Ithaca Babe Ruth Board

Monthly Meeting Agenda

THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS

OF THE ITHACA BABE RUTH LEAGUE, INC.

January 23, 2025

The Meeting of the Board of Directors (the "Board" or "IBRL Directors") of Ithaca Babe Ruth League, Inc.,a not-for-profit corporation duly organized and validly existing in the State of New York (“IBRL”), was duly called and held on  Month/Date/Time with a quorum of duly elected and serving directors meeting virtually.

Members in attendance:

  • Will VanDyke (WV) President

  • Brian Donato (BD) Vice President

  • Jeff Stulgis (JS) Treasurer

  • Ben Cosgrove (BC) Secretary

  • Erik Frank (EF) Registrar

  • Nick Antczak (NA) Cal Ripken Commissioner

  • Brian Walder (BW) Babe Ruth Commissioner

  • Mike Pieretti (MP) Travel Director

  • Katrina Blomquist (KB)    DEI

  • Gabbie Smith (GS)   DEI & Umpire Coordinator

  • George Tamborelle (GT)    Equipment

  • Dan Burke (DB) Fields

  • Kyle Gebhart (KG) Fundraising

  • Emily Workman (EW) Fundraising

  • Rusdi Sumner (RS)

  • Dre Alary (DA) Moved off IBRL


Minutes:

  1. Call to order, 

  2. Roll Call, Secretary

  3. Approval of meeting minutes: December 2024 Minutes and Addendum by NA

    1. Discussion: None

    2. Motion: GT

    3. Second: GS

    4. Vote: Voice vote unanimous

    5. Discussion: Archive of Board meeting minutes?

  4. Treasurer Report - Jeff

    1. Budget update

    2. 990 filing: Scriarabba Walker Accountant working on this

    3. IBRL Charter & Insurance: WV working on it, due Feb 1 2025

  5. Member Updates/General Discussion

    1. Current list of Board Members:

      1. Board Roles and Positions

    2. Discussion: Dre, Erik, Mike - Reset Terms

    3. Dre Alary

      1. Left IBRL as of 10/31/24

    4. Erik Frank

      1. Term 1 expired 10/31/24

      2. Term 2 initiated 11/1/24 through 10/31/27

      3. Vote: NA, GT, unanimous voice vote

    5. Michael Pieretti

      1. Term 1 expired 10/31/24

      2. Term 2 initiated 11/1/24 through 10/31/27

      3. Vote: NA, GT, unanimous voice vote

  6. President Report

    1. 2025 Chartering Update

    2. Review of By-Laws

    3. City Meeting - contract updates

      1. Discussion: Contract review, external advice?

  7. Additional Committee Reports

    1. Registrar

      1. Demographic data needed

    2. Cal Ripken

      1. Spring 2025

        1. Registration fee $185 (same as last year)

        2. Encourage scholarships for players that qualify for free/reduced lunch/SNAP

        3. Donation option: For scholarships and equipment purchases. GS will draft language on encouraging donations.

        4. Reminder: Fazio scholarship fund for hardship circumstances.

      2. Game Knows Proposal - Erik

        1. Sunday rentals 2 hrs $250 40 players, 

        2. Plan: 2 hrs for each age group on Mar 23 and Mar 30 (4 hrs rental on each day)

        3. Add on to Cal Ripken spring program

        4. Does not replace Try Baseball

    3. Babe Ruth

    4. Travel

    5. Field Maintenance

      1. Batting cage nets 

        1. Install (DB) in late March/early April?

      2. Meeting with the city - Field Updates - Jeff and Will

      3. Field Work for Spring 2025

        1. Waiting on feedback from city attorney about work contracting for city lands

        2. Need to speak with ICSD as well

    6. Facilities & Equipment

      1. Batting Cages Nets

        1. Consider purchasing vinyl backdrops to preserve batting cage netting

      2. Uniform Plan

        1. Reduce hat purchases

        2. Baseball Purchasing

    7. Diversity and Inclusion

      1. Try Baseball Event(s)

        1. Looking at Sun March 9?

        2. Locations: Considering BJM, GIAC, Cornell, The Rink

    8. Fundraising

      1. Dick’s Sponsorship and Sales Weekends

    9. Events and Tournaments

      1. 13-15U Spring Event/Scrimmages?

      2. NA will follow up with BW about Babe Ruth Quad County program

    10. Communications

      1. Website Updates

      2. Facebook/Instagram, all social media?

      3. BC will continue to post on Facebook

    11. Umpires

      1. GS will organize a pre-season training with inputs from BC, BD, NA

      2. Considering hiring trainers such as scholastic coaches, winter training coaches, Cornell student volunteers

    12. Coaching

  1. Unfinished Business

    1. 2025 Calendar Look Ahead - Lock in dates

      1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hpUNf7fXOOyXlN7p27mIA0TCVsYeJS8nEnDZFVvQIO4/edit?usp=sharing

      2. Open the Registration Window

    2. 2025 Chartering

  2. New Business:

    1. none

  3. Announcements

    1. none

  4. Next month's Agenda

    1. Set a date for the meeting

    2. Proposed Topics

  5. Adjournment:

    1. Discussion:

    2. Motion: NA

    3. Second: JS

    4. Vote: Unanimous voice time

    5. Time: 9:38pm