First Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Monday, March 24, 1997

The tenth meeting of the First Board of Directors of the Blue Line Club was convened by Kent Schwickert at 4:06 p.m. on Monday, March 24, 1997, in the Warren Street Center conference room on the campus of Mankato State University.

Voting Board Members Present

4 of 7 Seats

• Kent Schwickert, Club President
• Henry Okleshen, Club Vice President
• Brad Reeves
• Jim Bullard

Voting Board Members Present

3 of 7 Seats

• Steve Duea
• Jim Turk
• Larry Morales

Ex-officio Nonvoting Board Members Present

4 of 6 Seats

• Ron Hybertson (Excused) - Conference Faculty Representative (NCC)
• Don Amiot - MSU Men's Athletics Director
• David Cowan, Club Secretary-Treasurer - Maverick Boosters Club Liaison
• Cheryl Regan - MSU Athletics Promotions

Ex-officio Nonvoting Board Members Absent

2 of 6 Seats

• Don Brose - MSU Men's Ice Hockey Coach
• Margaret Healy - MSU Student Affairs Vice President

Agenda Approved

The Board's March 24, 1997 meeting agenda was then approved as distributed.

Minutes of Previous Meeting Approved

The meeting minutes of the Board's February 10 regular session were then reviewed and approved.

Secretary-Treasurer's Report

Club Secretary-Treasurer David Cowan then provided the Board with a preliminary overview of the Club's existing 1996-97 income and expenditure budget noting that most Club activities had concluded and the fiscal year would end June 30, 1997.

Cowan indicated that he believed there were still $437 in "receivables" left to collect from wearing apparel buyers and that invoices were going out. [Of that sum, $293 has since been received as of 4/15/97 with those checks deposited in the Club's account at Mankato State University.]

Cowan reported that the spending plan originally adopted last March totaled $18,901, a sum which has had to be increased by an amount equal to the estimated income being received from apparel purchases and a luncheon money transfer of $507 from the Maverick Boosters Club which co-hosted the 12/30/96 community luncheon held when the Notre Dame coach was in town. (The Blue Line Club actually ended up paying the luncheon bill and once that was known the Boosters Club made the $507 transfer from its deposits.) The Club's amended spending and income plan now totals $23,081, a sum which includes money for the hockey team banquet and spring membership recruitment mailings.

Responding to a question by Brad Reeves, the Secretary-Treasurer reported that $2,880 had been paid to the Mankato Parking Corporation and another $180 payment was being processed. The final ramp parking costs for members attending home games would be $3,060. The original budget had a value of $3,500.

That $23,081 in spending also includes $1,000 for the first of three payments for theBlue Line Club's contribution to the $1.7 million sheet of ice.

The Secretary-Treasurer reminded Board members that the contribution was to be derived from "excess receipts attributed to the Club's embroidered apparel sales," consistent with a motion passed at the Board's February 10th meeting. Cowan noted that Don Amiot may indeed be right, that there might not be $1,000 left after all this year's bills are paid.

Men's Ice Hockey Program Budget Briefing

Don Amiot then provided an overview of the proposed 1997-98 ice hockey budget. This was an oral presentation. Written details will be provided to the Board at a later date for their information. Don also indicated what he thought the Club would require as a budget for next year.

Blue Line Club Budget Recommended - $23,000

Based on what the Club's revised 1996-97 spending needs turned out to be, Jim Bullard moved and Brad Reeves seconded that the Board recommend to MSU a FY'98 Club budget of $23,000 in spending. Motion passed. The income to cover such expenditures would come from member dues and apparel sales. Don Amiot had recommended a smaller amount.

WCHA "Final Five" Tournament - Mankato State's Hospitality Room

Don Amiot reported that a reception was held by MSU on Thursday, March 13, 1997, in St. Paul after Thursday's WCHA tournament games concluded. Some 55 to 60 attended the reception, an event important to MSU as it seeks membership in the WCHA Conference. Kent Schwickert relayed on brother Kim's comment that Don put on a good show and did a "great job." No Blue Line Club funds were needed to pay for the event.

WCHA Watch

MSU has yet to be formally invited to the WCHA's Annual Spring Meeting, a session where Blue Line Club and MSU officials had hoped to make a formal presentation and application for WCHA membership. The WCHA is now down to nine members with Northern Michigan choosing to joint the CCHA (Central Collegiate Hockey Association) Conference of the NCAA.

1997-98 Membership Recruitment and Retention Campaign

Cheryl Regan submitted a number of draft flyers which she hoped to be mailing out shortly. The flyers advocated membership in the Blue Line Club and outlined the many benefits of Club membership. After some minor editing, the Board okayed the materials.

Hockey Blue Line Club Memorial Scholarship

Kent Schwickert reported that on behalf of the Blue Line Club he had signed an agreement with the MSU Foundation, Inc., wherein the Foundation would establish a Blue Line Club hockey memorial scholarship. (Schwickert's action was consistent with a resolution passed by the Board at its February 10th meeting.) Details on how the scholarship is administered and funded are spelled out in the agreement.

MSU Response to Blue Line Club's Recommendation to Donate $1,000

Don Amiot reported that MSU was going to wait and see if there would be money left over in this year's Blue Line Club cost center before deciding how to respond to the Club's February 10th decision to commit $1,000 each year for the next three years as a donation in the Club's name to go toward the community's planned $1.7 million sheet of ice.

Amiot reported that MSU has committed to $150,000 over five years to that same project and that 60% of that money would come from state funds with 40% from the overall hockey budget. Of course, the Blue Line Club already contributes to that hockey budget through its $1,200 corporate and $600 individual membership fees. (In FY'97 there were 102 Corporate members as of 1/22/97 along with 91 individual members.)

Don also mentioned that MSU had tried to help out the MAHA (Mankato Area Hockey Association) and youth hockey with special ticket sale splits at certain home events this past season. Only $3,329 was raised for MAHA from such sales. Reeves thanked MSU for the ticket sales split but thought that a little earlier planning could have helped MAHA, as a volunteer organization, to perform better in the sale of tickets.

Apparel Update & Future Civic Center Floor Sales Management

The Board agreed to solicit proposals from interested vendors as to who should be allowed to sell MSU hockey items at home hockey events held in the Mankato Civic Center. The University Bookstore has handled such sales to date. Kent Schwickert indicated that he would try to see how the University of Minnesota Gophers handled such situations.

Adjournment

Without objection the meeting then adjourned at 5:20 p.m.