Executive Meeting Minutes April 15, 2025

Executive Meeting

April 15, 2025

Present: Warren Duckworth, Aaron Holland, Paul Cone, Lloyd Kitchin, Bob White

Absent: Nicole Shedden (Report submitted by email)

Treasurer: Sarah Paisley

Secretary: Dianne Duckworth

RVP and DG: No present

Meeting called to order: 8:06 PM

• March meeting minutes: Motioned and approved
• Secretary’s Report: Dianne Duckworth
  1. 2025 February membership 380; and March membership: 400
  2. Create a monthly by year (2021-Present) on membership numbers – sent to ExCom
• Treasurer’s Report: Sarah Paisley
  219. January to March 2025 P&L: Total Income- $30,219.00, Net Income- $15,045.77
  220. March 2025 Balance Sheet: Total Assets $160,717.0
  221. Sandusky has paid in full of their loan for National’s 2025.
  222. The taxes for the past years have been about 300.00 to have our taxes done, but now the cost is up to $500.00
• First VP’s Report: Aaron Holland
  1. NATIONALS
     1. Sandusky
        • Sandusky is working on details for the photographer and Vakaros pricing and a class contribution
        • John Howell and Jesse Shedden on a memorandum on the understanding
     2. Future Nationals – Reported by Paul Cone
        1. 2026 Eugene Nationals- Trying to connect with Marty re: Eugene Nationals

• Second VP’s Report: Paul Cone
  1. Brought up the idea of possibly sending a hard copy of the Bagpipe to all fleets to help to promote the class
  2. Continuing discussions about improving Bagpipe and website cross-pollination.  Updating website to fix broken content and add new. Dan Winchester’s information on rigging has been added to the website.
  3. Still working with an established boat builder in the PNW on becoming a new Thistle boat builder.
  4. Warren is working with Beacon Composites to purchase Thistle mold inventory.
     1. Alex has given us a price for his equipment
     2. The Thistle Class will need an itemized list of Alex’s Thistle Boat equipment before payment

• Will need work out the transfer and storage of the molds.

• Third VP’s Report: Lloyd Kitchin
  1. Paul Abdullah has asked Lloyd if the TCA would be interested in testing out new sail designs. Lloyd talked to Chris Pollak about the earlier time TCA tested new sails and Chris doesn’t feel it would be worth it for the class to test new sails.
  2. Planning to talk with Matt Fisher about Boat Grant Program
• Chief Measurer: Bob White
  1. The items to be measured at National’s has been posted
  2. RaceSense software check and mounting will be done at Measurement
• Past President’s Report: Nicole Shedden
  1. Membership marketing campaign: Started drafting a poster to promote TCA membership, particularly associate.
  2. MWE trophy deeds: TCA has the deed for and owns both crew trophies (forward and middle). I asked Craig Smith if he can send the rest of his old TCA paperwork in hopes it has more deeds (or other helpful info).
  3. Sail at districts is the qualifier: I think it’s important to put more coverage on this decision in the Bagpipe. The  addition to the published meeting minutes included just enough, but we should have an article that goes through the decision-making process (why this came up at MWE 2024 in the first place, the ExCom having to decide if sailing another district qualified someone, overview of Doug’s document, general pro and con arguments, why the “any districts” decision was made, etc.).
  4. Regarding the test sails at regattas conversation from last month:I asked Kat Mahaney to search her Bagpipe database for anything that comes up regarding “test sails,” “sail testing,” “experimental sails,” etc. She should have an answer to me soon.
  5. MWW follow-up: Is there a plan to have a debrief meeting with the MWW organizers to see if they were happy to have the regatta in 2024 and would like to continue?
• President Report: Warren Duckworth
  1. The GB Draft meeting minutes to be posted on the website and the Bagpipe
  2. Vakaros devices will be provided for the Women’s and Jr’s Nationals
  3. The Endowment Fund- John Howell is working on getting it under management
  4. Strategic Initiatives
     1. Asking ExCom for ideas for promoting Endowment Fund donations
     2. Boat Grant Program
        • TCA Boat has been assigned to Riley Read for 2025
        • TCA email went to all Fleet Captains about the Fleet Boat Program- 2 fleets have responded
     3. Boats and Parts – Doug Labor has completed the sale of his mast business to Alan Boat Works. TCA will be asking Alan Boat Works to produce a mast so that it can be measured.

• Old Business
  1. KEMP document no updates
  2. Financial proposal document being updated with some more ideas after the Governing Board Meeting. Document is live and ExCom has access.
  3. Key Event Management Plan: Remove section on Regional and it can be published with a watermark.
• New Business: None
• Next ExCom Meeting: Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 8:00 PM (ET)
• Adjourned 9:43 PM (EST)