NorthEast Association of 4WD Clubs
January 09, 2010
Worcester, MA Library

Attendance:

Officers: Jason Ghelli, Tammy Van Gemert, Paul Regish, Pat Charron

Delegates/Alternates: Josh Schwalb (BSJ); Chip Redmond (B4W); Mark Kosciukiewicz (CC4W);
Ken West (CCJC); Tim Connors (DWE); Ryan Schneider (FTR); Mike White (JF); Warren Reynolds (LIOR); Dave LaMarch (MM); Joe Ostrenga (NE4W); Bob Butler (NewEJ); Karl Harmon (NEZR2);
Scott Hatch (NEWJO); Bic White (NEJs); Ian Schulte (NWOR); Rich Banfield (PT); Bob Sneesby (OSJ); Steve Lucier (OC4x4); John Price (SSW); Liza Snow (SC); Tom Hasselmann (TSJnT);
John Songy (UJ); Brian Churchill (VJA); Lyle Smith (WM4x4); David Morin (YT)

Excused: NorthEast Toyota Crawlers
Unexcused: Nexterra

Provisional Club Green Mt. Crawlers: Carlo and Matt

Club Members/Guests: Brian Klein (B4W); Karen Hasselmann, Dave Collise (TSJnT); Bill Watkins, Mark Shea (UJ); Scott Dollard (NEWJO); Ryan Frost (DWE); Kate West (CCJC); Eric Weybrant, Derrick Wiaderski (OSJ); Meg Scampoli (FTR); Jeremy M. (WM4x4); Scott Daigle (BSJ);
Marty Chacon, Robin Chacon (NEJ)

Quorum was present and meeting began at 10:10 am; started with introductions.

Mark K noted change to previous meeting minutes: CC4W racing date is Sept 19, 2010.
Motion was made by Bob B to accept the minutes, 2nd by Brian C. Unanimous.

Treasurer's Report
Noted that Paul posts reports online for the delegates to review.
The General Fund has $14,441, of which $3100 is the Trail Fund and $891 is for the Access for All vehicle. The insurance is paid up and club membership dues are will be due soon.

Jay noted that there are no updates to report for the Access for All vehicle, which is still at his house.
CCJC decided not to repair the winch power cables, instead they ordered a new one. Hand controls are being looked into, some pro and cons. The Jeep may soon be stored in Woburn, which should make it more central for access. It most likely will be at the Snow Run, but not sure who will be the driver. Brian asked if there will be a schedule posted on the forum for the A4A?. Liza offered Baystate Off-Road to install the front locker. Hand controls were questioned in regards to insurance. Bob asked if there is still a committee for the vehicle. Jay was not sure of the status of that, maybe new location (Woburn) will make it more central. Also, we should be using it more for it's intended purpose and getting it out to more non-NEA events would be good PR.

There was no online voting since last meeting.

LAND - Scott

No VT or CT land reports received by Scott.

New Hampshire
At this time all access to parcels of land that the NEA has access to in NH is closed until after Mud Season on or about May 22 unless otherwise posted.

Moose Mtn:
On 11/20 Jay and Bob had fully mapped out the trails on the property using a GPS. Information to be downloaded to a map ASAP.

Swanzey:
On 11/15 & 11/28 Scott Dollard organized bridge building on the upper portion of the new moderate trail. The trail is open however still needs to have some preventive maintenance done to a couple of sections as well as adding at least one bridge. There is currently a 16? fully decked bridge at the bottom of landslide that we can use in its entirety or make into two 8' bridges. There is also some concern about the off-camber climb up to the height of the land.

State happenings:
The next Statewide Trails Advisory Committee meeting is still on for 7:00 PM, January 12, 2010 at DRED, 172 Pembroke Road, Concord.

RTP Grant Writing Class:
Tammy, Mike White and Scott attended on behalf of the NEA. A couple of ideas have been posted on the forum for the NEA to take advantage of this program. Deadline for submissions is January 29th at 4pm received at the front desk of the NH Trails Bureau.

MapSix:
Scott still compiling a team of people interested in this program. He is making headway with exploring, documenting, and most important creating maps. If interested, please email him at shatch@nea4wd.org


Depending on snow pack Scott will have a scaled list of maintenance from most important to least for each of the properties by either the March or May meetings

Massachusetts
Gremlin Graveyard:
Open for snow-wheeling until March 1st. Property will be closed from March 1st to April 30th

Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
The DCR began the Forest Futures Visioning Process last spring to determine how best to manage the myriad public benefits and values of forest land within the agency's parks system. The DC is including the public in planning the future of state forests, the DCR will sponsor five public forums in February to discuss draft recommendations on the stewardship and management of forest lands within the state parks system.
These are on a Saturday:
10 a.m. to noon Feb. 6 at the North Adams Public Library, 74 Church St., North Adams
2 to 4 p.m. in Melville Hall, Room 201, at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West St., Pittsfield;

These are evening meetings:
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Westborough public library, 55 West Main St., Westborough;
5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Jones Library, 43 Amity St., Amherst;
5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Taunton Public Library, 12 Pleasant St., Taunton.

Rattlesnake Gutter:
Rumor control: currently no further developments in regards to this property getting the conservation easement. Winter rules apply for the property so please stick to the powerlines and stay off of the side trails where snowmobiles ride.

Old Florida RD:
With Mark Dupont's departure from our area we are looking for a new project manager for Old Florida RD. Scott would like to see someone local to the area with an understanding of our issues and the local political climate. General Land Use knowledge is big plus, but it can be taught and there are plenty of people that can lend support. Scott can also get the new project manager in touch with Mark so you can give you a feel for the situation, the people on our side, and the people to contact

MaBell:
No changes or updates

Coy Hill
John Songy has been speaking with and will be meeting with a MA EPO. AT THIS TIME THE STATUS HAS NOT CHANGED, nothing is definite or open but John is pursuing access to private land and the access to some of the roads.

Unmaintained Roads in MA:
Scott has a list of roads in MA that can and should be checked. We just request that we receive some type of a report back on these roads if you check them out. The listing is sticked thread on the NEA forum, under the MA section.
http://forum.nea4wd.org/viewtopic.php?t=2577

Rhode Island
Lakeview:
The actual town roads are open to vehicular travel, all the loops off of the roads are illegal.
Bob B noted that for RI, some town roads are available, but nothing really new

Vermont
Brian C. noted no update for VT.


OLD BUSINESS

Poker Run
It was a very good turnout for the November 14th event, in spite of the rainy weather. It was a 50/50 kitty divided between the best hand and the Hillsborough Food Pantry; $320 was collected at the run along with approx. 200 lbs. of food. When adding the $80 that was taken in at the Nov 7th meeting?s 50/50, the NEA donated a total of $400 to the pantry. A thank you letter was rec?d from the HFP thanking us for our generous donation.

Public Relations Update
A PR committee has been established. Dave Morin of Yankee Toys has volunteered to chair the group and Billy Watkins (UJ) and Roger Blank (SC) will be assisting. Jay read the job description, which is posted on the forum. Jay not sure of 2010 goals but Dave would like to do an assessment.
Scott would like to see the newsletter come back. Tammy has the template and she will send that to Dave. It was noted that Dave is a graphic designer. The NEA also has pamphlets, brochure and a member directory. Tammy will be sending Dave the templates for those also.
With having a PR committee in place, the potential for the NEA is unlimited. Dave would like to expand beyond the Association?s membership.
There is a PR thread on the forum and Dave is open to suggestions. Jay asked that at least one committee member attend meetings to do reports/updates. Dave would like PR to be self-sustaining.
A few attendees offered to be part of the PR committee, however, it was felt that three was a good fit for now, to get established, and then add more as needed.

Tammy asked about a web site plan. Jay did some research and it was discouraging. He did receive some suggestions from Johnny. Jay would like to see a paid service used so that the responsibilities fall on them, but that is too expensive. Dave is also a web site builder, he can look at that.

Final Nominations and Elections

President - there were no nominations and Jay was willing to stay on

Secretary - Liza Snow was nominated and accepted. Voted in unanimously.

Vice President of Environmental Affairs - Scott Dollard was nominated and accepted.
Voted in unanimously.

The terms start on February 1, 2010 at midnight. Liza will no longer be SC's delegate; Roger Blank will be take her place.

(Ed. note: as of 2/1/10, the executive officers will be: Jay Ghelli (Pres); Tammy Van Gemert (VP);
Liza Snow (Sec); Paul Regish (Tres) and Scott Dollard (VP-EA)


NEW BUSINESS

Great American Jeep Rally
Josh Schwalb spoke on behalf of the Great American Jeep Rally to thank the clubs that were involved. The committee plans to establish an e-newsletter. Special thanks to New England Jeepz for sponsoring the insurance. GAJR will be looking for an insurance sponsor again for 2010. If there are multiply clubs that volunteer, one will be ?picked from a hat? to be fair. Input, suggestions and volunteers are always welcome. Rich suggested advertising in magazine; it was noted that sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Josh mentioned that the Rally is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Recreational Trail Program RTP
Scott noted that a NH grant writing workshop that was attended by Tammy Van Gemert, Mike White and himself was very good. A RTP grant is something the NEA should pursue. The NHOVHA has a trailer for traveling to events. The grants are very specific in regards to procedures to follow and deadlines. Submission deadline for this year is January 29th at 4pm.



Some discussion followed about purchasing a trailer with RTP funding. The trailer could be used for travel and set up at events. Paul R. felt that the Association is not in a position to afford a trailer. Scott said the trailer would not be purchased until the grant is approved.
Lyle offered that insurance and registration should be considered as continuing costs.
Dave M. suggested a used trail to keep the costs down. It was noted that there are some down sides to buying used.
It is best for the grant to have as much information as possible, even pictures.
Tammy had brought in and passed around to attendees the grant application.



A motion was made by Brian C. to pursue a RTP grant as long as the additional cost is covered by donations. 2nd by Bob B.

An organization or club can apply for up to two grants per year. Trail would have to be used in an open access area, which for us, only the Swanzy area meets that criteria.
Mike W. was concerned that the motion was pigeon holing us, he would like a more open, general motion. Jay felt that the time limit was the reason for this specific grant.
Education is one of the purposes of the grant. A trailer would be an asset for our PR committee.
It would also not be used just in NH but also other NEA involved states. NH officials would very much like to see trail education.
Motion passed unanimously.

Lunch break 12:12:30 pm

Snow Run
The 2010 snow run will be taking place on Saturday, February 20th and will be using Wayne? World and Hancock class 6 roads. Jay is estimating cost to be approx $50, which includes a sweatshirt and supper. The Hillsboro Elks is already booked so another location is being sought. The Volunteer raffle will also take place at the supper. It looks like the 2009 prize will be a winch.
Recommended for this run: 32? tires and traction device or winch for the class 6 and 35? tires, traction devices and winch for WW. Scott is looking for WW trail leaders.
Rich brought up having a Snow Run in a more southern area than NH ? it is always in NH. The NEA would prefer not to have two venues on the same day. It was suggested that Rich organize it.
Rich said he would offer a snow run for up to 20 vehicles with no limitation on vehicle specs.
Scott felt that the most important thing about the Snow Run is giving clubs an opportunity to do winter wheeling. Rich would be offering a basic run no ss or meal probably just a $10 donation.


Remembrance
Jay would like to establish a Remembrance page on the forum for the members of our sport we have lost. Shane, Adam Hamel and more recently, Norman Wnuk. It could include a picture, a bio, their involvement in the community, etc. Attendees were agreeable.


Dues Increase

Paul noted that dues are currently $5 per person and have been since 2005. He mentioned that insurance has doubled and overhead expenses have increased.
Since the inception of the NEA, dues have not covered operating expenses. The Fall Crawl is our major money maker and that?s what keeps us afloat. If it is cancelled, we would be in red by close to $3,000. Dues should sustain our basic expenses and not depend on fundraising.
Opponents wonder if we can cut costs and would like to see accountability for the increase. Some clubs may not be able to handle an increase at this time as they have not had ample time to plan for one.
It was noted that going that a $5 increase would be going from $5 to $10, which seems high; a $2 to $3 increase was recommended.
Scott noted that at a 2007 meeting the delegates had decided to not increase dues and use fundraising monies to supplement dues.
In answer to how dues are determined, Scott said that a club?s previous year?s numbers were how it?s dues were based. Ex: a club?s 2010 dues will be calculated on it?s 2009 membership as of December.
The NEWJO delegate would like to see more discussion and suggestions. Jay felt that there has been ongoing (online) discussion for a few months now.

It was noted that a motion was made at the November 7th meeting to increase the dues from $5 to $7. The motion was tabled until the January meeting.( Jay read from the previous meeting minutes).
The motion was tabled until a Treasurer's report was supplied. That motion is still active and it does not specify an effective date.
Mike felt that the motion should stand, a $2 increase in reasonable for 2010 and have another $2 increase in 2011.
Rich suggested cost cutting, like maybe not attend SEMA. It was noted that there was no travel budget for 2009. We do have a $2000 travel budget for 2010.
Right now, to cover 2010 budget, a $2.73 increase would be necessary.
Some delegates suggested moving forward with a $2 increase for now and have future discussion for further increase 2011.
A $2 increase in comparison to national associations/organizations is small. Most national group start at $15 per person and go up from there.
Most speakers agreed that a $5 pp increase is best but felt a $2 one would be more workable for the clubs.
Paul noted that $5,746 was brought in by 2009 dues. He estimated that a $2 pp increase would bring in approx $2000. If there is a valid hardship for a club, the NEA is willing to work with them.
Right now the dues structure is: $125 covers the first 25 members plus $5 for each additional member over the 25. The increase would keep the $125 intact and increase from $5 to $7 the cost for each additional member over the 25.
It was noted that approx. 6 clubs would not be effected by the increase because they have less than 25 members.
The by-laws were checked for any dues regulations. No stipulations were noted.

Tabled motion to raise dues: 7 in favor 18 opposed. Motion failed.




Josh S. made a motion to have dues increase for 2010 to $7 per member or $150 whichever is greater and for 2011 increase to $10 per member and $225, whichever is greater. 2nd by Mike W.

Discussion included having the per person amount and buy in amount different, so it's not so limited.
Also preference to base the buy in back to a basic amount. Some felt the motion good the way it is.
The three smaller clubs were asked if a $175 minimum would be do able, response was probably difficult but ok.

Motion amended to $7 per member or $175 minimum for 2010 and for 2011 $10 per member and $250 minimum. 2nd by Mike W.

Scott felt that a $2 increase is not remedying the needed operating funds.
Mike W. noted that the $2 may not be enough but it is working towards decreasing the deficient without breaking the bank so to speak.
A $3 increase this year and $2 for next year was suggested. Additional fundraisers were again suggested and discussed as not dependable. The option to drop travel expenses would help the deficient.
It was asked if the 2011 increase would effect clubs. A few clubs felt it would. Mark said that CC4W does not use the properties, their interest is access to the insurance for two events a year.
Various discussion included eliminating minimum.
The new Region D has no 2010 dues. When East Coast4WDA existed, the dues were $15, with $9 going to the national organization and $6 to Region D.
We need to do what we need to do.
The motion was re-read and clarified that the minimum would still include 25 minimum members.

Motion passed with 18 yes 4 no and 1 abstain.

Jay asked that clubs send Paul their ending membership numbers so that Paul can send invoices.

The next meeting on March 6th in Gloucester, MA at the Magnolia Library is being hosted by Mass Mudders. There will be wheeling after the meeting, which is limited to 2 vehicles per club. If you are not wheeling, please let us know so the spot can be given to others.

On January 23, there will be a winter get together at Jay Ghelli's place with Pat as the guest of honor.
All are welcome. Bring your skates and/or sleds. Food to share is most welcome. The fun begins at 6 pm at 5 Jolicoeur Avenue in Spencer, MA.

OPEN FORUM

Lyle mentioned that jkowners.com was looking to do travel runs from Maine to Florida. Jay asked Lyle to forward to him. Bob B. said that he rec?d the notice also and Bob responded to them to contact the NEA. Lyle felt that they wanted the NEA to be informed.

Scott mentioned two items that were going to the 2010 NH Legislation sessions:
- Access to Jericho Park
- Definition of a 4X4 (for NH laws)

Josh asked Scott to post them once he has the legislation numbers.
Jericho is 7500 acres. They are in the process of building a campground, picnic area and ATV trails. It is a 5 year plan.

It should be known by March if the new venue for the Deep Woods Extreme Truck Show will work. The show takes place the third weekend of July .

Pat asked about revising the timetable of the way the Shane Beard Award is presented.
If the nominees are based on their actions of the previous year, why wait until the August meeting to vote and then present the award at the Fall Crawl when the year is almost over? Why not move it up to earlier in the year? Jay said that the previous year basis would only apply to NEA officers who are not eligible for nomination as long as they are officers. Other nominations do not necessarily need to be based on a specific time frame.

Motion to adjourn made by Karl H. 2nd by Joe O. 2:50 pm