, we also do not want to try to micro-manage the process. It is impossible to account for all the unforeseen variables such as injuries, illness and players having to move out of the area. Therefore, in a significant departure from the current rigidly structured format, the following decision was made: Prior to the next Board meeting, the Director of player personnel and the Commissioner of the League will formulate loose guidelines that will allow the Board to assist those teams that, due to unforeseen circumstances are not competitive. There is no way to formulate a plan that will cover all conceivable contingencies, however the Board will attempt to rectify major discrepancies.
    4. Banquet. Our Banquet will be on Friday, November 3rd at the Offutt Base Lake. Much thanks to Bill Smuck for getting this great facility on a Friday during the Holliday Season.
    5. New Associate Commissioner. Duane Carolus was nominated by Ben Heald to be the new Associate Commissioner. Second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously.
    6. Web Update. The web update should be completed by 1 June. This will include a swap shop where members can purchase softball related equipment from each other.
    7. Last day to sign up. The last day to sign up for the Spring/Summer League will be April 12th. This will allow managers to properly prepare for the draft on April 19th, and will allow the Board to determine the number of teams that we will have and to formulate a schedule. We currently have 100 players registered.
    8. Managers Meeting/Next Board Meeting. We will have a Board Meeting after the practice on April 12th at Dodge Park. This will be followed by a Managers Meeting.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.
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    May 30, 2006
    The Meeting was called to order at 6:00PM.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Bob Kubat, Ben Heald, David Dye, Duane Carolus, Bill Smuck, Joe Beninato, and Torri Pentaleon.
    1. Treasures’ Report: As of 1 June 2006 we will have a balance of $8628. Motion was made to accept the report by Bob Kubat, Second by Torri Pentaleon, carried unanimously.
    2. Personnel issues: We have 2 players that can be assigned to teams. One is Cort Fernald, who will be returning in Late June, The other is a new player, Jim Schenkelberg who just joined the League. After much discussion it was determined that the following issues should be utilized as the basis for determining where the players should be assigned. The only teams with 12 players assigned are the Twins, Cardinals, and Indians, all other teams have 13. The team with the most serious shortage (due to injuries, etc) is the Cubs. Since Cort Fernald will not be back for a month, His assignment to the Cubs would not help their situation. The Cardinals believe that Marty Mclaughlin will be returning to their team, so they waive the right to add a 13th player. The Indians have lost Denny Hoffman for the season when he re-aggravated a knee injury, reducing their roster to 11. They have historically had good attendance and declined to take a player at this time, but would be interested should another player join the league. Bob Kubat made a motion that Cort Fernald should be assigned to the Twins and that Jim Schenkelberg should be assigned to the Cubs. Both players will be in the Draft for the Fall League. The Motion was Second by Joe Beninato, carried unanimously with Ben Heald abstaining. Dennis Hoffman suffered a season ending injury after only 2 Games. A motion was made by Ben Heald to refund his registration fee, minus the price of his Jersey, second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously.
    3. Tax Exempt Update: Joe Beninato stated that our paperwork for this status was submitted on April 17th.
    4. Web Page Update: David Dye has the rest of the Spring/Summer schedule updated. A number of upgrades and improvements are in the works.
    5. Marketing: Torri Pantaleon has approached a number of his contacts in an effort to get Nebraska Senior Softball some publicity. We have $400 budgeted for this area.
    6. Fall Season: The fall Season will be from August 14th until October 19th. We will probably be playing in Papillion again this year. Bill Smuck is coordinating with them.
    7. Board Member items. There has been some confusion with regard to the change to the rules requiring teams that are short to play with 9 players. It was never the intention of the Board (please see November, 2005 minutes) to doubly penalize a team by forcing them to play with 9 players and count the number 10 slot in the batting order as an out each time it came up. Therefore, we reiterate, that the 10th slot is not an automatic out.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.
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    Jun 26, 2006
    The meeting was called to order at 5:00 P.M. at N.P. Dodge Park.
    Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Rick Symodynes, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Torri Panteleon, Dave Dye, Bill Smuck, Duane Carolus, and Joe Benninato.
    1. Fall Season: The Nebraska Senior Softball Fall Season for 2006 will start on August 14th and last until October 18th. Games will be played on Mondays and Wednesdays at Peterson Field in Papillion. We will have 2 fields available, so games will start at 6:15 and 7:30. Registrations will commence the 24th of July and cease on the 4th of August. The Registration Fee will be $70.00 for returning players and $90.00 for new players.. Returning players not getting their registrations in by August 4th will incur a $20.00 late fee.
    2. Player Resignation: Since two players have resigned from the same team; it has been decided that the League Commissioner would interview players from that team to determine if there is a problem.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 P.M.
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    Sep 17, 2006
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
    Those present were Torri Pantaleon., Bob Kubat, Rick Simodynes, Duane Carolus, Joe Benninato, Dave Dye, Bill Smuck, and Tom Fiscus. Absent were Mert Opfer, and Ben Heald.
    1. Banquet. The Board discussed the time and place for the upcoming Nebraska Senior Softball banquet. Board members divided up the tasks to be accomplished for the event. It was decided to keep the cost at $5.00 per person that was established last year. Additional persons above the approved player and guest would be charged an extra $5.00 (total of $10.00) so as to not infringe on the monies paid by league members. There was a motion by Bill Smuck, and second by Torri Pantaleon to approve. The motion passed all voting yes.
    2. Tax Exempt Status. An update was given by Joe Benninato that it is still in process and he is keeping track of the progress.
    3. Fields. There was a discussion about fields for 2007 and beyond. It was decided that a committee will be formed in the off season to explore all possibilities. The goal is to find a permanent home.
    4. Web Site. An update was given by Dave Dye. He stated that Jeff Esky who had been helping with our Web Site will no longer be able to help us. With the problems that we have been having with the updating and modifying of the website, it was decided to get additional help. We have begun a search to find someone with design experience. Dave Dye will be looking for someone to help us renovate and update the website. A motion was made by Bob Kubat and second by Joe Benninato. The motion passed all voting yes.
    5. Donation. Motion was made by Rick Simodynes and seconded by Torri Pantaleon to donate $150.00 on behalf of Nebraska Senior Softball in the name of Dick Fielding's Wife to a charity of their choosing. Motion carried unanimously.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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    Oct 17, 2006
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were; Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Rick Simodynes, Torri Pantaleon, Dave Dye, Duane Carolus, Bill Smuck, and Mert Opfer.
    1. Web Site: Dave Dye is looking into getting a professional Web Site Designer for the League. We have several options, with one of them being someone in the League as a possibility.
    2. Fall League Champions: Since the final games of the season were rained out, and we would have had to go to the third tie-breaker to name a champion, a motion was made by Rick Simodynes that both the Twins and the Mets be declared co-champions. There was some discussion, but the consensus was that if two teams had the same record through league play; and the same record in head to head meetings; that it would be a shame to have someone lose on the third tie-breaker. The motion was seconded by Bob Kubat and carried unanimously with Bill Smuck and Dave Dye abstaining.
    3. Jackets: In an effort to change things up a bit the Board decided to order coaches jackets for both the Spring/Summer and the Fall League champions.
    4. Banquet: Bill Smuck is collecting the money for the banquet from the team managers up to the night of the event. This is necessary due to the final games of the season being rained out. Managers are asked to confirm ticket sales and get the count to Bill as soon as possible so we may order food and refreshments.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
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    Feb 1, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald and Bob Kubat. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M. at Brownies’ Watering Hole in Papillion.
    1. REGISTRATION UPDATE: Ben Heald reported that eighty (80) players had signed up, including three new players.
    2. BUDGET UPDATE/REVIEW: Mert Opfer reported that we have a current balance of $11,682.
    3. MARKETING: The Board reviewed some very nice four-color tri-fold brochures that have been developed by Dave Banghart and Cort Fernald for distribution throughout Omaha and surrounding communities during February and March in an effort to register new players. Ben Heald will contact his daughter-in-law at PIP printing to see if we can get a better price for an additional 100 copies.
    4. INSURANCE: Tom Fiscus reported that one of our league players, Phil Schenck, is in the process of obtaining premium quotations for our league’s 2005 liability insurance policy requirements.
    5. SPRING TRAINING: Although Spring training begins on April 4, we will not have access to N. P. Dodge Park until Monday, April 11; however, we will be able to utilize the two softball fields at Hitchcock Park, at 42nd & Q Streets, on April 4 and 7.
    6. SPORTS EXPOS: Metro Omaha Softball will host their Second Annual Softball Show on Saturday, February 12, from noon to 4:00 PM, at THE DIGZ (formerly McCormack’s), 4420 South 144th Street. The Athlete’s Expo, sponsored by the Papillion-LaVista Schools Foundation, will be held on Saturday, March 19, at Papillion-LaVista South High School. We will have a table at each of these two events and all NSS players and friends are invited and encouraged to attend. Those players who are willing to help with this event are asked to contact Tom Fiscus. We will be distributing our NSS flyers and talking to people about Nebraska Senior Softball. Rick Simodynes made a motion that we spend no further money on the Papillion show. It was seconded by Bill Smuck and carried unanimously.
    7. PLAYER DRAFT: Tom Fiscus will provide a large room with an “easel” type display board for the Draft. Our Board will do everything possible to ensure that the two temporary Managers assigned to each team provide equal skills for each team.
    8. OTHER MATTERS: With a complete player re-draft and new Managers, it is essential that the Manager’s Handbook be assembled and available for each team prior to draft day. Tom Fiscus will ask the appropriate Board members to assemble the Managers Handbooks. Tom Fiscus is in the process of filing the appropriate papers for tax-exempt status for Nebraska Senior Softball.
    The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 PM
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    Mar 15, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat and Rick Simodynes; absent were Dave Banghart, Mert Opfer and Bill Smuck. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 P.M. at Brownies’ Watering Hole in Papillion.
    1. REGISTRATION UPDATE: We now have 93 players registered including 12 new players.
    2. PUBLICITY: Cort Fernald made a motion that we place a 2-inch ad in the sports section of the Omaha World Harold to help solicit players for our league. It was seconded by Tom Fiscus and carried unanimously.
    3. INSURANCE: We have obtained Property and General Liability Insurance for the 2005 season through an agency represented by one of our league players, Phil Schenck. This comes at considerable savings, and we have $1,000,000 coverage per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
    4. UMPIRES: Kevin Vann will continue to be our chief umpire this year and will be in charge of selecting and scheduling the umpires to meet our needs.
    5. SPRING TRAINING: We will practice Monday and Thursday evenings on two fields at Hitchcock Park on April 4 and 7, and for the duration of April on Field Nos. 3 and 4 at Dodge Park.
    6. PLAYER DRAFT: Rick Simodynes reviewed proposed procedures for our upcoming Player Draft on April 18. This item will be discussed again at our next Board meeting when we know how many players/teams we will have.
    7. MANAGER’S HANDBOOK: Per our previous meeting, Dave Banghart will provide a Manager’s Handbook for each team manager, prior to the first game of the season, which will include our League Guidelines, Policies and Rules, with separate category sections for Code of Ethics, Administration, Manager/Player/Team Responsibilities, Umpires, Playing Rules and Draft Procedures.
    8. NEW PLAYER I.D. JERSEYS: Bill Smuck and Dave Banghart will be responsible to provide each new player with a numbered pullover colored jersey to be worn during Spring training so that team managers can easily identify the new players to be drafted.
    9. REGISTRATION CREDIT: The Board reviewed a letter received from John Romano requesting that his registration fees from the 2004 Fall League be credited to 2005 Spring fees since he was injured and able to play only one game. The Board unanimously approved his request. $65.00 will be credited leaving a balance of $25.00 for him to pay.
    10. The next Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 2, at a time and location to be determined.
    The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 PM
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    Apr 2, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 9:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer and Rick Simodynes; absent were Dave Banghart and Bill Smuck. The meeting was called to order at 3:00 P.M. in the conference room at Rick’s business location.
    1. PLAYER DRAFT SELECTION PAIRINGS: The following pairs of Selectors were proposed and approved unanimously by the Board:
      Carolus/Tworek, Banghart/Peterson,
      Fernald/Koenig, Beninato/Simodynes,
      Fiscus/Scott, Evans/Tom Smith,
      Heald/Mitchell, Jordan/Sickman,
      Johansen/Kubat, Novotny/Weller
      The teams in the left column will make the first five (5) selections as determined by lottery. This format enables those teams a better chance of drafting a short stop. Each team in the right hand column starts out with an established short stop. Motion to accept these pairings and the procedure that allows the teams in the left column to have the first five picks was made by Tom Fiscus, seconded by Ben Heald, and carried unanimously. NOTE: On April 14, the above two groupings were amended to include the Fernald/Koenig pairing with the group in the right hand column. For more information, refer to the league officers meeting minutes dated April 14, 2005.
    2. PLAYER REGISTRATION UPDATE: Ben Heald reported that we have 117 players registered as of this date. In view of this, a motion was made by Rick Simodynes to have a ten (10) team league, which was seconded by Tom Fiscus and carried unanimously.
    3. SPRING TRAINING: The first two league practices will be conducted on Monday. April 4, and Thursday, April 7, at Hitchcock Field. The remaining Monday/Thursday practices during April will held be at Dodge Park with all practices starting at 6:00 pm.
    4. PLAYER DRAFT: The Player Draft will take place on April 20, 6:30 PM, at 10077 South. 134th Street.
    The meeting adjourned at 9:20 P M.
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    Apr 14, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 9:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. The meeting was called to order at 8:15 P.M. at Kelly’s Bowling on North 30th Street.
    1. PLAYER DRAFT: Board members discussed the feasibility of drafting 119 players on nine teams versus ten teams, and after considering all aspects, it was unanimously confirmed that we would draft ten teams as agreed to in the April 2, 2005 minutes. In view of the fact that Cort Fernald previously played shortstop in our league and his registration preference was indicated as shortstop, Rick Simodynes made the motion, seconded by Ben Heald, which was agreed to unanimously that the Fernald-Koenig selection pairing be included with the other five selection pairings who have a shortstop. The player draft will be conducted at 6:30 PM on April 20 at 10077 South 134 Street.
    2. TEAM ROSTERS: Team rosters will be published on the web site April 21. Managers are encouraged to call their players the night of the draft to personally inform them of their team selection and notify them of their team’s practice schedule time at Dodge Park for Thursday evening, April 21.
    3. TEAM UNIFORMS: Major League Replica Jerseys and caps will be ordered April 22, screen printed with player’s name, number and NSS logo, during the first week of May, and distributed to team managers by May 9.
    4. LEAGUE SCHEDULE: Tom Fiscus will prepare two possible schedule options to present to the Board on April 20.
    5. FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES: Bill Smuck and Rich Peklo will transfer the two scoreboards and two player storage bins as soon as the dugouts on Fields 3 and 4 at Dodge Park are complete. Ten dozen 44 COR, 525 compression, yellow optic mid-flight softballs have been ordered for the Spring/Summer season. Each team will be provided a NSS Manager’s Handbook, new scorebook and magnetic lineup board.
    6. POLICIES, GUIDELINES AND PLAYING RULES: Considerable discussion centered on our current policy and guidelines covering the use of replacement players when a team has less than ten roster players available for the start of a game. A motion was made by Rick Simodynes, seconded by Ben Heald and unanimously approved by the Board that teams with a current roster of twelve (12) players must have a minimum of seven (7) roster players present at game time to secure replacement players. Those teams with only eleven (11) current roster players must have a minimum of (6) roster players present in order to start a game. If a team fails to have sufficient players available at scheduled game time as stated above, the team will forfeit the game. Upon request from a team manager sufficiently in advance, the Board will consider special requests for replacement player accommodations to teams with a player or players subsequently injured who are expected to miss a considerable number of games. Dave Banghart will submit for Board member review and approval a proposed draft of a new NSS Manager’s Handbook by April 24.
    7. OTHER MATTERS: The honorable Mayor Mike Fahey will be asked to throw out the first pitch for league games to be held on Monday, May 16. Rather than schedule this for opening day, May 2, we have delayed this ceremony until all league teams will have their uniforms. Mert Opfer recommended to the Board that we obtain a NSS credit card to accommodate the numerous purchases that are made each year. Board members unanimously approved this and the application will be submitted in the next few days.
    The meeting adjourned at 9:20 P M.
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    Jun 15, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
    Those in attendance were, Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Mert Opfer. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM at Trendwood Park.
    1. Safety Concerns: All League members were given the opportunity to vote on two safety issues. The first issue was that of requiring a safety screen for pitchers. The League Members voted 39 to 23 against the safety screen. Rick Simodynes made a motion that the Board agrees to abide by the wishes of the majority and not provide a safety screen for the pitcher. Second by Cort Fernald, carried unanimously. The second issue voted on by League Members was the possibility of moving to Fields 1 and 2 at Dodge Park. League Members voted against this measure 35 to 25. Rick Simodynes made a motion that the Board again abide by the wishes of the majority and continue to play our games at field 3 and 4. Second by Cort Fernald, carried unanimously.
    2. Legal Bat’s: The Board reaffirmed the decision to only allow those bats authorized by the ASA beginning with the 2006 season.
    3. Fall League: It was reaffirmed that we will play our fall league games at Peterson Field in Papillion. The lighting is better and the cost is less. We can have two fields in the Fall, (the fact that we could only have one for the spring/summer league is the primary reason we switched to Dodge Park.) The Fall games will be on Monday and Wednesday night; since those are the only non-weekend days two fields are available for our use. Bill Smuck will coordinate with Papillion Parks and Recreation.
    4. Courtesy Runners: It was reaffirmed that a courtesy runner may only run one time per inning and that each team can only have two courtesy runners per inning.
    5. Commissioner Resigns: After founding our League in May 2000, and pursuing the growth and expansion of our league from two to ten teams during the past five years, Dave Banghart has decided to step down as League Commissioner effective July 15, 2005. We should all take a moment to reflect on the many good times we have had and will continue to have with our senior softball games. We need to think of all the friends that we and our spouses have made due to senior softball. None of this would have been possible without Dave’s dedication, hard work and selfless devotion to making our League what it is today. Thank you Dave.
    6. New Commissioner: Tom Fiscus was unanimously selected and has accepted the position of Commissioner of Nebraska Senior Softball, effective July 16, 2005.
    7. Board Member Vacancy: We are in need of one new Board Member. If you are interested, please contact any Board Member.
    8. .Web Site Expertise: We need a volunteer to help us with our Web Site. If you have this type ability and would like to give back something to senior softball, please contact any Board Member.
    The Meeting was adjourned at 7:15 pm
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    Jul 5, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM at Trendwood Park.
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Bill Smuck and Rick Simodynes; absent, Mert Opfer.
    1. Budget Status Review: The current budget was discussed in great detail, but the item that occupied the majority of the discussion was the shortfall that resulted from the Bobby Richardson Dinner. Because of less participation than expected, the event actually cost $617 more than the income it produced. The Board reviewed the history behind the event, as the Praise/Prayer Fellowship Team, a faith-based group of players from our league, originally proposed it. Each of the Board Members re-confirmed that although they supported the concept of the event, they had never voted to provide the financial backing or put league funds at risk in order to make it happen. Therefore, the Board, as moved by Tom Fiscus and seconded by Rick Simodynes, voted unanimously to approve the Budget without the $617 shortfall for the Bobby Richardson Dinner. The year-end balance after the Fall League is projected to be approximately $5,272. Because the Board recognized that the Bobby Richardson Dinner was promoted as a Fifth Anniversary Celebration of our league and was a very positive experience for a number of our league players, the members searched for a way to prevent the Praise/Prayer Team from having to absorb the entire shortfall. A quick determination was made that the shortfall would amount to approximately $5.00 per person if it were distributed over all of the league players. The Board felt that a significant number of league players would be willing to contribute their $5.00 portion if it meant lessening the burden on the Praise/Prayer Fellowship Team. Those players who do not wish to contribute will have their Fall registration fees reduced by $5.00. Any player that does not wish to contribute should contact our league secretary at bheald@cox.net to ensure your wishes are satisfied.
    2. Championship Awards: Sweatshirts will again be awarded to the Spring/Summer and Fall League Champions. No awards will be made to the team that wins the end of season tournament.
    3. Fall League Operation: After reviewing the proposals, it was apparent that our best course of action was to return to Peterson Field in Papillion for the Fall League. We will have one field for the first part of the season and then have two fields after September 10. Both fields now have sprinkler systems. The cost for Peterson is $1,010 versus $1,600 for use of Metro Omaha Softball fields. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously. Fall League registration period will be from July 15- 31, 2005. The registration fee will be $60.00 for returning players. New Players will pay $80.00, as will those players who voluntarily enter the Player Draft. It was agreed that players would be allowed to enter the draft for the Fall League if they desire, (see June 24, 2004 minutes). Should a player enter the Draft due to his team being dissolved, he will pay $60.00 and be allowed to wear his dissolved team uniform.
    4. Policies and Rules: It was determined that we will not make any changes in the Replacement player restrictions for the Fall league. However, this matter will be included in the Fall Player Survey. The Board determined that we would continue to use the 44 COR 525 compression yellow optic ball for the Fall League since that was what the majority of our players indicated they preferred in recent player surveys. It was decided that we would invite the Chief Umpire to attend future Board Meetings.
    5. Board Vacancies: Cort Fernald was nominated by Tom Fiscus to be Associate Commissioner, second by Ben Heald and carried unanimously. David Dye will assume the duties of Website Manager effective July 16, 2005. This leaves us with one Board Member position and two Manager positions available as follows: Director Marketing & Publicity, Manager Scheduling & Statistics, and Manager Purchasing & Inventory. If you are interested in any of these positions, please forward a brief list of your qualifications (or resume) to Tom Fiscus. You may use e-mail if you desire.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.
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    Aug 11, 2005
    The Meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM, at Petersen Field.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Cort Fernald and Bob Kubat
    1. Fall Schedule: Only one subject was discussed at this meeting, that being the question of which nights we would play for the latter portion of the fall schedule. The Board was faced with two options for the fall schedule. (1) We can play on Monday and Wednesday, and only have one field available on Wednesday thereby requiring two teams to play later games or (2) we can play Monday and Thursday and have two fields available on Thursday nights. Managers were polled, in order to determine their team’s preference. After much discussion, it was decided to go with option 1; we will have two fields available on Monday and one on Wednesday. The following were the major points the Board used in making this decision: The fall registration information states that games will be played on Monday and Wednesday. The League Officers Meeting minutes of both June and July also state games will be on Monday and Wednesday. Quite a few players paid their money in good faith, based on the fact that they would be playing Wednesday (and cannot play Thursday). The impact will be minimal, in that there will only be five (5) Wednesday nights with a late game scheduled. It was felt that a player having to play 2 or 3 late games had far less impact on those players who wanted to play Thursday than missing games completely did for those who could not play at all on Thursday. Motion by Rick Simodynes, Second by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously for option 1.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM.

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    Sept 6, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6pm at Brownies Tavern.
    Those present were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Symodynes, Mert Opfer, Cort Fernald, Bill Smuck, and Ben Heald.
    1. Financial Report. We have a current balance of $8831.00. The Board has determined that it will be in the League’s best interest to maintain a balance of at least $6000.00. It is felt that this amount will give us flexibility should we have difficulty acquiring a suitable field to play on, or as a hedge against unforeseen expenses. After all anticipated expenses, we will have at least $6000.00 at the end of the current season. Motion to accept by Rick Simodynes, second by Tom Fiscus, carried unanimously.
    2. Vacant Positions Filled. A motion was made by Tom Fiscus to appoint Torri Pentaleon as Director of Marketing. Seconded by Ben Heald, carried unanimously. A motion was made by Ben Heald to appoint Joe Bennanato as Manager of Legal and Tax Issues. Second by Tom Fiscus, carried unanimously.
    3. Tax Exempt Status. Our application for tax-exempt status has recently been returned to us with a request or additional paperwork, a copy of our bylaws and an additional $350.00 application fee. We will be applying under Section 5017 C. A motion was made by Rick Simodynes, seconded by Ben Heald and carried unanimously to apply for this status. Our new Manager of Legal and Tax Issures, Joe Bennanato, will oversee the application process. Important note to all league members --- It is imperative that, in order to protect our tax-exempt status, no one represents Nebraska Senior Softball to any business or for any transaction that involves money, without the express approval of the Board. This includes the sale of items to members of the League, by using the Nebraska Senior Softball website, or mass e-mail. It could be perceived that we are trying to bypass sales tax laws, etc.
    4. Draft Process. Cort Fernald made a motion that the teams winning percentage in the Spring/Summer 05 season only will determine the draft order for next Spring/Summer. Fall play will not be considered since several teams are playing with players that will be on their Spring/Summer teams. Seconded by Ben Heald, carried unanimously. At the next Board meeting we will discuss all phases of competition and parity. If you have a suggestion, tell a Board Member.
    5. Substitute/Pool Players. Our only Pool Player has been assigned to the Cardinals since they are the only team that has a player with a long-term injury. Managers are reminded that every effort should be made to advise all players that might be interested in playing as a substitute player, that players would be needed. This must be done prior to the selection. Before the first game, when both fields are being used, the selection should be made in front of the concession stand between the fields. For other games, it is imperative that all potential substitute players be given the opportunity to play. Both Managers share the responsibility to ensure this happens. In the interest of timeliness, we will not wait for games to finish at the other diamond before conduction the drawing.
    6. Dave Banghart Award. Tom Fiscus and Cort Fernald will obtain a suitable award, to be given at our annual awards banquet. It is felt that an annual award (called the Dave Banghart Award) should be given each year to the player that most epitomizes the good sportsmanship, fellowship, and camaraderie that our league founder represents.
    7. Annual Awards Banquet. Bill Smuck and Ben Heald will present a proposal at the next Board Meeting. This will entail the location, cost, and workers needed to conduct this event in November.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM.

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    Oct 11, 2005
    The meeting was called to order at 6 PM.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Cort Fernald, Mert Opfer, Ben Heald, Bill Smuck, Torri Pentaleon, and Joe Beninato. Those absent were Bob Kubat and Dave Dye.
    1. Estimate on number of people attending the Banquet. Bill Smuck estimates we will have approximately 150 people attend the Banquet. There seems to be a great deal of enthusiasm about our upcoming event. Ben Heald and Tom Fiscus will purchase all required items for the event on 26 Oct. A list of tasks to be accomplished has been sent to all Managers and Board Members. Please advise Ben Heald if you will not be able to accomplish your tasking, or if you need help. Mert Opfer will get an exact count of number of tickets sold to Ben Heald, Bill Smuck and Tom Fiscus by October 15th. -Ben Heald and Bill Smuck will meet at the Pavilion at 9AM on the day of the event to coordinate everything. -Since alcohol is being served at this event, we need to ensure that none of the attendees drives while impaired. We will have designated drivers available. We all need to look out for each other and remember that the speed limit from the Pavilion until you leave Base property is only 15MPH.
    2. Band for the Banquet. Torri Pentaleon presented a proposal to the Board concerning a band for our Banquet. The cost for the Band will be $180, which is less than the price of Disc Jockey equipment rental. A motion was made by Cort Fernald to hire the Band. Second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
    3. Next year’s seasons. It was decided that we will not have a mid season tournament next year. We will have a Spring/Summer season and a fall season. We will have a shorter, later sign up period for the Spring Summer season. Exact dates to be determined at our next Board Meeting.
    The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM. Our next Board Meeting will convene at 6 PM at 4611 South 139th street.

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    Nov 8, 2005
    The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM.
    Those in attendance were: Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, Cort Fernald, Mert Opfer, Ben Heald, Bill Smuck, Torri Pentaleon, Joe Beninato, and Bob Kubat. Absent was Dave Dye.
    1. Financial report. Our current balance is $5754. All bills for 2005 have been paid. The cost of the Banquet was $854.86, which comes out to $7.12 per player. It was agreed that this was an excellent function and a good value for our players. Motion to accept financial report made by Cort Fernald, second by Rick Simodynes, carried unanimously.
    2. Important dates for next season. Sign up for next season will be from 1 January 2006 until 15 February 2006. Any application received after 15 February will require an additional $10.00 late fee. Our season will run from May 1 to July 26 for the spring /summer season and from 14 August to 18 October for the fall season. There will be no mid-season tournament. Motion by Bob Kubat, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
    3. Field Options. Papillion can only provide one field for the spring/summer season. Omaha can provide 3 fields for us for both nights. After considerable discussion, it was decided that we would play our Spring/Summer games again this year at Dodge Park. The primary complaint about Dodge Park was the lighting, and since we can have 3 fields, that should not be a factor. Games will be played on Monday and Wednesday. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously.
    4. Web Site. After discussion with our Legal Advisor, We adopted a policy whereby all postings on the web site that are non-administrative, will be reviewed by the Legal Advisor prior to being posted. Any proposed posting that is in any way controversial or questionable, must be approved by the Board Prior to posting. Only the current Commissioner and David Dye will have the password. Motion by Ben Heald, second by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously.
    5. Other items. We will look into the possibility of having a swap shop on the web site for used softball equipment etc. A motion was made by Ben Heald to give Kevin Vann (our chief umpire), a $100 Christmas Bonus; second by Rick Simodynes, carried unanimously.
    6. Rules. ASA standards. As previously announced, we will adhere to the ASA standards for bats from now on. Pitcher protection - all pitchers are encouraged to purchase and wear protective equipment including shin guards, helmet and facemask. The only rule change is that teams will only be able to substitute up to 9 players. All other rules such as substitute players not being able to play Short Stop or Second Base are still in effect. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
    7. Draft. Only the Spring/Summer record of 2005 will be used in determining Draft Sequence for 2006. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Rick Simodynes, carried unanimously. 8. Adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 P M. our next meeting will be at 6:00 PM, December 6th at the Office of Simodynes and Associates.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM.

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    Dec 12, 2005
    The Meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM at the offices of Simodynes and Associates.
    Those present were Tom Fiscus, Cort Fernald, Rick Simodynes, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Bill Smuck, Mert Opfer,Torri Pantaleon and David Dye.
    1. Budget Status Review. Our current balance is $5594.00. Mert Opfer presented a proposed budget for next year. It proposes that for the Spring/Summer League we charge returning players that are returning to their team $70.00, while new players and those that enter the Draft will pay $90.00. For the Fall League the fees will be $60.00 and $80.00. Motion was made to approve by Bob Kubat, second by Bill Smuck, carried unanimously. We will establish a new bank account within the next few days. The only people authorized access will be the Commissioner and the Treasurer.
    2. Spring Practice. This will commence April 3, 2006. We will have 2 practices a week. The Draft will commence April 19th, 2006.
    3. Web Site. David Dye submitted a proposal for web site upgrading and simplification. It will also simplify registration and make it easy for our players to print the schedule. A proposal was made that we adopt his recommendations and enlist the services of Jeff Eske to help with this upgrade. The maximum amount authorized for this upgrade is $500.00. Motion was made to accept the proposal by Bob Kubat, Second by Cort Fernald, carried unanimously.
    4. Policies and Procedures. Rick Simodynes made a proposal that, in order to simplify our operation and make the way we do business available to all our League members, we do the following: Divest Polices and Procedures from Rules. We will have one easy to understand page that explains only the Senior Softball rules that are different from ASA rules We will have a section that explains our policies and procedures on matters that range from the Draft to the amount of money the Board has decided should be held in reserve for unforeseen circumstances. Motion to proceed made by Ben Heald second by Cort Fernald, carried unanimously.
    The meeting was adjourned at 7:30. The next meeting will be held at 6:PM on January 17th 2006.

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    Feb 26, 2004
    The meeting was called to order at 7:00.
    Those in attendance were: Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. Absent: Dave Banghart and Mert Opfer. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm.
    1. Player Registration Update: As of the meeting, we have 76 players registered, including two new and three returning players who have registered for the player draft as follows: Athletics-10, Marlins-7, Royals-9,D-Backs-9, Orioles-5, Yankees-9, Expos-10, Phillies-11, Player Draft - 6. A complete current listing of all registered players is available on our website.
    2. Finance Report: As of the meeting, $4,880 had been collected in registration fees.
    3. Marketing report: Cort Fernald will prepare a public service announcement for TV and radio. Flyers will be distributed again this year. Cort will prepare an article for Generations magazine, a publication that caters to the 55+ populations. It was determined that recruiting sponsors is more effective if they are sought as league sponsors rather than team sponsors, i.e., Company X bought all the softballs used by our league this season.
    4. Liability Insurance & Tax Exempt Status: Tom Fiscus informed us that our current insurance carrier, All American Insurance, charges us $599.00 per year for insurance. Similar coverage could be purchased through ASA for about $300.00; however, the fees required to join ASA, and the regulations we would have to agree to, may be cost prohibitive. He will research this item further. Tom has found an attorney that will do the paperwork to make us a non-profit organization under 501-C7. The Attorney has graciously agreed to do this at no cost to the league.
    5. Metro Omaha Softball Show: Four of our members worked the show and all agreed it was a worthwhile event. They talked to about 200 people and we had several serious inquires from individuals interested in joining our League.
    6. Umpires: Kevin Vann and John Nahnsen will be returning this year.
    7. Other Board Member Items: New players joining the league will be required to show proof of their age to a League Officer. A driver’s license or birth certificate will be required. All new players will also be evaluated, if necessary, to ensure they meet NSS player qualification standards. Two League Officers will be present at the evaluation. Additional keys are available for the storage shed. The Scoreboard will be refurbished prior to season start. Titanium bats will not be allowed.
    8. Next Meeting/Adjournment. There will be a League Officers meeting on March 25, 2004, at 6:30 pm, followed by a League Officers’/Team Managers’ meeting at 7:00 pm at Brownies in Papillion.
    The meeting was adjourned at at 7:45 pm.

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    Mar 25, 2004
    Those in attendance were: League Officers - Tom Fiscus, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. Absent Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald and Ben Heald; Team Managers - Duke Burgess (D-Backs), Doc Falknor (Royals), Dave Mandina (Orioles), Ed Novotny (Athletics) and Opfer (Yankees). Absent - Rod Kidder (Marlins), Bob Morse (Phillies) and Tom Smith (Expos). The League Officers meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM, followed shortly thereafter by a joint meeting with team managers.
    1. Finance Report. Mert Opfer presented a report that we currently have a bank balance of $8,585. Motion made by Bill Smuck, second by Bob Kubat to approve; motion carried 5-0.
    2. Liability Insurance. Tom Fiscus reviewed the insurance situation with the board and a motion was made by Rick Simodynes and a second by Mert Opfer to accept the quote from All American to provide the league with Liability coverage for the 2004 season for $755. Motion passed 5-0. Note: Board Members voiced a concern that our $1 million coverage may be insufficient even though it satisfies the current requirements established by the City of Papillion. Tom Fiscus will further explore this matter.
    3. Pool Players. Motion was made by Bill Smuck and seconded by Mert Opfer that the two players who had applied to be permanent pool players did not qualify under the intent of our rules and guidelines and therefore will be in the regular player draft. Motion passed 5-0. Note: It was also noted that Rod Kidder will be the Manager of the Marlins.
    4. Marketing & Publicity. Bob Kubat has arranged with The Nebraska Office of Aging to place a copy of our NSS flyer in their newspaper. They have a circulation of 45,000, whom are very loyal readers and he is discussing with them the possibility of an article on us in their newspaper.
      Joint Meeting with Team Managers:
    5. Rule Changes. Bob Kubat reviewed the rule changes for the upcoming year. All Managers were in agreement and understood.
    6. Practice Schedule. Rick Simodynes will prepare an advance practice schedule for the managers that will be included on our web site or sent out via e-mail to all.
    7. Player Draft. Rick Simodynes reviewed the player draft format and sequence to be held on April 20 and how it will work. All Managers understood and were in agreement.
    8. Player Registration. The following is a list of the individuals by team who have not yet signed up and their current status (WNP - Will Not Play, or DNK - Do Not Know) for this Spring: Athletics: Bob Woods (WNP) D-Backs: Skip Prusha (WNP), Spencer Jacobs (DNK) Expos: Frank Kokotajlo (WNP), Harris Van Oort (WNP) and Don Wilson (DNK) Marlins: Sam Cipolla (WNP), John Romano (WNP) Orioles: Tom Exton (WNP), Ken Hermsen (WNP) and Harlan Wolterman (WNP) Phillies: Mitch Shuman (DNK) Royals: Lowell Gratopp (DNK), Tom Ruben (DNK) and Chip Staats (DNK) Yankees: Roger Sickman (Will sign up)
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.

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    Apr 20, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. The meeting was held at Petersen Field and called to order at 6:45 PM.
    1. Player Draft: The board reviewed, discussed and unanimously approved the proposed player draft sequence presented. The managers conducted the player draft immediately after the board meeting.
    2. Ninth Team: With 108 players registered and twelve on each team roster, it was unanimously approved that we would add a ninth league team this year. The new team will be the Cardinals. Dave Banghart will be the interim manager and will conduct the draft on behalf of the Cardinals. After a maximum of six games, he will turn over the managerial duties to one of the Cardinal players who is willing and suitably qualified. The board feels this is the best possible way for the new team to get off to a good start. It simply would not be fair for a new player manager in the league to try to draft unknown players and be fully aware of the league rules when he himself is just learning.
    3. Schedule: We will have a 20 game schedule consisting of two 10 game sessions. The post-season tournament will consist of a round robin tournament with the top 5 teams in one bracket and the bottom 4 in the other. The winners of each bracket will play each other for the championship of the tournament. Unanimously approved by the board.
    4. Financial Report: Mert Opfer presented our financial report and it was unanimously approved. We currently have a balance of $9,976.00 with numerous expenses yet to be paid during the Spring/Summer season.
    5. Late Registrations. In accordance with our bylaws, any player that does not have his registration and fees, including late fees, to the Secretary of the League by midnight on the last day of eligibility (in this case 19 April, 2004), will not be allowed to play and will have any funds he has sent returned to him. Several of the League Officers went to great lengths to try to make sure all players knew they had to have all monies to the Secretary by the dead line. We are all Volunteers and time just does not permit this kind of “babysitting” It is also not fair to the 99% of our players who follow the rules.
    6. Manager’s Handbook. A handbook containing all League policies, guidelines, rules, schedules, code of ethics, etc., will be provided to each team manager along with a scorebook. Managers and Assistant Managers will be required to certify that they have completely read, understand and will comply with the contents of the handbook.
    7. Scoreboard. Rich Peklo has generously agreed to repair the scoreboard prior to season start.
    8. Liability insurance. We have paid $733.00 for our $1,000,000 occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate Liability policy required by the city of Papillion. Proof of insurance will be forwarded to Papillion Department of Parks and Recreation.
    9. New Sponsor. Worth has agreed to be a sponsor for Nebraska Senior Softball and will contribute six dozen new 44 COR 375 compression yellow optic softballs for use by our league.
    10. Age Verification. All new players must have their age verified by a League Officer. A Drivers License or other suitable form of identification will be required. No player will be allowed to play in a league game until he has been complied with this requirement.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM. The next League Officers meeting will be on May 25, 2004, at 5:00 PM at Clarence Petersen.

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    May 25, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, and Bill Smuck; absent Tom Fiscus and Rick Simodynes. The meeting was held at Petersen Field and called to order at 5:00 PM to discuss the following agenda:
    1. League Schedule Second Half: It was unanimously decided that we continue our previously agreed to guidelines that we would not make up games during the second half that are rained out.
    2. Guidelines for Replacement of Seriously Injured Players: It was decided that hereafter we will no longer assign a Pool player to a team as a permanent roster replacement for seriously injured players, i.e., those players who expect to miss more than six consecutive games because of an injury. Those teams who are missing one or more players because of a serious injury will continue to use available bye or replacement players from other teams just as they normally do when they are missing other roster players. Decision was unanimous.
    3. Irrigation System/Dugout Storage Bins: Bill Smuck will contact Papillion Recreation and request that Field No. 1 not be over watered, or watered immediately after a rain. Subject to approval from Papillion Parks & Recreation, Rich Peklo has volunteered to build two large storage cabinets for each dugout so that each player will have a separate bin to store their individual equipment (glove, battings gloves, jacket, etc.). Cost is estimated at less than $100.00. Both motions carried unanimously.
    4. Land Acquisition Proposal: Cort Fernald suggested that we look in to finding some land and developing our own softball complex. This is in the idea stage now and he will submit a specific written proposal for further consideration, review and action by the Board.
    5. Saturday/Sunday Practices: Cort will look into getting a Parks Department permit so that we can have weekend practices at Churchich Park for those players who are working and are unable to attend the Monday and Friday morning practice sessions.
    6. Senior Olympics Day: Dave Banghart will request each team Manager to survey their players to see if we have enough interested players to have a field day competition with numerous events. Tentative date is Saturday, June 26. If approved, Bill Smuck will lead the event with assistance from Cort Fernald and Ben Heald. (Note: It has since been determined that Clarence Petersen will not be available for our use on Saturdays until early Fall).
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM. The next League Officers meeting will be on June 24, 2004, at 5:00 PM at Clarence Petersen.

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    Jun 24, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Bob Kubat. The meeting was held at Petersen Field and called to order at 5:05 PM to discuss the following agenda:
    1. Post Season Tournament: First Half vs. Second Half Championship game will be played on July 13. However, if the same team wins both the first and second half, that team will be declared the overall winner and no championship game will be played. Format and schedule for the July 15-29 tournament will be round robin consisting of the top five teams in Bracket A and the bottom four teams in Bracket B. Teams will play each team in their respective brackets. Winners of each bracket (determined by (1) Won/Loss record, (2) Head-to-Head competition, (3) Least Runs Against (all games) and (4) Run Margin Comparison (all games) will play for the championship on July 29.
    2. Financial Report: We have a balance of $5,483.00 on hand. It was unanimously agreed that fall registration fees would again be $60.00 for basic registration and $80.00 for new players and those needing a new jersey.
    3. Fall League: Registration period will be July 15-31. By a 5-1 majority vote, it was agreed that current roster players may exercise their option of returning to their same team, or entering the player draft for the Fall League. In the event that this causes the team losing a player an undue hardship (due to lack of returning players to that team, and no other draftees available) the board will evaluate the situation. Every effort will be made to satisfy those players who desire to change teams. The Fall season will be August 10 to October 14 with a 16 to 18 game schedule, assuming we have nine teams. At the end of the Fall season, there will be two dates for position games matching the 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, etc., teams against each other, and rainouts will not be made up.
    4. Injured Players: Any player who is injured and unable to continue playing in at least half of the scheduled games may petition the Board in writing for a partial registration fee refund or credit towards the next season.
    5. League Rules: (a) If both Managers agree, games 2, 3, and 4 may be started as much as 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled start time. Obviously, managers need to encourage their players to show up early enough for this to be feasible. (b) By a 5 to 1 vote, it was decided that, as a trial test for the Fall League, in the top of the 7th inning only, the visiting team may score as many as 10 runs total if they are ahead, or 10 runs more than their opponent if they are tied or behind. This rule is just like the current rule; only 10 is substituted for 5 for the visitors in the 7th inning only. This issue will be evaluated in the player survey.
    6. Proposed Land Acquisition Update: Cort Fernald presented three options for the board to review and consider with the objective to acquire, purchase or lease sufficient acreage in or nearby Omaha, for the purpose of developing or improving a suitable softball complex for use by Nebraska Senior Softball. It was unanimously agreed to ask Woody Johansen to represent and assist the league in locating possible land sites for this purpose. Tom Fiscus will contact an attorney to advise us on the proper way to pursue this and how best to attain the correct non-profit status.
    7. Other Matters: A written proposal and recommendation submitted by Duke Burgess that would require umpires to keep track of each games score and report it to last home team manager of the evening, was unanimously rejected. The Board did unanimously approve a proposal to have the umpires ensure that each winning manager has an opportunity to record the official score. Occasionally, the score has been removed from the scoreboard before the winning manager recorded it. Our policy and guidelines will continue to require that it is each winning manager’s duty to properly record and report the correct score within no more than twelve hours after completion of the game.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM. The next League Officers meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 27, 2004, at 5:00 PM at Clarence Petersen.

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    Jul 27, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Mert Opfer. The meeting was held at Petersen Field and called to order at 7:00 PM to discuss the following agenda:
    1. Post Season Tournament: It was decided that the current post-season tournament games would all be played in spite of the recent rainout. All games will just be moved forward to the next scheduled day of play, and played at the same time as originally scheduled. The Board voted unanimously to do this in order to give our players as many games as possible. We will continue to make every effort to give our players as much value for their registration fees as possible.
    2. Fall League (August 10 - Oct 14): As of this writing we have 43 players registered for the Fall League. Registration deadline is July 31 for current players and August 5 for new players. In the event we do not have enough players for nine teams in the fall league, we will reduce the number of teams to that which we have sufficient returning and new players to support. The team(s) to be disbanded will be determined by the fewest number of players returning to the team. In the event of a tie, the team(s) lowest in the overall standings will be the determining factor. The fall draft is scheduled to be conducted on August 5. No league games will be scheduled for Thursday, August 26, due to the absence of 35 to 40 league players on three tournament teams who will be competing in the Senior Softball World Series in Des Moines on August 25-29. Both Clarence Peterson Fields will be available for Nebraska Senior Softball use on that night, and all players and teams are encouraged to utilize them for pick up games or practices. In the event that the Cornhuskers (or any other team) play on a Thursday evening, we will not reschedule league games. It was decided that we would ask the players in the post-season survey if they would be interested in having a wooden bat night next season.
    3. League Championship Awards: A motion was made and unanimously passed that colorful NSS League Champion sweatshirts will be awarded to the 2004 Spring/Summer League and Fall League Champions at the conclusion of the Fall season, and that no special award will be provided to the team who wins the post-season tournament, as was done in 2003.
    4. Eleven Player Teams: On a trial experimentation basis, the post-season tournament of 2005 will be conducted using 11 defensive players per team, which will include a middle infielder/rover position. We will then survey our players and determine if we want to change to the eleven defensive player format for the 2005 Fall season. This passed by a 3 to 2 vote.
    5. Peterson Facilities: Player storage bins will be constructed for the dugouts prior to the start of the Fall season. We have a new run scoring plate. Winning manager of the last game played is responsible to ensure that it is placed in the storage locker and that the rubber gasket is placed in the attachment point in the ground. The padlocks are missing from the lights and scoreboard. Home team managers are responsible to make sure the lights are turned off and our property is properly secured before leaving the field, after the last game. The visiting team responsible for filling, leveling and raking the batter’s box and the pitching mound area at the conclusion of the last game.
    6. Proposed Land Acquisition: Woody Johanson presented the board with some examples of land values and some of the many items we will have to consider for this to go forward. Cort Fernald presented the Board with an Investors Proposal that outlined how capital could be obtained for shares and how the shares could be sold.
    7. Manager Evaluation: A committee consisting of Tom Fiscus, Rick Simodynes, and Bill Smuck was formed to discuss some managerial problems and what can be done to resolve them. They will report their findings to the Board prior to the August 5 player draft.
    8. Player Questionnaire Survey: This will be conducted during the period September 14-23. The results will be evaluated by the Board on September 30 and provided to all league players in early October.
    9. Schedule: The next three Board meeting are scheduled to be held on Tuesday August 31, 5:00 PM; Thursday September 30, 5:00 PM; and Thursday October 28 at 6:30 PM.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM.

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    Aug 17, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Mert Opfer. This meeting was not the normal monthly meeting but a special meeting held at Petersen Field and called to order at 5:05 PM to solely discuss the following matter:
    1. Spring/Summer League Champions: The purpose of this meeting was to review all facts and determine which team would be declared the official Spring/Summer League champions for the 2004 season. In 2003, the team with the best accumulated winning percentage for the 1st Half, 2nd Half and Post Season Tournament determined the overall Spring/Summer League Champion. The Yankees won the 1st Half (8-3), the Expos won the 2nd Half (6-1), and in the Post Season Tournament, the Yankees, the winner in Bracket B (4-0), defeated the Expos, winner in Bracket A (3-1) in the head-to-head match up for the Tournament championship. However, with both teams having identical 16-6 overall records, the Expos were declared the 2003 Spring/Summer League Champions as they won the seven head-to-head games against the Yankees 4-3, outscored them 143-114, and had the best overall run margin of 159 to 86 against all opponents. This year we also had a split season whereby the winner of the first half, Diamondbacks (7-2), played the winner of the second half, Phillies (9-1) on July 13, in what was referred to as the 1st Half versus 2nd Half League Championship. We then concluded our Spring/Summer season with a post season tournament which was won by the Diamondbacks (4-1), while the Phillies (2-2), had the best Spring/Summer overall record and winning percentage (17-7 and .708%), compared to the Diamondbacks (17-8 and .680). The Board unanimously agreed that their intention was to have the Spring/Summer League Championship be the winner of the game between the first and second half champions. The Board further agreed that the post-season tournament was to provide another opportunity for all of our players to play more games; and it was not intended to have a bearing on the league championship. The Board also felt that this was the understanding of the majority of the players who played in the league and the championship game. However, a thorough review of our past minutes indicated that this was not precisely documented. Because of last year's absence of a playoff game and reliance on overall record, the Board acknowledged that some players could have reasonably interpreted the process differently. After considerable discussion a motion was made and seconded that the Diamondbacks be declared the League Champions and awarded Championship sweatshirts; and secondly, that the Manager of the Phillies will be asked to poll his team to determine if they feel that they also deserve championship sweatshirts. If so, the members of the Phillies will also be awarded appropriate sweatshirts. Motion passed unanimously.
    2. Future Board Meetings/Adjournment: The next regular monthly Board meeting will be held on Tuesday August 31, 5:00 PM. There was no further business to discuss and the meeting was adjourned at 5:35 PM.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM.

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    Aug 31, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer and Bill Smuck; absent Rick Simodynes. Meeting was called to order at 5:05 PM at Clarence Petersen.
    1. Budget Review and Update: Mert Opfer presented the Board with our current budget status. We have $8,821 on hand and are projected to have approximately $7,000 after all expenses at the conclusion of the Fall Season.
    2. Meeting with the Mayor of Omaha: Dave Banghart, Bill Smuck, Tom Fiscus, and Cort Fernald have been invited to meet with the Mayor on September 1, 2004. The purpose of this visit is to explore the possibility of entering into an agreement with the city of Omaha with regard to two or more permanent fields for use by Nebraska Senior Softball. This first meeting will be of a fact-finding nature. It is hoped that we will form a committee with some of the senior Recreation officials, and develop a plan that is both beneficial and cost effective. We are hoping to obtain a location that has at least two fields so that we will not have to schedule a lot of Bye or late games when our League expands to ten or more teams.
    3. Player Survey: Each Board Member was requested to provide Rick Simodynes by September 10 with three potential questions to be included in our Player Survey Questionnaire, which will be distributed to our players on September 21.
    4. Complete Player Draft 2005: As unanimously agreed to by all Board members on June 10, 2003, and unanimously ratified via e-mail by all current Board members in early August, the league will have a complete player re-draft in 2005. Dave Banghart will send E-mail to all league players to that effect within the next few days.
    5. Facility improvements 2005: It was recommended that we try to obtain some green netting fabric that will be used to cover a portion of the backstop in order to provide a better background and prevent reflections from the windshields, as well as headlights from blinding our players.
    6. Nebraska Half Century Tournament: It is expected we will have 6 to 8 teams compete in the NHCS tournament on September 25-26. Four or five of the teams will be from the Omaha area, with Grand Island, Kearney, and hopefully Auburn and Lincoln also competing.
    7. NHCS/SSWS Regional Qualifier - 2005: Dave announced that if there is sufficient interest and non-playing volunteers to help from our NSS league, he will plan to organize and host a NHCS Senior Softball World Series Regional Qualifying tournament at Kelly Softball Complex early next spring.
    The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 PM. The next meeting will be at 5:00 PM. Sept. 30 at Petersen Field.

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    Sep 30, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer and Rick Simodynes; absent Cort Fernald, Ben Heald and Bill Smuck. Meeting was called to order at 5:35 PM at Clarence Petersen.
    1. Budget Review and Update: Mert Opfer presented the Board with our current budget status. We have $8,534 on hand and are projected to have approximately $7,000 after all expenses at the conclusion of the Fall Season. Motion was made by Rick Simodynes, seconded by Tom Fiscus, to approve the budget as presented, which passed unanimously.
    2. Omaha Parks & Recreation: Dave Banghart, Bill Smuck and Tom Fiscus met with representatives of the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department on September 1, 2004. to explore the possibility of entering into an agreement with the city of Omaha with regard to two or more permanent fields for use by Nebraska Senior Softball. We are hoping to obtain a location that has at least two suitable fields so that we will not have to schedule Bye or late games when our League expands to ten or more teams. Metro Omaha Softball has submitted a tentative proposal for the use of two fields, including the cost of team registration fees which are substantially greater than we are currently paying. A meeting will be scheduled with Metro Omaha Softball later in October with the intent of negotiating a more favorable arrangement and long-term agreement.
    3. Player Survey: Nine questions for possible inclusion in the annual Player Survey were reviewed, discussed thoroughly and unanimously approved for distribution on October 5 to all 2004 Spring/Summer and Fall League Players. The questions involved ball type, bats, batter’s starting count, number of defensive players, length of league seasons, courtesy base runners, uniforms, possible league play at a different facility, and the 2005 player draft. The Board is simply trying to obtain a broad-based feeling for the player’s preferences as we strive to make decisions that will make our league even better.
    4. Player Draft 2005: As unanimously agreed to by all Board members on June 10, 2003, and unanimously ratified via e-mail by all current Board members in early August, the league will have a complete player re-draft in 2005. The specific details of the draft, such as assignment of managers to each team, method and sequence of drafting players, etc., in an effort to develop team parity throughout the league, will be discussed in depth at our forthcoming November and/or December Board meetings.
    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM. The next regularly scheduled Board meeting will be held Wednesday, October 27 at 5:00 PM at a location to be determined.

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    Oct 27, 2004
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck; absent Cort Fernald. Meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM at Dave Banghart’s home.
    1. BUDGET UPDATE/REVIEW: Mert Opfer reported that our current balance is $6,867.00.
    2. BALL FIELD FACILITIES: All facts were presented to the Board with regard to our options for the 2005 season. We have the option of playing in the Metro Omaha Softball (MOS) using two fields at either N.P. Dodge Park or Hefflinger Field; or staying with Papillion Parks & Recreation at Clearance Peterson where only Field No. 1 would be available to us on Tuesday and Thursdays. Our primary concern is that we anticipate the league will expand to 10 or more teams next year. A meeting on October 26 with Papillion Parks and Recreation confirmed that they cannot accommodate us with a second field except for Saturday evenings. Therefore the Board was faced with the option of either forcing the League to stagnate and limit us to the current number of teams, or move to MOS and one of the other fields mentioned. A field inspection by two of our league officers determined that Hefflinger is not a good quality field to meet our needs. However, the four field complex at N.P. Dodge Park are in the process of being completely renovated with agri-lime composition and two of the fields can be made available for our use both Monday and Thursday nights. MOS will also publicize Nebraska Senior Softball, both on their website and via mail, to all MOS slow pitch softball teams who participated this past year and as a result, we can expect to realize more significant growth for our senior league in 2005. With accessability to two fields, we will no longer need to schedule a late game at 9:30, until such time in the future when we have at least 14 teams. We also seriously considered the results of the Player Survey which indicated that 60% of those responding were willing to play at a different local softball complex with two fields on Monday and Thursday evenings so that our league may continue its growth and expansion with additional players and teams, while only 25% preferred to continue using Peterson Field. We are still on excellent terms with Papillion Parks and Recreation, and we will have the option of returning to Petersen for the 2005 Fall League and will be able to use two fields at their proposed new softball complex when it is completed, possibly as early as 2006. After considerable discussion a motion was made by Tom Fiscus to move to N. P. Dodge Park for Spring/Summer 2005. It was seconded by Rick Simodynes and passed with the only dissenting vote being by Bill Smuck.
    3. . PLAYER SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE: A long presentation and discussion was made with regard to the Player Survey including a complete review of all of the additional comments and suggestions offered by 21 players. The following actions were taken:
      (1) Ball type: In accordance with survey results, a motion was made to use the Mid Flight, 44 core, 525 compression, yellow optic ball for the 2005 season. Motion by Bill Smuck, second by Mert Opfer, and approved unanimously. (2) Bat Restrictions: In view of the survey results, we will continue to follow Senior Softball - USA bat standards for the 2005 season and effective January 1, 2006, switch to ASA standards for the 2006 season. This will allow those players who have invested in new expensive bats to use them for at least one full season. Players are reminded that those bats included on the ASA banned list will no longer be allowed in 2006. Motion by Rick Simodynes, second Bob Kubat, approved unanimously. (3) The Count: Using the survey results as our guide, it was determined that we will continue to use the 1 and 1 count with a courtesy foul for the 2005 season. Motion by Tom Fiscus, second Bill Smuck, approved unanimously. (4) Defensive Players, The overwhelming majority of respondents to the survey wanted to continue to use ten, rather than eleven, defensive players. Motion was made by Bob Kubat, second by Rick Simodynes and carried unanimously. (5) Split Season, We will continue to have a split season. The playoff/tournament format will be determined after we know the specific number of teams that will be playing. Motion Tom Fiscus, second Bob Kubat, carried unanimously. (6) Courtesy Runner: Utilizing our survey respondents preferences as a guideline, a motion was made to allow only two courtesy runners per inning, the only exception being that should a player have an injury that requires him to be removed from the game after two courtesy runners have already been used, a third courtesy runner will be allowed. The person that is injured and removed from the game cannot return to the game under any circumstances. A player may be used as a courtesy runner only once per inning. Replacement players may not be used as courtesy runners. Should these rules be violated, the player most advanced (closest to scoring) will be declared out. Motion by Mert Opfer, second by Bob Kubat and carried unanimously. (7) Uniforms: We will continue to use MLB replica uniforms with the players name and number affixed. Motion by Rick Simodynes, second by Bob Kubat, carried unanimously. (8) Player Draft: The Board’s decision to have a complete player redraft for the 2005 season was supported by survey results of 67% in favor to 19 % opposed. The player draft will be conducted in serpentine order draft in the following manner. Depending on how many teams there are in 2005, the current top 20 to 24 players in the League will be identified and equally paired and assigned to a team. The two assigned players on each team will function as the Team Managers for the Draft and for the first six games of the season, after which each team will jointly select one players as their Manager. Motion made by Rick Simodynes, second by Ben Heald, carried unanimously.
    4. OTHER 2005 RULE CHANGES. A maximum of only two replacement players will be allowed per team. Replacement players will be required to bat at the end of the order, may not play Second Base or Short Stop, or be used as a courtesy runner. Should a team lose a player for an extended period due to injury, the team Manager may petition the Board to allow that team to use a third replacement player. This will only be granted for a prolonged extenuating circumstance. Motion by Ben Heald, Second Tom Fiscus, carried unanimously.
    The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 PM. The next meeting will be at Tom Fiscus’ home in Plattsmouth on November 30 at 6:30 PM.

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    Nov 30, 2004
    Those in attendance were: Dave Banghart, Cort Fernald, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. The Meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M. at Tom Fiscus’ home near Plattsmouth.
    1. BUDGET UPDATE/REVIEW: Mert Opfer presented an overview of the 2004 year-to-date income and expenses, which includes an estimate year-end cash balance of $5,645. Also, the 2005 Budget was reviewed and discussed with estimated expenses totaling $18,725. A motion was made by Bob Kubat to accept the budget as presented with a second by Tom Fiscus, which was approved unanimously.
    2. GOODWILL: A motion was made by Rick Simodynes to show our appreciation of the fine job Kevin Vann continues to do as our league umpire, by sending him a check for $100.00. Second by Tom Fiscus which passed unanimously.
    3. FACILITIES: We will be allowed to store our equipment on the ground floor of the central tower at Dodge Park and we will also be allowed to practice at Dodge Park beginning on April 11, 2005. During the first week of April, we will use the two fields at Hitchcock Park. Dave Banghart suggested that we recommend to Metro Omaha Softball that the batter’s boxes be stabilized on the two newly renovated agri-lime Fields 3 and 4 at Dodge Park using a method similar to what was done in 2002 at Clarence Petersen. A motion was made by Tom Fiscus to contribute sufficient funds for the necessary materials, not to exceed $500, for the complete renovation of the batters box at our two new fields. Second was by Cort Fernald and the motion passed unanimously.
    4. PLAYER REGISTRATIONS: The players who have registered for the 2005 season are now posted on our web site and will be updated weekly.
    5. PLAYER DRAFT: Rick Simodynes will soon send an e-mail or letter to each of the 24 players in the League who have been identified to determine if they are willing to function as the Team Managers for the Draft and for the first six games of the season, after which each team will jointly select one player as their Manager. A motion was made By Rick Simodynes that three specific Board members, the Commissioner, Associate Commissioner and Director Player Personnel, not be allowed to be permanent team managers while also holding their Board positions. Second by Tom Fiscus and approved unanimously.
    6. LEAGUE SCHEDULE: It was decided that we will continue to maintain our game schedules as in the past at 1 hour and 15 minute intervals, with games scheduled to start at 6:15, 7:30 and 8:45 PM. If there are more than twelve teams, the scheduled games times will most likely be modified to start earlier.
    7. LIABILITY INSURANCE: Our fees to Metro Omaha Softball include the cost of liability insurance. Tom Fiscus will do some research and make a recommendation to the Board with regard to whether or not we need to continue our current policy as well.
    8. TAX EXEMPT STATUS: Tom Fiscus is in the process of completing an application for tax-exempt status 501 C-7 for our League.
    9. MARKETING/PUBLICITY: Cort Fernald presented a proposed draft of several NSS marketing brochures. One of these will be the type that is placed in public places; the other will be one that he will send to major businesses for insertion in their Company Newsletters. Some of our targets will be Union Pacific, Con Agra, Cox Communications, Qwest Communications, Omaha Fire and Police Departments, The VFW and American Legion. A NSS brochure will also be included in the Metro Omaha Softball January mailings to all of the slow pitch softball team managers who participated in MOS during 2004. It was suggested and unanimously approved that NSS participate in the Metro Omaha Softball Expo in Omaha on February 12 and Athlete’s Expo in Papillion on March 19, 2005. Tom Fiscus made a motion that we purchase a table for the Athlete’s Expo at the reduced price of $75.00. Second was by Cort Fernald and carried unanimously.
    10. WINTER CONDITIONING PROGRAM: The importance of players being in good condition prior to the start of spring training in April was discussed, as numerous players, particularly those who are new to our league, experience injuries early in the season. Cort Fernald volunteered to contact the Strike Zone in Rockbrook Plaza, 110th & Center Streets, during January to determine the feasibility and cost of establishing a winter conditioning program during the month of March at their indoor facility for the benefit of players in our league who will be invited and encouraged to participate.
    11. PRAISE/PRAYER FELLOWSHIP TEAM: Dave Banghart shared with the Board that a small group of Christian players in our league met on November 10, to establish a NSS Praise/Prayer Fellowship Team for the purpose of enabling each of us to become closer in our spiritual growth and develop a more personal relationship with our loving, forgiving and gracious Lord. Since the first meeting, the fellowship team has grown to include 17 players from our league. As a result, God led us to pursue the following: Spontaneous "no pressure" volunteer team prayers together after games. Small group Bible Study including players, wives and/or couples.
    12. TOURNAMENT: Possibility of a 2005 SSWS Regional Tournament (32-40 teams) in Omaha, including a NSS fellowship Dinner/Program for all NSS League players and participating tournament teams, wives, family, and guests, with personal testimonies by former New York Yankee, Bobby Richardson and others.
    The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM. There will be no Board meeting in December and the next Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 25, 2005, at a time and location to be announced by Tom Fiscus.

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    Apr 8, 2003
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, Bill Smuck, and Jim Wilmot. Tom Cave was unable to attend. Meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM in the conference room at the Strike Zone.
    1. Player Registrations: As of this date, there are 96 players officially registered which will enable the league to have eight teams (seven returning and one new team) this spring.
    2. Player Draft Sequence: The deadline for signups is April 15th and the player draft will be conducted on April 17th. Discussion involved whether to have 12 or 13 players on each team. The returning teams will be allowed to keep a maximum of 13 returning players if the new team and the Royals have at least 12 players. Several options for the draft procedure and process were discussed. A unanimous vote was cast on the chosen selection process which will be included in the league Policies, Guidelines and Rules, and posted on our website.
    3. Irrigation System - Clarence Petersen Field: A tentative agreement that had been previously approved by the board was presented to the City of Papillion Parks and Recreation Department. Nebraska Senior Softball will contribute $3,950 towards the total cost of $6,950 for installation of the sprinkler system on Field No. 1 in 2003 with the City of Papillion contributing $3000. If we are able to use both Field Nos. 1 and 2 next year, we will contribute an additional $2,050 and the city $4,900, in 2004 towards the installation of an irrigations system on Field No. 2, with the understanding that we will be able to play on both fields at Clarence Petersen, and/or a new softball complex in Papillion, through the year 2010. The contract was accepted unanimously.
    4. Proposed Budget: Mert presented the budget for 2003. To offset some of the cost of the sprinkler system, several line item expenses were reduced. The budget was unanimously accepted. The 2003 budget is available for review by league players upon formal request.
    5. Rules and Equipment: (1) Bats Those bats that are reportedly on the illegal list may be used in our league this year, but individual players must have them re-certified for use in the 2004 season. (2) Softballs The board agreed unanimously to test and use the optic yellow 44 COR softball (in lieu of 47 COR currently used) during the upcoming fall season. ASA will require all leagues to use the 44 COR ball next year. (3) Pitching Rubber In the interest of precaution and safety, pitchers will be allowed to start their pitching delivery a distance of no more than 6 feet behind the existing rubber if they so desire.
    6. League Schedule: Dave and Tom presented a tentative plan and schedule for the 2003 season. The Spring/Summer season will be divided into the First Half and Second Half with teams also divided into two divisions, American and National. Each team will play each team in its division twice and teams in the other division once, for a total of ten games during the First Half. For the 11th and final game of the First Half, teams would be paired against the opposing division team with the same division ranking, 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, etc. The Second Half would be restructured to include the top two teams from each division in one division, and the remaining four teams in the other division. There will be a post season round robin two-bracket tournament for all eight teams held during the last two weeks of July. The Fall League will commence on August 19th and conclude in late October, weather permitting. This plan was accepted unanimously.
    7. League Officers: Just prior to the conclusion of the meeting, Dave recommended that the position of Secretary become an official member of the Board and be granted full voting privileges, which was unanimously approved by other members. The following positions are vacant and need to be filled. Director Marketing & Publicity, Manager Scheduling and Statistics, Manager Website, and Marketing/Publicity Associates. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact one of the officers.
    8. Next Meeting: The next regularly scheduled officers meeting will be announced later.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM.

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    Jun 10, 2003
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Cave, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, Bill Smuck and Jim Wilmot. Meeting was called to order at 5:45 PM at Clarence Petersen Fields in Papillion.
    1. League Schedule: The schedule has been revised to accommodate make up of all four rainout dates. The Division match-up games to end the First Half are scheduled for June 19. The 2nd half of the season will be shortened to seven games and begin on June 24 with each team playing the other seven teams once. The post-season tournament may begin as early as July 17 (two-brackets round robin seeded with a minimum of four games each team). Practice for the fall season will be held at Clarence Peterson on August 12 and 14. The Fall season will begin on August 19th using both diamonds if there are 8 teams. Games will be at 6:00 and 7:15. The Fall registration forms will be available starting July 15.
    2. Clarence Peterson Facility: The irrigation system will be installed the latter part of June or early July. The field conditions to date have been generally good. Tom Cave will arrange for two additional keys to be made for the light box to ensure there will always be someone available to turn the lights on and off. One of the players submitted a proposal to establish a separate NSS information phone Line that would accommodate notification for late rainouts. Due to the excessive cost involved, it was determined the best solution was for team managers to promptly contact via phone those players who do not have e-mail and live outside of the Omaha area if there is a rainout. In case of rain and cancellation during the games, a cel phone will be available for managers at the field to notify players who are scheduled to play later games.
    3. Budget/Financial Status Review: Mert presented a financial status report. The report is available to players upon request. A preliminary discussion of an increase in the Fall registration fee was reviewed in order to cover the cost of the irrigation system on Field No. 1 this year, and possibly Field No. 2 in the spring of 2004. The use of two fields will also be a factor in the rise in registration cost. The two fields are being used to offset the weather factor in late fall. Championship Awards. It was decided to award T-shirts to each roster player on the Spring/Summer and the Fall League champions.
    4. Policies and League Rules: It was proposed and unanimously agreed that a complete redraft of all teams take place for the 2005 season, as several teams have been playing together for 3 to 4 years. There were no immediate rule changes to be made. Consideration will be given at the next meeting to possibly modifying a few rules (bats, balls, 1-1 count, etc.) on a trial basis prior to the start of our Fall League.
    5. Other Matters: At the suggestion of one of the team managers, the board discussed the feasibility of selecting an all-star team from each division and playing an all-star game in late July. It was unanimously agreed that this would not be in the best overall interest of our league and the players. Consideration was given to holding a league picnic for players and family members. The board decided this matter could best be handled by leaving it up to the individual teams.
    The Meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM. The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 8th at 5:15 PM, at Clarence Petersen.

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    Jul 8, 2003
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, and Jim Wilmot. Tom Cave and Bill Smuck were absent. Meeting was called to order at 5:15 PM at Clarence Petersen Fields in Papillion.
    1. Clarence Peterson Facility: The irrigation system is now scheduled for installation by the cities’ and our contractor, Controlled Rain, on Field No. 1 on July 15-16.
    2. Budget/Financial Status Review: Mert presented the current financial status report and four possible options for the Fall registration fee, depending on whether we use Field No. 1 or both fields, and if we have seven or eight teams. A majority vote carried that fees for our Fall League will be $70.00 for returning players and $90.00 for new players to help offset NSS’s contribution of $3,950 towards the overall cost of $6,950.00. NSS will contribute an additional $2,050.00 in 2004 towards an irrigations system on Field No. 2, but only if that field is made available to us for use in the spring of 2004. Championship Awards. Sufficient funds have been allocated in our current budget to award NSS League Champion T-shirts to each roster player on the Spring/Summer and the Fall League championship teams. Sponsors & Advertisers: Dave announced that our league has acquired two new sponsors, CBSHome Real Estate (Woody & Betty Johansen), and Tailored Travel Inc., who want to help financially support our league and have paid $300.00 and $200.00 respectively for the cost of their ad. This brings our total to eight advertisers and sponsors with each entitled to an ad on our website for one full year.
    3. Fall Schedule: The Fall registration forms will be available starting July 15. Team practices for the fall season will be held at Clarence Petersen on August 12 and 14. The Fall season will begin on August 19th using both diamonds if there are eight teams. Games will be at 6:00 and 7:15. If there are eight teams, we will have two divisions and plan to play a 1st and 2nd half of 11 games each, with the season ending on October 30, or sooner depending on the weather.
    4. League Rules: We will continue to use the 47 COR 525 compression optic yellow softball. Except for the titanium bat which is not allowed, there will be no other restrictions on the use of bats during our Fall league. However, we will most likely adopt certain restrictions in the spring of 2004 on those bats that will be banned nation wide. During our Fall league, we will use the 1-1 ball/strike starting count on the batter on an experimental basis to help eliminate some of the walks and speed up the game. The majority of league officers were not in favor of using eleven defensive players at this time. Effective August 19th, the use of the same pool and/or substitute players will be limited to one extra game per evening, unless there are not enough pool/substitute players available. Hereafter, there will be no suspended games. Any game interrupted by weather will be ruled an official game after 3-1/2 innings unless the home team is behind in the bottom of the fourth inning, in which case the game will be cancelled and replayed from the beginning, if necessary.
    5. Other Matters: At the suggestion of one of the team managers, the board discussed the feasibility of selecting an all-star team from each division and playing an all-star game in late July. It was unanimously agreed that this would not be in the best overall interest of our league and the players. Consideration was given to holding a league picnic for players and family members. The board decided this matter could best be handled by leaving it up to the individual teams.
    The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13, at 5:30 PM, in the party room at Boulder Creek, 14208 S Street. Meeting was adjourned at 6:30 PM.

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    Aug 13, 2003
    Meeting was called to order at 5:35 PM in the conference/party room at Boulder Creek, 142nd & S Streets.
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Cave, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, and Jim Wilmot. Bill Smuck was unable to attend as he was out of town due to a death in his family.
    1. Fall League: Final registration for the fall league was 79 players (77 returning and 2 new players) which is only sufficient to fill seven teams with a minimum of eleven (11) roster players each. The Orioles and the Phillies each had the least number (eight) of returning players, so the 2003 overall team won/loss record to date was used to determine which team was to be temporarily disbanded. A motion was made by Mert and seconded by Tom Cave to place the eight members of the Orioles team in the player draft to help complete the rosters of the other teams. The vote was 5 to 1 in favor of the motion.
    2. Double Header or Bye: After considerable discussion concerning the poor condition of Field No. 2 and the undesirability of playing the last of four games on Field No. 1 during the chilly evenings of October, a motion was made by Tom Fiscus and seconded by Rick to play all three games on Field No. 1 and have a bye each night. The vote was unanimous. The three games will be played at 6:00, 7:15 and 8:30 PM. The members of the bye team, as well as any available pool players, will have the first option to be substitutes on teams, which may be short players.
    3. Player Draft: The player draft will be held at Clarence Petersen on August 14 at 7:30 PM. A motion was made by Jim and seconded by Tom Cave to follow the existing drafting procedures as defined in our league “Policies, Guidelines and Rules. The vote was unanimously in favor.
    4. League Rules: The only rule change to go into effect this fall will be the pitch count. The batter will start with a one ball and one strike count and be allowed one courtesy foul after the second strike. This changed is being implemented for the fall season to determine the effects of speeding up the game and how the players like the change, which will be voted on at the conclusion of the season.
    5. Budget Review: Mert stated that we would have a balance of $6,518 after the deposit of the player registration fees. The balance will be reduced throughout the fall season as we pay for umpires, field usage and other miscellaneous bills.
    6. Board Meeting Minutes: A recommendation and suggestion was received from Dan Travaille to provide more specific information in the minutes of the board meetings. We will attempt to accommodate those recommendations.
    7. NSS Olympics: Ben Heald and Bill Smuck submitted to the board a proposal and offer to organize and conduct a NSS Olympics in late August or early September that would include 10 to 12 competitive events covering various skills in football, golf, and softball. They would carry out the program on their own at no cost to the league. While the members of the board support this proposal, it was suggested that this event be held sometime next spring if there is enough interest and response from players.
    8. Super Senior League: As a follow-up to Item 9 in the November 6, 2002 board meeting minutes, Dave has developed and provided a listing of 100 prospective players, ages 60 and over, and asked John Lucash to help solicit and determine if there is enough interest among existing and former players to organize a 60 and over morning recreational league for those individuals who desire to play in a less competitive league. A motion by Tom Fiscus and seconded by Rick with unanimous vote okayed the proposal for John Lucash to investigate the number of players interested in such a league. The league would play on Monday and Friday mornings at Clarence Petersen.
    9. Player Survey: A new player survey will be conducted some time during the middle of the fall season.
    10. Bat Control: The board will compile a list of those softball bats that will be banned beginning with the 2004 season by using a compilation summary of bats banned by ASA, SPA, USSSA, and other national senior softball organizations. We hope to have all of the up-to-date information published by December 31, 2003. In the meantime, it is suggested players give careful consideration to purchasing any new expensive bats between now and next spring.
    The next board meeting will be held on Thursday, September 18, at 5:15 PM, at Clarence Petersen. Meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.
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    Oct 22, 2003
    The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM at Clarence Petersen Field in Papillion.
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Cave, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, Bill Smuck and Jim Wilmot.
    1. Player Survey: Rick presented the player survey, which will be handed out on Wednesday. This survey is a compilation of comments and suggestions that Rick had received over the last few months. A few minor suggestions were made; otherwise Rick did a great job of putting together the survey.
    2. Emergency Contacts: Dave presented a list of Papillion Park and Recreation officials and maintenance personnel with phone numbers for the board to have in case of problems with the sprinkler system or other maintenance problems at the field. This list will also be posted on the bulletin board and watershed at the park.
    3. Team Awards: Awards to be given the championship teams were discussed and it was decided that sweatshirts would be purchased instead of T-shirts. They would be screen printed with the team name, Nebraska Senior Softball and league champions 2003 on the front, and the names of all eight league teams would placed on the back of the shirt. Discussion of also making sweatshirts available for purchase by league members was reviewed and unanimously approved by the board.
    4. Hot/Cold Weather Guidelines: Weather related postponements and guidelines to following in the future will be discussed during a later board meeting after the results of the player survey.
    Meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m. The next board meeting will include a dinner to be held on November 11 at Dave’s home.

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    Nov 11, 2003
    Those in attendance were Dave Banghart, Tom Cave, Tom Fiscus, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes, Bill Smuck, Jim Wilmot and three new board members, Cort Fernald, Ben Heald and Bob Kubat. The dinner/business meeting was held at Dave’s home.
    1. Player Survey: The results of the player survey were discussed and each issue voted on. It should be noted that all issues passed were also what the vast majority of survey respondents wanted. In all cases the Board voted to implement in the spring of 2004 what the majority of the players wanted. All issues were unanimously approved. The survey results will be available to all managers and players on our website.
      The Count: It was decided to start each batter with a one ball and one strike count. A courtesy foul will still be in effect. Motion by Rick Simodynes, second by Tom Fiscus. League Days: (A) For the Spring League, games will continue to be scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Motion by Ben Heald, second by Cort Fernald. (B) For the Fall League, games will also be scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Bob Kubat.
      Make-Up Games: Make up games during the Fall may be scheduled on evenings other than Tuesdays and Thursdays. Motion by Bob Kubat, second by Cort Fernald.
      Seasons Break: It was decided that we will continue to have a split season similar to the 2003 season except it will be somewhat shorter and end earlier in the Fall. Motion by Tom Fiscus, second by Mert Opfer.
      Weather Related Postponements: It was decided that games would not be played if the temperature was less than 45 degrees F. The League Commissioner will make the decision. Motion by Tom Fiscus, second by Cort Fernald.
    2. League Schedule: Spring training will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings commencing April 6, 2004. After the player draft on April 20, we will have one team practice day on April 22, and then begin League games on April 27. There will be an 11-day rest and relaxation break between Summer and Fall seasons. Games rained out will not be made up; instead we will schedule and play the maximum number of games weather conditions will allow. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Tom Fiscus. Motion carried unanimously.
    3. Player Registration: We will continue to have two registration periods, one in the Spring and another for the Fall. Fees for Spring 2004 will be $60.00 for 2003 returning players, and $80.00 for new players, those returning players entering the draft, and/or those that desire a new jersey. Fees for the Fall will be determined in early July 2004. Motion by Cort Fernald, second by Ben Heald. Motion carried unanimously.
    4. Player Draft: As a general guideline it was discussed and tentatively agreed that the team with the lowest winning percentage will draft first, (regardless of how many players they are short). The team with the second, third, fourth, etc., lowest winning percentage will follow in turn. The sequence will remain the same until a team drops out because its roster is filled. A new team(s) gets the first five (5) picks, including its Manager, then continues the sequence with its 6th pick after all other clubs have drafted. The concepts of this draft will be illustrated, reviewed and discussed more thoroughly and voted on at the December board meeting.
    5. Policy, Guidelines and Rules: Every effort will be made to standardize each team’s roster equally with no less than 12 and no more than 13 players. Tom Fiscus and Bob Kubat will research the bats banned by USSSA and ASA, then report back to the board.
    6. Membership Secretary Position: It was noted that at the April 8, 2003 board meeting, it was unanimously agreed that the position of Membership Secretary would become an official Board member with full voting rights. This action was inadvertently omitted from the original minutes of that meeting so Tom Fiscus made a motion that the position title be changed to Secretary and that it have full voting rights. Second by Bob Kubat and carried unanimously.
    7. Sweatshirts: A motion was made to purchase an additional 24 Nebraska Senior Softball sweatshirts to accommodate numerous players who were unable to purchase one during the initial offer in October. Motion made by Tom Fiscus, Second by Bob Kubat, and carried unanimously.
    8. Marketing: Cort Fernald is the new Director of Marketing & Publicity. He intends to have a proposed marketing and publicity plan with supporting budget for review and discussion at the December board meeting.
    9. Next Meeting/Adjournment: A team managers and rules meeting review is scheduled for December 11, 2003, at the Strike Zone Conference room at 6pm. The next League Officers meeting is tentatively scheduled for December 16, 2003.
    The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 PM.

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    Dec 11, 2003
    The meeting was called to order at 6:40.
    Those in attendance were: League Officers - Dave Banghart, Tom Fiscus, Ben Heald, Bob Kubat, Mert Opfer, Rick Simodynes and Bill Smuck. Absent - Cort Fernald; Team Managers - Duke Burgess (D-Backs), Doc Falknor (Royals), Dave Mandina (Orioles), Bob Morse (Phillies), Ed Novotny (Athletics) and Tom Smith (Expos). (Absent Rod Kidder (Marlins) who was represented by Bill Smuck. Pizza and salad dinner was served to all at 6:00 PM.
    1. Pitcher Protection: We are quite concerned about possible injuries to pitchers. After considerable discussion, it was determined that we will institute the following safety measures. (1) Pitchers will be encouraged to wear protective gear and to move back six feet from the rubber when pitching; (2) we will select the guidelines of a recognized softball governing association with regard to legalized bats; and (3) we plan to use a lower 375 compression ball on a test basis during the fall league of 2004 to compare results versus the 525 compression ball now being used.
    2. One/One Count: By a show of hands of 7-1, team managers recommended that we continue to use the 1 and 1 count with a courtesy foul.
    3. Pool Players: By a show of hands of 7-1, team managers recommended that we continue with our existing rule that states Each Pool Player who is present at least 15 minutes prior to the start of a game shall be temporarily assigned (for one game only) to a team that has less than the full team roster present.
    4. Five Run Rule: We will continue to use the five run rule in the same format as last year.
    5. Player Draft: Two improved versions of a modified mock player draft proposal were passed out to all in attendance for review and discussion. Option 1: Assuming we have one or more new teams, each new team will get the first five draft selections, including the manager, and the returning teams would then commence drafting in reverse order of their overall league record for the previous season with the new team also getting a selection each round, until each team roster is full with all available registered players. Option 2: Each new team will get the first two draft selections, including the manager, and after that they will alternate with those teams that had a sub .500 record for the previous season. Those teams above .500 will enter the selection process only after the new team(s) has drafted six players, including the manager. The majority vote by managers was 7 to 1 in favor of Option 2, which the Board will discuss and finalize at its next meeting on December 16.
    6. Windy Day Pitching Rules: It was determined that an extended width (4 inches wider) strike zone mat would be made available for use on windy days subject to approval by the two opposing team managers.
    7. League Schedule: The proposed calendar and league schedule for 2004 was discussed and approved. Please see Schedule on NSS website.
    8. Appreciation: In appreciation of their commitment and willingness to serve the members of our league, each team manager and league officer was presented a NSS sweatshirt.
    The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.

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