Board Meeting. On July 27th, we held our 2nd Board Meeting of the year to discuss a few issues to pursue in the next few months. Here are the results of our discussions:
Hats vs. Shirts – A poll was taken and the result was a few for the same shirt, a new color shirt, singlet, muscle shirt and for hats – no particular consensus. The biggest issue with singlets is that we have to get the same cut for all members – and the women’s cut is a bit unkind. Research regarding Hats revealed that the cost is around $3 more than the cost of shirts. In the end, the decision came down to keeping the membership costs the same versus raising them $5/year to cover the cost of the hat. Next year’s shirt may look familiar to our older members – a dark blue shirt with white lettering – similar to our cotton Tees from 2 years ago. Approving the new apparel also allows the club a discount in ordering shirts for recent members – that’s right! The club is over 100 members and we are all out of shirts!
Marathon Pasta Party – The annual Marathon Pasta and AREC Awards Party will be held Friday, October 14th. Last year, there was an issue as to how many people would attend, and whether that would be overwhelming for the hosts. This year, the number of people in the training group exceeds the number that attended the party, so it is a concern once again. Margaret Everitt offered her home, but we would like to put it out to the general membership if any one else would be interested in hosting. Additionally, volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up and pasta cooking are definitely needed. We’ll have a sign-up sheet as we get closer to the date.
Upcoming Election – AREC holds elections every 2 years, and these elections need to be held by the end of this year. The top 4 positions are elected and then other positions (as needed) are appointed. For example, it would be nice to have 1 or more Training Coordinators, so the responsibility would not fall on Todd Rose’s shoulders. One position I would like to see filled and actively run is the Social Chair, since our Wednesday group likes to run and then socialize. Anyway, something to think about.
Hope for Heather – Heather’s fundraiser run is this Sunday at Belmont Pier. Even if you are not planning on running, it would be great to show your support by donating time (or money) to this event. Volunteers are encouraged to show up around 7:30am and the event begins a few hours later. I ran with Heather on Thursday, and, despite being radioactive for 26 more days and recently through another round of chemotherapy, she is doing great – positively glowing! (sorry for the pun) There will be flyers available at the Wednesday and Saturday runs this week.
Safety. I’m sure you’ve seen this a million times and just gloss over it. PLEASE READ THIS! Safety is of the utmost importance. Most of our runs are in parking lots or sidewalks and there are fewer safety issues. However, the first and last stretch through Naples, we are running in the street. CARS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY IN THE STREET! Please make an effort to stay mostly on the left side (facing traffic) AND if someone shouts “Car back,” or “Car!” please make a hasty move toward the sidewalk. The last thing the club needs is an accident OR a complaint from the locals that we are blocking off the street (this can happen!). Try to run the way you would if you were alone – as safe as possible.
Membership – If you haven’t joined, now might be the right time! We will have new shirts in a few weeks and it’s still a great bargain - $25/year for individuals or $40/year for same address families.
End of Year Awards – Every year, AREC gives out a number of awards. If you’ve asked about the Grand Prix (flip forward a few pages), many of the awards are determined by your race results (Most Prolific Runner, Best Age Group Finisher, etc.), but many of the awards are less race driven. For the past few years, these awards were chosen by the board, but as the club grows, it becomes more difficult to make that decision without a little help.
The AREC Grand Prix (and Awards year) runs September through August – the reason is half because I moved here in September 1998 and half because we can have our awards party BEFORE the craziness of the holidays begin.
In any case, this is a call for nominations. If you have an AREC member in mind, send an e-mail to edrahl@yahoo.com OR talk to the Todds, Lars or myself (I am also working on a form to fillout.).
The specific awards are:
The last two awards are voted on by the entire membership and the board creates the list. Please let us know about some of the outstanding performances of the year.