Tag: Meeting Minutes

General Meeting Minutes

Date: February 9, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – (Shaun Luther not present) – Michelle passed around copies of the expense report. No questions/concerns raised.

Races:

• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 25, 2023) – Blair Hogg – Swag this year is a pair of commemorative socks. Run, volunteer, or both. Registration will go live soon.
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K – Sue Jackson – Third event is Sunday, February 12; the fourth, and last, event is on Sunday, March 12. Registration opens at 8:30 and race starts at 10:00. Buffet and award ceremony to follow after the March race. Sue is looking for door prizes. The cost for the buffet for a non-runner, non-volunteer is $13.00. There will be a sweep at the February race – Michelle Henry, accompanying the last runner to let volunteers know they are done. Mike Whalen will get the trailer.

Committee Reports

Social Committee

• Brad Sinnen – Wallyball went well in February. Next date is Friday, March 17 (also St. Patrick’s Day – he is aware). Watch for the Facebook event posting.
• Manayunk bike ride proposed. Karen & Brad Sinnen willing to organize, if there is interest. Karen will check with Caroline Hill about the details, since she previously organized the rides.
• Tiffany – proposing a roller skating activity at Skateaway, if there is interest. Michelle will do some sort of poll to gauge interest & date/time preference. Rental for the rink is $300 with the food service area open; it is $350 if the club elects the bring-your-own-food/beverage option.

Communications Committee – no report

Community Service

• Wednesday night runs – Matt Brophy isn’t going to be around this summer to lead the WNRs, so he is looking for someone(s) to fill in and assist Steve Vida. FYI – volunteering to lead a run will count as ‘volunteer’ check off on the Passport.
• Race Mates—May 7, Laney’s run. March 18, IM Able Bash at Alvernia University: The Chariot drivers will be giving demonstrations. If interested in participating, register at the event page online (which is free) and put ‘Pacers’ in the comment box, so you will get VIP access. 

Scholarship Committee: 2/28/23 is the deadline for the application.

Old business – none

New business

• Start & Finish line inflatable arch project: Mike Whalen presented this to the race directors, and now is presenting to the membership.
  • Would be branded with the Pacer logo
  • Blues Cruise, Grings Mill, & Charlie Horse are self-timed races and could benefit from this, but the arch could be used at any of the races.
  • Deflated, the arch will fit in trailer
  • Weighs about 50 pounds
  • $2500 with 3 year warranty
  • Inflated, it is about 10 feet tall by 15 feet wide, and some questions raised if this might be too wide
• Matt Brophy – as part of the monthly newsletter, he has started a member profile to briefly highlight a few people every month. Andy Styer and Raine Fussner were profiled in the January newsletter. He is looking for a few people every month, so that new (and existing) club members can get to know each other. If interested in participating, there is a form with a few questions sent with the newsletter.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: January 12, 2023

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Please note: If you are attending the monthly meeting, an RSVP (“Going”) on the Facebook event page is appreciated in order to plan for food ordering.

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – reviewed the past year’s expenses. Spent a bit more that we made. Explained some for the expenditures.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday, May 28, 2023) – Shaun Luther, registration is open. Registration start time is moved to 7:30, since people are not being bussed to the start. This is the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. 
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 25, 2023) – Blair Hogg, the swag will be socks this year. Still putting the final touches on the application. 
• Blues Cruise 50K Ultra Trail Run (Sunday, October 1, 2023) – Mike Whalen, 14 registered so far (several from out of state). The run has been designated as the RRCA regional 50K championship – the event will get a few sponsors and incentives with this designation. Michelle commented on the Facebook personal updates – it’s great to be putting a face with all the names. (FYI – serious Blue March infraction alert – No parking on the grass.)
• Oley Valley Country Classic 10-mile race (date TBD) – Lenny Burton, numbers were down for this race in 2022. He would appreciate some media promotion support. Michelle commented about more interaction with the communications folks. Karen Sinnen recommends a coordinated marketing campaign. Decision on donation to Oley Valley Ambulance Association – motion made to donate $1000, seconded, and passed.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler – Lisa Domeshek – The even went really well. Raised about $9000. Half of proceeds will go to the Berks County Cross Country Coaches. 526 runners/600 registered. 
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K series (Sunday, February 12, and Sunday, March 12, 2023)  – Sue Jackson – runner numbers are down from pre-Covid races. There is a time limit on the first lap set at 45 minutes, due to the farm house being needed early in the afternoon. She would like ideas to get more runners. Georgine reported that she got a direct message from someone who appreciated the races that the Pacers do. 

Committee Reports

Social Committee: Need a social committee lead

• Wallyball, next week. $5 for members; $10 for non-members. Tentative date for March in consideration, if there is interest. Pizza, snacks, wine, and beer provided. Please try to RSVP for any Pacer event. Court shoes needed. 
• Jane Setley – Would the group like to cook another dinner at Opportunity House? March 13 is the next Monday available. 6 to 8 people needed. Mike Whalen requests that we commit to this date. Jane will coordinate the date. 
• Jane Setley – Fleet Feet does the Teddy Bear Trot, $15, and all proceeds go to Opportunity House. The Souper Bowl event is on January 30 at the Double Tree, 28 restaurants this year will be represented.

Community Service

• Weekly runs – Steve Vida, There have been a year of posting the routes, and this has been working well. 
• Trail Maintenance – Jane Setley, small tree down near Jane’s house. Requesting some support – Brandon will assist. Contact for the Blue Marsh power equipment training
• Rt 10 to Rte 165 – Shaun Luther – proposes that the club formally take over this portion of maintaining the horseshoe trail. Motion made, seconded, and passed. 

Scholarship Committee

• Deadline for this is 2/28/23. Open to children of Pacers member (at least one year in good standing) and high school cross country runners. 

Old business

• Long run on the Horseshoe trail this Saturday.
• Race mates – Mike Whalen, next event is March 18, IM ABLE BASH fundraiser at Alvernia on an indoor track to demonstrate their equipment. Sign up on line and put in box that you are a Pacer. Some upcoming races that he is working – Grings Mill in August , Laney’s Fashionista 5K, and Jingle in July. The pace will typically be at the slowest pace of the runners. 
• Still looking for 6 missing tables from the trailer – please return. 

New business

• Sue Jackson – the trailer is wonderful, but the club is looking for more assistance with getting it to/from the race. (Requires a vehicle that can pull the trailer.)
• Marketing the races – each race director, please email a short description of your race and the event date to Michelle Henry. She can create a handout to have at each race.
• Race director meeting on January 26, 2023.
• New lock for the trailer – due to the many keys that are all over the place. 
• Board of directors will be reviewing the club by laws as a focus this year.
• Condolences were expressed on the passing of Albert Booth age 102. He was an inspirational person and dedicated runner.
• If you are attending an event that is posted on Facebook, please indicate that you are going to help with planning.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: November 10, 2022

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – We are at 148% of target. Blues Cruise expenses are almost all accounted for. More income for Oley, Shiver and Kris Kringle are coming in. 

Races:

Oley Valley Country Classic (recently completed) – Lenny Burton – There were a total of 237 registered runners. 144 of those ran the 10 mile race, the rest ran the 5k. Estimated revenue was $8800 with an estimated profit of $3930.

Shiver by the River 10k and 5k race series (first race Sunday December 11, 2022) – Sue Jackson – 100 pre-registered runners so far which ahead of last year at this time and 2019. Swag will be a hat and gloves this year. Soup and pre-wrapped snacks will be served this season. There will be a 50 minute first loop time limit this year. This is due to scheduling with the farm house at Jim Dietrich park which needs to be available for other afternoon events. 

Kris Kringle 5 mile race (Saturday, December 31^st 2022) – Lisa Domeshek – Everything is going well and on schedule. About 140 pre-registered so far. She is looking for a few more volunteers on race day. Please email her at lisa.domeshek@gmail.com with your preferred responsibility. 

Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday May 28, 2023) – Shaun Luther- date for 2023 is confirmed and the Dirty Pony 5k will also take place the same day. 

Blues Cruise 50k – Michael Whalen and Elaine Cook – Will offer a nonbinary gender category for 2023’s race. They are also applying to become a RRCA affiliated race. 

Committee Reports:  

Social Committee: The annual Christmas party is scheduled for Friday, December 2^nd  6 – 11 pm at the Grill Fire Company Social Quarters. $10 for members and $20 for non-members. 

Brad Sinnen has two dates planned for Wallyball this winter since it is a member favorite, Friday, January 20^th and Friday March, 10^th 2023.

The Pacers are still looking for someone to head the social committee. Please contact Michelle Henry if you are interested. 

Community Service:

Trail Maintenance – Shaun Luther – As discussed at our last meeting Larry Sundberg is retiring from his work on the Horse Shoe Trail. Shaun has contacted the Horse Shoe Trail Organization and the Pacers will now be responsible for a different portion of the trail. The new section is 7.4 miles between Route 625 and Rt. 10. 5.2 of these miles are part of the Charlie Horse race course and are already relatively maintained by the pacers due to the race. The club will be sending Larry a thank you card and gift for all his hard work. 

Race Mates – Michael Whalen – IM ABLE’s main fundraiser The BASH is scheduled for March 18, 2023. This event will be held at The Plex at Alvernia. Michael is hoping many Pacers will want to attend. Please contact him if interested it tickets so that we can have a Pagoda Pacer table. 

Membership Committee 

Jason Karpinski – Email reminders will be sent soon for current members to renew. New and current members can also pay their annual dues at the Christmas Party. He also is working on reinstating the welcome packets that are sent to new members. 

Old Business: 

Was all discussed during committee reports. 

New Business: 

Club Elections

Michelle Henry was reelected for a second term. 

Board Members – Brandon Beane was reelected for another two year term. New baord members are, Kelly Ammon, Lisa Domeshek, Cody Harris and Blair Hogg. 

The pacers would like to thank the retiring board members, Matt Brophy, Tom Chobot, Jon Durand and Sue Jackson for their numerous years of service. 

General Meeting Minutes

Date: October 13, 2022

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – the account is at 155% of target – Blues Cruise purchases and charitable donation obligations were the expenses. Regarding the refunds needed for the rescheduled pickle ball event, Shaun was not able to use RunSignup for refunds due to type of account the club has, so checks were issued.

Races:

• Blues Cruise 50K (recently completed) – Elaine Cook and Mike Whalen are the new race directors – Mike reported for this year, there were over 100 documented volunteers, some putting in 10 to 12 hours. Stephan Weiss has been timing the race for no charge, but he is moving away from this responsibility. Also, the Blues Cruise web site will move from Stephan’s site to the Pacer platform. Riley Bradley was the overall winner of the race, and the first female to win the race, and in a record time for any female finisher. 298 registered runners, with 222 finishers. Dirt Sculpt was able to complete the trail repair just prior to the race.
• Shiver by the River 10K and 5K races (1^st: Sunday, December 11, 2022) – Georgine McCool – she is having difficulty finding sponsors, which is not something the directors are super comfortable with, so if anyone can lend a hand, please do.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler (Saturday December 31, 2022)
• Oley Valley Country Classic (Saturday, November 5, 2022) – Lenny Burton – just over 100 registrants, fewer than are hoped for at this point. At the Oley Valley Fairgrounds. A food truck will be available for the post-race event.
• Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational – Tom Chobot, Tuesday, October 18, needs between 6 and 8 volunteers for this event – course monitoring and help in the finish chute, 4 and 4:45 p.m., usually done by 5:15. And then, Saturday, 10/22, the Junior High cross country event (the club’s race), about 330 kids will bet there. There are 9 and 9:40 races, with parking assist, it is about a 4-hour period of time to volunteer. Held at the Reading Fairgrounds.

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• October 25 is the pickle ball reschedule.
• Friday, Dec 2, Christmas party. $10 members, $20 for non-members, at the Grill Fire Company.

Communications Committee

• Website – Michelle Henry – she is working with Ed Recker, the webmaster, to get a race results tab created. The one there now is not current. Race directors should be sending these results to Ed, but this task may have gotten overlooked with the passage of time and races to new directors.

Community Service

• Trail Maintenance – Larry Sundberg is resigning his work for his portion of the Horseshoe Trail. Shaun Luther suggests we talk to the Horseshoe Trail Organization. Shaun will contact his POC about this to find out if other sections are a priority to be maintained. 

Old business:

• Opportunity House evening meal volunteering – people volunteered in person and had others dropped off donations. They served meatball sandwiches, potato chips, salad, and apple crisp (made personally by Kris Jacoby, and it was a best seller). Everything went quickly, and we served about 75 people. Jane would like to make another event due to club interest – possibly by the end of the year.
• The pop-up marketplace for swag is open until Oct 25.
• Elections are next month – with the president’s annually reelected position open and then 5 new board member positions are open.

New business

• Jeff George memorial ride (BAMBA), Nov 20, starting around 11:00 at Fishpond West, dedication of a bench in his name. You can bring food, if desired. Liz Glass is trying to establish a scholarship.
• Cranksgiving Berks County, October 29, Jim Borden is director, benefits Helping Harvest. 
• Calls were made for Wally ball – Brad will set this up, as requested – may go January and March
• Possible roller skating social – Michelle is working on some details

General Meeting Minutes

Date: September 8, 2022

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Victor Emmanuel II pavilion

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – The financial account is 185% of target. Bigger expenses now being paid for race awards and a payment to the Berks County Coaches Association, which was 51% of the profit from the Kris Kringle race last December. The bill for trailer storage is paid for 12 months in advance, which gets the club one month free.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (past event of 2022) – Shaun Luther – discussed the Special Olympics donation for this year’s race. There was not a lot of profit from this year’s event, but there was $400 of personal donations from Charlie Horse runners, and the Grings Mill race director (Jason) donated some of profit from that race to go to the Special Olympics cause.  A motion was made to donate $1600 to Special Olympics. The motion was seconded and passed.
• Grings Mill run (past event of 2022) – Jason Karpinski – He wants to thank all those who volunteered to make the race successful.
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 2, 2022) – Dan Govern – getting close, needs a lot of volunteers. Dan would appreciate emails from those who are volunteering, so he can assign the 30 to 40 people to where they will be needed. Also, you can contact any of the aid station captains, if you are interested in volunteering at one of those. Registrations are low, about 233 entrants so far. Hoodies will be the event swag this year. The awards are in. Mike Yoder is marking the day before (Saturday, at 3 p.m.), if that is something you are interested in helping with please let Dan or Mike know. Going cupless (drinking cup, that is) again this year. 
• Oley Valley Country Classic (Saturday, Nov 5, 2022) – Barry Goodhart – Shirts again this year. Needs volunteers. Will take place at the Oley Valley Fairgrounds.
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K series (1^st race: Sunday, December 11, 2022) – Sue Jackson – planning in progress for this year’s series. 

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• Pickle ball, Sunday, September 25, 2022, email went out to sign up.
• Christmas party – Jules Hager is the new chairman, taking over from Swamp. 
• Holiday (Labor Day) run was this past weekend.
• Long run planned for pre-Blues Cruise event – meeting at Church Road parking lot. Will do the ski loop, 7miles, by Liz Glass, and also the lower loop of 22 miles will be run.
• Long run for October (date TBD) will be at Trexler Preserve near Allentown.

Community Service

• Trail Maintenance – Mike Whalen – He will take care of one issue on our Blue Marsh trail section that is not too bad. Otherwise the section is good. The bridge will likely not get done before Blues Cruise. There is some heavy-duty trail access needed prior to this maintenance being done.
• Opportunity House volunteering – Steve McGuire – there are some details still to be worked out. Jane Setley will be in touch. 

Membership committee:

• Guts and Glory info table on Saturday, September 24 – Michelle and Jason will man the table at this event.

Old business

• Berks Nature event at Angelica Park (Sept 11, 2022). Steve Vida is doing a run at 1100—dog friendly, the event starts at noon. Pagoda Pacers (Lisa D.) will host a membership table. 
• Pop-up Pacer gear purchasing – info will be in October’s newsletter. Open for only 2 weeks. Can ship directly or Michelle can distribute.

New business

• Next month and November’s meetings will be at the Mohnton Fire Company.
• Elections will be in November. The president position (reelected every year) and 4 board member openings are available. Details to come out in October. A few board members have timed out of their allowable service time, so new people are needed to run for board membership.
• October 22, 2022, 9 a.m., interval speed training for beginners. Lisa will have a member table. More details will be provided.
• The Pacer trailer – if anyone has a vehicle that can mover the trailer, please inform Michelle or Mike Whalen. The group would like additional options for moving the trailer, if needed. There are tables missing, about 5 or 6 – if you have one, please return it. Mike Whalen will power wash the trailer and make sure things are cleaned for Blues Cruise.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: August 11, 2022

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – we are at 190% of target. A lot of Gring’s Mill activity in the current financial report. Income and expenses from Blues Cruise are coming in.

Races:

• Gring’s Mill 5K and 10K – Jason Karpinski, not present for the meeting. But by all accounts, things went well at the event. However, there was a misspelling on the awards, so we will let Jason make a decision about that (for the one person who noticed and mentioned it).
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 2, 2022) – Dan Govern brought the jacket swag sample. He will also have a medal created. Some of the expenses are coming in. Hoping for 400 people, not quite getting to the registration numbers (170 currently). Dan states there may be a downward trend in ultramarathon registration entries. The ski loop redo has been contracted – with completion hoped for in September. Volunteers will be needed on race day. This is Dan’s last year as the race director. Mike Whalen has agreed to take over, with Elaine Cook as a support director. Dan, Stephan Weiss, and Mike Yoder will assist through the transition.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler (December 31, 2022) – Lisa Domeshek – everything on track so far.
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K series (First race is December 11, 2022) – Sue Jackson – applications are open online through Pretzel City Sports. There will not be a return to pre-pandemic times during this upcoming season. They will use pre-wrapped food items, and not quite sure of the farmhouse access to runners pre- and post-race. The banquet will go on as usual.

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• Pacer yoga was held, approx. 30 people turned out. There was not a charge for use of the facility, so Lisa is wondering about giving $75 to the facility. Also, she is asking if anyone wants to do hops picking at that location.
• Pickleball – overall cost per person is $20 which includes 1 hour with instructors, court time, and paddles. September 25, in the afternoon (time TBD), at the courts in West Reading. Will have to check what the max number of people are. A motion was made to have the club provide up to $250, seconded, and passed. Depending on the total number this event can accommodate, the organizers will determine how many guests are allowed.
• Wine and cheese for 2022 – Jane Setley – Karin Long stepped down as the organizer of this event. We have to skip the event for this year. The preference is to have a place where we can bring our own food/drinks. Looking for a new person to organize this, or potentially Jane and Lisa will form a committee.

Community Service

• Weekly runs – Steve Vida – the information is available on the web page or Facebook discussion page.
• Race mates – Kris Jacoby said the last event went well. Two athletes were charioted. There is an event this weekend for two athletes.

Old business

• Jane Setley, Monday, September 12, Opportunity House cooking dinner for residents. They have been feeding about 80 people lately. September’s meal will likely be about 70. Dinner is at 7 p.m. Six to 8 people needed to cook and serve, others are needed to organize and plan the meal. Financial donations are needed to cover the cost of the dinner, and then a generous anonymous donor has stepped up to cover any remaining cost. Roughly $500 will be needed to cover this amount (just food costs are needed). Motion made to give $150 to the cause, seconded, and passed. A volunteer sheet was circulated. Contact Jane if you would like to volunteer in some capacity.
• Long run – Shaun Luther – this Saturday at Green Lane, 2 loops, information on Facebook. No-drop event. 
• Holiday run for Labor Day – Steve Vida will organize and post details.

New business

• Pacer swag shop will be available on-line via RockHound Apparel (Robesonia) – there are several items available. Currently the club will not receive a portion of the proceeds. Discussion followed about this, and it was decided that it is highly likely a Pacer would be purchasing and wearing the item, so no additional markup would be added to the cost for the Pacer club’s financial benefit. It will be a two-week pop-up shop where Pacers would purchase on their own, with their own funds. Dates TBD. Will try to get samples to bring for sizing. Traditional Pacer logo and another design option is likely. Lisa Domeshek and Michelle Henry are organizing.
• Beth Kohl – from Kristen Kelly: Trails, Tails, and Ales event for Berks Nature (Alvernia area), Sunday, September 11, 2022. They are looking for someone to do a trail run in the morning that leads into the afternoon event. Steve Vida volunteered to organize a trail run. On September 11, the event starts at noon with run prior (approx. 10 a.m.) Polly suggested involving Fleet Feet. Beth will check into this.
• Jane Setley — BAMBA printed and distributed a map of their new trails at Blue Marsh – available at different locations, such as Ganly’s.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: July 14, 2022

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Rustic Park, Birdsboro

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – The account balance is 180% of target. There is money coming in from Run for the Ages, and outgoing is money paid for the scholarships, and then one more bill for Charlie Horses. Expenses are starting for Blues Cruise.

Races:

• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (completed for 2022) – Donna Hey – Of 181 registered, there were 161 finishers. Profit of over $2500. Donations were $177. Donna is requesting a donation of $2000 to Nolde Forest from the profit and donations. A motion was made to give $2000 to Nolde, it was seconded, and passed. This year’s event was covered by Channel 69 New – no one is quite sure how they found out about it, but there was a lot of premarket notifications, according to Donna. For 2023, Donna is looking at the last Sunday of June again.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K (Sunday, August 7, 2022) – Jason Karpinski – registrations are coming in. The last minute planning is ongoing.
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 1, 2022) – Dan Govern – At 139 entries, registration is not as high as it has been in the past. This is a trend that he is noting among other long-distance runs. Medals are ordered. Swag is simple this year – a quarter zip jacket. He has a lot of items left over from last year. The donations to Blue Marsh that he has in escrow will be used to fix a portion of the Ski Loop, to be completed by September, hopefully. UberEndurenceSports is going to pick up a portion of the cost of this, as well.

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• Report from the Pacer pool party – about 30 people participated, and was great event
• Yoga event – August 6, 2022, has Facebook page, “Pacer Outdoor Yoga.” The yoga should be doable for all levels. 
• Wine and cheese social – Not scheduled, so far. Michelle is trying to organize something.

Community Service

• Race mates –Dale Weiss – upcoming events, Jingle in July, (July 30) at Grings Mill; the Pacer Grings Mill run (August 7); and Bradley Mayer Memorial 5K (August 13) at the Quarry Soccer Field. The chariot pushers try to go on a 9 ½ minute pace. IM Able is doing a duathalon, and would like to partner runners up with the adaptive bicyclists. (That is, the volunteer runner would run, then tag out to the cyclist, then go back in for the run.) Please see their web site for more details.

New business

• Holiday morning runs that are usually held at Nolde Forest – there was a request to switch these to a few different, alternate locations. No opposition to this, so look for some locations besides Nolde for these running events. 
• Shaun Luther suggested a ‘weekend’ (held on a Saturday or Sunday) longer distance run committee that would plan a long and short run for an occasional 2-hour-ish run. Shaun is willing to form a 4 or 5 member committee. More to follow.
• From Liz Glass. BAMBA has put a memorial bench for Jeff George in the Phase 3 loop of Blue Marsh —it will soon have a plaque. There will be a memorial ride and scholarship fund on Saturday, November 20, the anniversary of Jeff’s passing.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: June 9, 2022

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company and via Zoom

Guest speakers: Sandie and Stephan Kincaid of Berks Trail Works. They maintain many of the Berks County trails for the support of outdoor enthusiasts. They are a non-profit organization with membership options. Please review their social media accounts to gain more information on the outstanding work they do (Facebook, Instagram). Berkstrailworks.org is best place to go to learn about membership options and what is going on. At Blue Marsh, they take care of 20 miles of trail—it’s a lot, and they need help, especially due to a decrease in Corps of Engineers summer employees.

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther – 184% of target. Taxes are filed. Constant Contact pricing discussed—went to an annual subscription due to cost of the monthly payment. A few reimbursements for Charlie Horse still outstanding.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon – Shaun Luther – there were 91 runners for half marathon and 35 for Dirty Pony 5K. This was less than the number expected. Shaun cut back on some expenses – such as timing the race (Tiffany and Polly handled this), canceled the DJ, and provided fewer food options. FYI, since Charlie Horse is the only race that uses the Pacer-owned timing clock, Shaun will keep it, rather than return it to the trailer, where it takes up space.
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run – Donna Hey – 135 registered so far. And hopefully some same day registrations. Volunteers needed of course. Charlie will lead the parking. Donna increased the advertising a lot, which added about 60 registrants.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K (Sunday, August 7, 2022) – Jason Karpinski – registration still kind of slow, but hoping for a big push to get more entrants.

Committee Reports

Social Committee:

• June 23 – Wilshire pool run, bike, swim — 2 ride routes and 2 run routes. Then the pool will be open at 8 p.m. Free for Pacers, $5.00 for guests.
• Wine & cheese – is this going on?

Communications Committee

• E-mails – messages are going out to the membership – but some emails are ending up in people’s junk email. So, check there if you think you are missing emails you should be getting.

Community Service

• Weekly runs – great turnout for the Oakbrook WNR
• June 22, park at the mansion parking lot for a Nolde Run, and then the after event is Oakbrook brewing.
• Trail Maintenance – Nolde Forest has trees down, and they are open to have help with trail maintenance. Contact Blair for further details. Stephan Kincaid will contact Blair, and go out with his equipment. Larry reports that the Horsehoe trail section that the Pacers maintain is up to speed.

Membership committee – Jason Karpinski – he has seen some local bikers become Pacer members, and also joined the biking co-event. He is seeing some new names on the membership list. We had two new members attend the monthly meeting.

Old business

• National Trail Day – Mt Penn – they had about 20 people there, and did a short trail run.

New business

• Jane Setley – planning a night to serve food/dinner to residents at Opportunity House. Likely a Monday is best. The service group provides the food, and the meal is served at 7. Jane will look for available evenings. This effort would require about 6 to 10 people. Volunteer options exist for some events outside of the scheduled evening.
• July meeting, renting the Pavilion at Rustic Park, Birdsboro. Michelle is requesting an easy pre-meeting run be arranged. This will be done by Swamp and Mike Gallen.

General Meeting Minutes

Date: May 12, 2022

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – Shaun Luther—180% of target. Not a lot of activity this month. Price of Constant Contact went up about 30%, so checking into that. The income taxes are prepared, and will be filed electronically via a service which the club can use for free.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday, May 29, 2022) – Shaun Luther – Registration price increased, and registrations have picked up. Still need volunteers for the race. 
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 26, 2022) —Donna Hey – registration currently at 43 entrants. The swag is here, and is a nice, plaid packable blanket. Looking for young chasers and volunteers for Saturday, June 25, for marking the train, and the day-of activities.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K—Jason Karpinski – Registration entrants is at 9 right now. Andrea Thrush is doing some artwork for the slate awards.
• Blues Cruise 50K – no report
• Oley Valley Country Classic (November 5, 2022) – Lenny Burton – Oley Fair grounds. Won’t use their kitchen this year, so he’s looking for some food trucks. If anyone knows a contact, please contact Lenny with details.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler – no report
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K – no report
• Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational – no report

Committee Reports

Social Committee – updates from Michelle Henry:

• Thursday, June 23, run, bike, swim night – casual ride planned with Berks Area Cyclists, and a more experienced ride will be hosted by Swamp. Two distance runs will be available, starting around 7. The pool opens at 8 p.m., and the charge is $5 per entrant. The pool is owned by a private organization, so you can BYOB (no glass). Michelle is proposing to have snacks, etc., and pay the entry of $5 per person for any Pacer members attending. The aim is to making this inter-activity and family friendly event. Elite Fire and Water Restoration is providing the water. (This event is in addition to the regularly scheduled WNR.)
• August 6, 9:30 a.m., Yoga by Yuriko, Fawn Hill Hop Yard, Shillington. We can’t charge for this event, so to limit the size, we request to keep this to Pacer members only and a plus one.
• Pickle Ball, still in the planning stage.

Communications Committee

• Website – As always, trying to keep all the club platforms up to date

Community Service

• Weekly runs – Matt Brophy & Steve Vida – if anyone has a particular route in mind for a Wednesday, let Matt know – especially those who are hosting the WNRs over the summer. Question asked about downloading the run, Lisa will show the app that is used. Also, these are no-drop runs.
• Hosted runs – there are still some evenings open. Check with Phil Lechner for open dates or other questions.
• Trail Maintenance – Mike Whalen – Jason reports one tree down, which a team will try to get to.
• Race mates – Run for Laney 5K – Mike Whalen and Kris Jacoby – Grings Mill race is scheduled as a race mate event. Open to pushers and changing up the running activity. If you know of an athlete who wants to run, contact “I Am Able” to put in contact with the group. Mike has a Facebook page for scheduling the pushers, so contact Mike so he can add you to the page. Discussion of child abuse clearances. Mike will delve into this further.
• Charity runs –

Scholarship Committee – no report

Membership committee – no report

Old business

• National Trails Day – a flyer was created with Pacers noted; Blair Hogg  and Lisa Domeschik will be there, Fleet Feet is going to be there as a sponsor. If anyone is interested, plan on attending, June 5, Sunday morning (9:00). Berks Parks and Rec.  Geared toward beginning trail runners.
• Berks Trail Works, who could not make it for the May meeting, are rescheduled for June.
• Velodrome repaving is not going well, so Pacer attending an evening there may not happen this year.

New business

• June meeting at Mohnton Fire Company; July at Birdsboro Rustic Park

General Meeting Minutes

Date: April 19, 2022

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Mohnton Fire Company

Treasury Report – Michelle Henry – Shaun renewed the club’s memberships with two Berks trail conservancies for $100 each.

Races:

• Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday, May 29, 2022)—Registration has picked up, but is still behind last year. He needs two experienced aid stations captains. If interested, reach out to Shaun Luther.
• Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 26, 2022)—Blair Hogg – registrations are slow. Since the swag this year is a packable picnic blanket, he is having trouble coming up with what to do for sponsors and appropriate advertising.
• Grings Mill 5K and 10K (Sunday, August 7, 2022) – Jason Karpinski – this year, using chip timing; like other races, registration is slow.
• Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 2, 2022) – Dan Govern – Registrations are a little slower this year. He has not looked at swag yet, but does like getting a shirt. Monetary donations from previous years have accumulated – it will be used for redoing a piece of the ski slope that is heavily affected by erosion. The work will probably will be done by the summer and ready for the Blues Cruise. 
• Oley Valley Country Classic – no report.
• Kris Kringle 5 Miler — no report.
• Shiver by the River 5K and 10K – (concluded for 2021 – 2022 season) – Sue Jackson – This series was the first time that the series lost money, about $2000. The runners were not registering like previous years: about 880 people total, which is about 600 less than pre-pandemic. Prices will likely have to increase. The price of the farmhouse is increasing to a non-resident rate. The current early-bird series rate is $45, and regular rate is $60. Sue may change the swag for next year to eliminate the need to pre-order of shirts in various sizes. She is open to comments, if you have any.
• Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational – no report

Committee Reports

Social Committee: Michelle Henry

• West Reading Pickleball – Michelle Henry – She is in touch with that group, and will try to coordinate an event.
• Veladrome trip– Mike Whalen – still planning
• Wilshire Pool – in June, run and ride from the pool location
• Outdoor Yoga, Yuriko will lead the event on August 6 at 9:30, at Fawn Hill Hop Yard, Shillington

Communications Committee: Steve Vida, can arrange for any postings on our media outlets

Community Service

• Weekly runs – Michelle Henry – Phil will be putting out a post on Facebook to have the WNR hosting events start in June.
• Trail Maintenance – Mike Whalen – has been working on the ski slope. Report any completed maintenance done on the ski slope to Blue Marsh administration, so that the Blue Marsh can qualify for more federal funding. Sandy Kincaid from Berks Trail Works is here next month to discuss their program. Anyone using power tools, must go through the course.
• May 1^st, race mates needed, for Lanie’s Fashionista 5K. Contact Mike Whalen, Kris Jacoby, or Dale Weiss. Also they will be doing the Grings Mill Run, and, perhaps, doing a few Wednesday night runs in a limited capacity.

Scholarship Committee: Beth Kohl – the committee met last week and announced the following choices for scholarships. For the Pacer member scholarship – Kierra Pickard, daughter of Marshall Pickard, won; then 3 winners in the open category for cross country scholarship were chosen: Caryn Rippey (Wilson), Rachel Ulrich (Govenor Mifflin), and Grace Mangold (Wilson). Beth motioned that these 4 awards x $750 be approved. Her motion was seconded and approved. Regarding changes to the scholarships in upcoming years, the committee, after some discussion, recommended no changes to our current process and award amounts. Currently, the awards can be adjusted as needed. The committee needs a few more team members; talk to Beth, if you can help.

Membership committee: New memberships have been going ok at the membership tables opened now at all races. (We had two new members at the meeting this evening.)

Old business:

• Fleet Feet is sponsoring a trail running event. Blair and Lisa D. will be there on June 6, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. There will be 3 to 4 miles of trail running. (June 5th is National Trail Day.)
• Member passports for end-of-year swag are going ok. Michelle will send an email blast, and discuss at the start of the WNR.

New business

• Next month, arrive at 6:45 for the meeting to hear the Kincaids about trail maintenance. 
• Pacer Trailer – Mike Whalen — can we move it back to the Storage World at Wyomissing Blvd. Shelves were made to fit the bins, which should be relocated. Mike has declared “No more Vaseline in the trailer.” The trailer exterior was damaged at Storage World, probably by someone backing into it. He cleaned the trailer after the last Shiver, so it looks very good right now. The AED needs the pads replaced, Mike will take care of this. The AED should not stay in the trailer.