General Meeting Minutes
Date: January 14, 2021
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Virtual Zoom meeting
Treasury Report – Shaun Luther—we are at 115% of target. Regarding setting our target (i.e., 3 years’ worth of operating expenses on hand at all times) for 2021, per the bylaws, we are supposed to set our target based on non-race related expenses. The treasurer should determine this based on previous year’s operating expenses. But because of the inactivity and low operating costs of 2020, the target for this year would be very low. Therefore, Shaun suggests that the club use the 2019 target amount. This was agreed to, and the target for 2021 will remain the same as the target in 2019.
Shaun reported that RRCA gave a refund to the club for insurance costs. The music licensing cost increased. This will be made known to the race directors that use music for their races.
Races:
- Charlie Horse Half Marathon—Shaun Luther—Scheduled for Saturday, May 29, 2021; 10 people have registered so far. Shaun is considering a few ways to hold the event: A) continue with the way we’ve always done it, start at Rustic Park with buses transporting from Sleepy Hollow; B) start in Brecknock Township and run some distance around there; or C) start/finish in Rustic Park. For this year, though: No Dirty Pony 5K and no music or anything afterwards. Shaun plans to run the race, unless restrictions prevent it.
- Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run—Donna Hey—no word on this, as the park is still closed.
- Grings Mill 5K and 10K—no report
- Blues Cruise 50K—Dan Govern—Sunday, Oct 3, 2021, Dan is getting some inquiries, but still not sure how to handle it. He is going to start making some inquiries about permits, etc. Registration has been opened through UltraSignUp.
- Oley Valley Country Classic—Lenny Burton—no report.
- Kris Kringle 5 Miler—Polly Corvaia—the transition to virtual went well. She had a few people call with suggestions that were helpful. Hoodies and swag were picked up and about 50 were mailed to out of towners. About 70% of the entrants posted a time. Income for the race exceeded expenses, due to the not having to pay some of the operational costs. Polly proposes that a donation of $1000 (suggested) be given to each of three groups: the cross country coaches (as per the usual donation), the ‘I AM Able’ charitable organization, and, possibly, the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, of which the Schuylkill River Trail is a part.
- Shiver by the River 5K and 10K—Sue Jackson—December’s race was canceled. The January race was virtual. An additional race date on April 11th has been added. Sue has spent a lot of time tracking the participant adjustments. Some runners from December have switched to April, and some have switched to other races. They are counting on an in-person race in February. Everyone has been good about everything. For the January event, the course was marked, in case anyone wanted to run it on the scheduled Sunday. Some people did chose to run the course on their own, while Sue, Georgine, and Tiffany handed out the swag at the pavilion. Thanks to Donna Hey for the potato chip deliveries. And a shout out to Sue’s dog, Molly, who did not take advantage of the situation and eat the snacks for the swag bags. On February 14, the next race is scheduled to be in-person. The start of the 5k is at 10:00 a.m., followed by the 10K at 10:10. Mike Whalen will assist with the trailer.
- Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational—Tom Chobot—winter track right now is week to week, due to COVID cases. In the fall, it will depend on what the schools are doing. He has the date reserved, but won’t know until around Labor Day what a glimpse of the situation will be.
Committee Reports
Social Committee: The GoggleWorks is renting their theatre for limited entry movie showings—if we want to try a social event there and spread out. March/April—Polly will look into this.
Communications Committee—Jon Durand—considering doing a feature once a week of the trails in Berks County, and even may make it a ‘where am I’ spot, so that he can have the benefit of getting out, and also get some club virtual participation.
- Newsletter—Matt Brophy is going to ask Fleet Feet and/or Chester County Running to see if they want to contribute some content into the newsletter.
Membership committee: A few new members have joined. Reminder: all members of good standing as of last year had their 2021 dues credited. The next dues collection is planned for December 2021. There is a membership list on the Web site under the ‘membership’ tab.
Old business: None
New business
- The donations, as noted above, from the proceeds of the Kris Kringle race, will be voted on next month.
- Donna Hey—She attends the Friends of Nolde meetings, and that group has asked the Pacers to consider paying for some trail marking discs in the Forest to replace the older markers, and to replace some of the corner posts. The cost is $530 for posts. The markers are 4-inch round, color-coded discs, to be put in place of the current hash marks, and can be placed on trees, for a cost of $850. They are requesting a total of $1400 donation. Does the club want to make a contribution towards this trail-improvement project? Steve McGuire suggests the club cover the $1400 to make these improvements. Can we get a sign or ‘giant check’ donation photo to acknowledge our contribution? We will make a motion to donate next month. (FYI—Nolde is now fining people for any dogs off leash–$250, and fining for being in the park after dark.)
Pagoda Pacers News 