Friday, October 8, 2004

The State of NBUA

By Rich Connors
Secretary

The Board of Directors held their final meeting before the October General Meeting on Monday night. Below is a listing of some of the projects the Board completed successfully during the past twelve months:

Assigning. No problem loomed larger for the membership one year ago than solving the many assigning problems from the 2003 season. By any reasonable measure, 2004 was a huge success. The Board's actions this year restored the confidence of our membership as well as our customers.

• Over 5,200 games worked
• Over $460,000 in Umpire earnings, with more billings left to do
• Only 1 game in which no umpire showed (In a 1-man JV game, our umpire got involved in an automobile accident on the way to the game.)
• We had two games where we only had one umpire and two were scheduled.
• That's 5,197 games where NBUA was perfect!   Ok, 99.94% !

Getting our Members paid.   Because the assigning records were in such disarray, it was a monumentally difficult task to bill our customers last year.   Our Treasurer worked overtime to reconcile what records we had to get the billing out.   All Board Members worked cooperatively to fast track the collection of receivables and get our Membership paid as quickly as possible.   This season, draws and final payments to umpires have gone seamlessly.   The process for paying umpires has been simplified and the need to mail in "game sheets" has been eliminated.   The limit on the number of draws has been eliminated while at the same time making 100% of an umpire's net earnings available, subject to cash on hand.

Website and enhanced communication with Membership.   It's hard to believe, but just one year ago, in October, 2003, our NBUA website still listed the training dates for the previous February. Now, our website is professional and up-to-date with current news and association documents including Bylaws and Board of Director Meeting Minutes. NBUA has become transparent and open to the membership more than ever before. Here are some of the advantages for our Membership:

• Check for open games without waiting on hold
• View your updated schedule
• See earnings updated daily
• Members contact information updated continuously and interactively
• Enhances communication among members, customers and potential new members

Umpire Fees were Raised/Percentage Withheld to be Reduced. Fees for the 2004 season were raised. The Board will announce at the October General Meeting how much the percentage to be withheld from Umpire pay will be reduced for 2005.  This will put more money in your pockets.

Evaluations.  Do you remember the days when you had to wait until the next season to get your peer scores from the year before? Now, that seems like a distant memory. We get our peer scores every two weeks. Our evaluation process has been modernized and streamlined. Fifty-eight formal evaluations have been completed, an increase of 65% over last year.

Recruiting and Retention. More than 40 new recruits received training this year. One Rookie worked more than 150 games, several worked more than 90 games. This was one of the largest rookie classes in NBUA history.

Bylaws Revised. On Oct. 4, the Board approved the second update to our Bylaws this year.

Voting made easier. Voting by email was allowed for the first time this past election. Online voting has been approved for the upcoming election.

New Assigning Software Purchased and Implemented. New Assigning software was analyzed, studied and purchased to enhance the entire assigning process from inputting games to billing our customers.

NBUA training was reorganized and improved for 2004.

Relationships with customers restored. NBUA reestablished its Liaison committee. NBUA credibility was restored after a successful 2004 season. Regular contact was made with our customers, which allowed NBUA to follow up on any concerns before they become problems.

Sweeping changes implemented in NBUA Accounting Procedures.  For the first time in NBUA's history, checks and balances were put in place to protect the assets of the Association.

Uniform Regulations. NBUA Uniform Regulations were liberalized, allowing more choice for Members.

Jack Miller named President Emeritus. The Board of Directors unanimously voted to name Jack Miller, retiring from the board following the upcoming election, President Emeritus, a permanent, non-voting position on the board.

2004 has been a year of accomplishment for NBUA.  The Association's financial health is better than ever. If you have questions or concerns, send an email to one of your Board Members.

Submitted Respectfully by your 2004 Board of Directors:

Steve Hilgendorf , President
Jack Miller , Vice President
Rich Connors , Secretary
Ken Sack , Treasurer
Gavin Anderson
Gary Coy
Scott Johnson
Dave Natali
Jay Neff