Septmeber 1, 2013, Santa Barbara Polo Club
Attendance: Kate Ewart, Geraldine Stensky, Emma Stactowits, Vicky Owens, Alaex Hagen, Joan Burton Michael Farah, Daniel Walker, Russ Sheldon, Katie Graham, Tracy-Jane Dawson, Jef Graham, Paige Beard, Dr. Michelle Steuber, Melanja Jones, Jan Hart, Amber Owen, Scott Walker, Meagan Judge, Francesca Finato, Lyn Cobb and Denny Geiler
The meeting was called to order by Denny Geiler, Pacific Coast Circuit Governor. The minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
Introductions: Scott Walker: Lieutenant Governor for Southern California, Chairman of the Circuit Umpire Committee, member of the USPA Marketing LLC
Jef Graham: Lieutenant Governor for Northern California. Jef gave a report of the status of the USPA Clubs in Northern California.
Club Reports: Reports were given by each Club representative in attendance
USPA Report:
Financial: 60% of the license fees developed by USPA Properties are retained and invested so that the USPA would become self supporting in the event that the USPA clothing line loses public favor and the license fee income evaporates. Presently the investment fund is approximately $50 million and it is estimated that the USPA will become self supporting in another 6 years.
The USPA has an annual budget of $6.1 million. The general amounts for each category were presented.
Audit Committee: The USPA has developed a three person Audit Committee and Chuck Stanislosky of the California Polo Club is one of the three members.
Women’s Handicaps: The USPA has approved a Women’s hanciap system from 0 to 10 that will only apply to “women only” events.
Handicaps: Daniel Walker (USPA national handicap chairman and Santa Barbara Polo Club president) and Mike Uretz (Pacific Coast Circuit Handicap Committee Chairman) made a presentation about handicaps. Both stated that they encourage input by USPA members at any time. In addition, it was suggested that the Pacific Coast Circuit website could direct any communication regarding handicaps directly to Mike Uretz, chairman.
Team USPA: The governor reminded attendees that applications for Team USPA should be sent in now. So far there are more Team USPA members from the Pacific Circuit than any other circuit. In addition, it was suggested to contact Team USPA members in your region for assistance in presenting clinics, exhibition games and umpiring
PDI Deadline: Attendees were reminded that the deadline for filing applications from your club for PDI grants will be December 31st of this year. The comment was made that the PDI budget should be increased more than the annual increase of $25,000 because of the success of getting USPA money down to the grass roots of the sport.
Governor at Large Election: The governor at large election had just been completed with a good deal of e-mail corespondence. There were a lot of allegations by candidates and others which made it difficult to separate fact from fiction. The question presented was whether some type of rules should be established regarding e-mails by candidates and their supporters. Many felt that open communication was essential and if the recipient didn’t want to read the message, they didn’t have to open it. That being said, the majority was in favor of the USPA developing some standard questions covering the issues at hand that each candidate could answer. This would provid at least one uniform method of comparing the candidates.
One of the attendees stated that he thought it was unfair that some communications came from members of the current Board of Governors that used USPA in their letterhead, that the candidates that were endorsed by the USPA Nomination Committee were given stars next to their names and that the USPA is overly influenced by senior govenors who were members of too many committees (the Good Old Boys).
It should be noted that only about two thirds of the USPA nominated candidates were elected. I was on the Nomination Committee and I think the problem is with the process. I have suggested changes to the committees procedures that would cast a broader net among the members.
Perhaps the allegation of “Good Old Boys” may have been directed at your governor and it should be said:
- I am chairman of the PDI committee and the Pacific Circuit receives more PDI money than any other circuit,
- I am on the Finance Committee because I believe in the concept of investing 60% of our license income to become self supporting in the future and that concept is important to the future of the USPA.
- I am on the Tournament Committee and my vote has been instrumental in moving national tournaments from the East Coast to the West Coast.
- My good friend, Brit Baker who is the USPA Umpire chairman and who made a presentation to our Delegates Meeting last April, has worked with our Lieutant Govenor, Scott Walker, so the the Pacific Circuit has received more reimbursement funds that any other circuit.
- Close USPA friends, Kris Bowman and Charles Smith run Team USPA. The Pacific Circuit has more members on Team USPA than any other circuit.
- I am on the nomiation committee and was instrumental in apponting Chuck Stanislaski of the California Polo Club to the Audit Committee, the appointment of Scott Walker to the USPA Marketing board of directors and the nomination of Dan Walker to Secretary of the association which may lead to his being the first chairman from the West Coast.
- I am chairman of the Club and Membership Committee which brought Polo Skilz to the USPA as a member benefit and available to the general public. In addition, that committee developed the “First Year Free” program in order to develop new membership. In every year that I have been chairman of the committee USPA membership has increased.
- Communication to the circuit has never been better.
This is not a “one man show” and I believe the reason for the success from our circuit is that there are more members from our circuit participating in the USPA affairs than ever before. Pardon the “poloticking” but it gives me the opportunity to remind you that I am up for re-election next year and a vote for this “Old Boy” would be appreciated.
Umpire LLC: Scott Walker, Pacific Circuit Umpire Committee chairman, made a presentation on the Umpire reimbursemet system and encouraged each delegate to send in their applications for reimbursement.
Marketing, LLC: Amber Owns, USPA employee laison to Marketing, LLC, and Scott Walker, member of the Marketing, LLC, board of directors, made a presentation about the national marketing programs and the televising of the U.S. Open, the Argentine Open, and the Westchester Cup. Scott said that the USPA television program will be expanding and hopefully include the Pacific Open from the Santa Barbara Polo Club.
New Membership: There was a reminder about the First Year Free program. It was suggested that club delegates should be allowed to continue the paper application program because (1.) they can require the individual to sign the application immediately instead of hoping that when they return home from their first lesson they will go on line to the USPA website to fill out their application and (2.) it is the only way the club delegate can keep track of the new applicants. On line applications do not give feed back to the club managers.
Fall USPA Meeting in Houston:
Lifetime Membership: The governors will be considering a $2,500 lifetime membership
Club/Delegate Designation: Presently it takes 3 people of any type of membership classification to form a USPA polo club. Someone who has any type of access to a polo field or arena can combine with two junior members or foreign members and form a USPA club. If one of those individuals is a Registered Member ($150 member) that Registered Member would be the club delegate and have the same vote that a delegate who represents a 14 member club. A 14 member club would have members, lesson programs, clinics and other services that would develop polo players and membership. In fact, there are a number of delgates who represent a private field with no intention to develop polo players or USPA membership.
In order to rebalance that category of club delegate voting the governors will be presented with the suggestion that clubs with less than 6 members would not have a delegae vote. Clubs with 6 to 14 members would have 1 vote, 15 to 29 members would have two votes, 30 to 59 members would have three votes and clubs with more than 60 members would have 4 delegate votes.
In addition, the governors will be reviewing the question of what type of “access to a field or arena” should be required.
Austin Finch (Poway Polo Club) and Liam Lott (Santa Barbara Polo Club) deserve congratulations for representing the Pacific Coast Circuit in the finals of the USPA National Youth Tournament Series held August 30 to September 2 in Upperville, Virginia.
It was announced that the California Polo Club would be hosting the WCT National Women’s Arena Tournament in October.
Melanja Jones announced that tickets to the Pacific Open that afternoon are available to all attendees of the meeting and that Farmer and Merchants was hosting a tent for the attendees to have food and beverage while viewing the game.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Denny Geiler, Governor of the Pacific Coast Circuit