Voting Members Present: Mark Priddy, Jeanne O’Kon, Peg Griffin, Tom Perkins, David Yon, Mary Jean Yon, Lisa Unger, Kory Skrob, Robert Skrob, Judy Alexander, Philip Sura, Jo Lena Pace. Voting Members Absent: Heather Vickers, Herb Wills, Tina Bahmer, Stephanie Liles-Weyant, Kendrah Richards, Paul Guyas. Non-Voting Members Present: Jerry McDaniel, Bill Lott, Mark Tombrink, Mike Savage, Allen Blay, Bill Hillison.

I. Opening and Introduction: The meeting was called to order by Mark Priddy at 7:00. A quorum was established. The December 2022 agenda was approved without objection. A motion to approve the October 12, 2022 and November 9, 2022 minutes was made, seconded, and passed.

II. Old Business/Closeouts:

a. Cleveland Mile: Peg Griffin reported for the race directors. The race received revenues of $599.42, and expenses of $442.25, for a net profit of $157.17, with 100% of the net profits to GWTC. In addition, direct donations to the Chenoweth Fund were received. A motion to approve this wrap-up was made, seconded and passed.

b. Turkey Trot 15K/10K/5K/1m: David Yon reported that the Turkey Trot will close with $143,108.70 in revenues and $84,433.29 in expenses, for a net profit of $58,675.41. David also reported that he expects sponsorship checks totaling $4,500 from CHP and Church at Southwood, which are not reflected in the race close out but are included above. The amounts to be given to each of the three charities, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, Kearney Center, and the Refuge House include what was donated through the Hero program; each will receive at least $14,668.85, representing ¼ of the net profit, in addition to donations made and allocated to the charities by race registrants. David requested permission to have the final checks for the charities issued after the remaining sponsor checks come in, without having to request another approval from the board. Some expenses, such as not doing the Turkey Trot magazine, saved money overall. The motion made to approve and issue the full checks upon receipt of the two sponsor checks was seconded and approved.

c. GWTC 10 Mile/5 Mile Challenge: Mark Tombrink reported revenue of $3,531.27, and expenses of $3,948.85, for a net loss of $417.58. He noted that absent the cost of recertification ($1,260), the race would have made a profit of over $800.00. A motion to approve the closeout was made, seconded and passed.

d. Approval of the 2023 Grand Prix Schedule: Mark Priddy mentioned that the previous schedule was approved at the November Board meeting; however, there was not a quorum at that meeting. Motion was made to approve, was seconded, and passed. Peg mentioned that the Grand Prix Policy statement indicates the number of Youth races should be 5-7, and there are eight on the Youth schedule. This will be kept in mind for the Grand Prix Committee for next year.

e. Election Process: Mike Savage thanked Paul Guyas for the work he has done for the past years in running the Board election. Mike indicated that the process went very smoothly this year. Mark Priddy will take over the process for the coming year. Motion was made and seconded to approve the election results. Motion passed.

III. New Business:

a. Bowlegs 5K 2023 proposed budget: Bill Hillison provided a brief history of the event and proposed a 2023 budget with a revenue of $3,000 and expenses of $1,250, for a net profit of $1,750. The final profit has traditionally been donated for student scholarships. A motion was made to approve this proposed budget, seconded and passed.

b. GWTC 30K/15K 2023 proposed budget: Zach DeVeau communicated via phone. The proposed budget reflects revenue of $4,250 and expenses of $4,037, for a net profit of $213.00. He reported that the Bradley’s rental cost of $1,000 will be kept constant for now. A motion was made to approve this proposed budget, seconded and passed.

c. Timing Issues/replacing or repairing mats: Bill Hillison requested funding for replacement or repairs on the timing mats. Ten years ago, 36 mats were purchased and 1/3 are now defective. Nearly all of the mats are used for big races like Turkey Trot and Springtime. Over time, the Club has earned over $90,000 in revenues from timing races. A few mats can be repaired. Bill requested $5,000 for purchase of new mats. New mats are about $650, and it is $335 to repair existing mats by replacing the antennas. David Yon made a motion allowing the timing crew to spend up to $10,000 as needed to replace and repair mats. Motion was seconded and approved. The funds will be taken out of the reserve fund. Robert Skrob and Mark Priddy committed to working with the timing equipment in 2023 for some races. Peg pointed out that the equipment utilizes an old software program which works with the current mat system. Some discussion ensued about the system utilized by RunSignUp and whether club members should learn it.

d. Request for new communication process: Jerry McDaniel said that he met with incoming Vice-President Jennifer Hay to discuss whether or not to try to improve the current club communication system. He proposed a possible model whereby the Club could send out text messages to club members. There are software models for this type of communication. Members would have an opportunity to opt out of text messages. There are too many e-mail communications and it may be a more efficient system. Only quality contact would be sent this way. There is an initial loading issue and a maintenance issue to remove members. Jo Lena asked if all club members could be added to the Google group for e-mail messages. Robert Skrob mentioned that permission usually has to be obtained from members to contact them by text. A monthly e-mail to members is another option. Jerry would like to have someone in the club to research the idea. The RunSignUp option should also be investigated because they may be able to send texts. This will be re-visited at the January Board meeting.

e. Extreme Challenge: Mark Tombrink pointed out that John Baughman has completed every GWTC race and he will be honored at the Annual Awards meeting. Mark has had another non-member inquire about it as well. He requested a $300 budget to maintain the program in 2023 and use for awards. Motion was made and seconded, and passed.

f. GWTC 365: Mark Priddy reported for Paul Guyas. The program has not been approved yet for 2023. Paul’s e-mail indicated that each singlet would cost $35.00. About 7-9 people participated in the program. The program started pre-Covid but then had to be shut down. The program can take place over a 12-month period, not necessarily a calendar year. The discussion is tabled until a future meeting when Paul is able to attend.

4. Announcements from Officers:

Reports sent to Board Secretary for the Board minutes: Jeanne asked that if any Board member has a lengthy report presented at the Board meetings, it would be helpful to send her the report by e-mail to make sure it is correctly included in the minutes.

5. Reports:

a. Treasurer: Peg Griffin reported that the net assets as of 11/30/22 are $188,389.58. The net loss as of 11/30/22 is $34,724.93. The club received a deposit in the amount of $122,940.78 in early December from RunSignup. The amounts are getting closer to where they were previously. There will be a decrease of revenue in 2023 due to the limited number of non-club races that will be timed.

b. Triathlete Club: Kory Skrob reported that the Tri Club recently had their election of officers and Board members for 2023. The new officers are: President: Eric Trombley Vice President: Beverly Harrell Past President: Kory Skrob Secretary: Melissa Urrutia Treasurer: Signe Ulsamer. The Tri Club Holiday Party is on Dec. 19th at Feather Oaks. Twenty-two members attended the Flash Daytona triathlon. The Duathlon is March 5th and the charity is Sportsability. Robert and Kory may incorporate a “Challenge Relay” in the event.

c. Race Director Coordinator: Mary Jean Yon reported that she and David recently met with officials at the Leon County Emergency Operations Center to discuss the high costs of EMS services for club races. Various ideas were discussed for how to provide proper medical staffing for our races while minimizing the amount of time an ambulance is on site, particularly at shorter races. Certain parameters, such as the hourly rate charged and the minimum amount of time the EMS teams are onsite, are stipulated by the Leon County Commission and cannot be changed by the Operations personnel. Ideas such as having a registered nurse, doctor, or physician’s assistant present during the race and willing to serve as medical directors, have some merit. The meeting ended with agreement among all parties to explore ways to decrease costs.

d. Newsletter: The Fleet Foot deadline is Dec. 20th. Two members have submitted articles for publication for the December issue.

e. Membership: Jo Lena Pace reported that there are currently 1,235 members (1,236 last year at this time), and 698 households (658 last year at this time). The Google group has 76 members.

f. Diversity/IRC: Jeanne reported for Gabrielle Gabrielli. Three IRC kids ran in the Turkey Trot. One of the young men entered the 10k but ran the 5k by accident and finished in the top 10. Gabrielle wrote FAQs about running with people with disabilities that were published in Fleet Feet this month. The committee is looking at doing outreach at the Soul of the Southside event on May 13, 2023. Representation continues to improve with Chika doing an excellent job working with David on the Turkey Trot PSAs and with lots of participation and pictures of runners from the organization Black Girls Run. The committee is brainstorming more outreach efforts to reach underserved populations.

g. Education and Lecture: Eric Draper spoke at Growler Country. There is no event this month. Mark Tombrink will take over the responsibilities in January.

h. Web site: No report.

i. Chenoweth Fund: Some new donations have come in.

j. Merchandise: Jeanne reported for Laura McDermott. Felton Wright has requested a new Marathon hat for 2023. Laura hopes to have the new Marathon logo to help create a new hat.

k. Equipment: Bill Lott reported that at the Turkey Trot, the clock at the 1-mile mark would not work. It appears to now be working properly. Bill will continue to monitor it. At a race on December 10, the small one-sided clock stopped working about halfway into the race. Vicky Droze and Bill are in the process now of trying to determine the problem. His initial analysis is that the battery may not be holding a full charge and may need to be replaced. There are no other issues to report at this time.

l. Chip Timing Report: Last month during November, GWTC chip timed three non-Club (Memorial to Memorial Veteran’s Day 5K; National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Half Marathon National Championship; and Brewtallaty Offroad Duathlon) and two Club races (Rex Cleveland Magic! Mile; and Tallahassee Turkey Trot 15K/10K/5K/1 Mile). Scheduled for December are three Club races (GWTC 10 Mile/5 Mile Challenge; Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50 Mile/50K/Marathon; and Tannenbaum 6K). Starting in 2023, only GWTC races are currently scheduled to be chip timed. For January, that will include three races (Swamp Forest Trail Quarter Marathon/Half Marathon/20 Mile; GWTC 30K/15K; and Bowlegs 5K.) During the NJCAA Half Marathon National Championships, one of the timing mats failed during the race. At the Tallahassee Turkey Trot, another timing mat also failed. Luckily, both failures were discovered early in the races and actions were taken to minimize the lack of a working mat. Currently, only seven of the 16 newest model V4 mats work and the others are showing wear from use. Sixteen of the older mats work, but are constantly separating. Three separated at the Tallahassee Turkey Trot. A different type of adhesive will be tried to determine if it performs better that the one currently being used to bond the two mat sections together.

Bill Hillison requested that a conversation start about the Marathon in 2024. He distributed a report showing the number of participants in the Marathon and the Ultra Distance Classic since the year 2000. He suggested offering just one Marathon, instead of having one with the TUDC also. This will be addressed in a future meeting.

m. Social: Mark Priddy reported for Tina Bahmer. She hopes to avoid a date conflict with the Ultra in 2023. December 18 is a possible date for the Christmas party, and a new location is being considered. The Annual Awards meeting will be held at Goodwood on January 8, 2023.

Motion to adjourn was made. Meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Jeanne O’Kon
GWTC Secretary