APPROVED MINUTES FROM MBF EXECUTIVE BOARD (EB) MEETING 15 JUNE 2006

I. MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING: Approved with one correction.  Glenn Pittman was the member who said he would purchase the patches, not Bill Bennett Jr.

II. MEETING LOCATION: Bass Pro Shops–Arundel Mills Mall, Called to order 7:05 PM

III. 2005 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Executive Board Members as follows:  President – Roger Trageser, 1st Vice President – Bill Bennet Jr, 2nd Vice President – Randy Dotson, Treasurer – Brian Cox, Secretary – Rich Welden, Membership Committee Chair – Jim Horn, Scholarship Committee/Youth Director – Jim Kline, Update Editor/Webmaster – Not present; Conservation – Scott Sewell, Sponsorship/Advertisement – Dick Brown: Others in attendance, WR Dir – Gunnar Beale, SR Director - Denis Schanberger, CR Director – Not present, NR Asst Director – Bryan Schwager. 

IV. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Ed Copenhaver ( CENTRAL REG TX COMMITTEE)

TREASURER’S REPORT: Brian handed out a financial statement and explained all aspects to the Board members.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

1. Membership: (Jim Horn): The MBF has 70 adult clubs with 745 members. There are eight youth clubs totaling 59 members for a final total of 804 members. Updated as of 17 April.   

2. Youth: (Randy) reported that all is ready for the Youth Potomac Invitational coming up on 18 June.  Upcoming events include the Jr Mr. Bass (26 August) and the Jr. SQT will be held on 16 September 2006.  Randy has asked all region directors to canvas their members for fishing related donations, lures, rods, reels, line, etc.  Contact Randy or Jim if you have donations. 

- Youth prizes: Due to very few items donated to date, Jim Kline asked the EB to authorize him to tap youth funds (a total of $1,500.00) to buy items for all three upcoming Youth tournaments.   All on the EB had no problems with Jim using the funds to purchase prizes.  Roger provided Jim and Randy with a special (25% off coupon) to use with the purchase of prizes.  

- Youth State team Jackets: Once again, CT/HX Engineered Repair Services has stepped up to the plate by donating embroidered jackets for the MD Youth State team.  Thanks to Jim Horn for engaging his employer to purchase the jackets for the youth state team members.

- Butch Ward Trophies:  Linda Ward contacted Jim to donate many of the late Butch Ward’s fishing trophies to the MBF Youth.  They were graciously accepted and will be used to recognize MBF youth members for tx victories and other fishing related milestones/achievements.  

3. Scholarship: (Jim Kline):  Jim has only received one scholarship application to date.  The cutoff date is for scholarship submission is July 31st.   Jim also reminded the EB that past scholarship awardees may submit again for the scholarship.  

4. Conservation: (Scott) briefed the EB on the following items:    

- Fish Habitat:  Scott has found a local Boy Scout troop that has agreed to make the Reef balls.  He is waiting to get a price estimate and then will submit a grant application.  (Reef balls are concrete fishing structures put under docks to attract fish.) 

- Black Bass roundtable: Has been cancelled.  The meeting will be rescheduled in the fall.

- Wheelabrator: will allow the MBF to use three tanks this year (vice the one tank previously provided) to manage the bass fingerling/stocking program.  This year, the DNR will be donating the bass fry for the stocking program.

- BASS/Congressional tx: Scott briefed the EB that four setup volunteers and needed on Sunday, 25 June.  The total number of MBF members that act as boat captains will de determined asap.  Several Congressional competitors and other cabinet officials will be present.  BASS did manage to get some Pros to attend, Aaron Martins, Chad Brauer, etc.      

5. Update Editor/Webmaster: (Dick for Brent): Brent needs articles and photos.  Dick also briefed the EB on two new adds for the Update that are pending.   Dick and Roger will be traveling up to PA to meet/talk with Joe Horvath about the Skeeter sponsorship program that the MBF has embraced for the past two years. 

6. Tx Committee Report: (Roger for Jamie). The next MBF Tx trail tx will be on the Nanticoke 15 July.  Deadline on applications, must be post-marked by 3 July.   

- State team meeting:  The first meeting of the MD State Team was held and contracts have been handed out/mailed.  Also, one of the state team members (Alternate) cannot fish so Roger is going down the SQT finishers listing to contact the next eligible member(s).   Roger has also provided B.A.S.S. with a basic outline of how the MBF would like to set things up for the Mid-Atlantic regional tx. 

- Mr Bass Lunker Check:  Western Region director petitioned the EB as to why a Central region member did not get a check for Lunker during Mr Bass.  No Lunker pot was even considered/established at the tx site at sign in, but wording on the application called for a “70 and 10” pot, $70.00 for entry and $10.00 for Lunker, as with previous Mr Bass txs.  After considerable discussion, it was decided that a committee would be established (1st VP, Tx committee chair, Western Region director and Southern Region director) to carefully scan the standing rules, and MBF tx trail applications for wording concerning the Lunker pot.   Also, it was discussed that as a result of two different methods of identifying and collecting the lunker pot for Mr Bass and the SQT, that future txs will collect the lunker pot on site, the morning of the tx.  The Treasurer will do some investigating as to who paid the full $80.00 to determine what the lunker pot money will amount to. The committee will report to the EB with their recommended modification(s).

- TX handbook:  It was strongly recommended that a Tx director’s handbook be established with specific detailed instructions/guidelines on how to run an MBF tx trail tx to include timelines, procedures to receive the payout checks and soliciting volunteers.  This will allow the SQT/MR BASS hosting region a ready-reference document to assist in planning the tx.

- Fines:  Also discussed was the amount of penalty fines owed the MBF by regions that did not supply enough “helpers” during the Mr Bass and the SQT qualifier.  Once again, the wording of the standing rule could be interpreted differently and will have to be looked at and recommendation(s) submitted on proper wording.

VI. OLD BUSINESS: MR Bass travel thermos’:  Suggestions on what to do with the leftover travel thermos’ from Mr. Bass was discussed with the following action:  The mugs will be donated to the MBF youth for their Jr Mr. Bass tournament.   

- SQT Patches:  Roger asked for recommendations on what to do next year as to not overspend on SQT patches. Several ideas were discussed with the recommendation of ordering the patches directly after the field for the SQT is identified and closed.

     - Federation nation patches.  Roger received confirmation that the order was received but nothing identifying when work would start and when they would be delivered.

- BASS Team Championship: Considerable discussion arose around how the teams will be formed, did the SQT identify the teams.  Should there be a separate tx to establish a team, etc.  Roger identified the need to establish a working group to investigate and come up with a course of action.  Item was tabled until next meeting.   

VII.  NEW BUSINESS: BASS/FLW:  Randy reported that he has heard that several states that have shifted over to the TBF and skipping out and trying to get back into B.A.S.S.   Roger also specified that he has heard the same rumblings.

VIII.  REGION REPORTS:  Southern: June and July meetings will be held at the Arby’s in Waugh Chapel shopping center.  Central: Team tx may be canx’d due to lack of participation, Western: NTR, Northern: NTR.

IX   MOTION TO CLOSE: A motion was made to adjourn, seconded and the meeting was

     called to a close at 9:29 PM. Next meeting will be held 20 July, 2006

     at the BPS Conference room.