MITNA Exec Meeting (Winter)

Description

Secretary: Emma Smith

• Members attending: Fran Charles, Henry Hall, Dwight Brown, Sascha Haffner, Doug DeCouto, Anna Michel, Melitta King, Marianne Wisheart, Emma Smith
• Candy Brunsfeld is the new Athletic Director. She has background knowledge of how MIT Athletics works. The other candidates on the short list were all internal: Gordon Kelly, Don Martin, John Benedict, Stu Shmeldt.
• Suggestion for more frequent updates on the mailing list. The current mailing list is on tep.org and is extremely low volume. There was strong opposition to raising the volume of traffic for fear of losing contact with people who didn't want to be flooded. Ideas for motivating people to get involved - broadcast, conversation, preferably not more detailed.
• Active cards, people in the database, mailing list are the ways we have of contacting people. We lose about 20-30 people per mailing. Sascha would like a copy of the database.
• Melitta volunteered to set up a slightly more high traffic (weekly) moderated mailing list mitna-news@mit.edu with Doug as a co-moderator.
• Anna will set up mitna-exec@mit.edu.
• Dwight has been researching the vending machine question for over a year. It costs $800 for last years refurbished model. Questions raised involved whether we could get a service contract or a maintenance contract. A specific proposal was requested for the next meeting.
• Three versions of the Constitution were examined. The first combined the deletions and additions. The second was the current version. And the third was the suggested version of the new one. The Constitution is being examined in conjunction with our attempt to become an offical ASA activity.
• Major considerations include the following: sailing cards no longer go with the sailing seasons but are offered from July to July, as a member of the ASA the sailing pavilion could take part in the June mailing to incoming freshman as well as the freshman activities midway during orientation week, the ASA provides funding, being an ASA member provides legitimacy on campus.
• The requirements for joining are vague. We will not have a problem meeting the requirement that >50% of membership must be currently enrolled students, MITNA is always above that figure. If it reaches a point of serious concern we could begin issuing different sailing cards, perhaps grey for students and green for non-students. Henry and Doug will send a letter to the ASA to make sure the ASA will accept BEFORE we try to get revisions approved in a general meeting.
• Major changes are made to Article IV section 1, Article V section 5&6 and Article X. We approved Doug submitting the revised constitution for approval by the ASA with no further input from us. Any comments and concerns may be voiced at the general membership meeting that will discuss the constitutional changes.
• Franny announced a T-shirt design contest. First, we need a design for the pavilion and MITNA since we will be hosting Nationals and could conceivably rally student support. There need to be limitations on design (short or long sleeves, one or two colors) and a schedule for entry submissions set. NEISA would also like to have an official nationals design which could be thrown open for both shirts and posters.
• The sailing board on the Infinite Corridor needs sprucing up. The dark cork is falling apart and we need to find replacements. Anna will look for dark cork. Emma will look into designs for the board possibly including rules, constitutional results, and pictures.
• The dinghy display will take place the week after spring break through the following Tuesday. We need reservations and thorough schedules including when the lessons start. We should include handouts to let people know that the athletic cards which are now free include use of the sailing pavilion.
• Ann volunteered to make up a checklist of events and requirements that are consistent from year to year to give some continuity to MITNA.
• We are also looking for an aspiring web designer to keep up the webpage. There are opening day preparations and closing day preparations.
• The National Championships are here. The Women's National is on Tuesday-Thursday May 29-31, just before commencement. We need help with day to day management and registration. The Monday that precedes the regatta is Memorial Day. The Friday after the event is alumni sailing day. (Umm, Fran said this is no longer the case.. we should update the minutes.) The team racing nationals are Sunday - Tuesday June 3-5 and we will need help with day to day and registration. We will not be hosting an Afterguard event because we wish to keep the pavilion open for community sailing as much as possible, as well as the alumni sailing day. We shall also want daily web updates of the competiton. Possibly a raffle to cover costs? Having t-shirts is fine.
• MITNA could use help with entering alumni sailors in the database with name and class year. If we need access to a slush fund we should talk to Franny. MITNA should try to get volunteer help for small repair projects around the pavilion. Marianne volunteered to look into slips for both Alida and Endorphin. If no one is willing to keep it up then it will have to go.
• MITNA needs to cover grassroots information. Let new members know NOW that it is people who were around and now donate that keep the pavilion going. More people should be involved in giving rating tests to keep more people involved. Building a connection between current and past members is important. Franny agreed to have stamps, paper and addresses at desk so that when someone comes in from a good sail they can be supplied with everything to write a thank you note to one of our alumni donors.
• Ratings will be coming back in importance. People on staff should know who is qualified to give a test. This doesn't mean anyone! In addition, the Boatswain's club will be revived and a few new members tapped by the current ones. The Boatswain's club is a transition step betweent the pavilion and MITNA, but is separate from both.

Organizers

Questions about this event should be directed to the organizer(s): MITNA Exec