Club Meeting

An Anchorage Fencing Club meeting was held at John Matus' home on Sunday afternoon, August 13th, 2006. Around 12 members attended.

Minutes:

Motions offered:

• Offer an annual membership fee of $100 ($20 discount when paid as a single payment) as an alternative to dues of $10 a month. Passed.

• Submit an application for designation of the AFC as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Passed.

• Submit a fee for a municipal business license. Passed.

• Submit a request for listing as a contractor to provide fencing instruction for home school students with the Anchorage School District. Passed.

• Pay for the design of a club patch and the purchase of a minimum order of patches. Passed.

• Use club funds to offset the cost of travel and room for a club coach to travel with AFC contingents traveling to competitions out of town, when the contingent is three or more fencers. Passed.

• Expend club funds to purchase one decorative sword and one functional electric sword to be used as awards at a major club competition. Passed.

Club officer nominations:

• President: John Matus - elected

• Vice President: Wayne Hughes - elected

• Treasurer: Nikki Matus - elected

Treasurer's Report:

• The AFC treasury has a balance of around $2000

• The club expects an influx of funding due to the beginning of the new "dues year" for existing members on 1 August

• Around $1200 in club funds were recently expended to purchase two "pizza box" scoring systems

Attendance

Members in attendance: John Matus, Niki Stewart, Wayne Hughes, Dave Mushovic, Roger Hull, Nathan Hull, Rachel Hull, Tyler Edwards and the Edwards family, Carmen Bydalek, Hanne Willeck.

Agenda

1. Tournament schedule
2. Coaches travel to tournaments
3. Member recruitment
4. Non-profit incorporation
5. Membership fees
6. Club clothing
7. Patches and design

8. Other business

                  Quarterly membership gatherings

                  Supporting the development of fencers

Tournament schedule

Members discussed a proposed tournament schedule developed by John Matus.  The schedule includes a variety of weapons and formats.  John proposed that two of the tournaments, “Epee du Nord” and “Espada del Norte”, offer high quality awards to the top three finishers; a fine collectors sword for 1^st and other weapon replicas and gift certificates for 2^nd and 3^rd.

Dave Mushovic suggested that instead of collector swords, we offer working competition weapons; electric epees and foils.

Members agreed to look at a proposed budget for the tournaments to evaluate the cost and decide what the awards would be for these competitions.  John stated that the first year the tournaments could plan on not making money but that, over time, the appeal of the tournament would grow as it became more well-known.

Coaching program at national competitions

The membership voted to institute a new coaching program for national competitions.  The club will now offer to send a coach to Junior Olympics and Summer Nationals to support members in competition.  The Coach will chaperone junior fencers and provide coaching and competition guidance to all members who want the service.  The club will pay the coach's plane fare. The members who wish to have the Coach’s chaperoning and support will share the cost of the Coach's hotel room.  A minimum of three members attending the competition is required for the club to send a coach.

Niki has volunteered to coordinate hotel arrangements.