Meeting Minutes
August 29, 2009
Gretchen's, Hancock NH

Attendance
Executive Officers: Jason Ghelli, Scott Hatch, Tammy Van Gemert

Delegates/Alternates: Josh Schwalb (Baystate Jeepers), Chip Redmond (Berkshire 4Wheelers), Bob Cobb (Cape Cod Jeep Club), Mark Kosciukiewicz (Central CT 4Wheelers), Shawn LaGasse (Deep Woods Extreme), Ryan Schneider (Freedom Trail Riders), Mike White (Jon Fund), Joe Ostrenga (NE4WI), Bob Butler (NEJeepz), Clay Range (NEZR2), Doug Sarette (NEWJO), Steven Doherty (Northeast Jeep Org.), Marc Pouliot (North Woods Off Road), Rich Banfield (Patriot Jeepers), Roger Blank (Summit Crawlers), Tom Hasselmann (Twin State Jeeps ?n? Things), Brian Churchill (Vermont Jeep Org.), Warren Reynolds (Long Island Off Road), Mike Ramos (Mass Mudders), Rosco Brandt (NE4WI), Jon Wellington (Ocean State Jeepsters), Bill Watkins (Underground Jeeps), Tim Korade (Yankee Toys), Lyle Smith (Western MA 4x4)

Guests: Angel Matthews (Berkshire 4Wheelers), Tim Connors (Deep Woods Extreme), Tine Lane (Vermont Jeep Assoc.), Troy Lane (Vermont Jeep Assoc.), Ben Gagne (GMCOR), Rob Tracy & Jared Scerbinski (NTC), Meg Scampoli (Freedom Trail Riders)

Excused Absences: Pat Charron, South Shore Wheelers, Nexterra

Motion to accept minutes from previous meeting was unanimous.

On-Line Voting Results
No online votes to report at the time of the meeting.

Reports of Officers & Committee Chairs
At the start of the meeting Gretchen spoke about her proposed changes due to the new tax laws in NH. She will be removing the Field & Forest Recreation Area sign from the road and she has removed any public indication that she is operating a campground. Her intent is for the place to become a "private club" and she has asked the NEA to agree upon a name to refer to it as amongst our membership. After the Executive Officers spoke privately with Gretchen we have agreed to refer to it as Gretchen's and Jay has since made a formal statement on the NEA forum to reflect that.
Gretchen also informed us that she has ordered 20 new picnic tables and will need some help to assemble them. Cape Cod Jeep Club will be at Gretchen's for Labor Day weekend and they have volunteered to help with some of the assembly. Anything left will be done in preparation for Fall Crawl.

Treasurer's Report (Paul Regish)
Executive Summary:

Checkbook Balance: $12,498.63
+Paypal Balance: $7,111.66
=Total Cash Available: $19,610.29

The trails fund has a balance of $2,484.20, this amount is restricted within the balance of $19610.29.

The A4A fund has a deficit/negative balance of -$435.75


Discussion Details:

Most all income including Fall Crawl payments will be tailing off for the year. The balances we have will have to carry us through until Dues payments come around again or other fundraisers are planned. Fall Crawl (FC) Expenses are just starting to hit. Last year total FC were ~$7,900. Using a 1.35 growth factor we anticipate/budget FC expenses of $10,800 this year. The first line item paid for, tables and chairs was $400 over budget, nothing we could do about this, they undercharged us last year.

The way I see it is:
19,610 cash available
(2,484) restricted to trails fund
(10,800) FC budget
$6,326 operational cash available

There have been recent significant worthwhile expenses in the trails fund. If one more major project is taken on the fund is at risk of being fully depleted. It?s not a necessarily a bad thing the money in this fund is turned over, that is what it?s there for. However in this situation we must rely on the annual large donations of the DWE Truck show and the GAJR. It?s very clear to see how crucial these club donations are and how much we rely on them. Our Dues income alone does not cover operating expenses, let along trail and other special projects.

The A4A Jeep continues to cost us money, but it is not out of hand and so far has been relatively self-sufficient. Recent re-growth of member clubs donating work to the rig has revitalized the project. It would be fantastic to see a fundraiser for the A4A, it really needs it and I hope we are able to continue to fund the project.

To my recollection I believe there is a winch or two available for raffle at the FC. I would encourage all delegates when speaking to members about the event, to try to give them a gentle reminder to bring their wallets for raffle tickets. A 50/50 raffle I assume will also be held as usual. Profits of the FC the last 2 years have been $5,000 and $7,000 respectively. Again we are depending on these profits to carry us and the raffle sales are the largest boost to the bottom line that we have.

**Spreadsheets breaking out the Income & Expenses as well as current balances for the various funds were e-mailed to those who have signed up to receive them prior to the meeting.
If anyone would like to be on the mailing list to receive the financial updates they can post up on the NEA forum as well as PM or e-mail Paul.

Access-4-All Vehicle Committee Report (Jason Ghelli)
Following the last meeting the Jeep received a major overhaul by Twin State Jeeps n' Things. North Woods Off Road made a story board to be displayed with the vehicle so people know what the vehicle is for. Vermont Jeep Association also did some work on the vehicle as well as brought it to the Bond Auto Parts Show in Vermont. Tammy Van Gemert brought it down to the Trail Rex in New York. The windshield has also been replaced, leaving most of the list completed as far as our set goals from previous meetings. The registration has been renewed for 2010 and Tammy Van Gemert will be taking it to get a current inspection sticker prior to the Fall Crawl. The A4A Jeep will be wheeling at the Fall Crawl on Trail 1 and will be driven by Andre. Following the Fall Crawl the Jeep is scheduled to be at the Jeep Rally in September, and Boulder Bash in October. It was suggested that we look into attending the Race-o-Rama in March 2010 at the Big E. Jay noted that the Access-4-All Fund is negative and stressed the need for fundraisers for the vehicle. Brian Churchill suggested doing a 50/50 raffle at the various events it attends if it is permissible. Jay is thinking of contacting Clay Eagan who is a nationally known disabled wheeler to possible support the program in some way. It was noted that Clay is on Pirate 4x4 but Jay also has other methods of contact for him. Mike White noted that Jon Fund does a big food drive around December and they would like the A4A Jeep to be present this year.

Tina Lane from Vermont Jeep Association presented the NEA with a check for $250 towards the Access-4-All Fund.

An offer was made for a donation of BFG spares but at this time we are not in need of any.

MA Land Committee Report (Scott Hatch)
Rich Banfield mentioned his issues with Old Florida Road. While it was agreed that something needs to be done it was also noted that we need to be open to people's suggestions on the forum and that the presentation of posts also need to be thought about. Rich was questioned as to why he watched people use the go arounds and did not stop them. He stated that he could not possibly police everyone and he felt he had no control over it.

NH Land Committee Report (Scott Hatch)
Due to the abundance of wet weather, Scott has not had the time he would've wanted to be able to accomplish the amount of work that needs to be done. The weather has also wreaked havoc on some of the trails. There was recently a work day at Gretchen's and a crew was able to construct a bridge over one of the problematic areas of the Lake Trail. There is still a bit of finishing work for that bridge and one more bridge needs to be built and placed. Scott apologized for the mishap with the excavator and stated that he would in fact have paid for the damages if he was in a place to do so.
At the time of the meeting there was a scheduled maintenance day for the Swanzey property for the following day, August 30th. Details were reviewed for that.

Rhode Island Land Committee Report
Nothing to report.

Connecticut Land Committee Report (Michael Stevens)
Michael Stevens recently stepped up to take the CT Land Use Chair position and provided a report for the meeting.

Maine Land Committee Report
Nothing to report.

Vermont Land Committee Report (Brian Churchill)
We continue to develop private land in the northern part of the state.
Trail work has been slow with the weather being very wet. Use of class 4 roads shows more wear this year from all off road vehicles.

Recently illegal use of land belonging to the Green Mountain Club in North Troy and Richford (with a Vermont Association of Snow Travelers corridor) was brought to our attention via an email from a VAST trail coordinator.
While the coordinator outlined the damage and threatened legal action, requests for more information were unanswered. We also volunteered help in remediating the area, reviewed our tread lightly policies, and indicated that the likely hood of it being a VJA member was remote. At our most recent meeting we discussed what possibilities could have lead to this and how to handle issues that arise in the future. We also do need to police some of our newest members that may not have gotten the word as clearly as we would like them to have.

Ancient road identification and use is being worked on through VORA, coordinating projects where volunteers are available on a town by town basis. A survey over the winter identified several towns that want help, several that don't want help, and several that don't or won't be working on this at all due to funding/lack of interest/or no ancient roads in their area.

New York
Nothing to report. We are still seeking a Land Use Chair for New York.

Old Business
Provisional Clubs Seeking Full Membership (Jason Ghelli)
Green Mountain Crawlers was not able to do a run prior to the meeting so they will be shelved until the next meeting.
Nobody was in attendance for Vermont Expedition Society for the second meeting in a row so they will also be shelved until the next meeting.

Strategic Planning Report Discussion and Feedback (Jason Ghelli)
Delegates were given the chance to ask questions regarding the Strategic Planning Report that was presented at the last meeting. Pete Nason and Roger Blank, Strategic Planning Committee Members, were present to field questions. Jay stated that he still has concerns regarding the clubs being assigned with parcels of land. Others questioned the land assignments as well. Purchasing private land was also brought into the discussion. Lyle Smith stated that it seemed as though we needed to decide whether or not to adopt the report as a whole and then pick it apart rather than picking apart the details first. With that, Jay asked the Committee to reassemble, compose a "Strategic Planning Report for Dummies", delegates should review it and come back to the next meeting ready to vote on whether or not to adopt the plan and then work on the individual aspects of it. Scott Hatch suggested that the Strategic Planning Committee keep the dialogue in an open area of the forum to allow for feedback and for people to see the progression of their work.

Fall Crawl Update (Jason Ghelli, Scott Hatch, Tammy Van Gemert)
The registration deadline has passed but there are still open spots so people can sign up but they will not be guaranteed t-shirts. New registrations will be placed on open spots only, there will not be any swapping. We have allowed for "extras" with regards to shirts and food.
Scott Hatch called to get information on the dumpsters. The details for the dumpster - 10yard is the largest size for a standard Dumpster. The cost is $75 for the delivery and a flat $400 fee. Then the smallest roll-off is 15yard and there is the $75 delivery fee, $200 flat fee, and then $115 per ton. Tammy suggested we see if they offer any non-profit type pricing or sponsorship to get a price break/donation.
The tables, chairs, and bouncy house have been rented. Unfortunately due to a mistake last year we were not able to get the same price but Tammy Van Gemert worked with Ace Rentals in Keene NH to get the best possible rate for the rentals. They will be delivered on Thursday afternoon and picked up Monday morning.
We will need people to bring generators to be used for power for the main HQ tent for lights and other various power needs.

New Business
2010 Meeting Schedule (Jason Ghelli)
Since January's meeting would fall on the 2nd the delegates opted to push it back one week . Clubs have already volunteered to host the various meetings so the schedule is as follows:
1/9 -NEZR2 - Central MA Probably Worcester
3/6 - Mass Mudders - Magnolia Library Center, Gloucester, MA
5/1 - CCJC - Mass Maritime Academy
6/26 - VJA -
8/28 - Newjo - Gretchen's
11/6 - TSJN'T
Specific details for each meeting will be posted on the NEA forum as they become available. Please post these dates on your various forums and make plans now to be in attendance.

Shane Beard Award Voting (Jason Ghelli)
Jay briefly reviewed the Shane Beard Award and the nominees before passing out the ballots for the Delegates and Officers to vote. The 2009 Shane Beard Award recipient will be announced following the dinner at Fall Crawl.

LIOR November Meeting Hotel Room Raffle
As most Delegates should know, the November meeting is being hosted by Long Island Off Road, on Long Island. Ryan Schneider and Freedom Trail Riders have graciously offered up a block of rooms at the Fairfield Inn in Medford. Due to the fact that there could be more Delegates than rooms the original intent was to hold a raffle where those interested would have their names entered. The limit would be for one Delegate per club to enter. Jay stressed that he is going to be very strict regarding excused absences for this meeting. Based on the response at the meeting, a raffle was not necessary. Those indicating they would need a room for their Delegate were as follows:
Cape Cod Jeep Club, Twin State Jeeps n' Things, Off-Camber, LIOR, Central CT 4Wheelers, Jon Fund, Deep Woods Extreme, North Woods Off Road, NE4WI, and NEWJO.
Jay stated he will be in touch to confirm the information needed from each club.
Ryan stated that when people call to reserve one of the rooms in the block, they will need a credit card that the hotel will keep on file and they will only be charged for incidentals.

Ian Johnson Trail Ride Raffle
Josh Schwalby drew the winners/alternates, for both Jeep-specific and any make vehicles, which will have the opportunity to wheel with Ian Johnson from Extreme 4x4 on the day following the Great American Jeep Rally. Per the request of the Great American Jeep Rally Managers, the names of the winners will be withheld from the Minutes.

Fall Poker Run
This was added to New Business but was not discussed so it will be shelved for online discussion.

Open Forum
Mike Ramos announced a couple of upcoming events for Mass Mudders that are open to the member clubs. Their annual Pig Roast will be held in Gloucester MA on September 26th. Mass Mudders will also be hosting a First Responder's Course and they are opening it to the public. The only cost is $5 if at the end of the training people want to be certified. Mike will post up more details online and people can visit the Mass Mudder's website.

Rich Banfield offered up some tables he has for the NEA to have and use as needed.

Motion to adjourn meeting made by Joe Ostrenga. Second Bob Butler.

Minutes Composed By:
Tammy Van Gemert

Thanks Gene,