The BSF Executive held a monthly conference call meeting on the evening of Thursday 12 February 2015. Below is a journalistic summary of discussions and decisions at the meeting.
Attendance
Present: Stella Ackrell (President), Mike Jennings (Treasurer), Liz Graham (Tournaments Officer), Mark Munnery (General Officer), Chris Moon (BASU Representative).
Apologies: Beth Perkins (National Teams Officer).
Guest: Bob Fromer (BSUK).
Financial matters
Much of the meeting was concerned with various financial matters.
BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings reported that BSF reserves and cash flow are around the level expected for this time of year. Traditionally, this is the time when BSF reserves are at their lowest, as expenditures are being made for the coming season but most affiliation fees will not come in until May.
The Executive approved some additional financial help, on top of the standard £500 National Teams Levy that goes to all GB Fastpitch Teams in ESF or ISF competition, for GB-based players in the GB Under-19 Women's Team. The team is competing in ISF World Championships this summer in Oklahoma City, and players and parents are facing exceptionally high flight costs from the UK on top of high in-country costs in the United States.
The BSF Executive has had a large number of applications recently for BSF Development Grants, as detailed in the last section of the report from the BSF AGM in February. A further application has since been received for help in training a group of local slowpitch umpires so that they can officiate at youth and adult fastpitch games in the East Midlands this season. The BSF is sympathetic to the need, and wants to ensure that this request is incorporated in BASU plans to develop fastpitch umpires nationally. In future, rather than accepting applications for BSF Development Grants on a rolling basis, the BSF may have a window for applications, possibly from January 1 through the date of the AGM in February.
Touring teams in the UK
The BSF has been contacted by an organisation that would like to bring senior (50+) men's slowpitch teams to the UK in 2016 for games and travel. The BSF will establish a dialogue to see if this can happen. A similar tour was hosted in the UK in 2014.
Meanwhile, the GB Management Committee has been contacted by three different American organisations that want to bring Under-19 women's fastpitch teams to the UK in 2016. The BSF is happy for the GB Management Committee to respond in the first instance to see if these tours can be coordinated to the benefit of the GB Under-19 Women's Team.
BSUK Committees
BSF Executive members participate on BSUK and tripartite Committees, and the most recent meetings of these Committees are reviewed during Executive conference calls.
There have been no meetings of the Governance, Finance, Commercial and Farnham Park Committees since the last BSF Conference call, but there was a meeting of the Development Subcommittee (DSC) during the week beginning 9 March.
General Officer Mark Munnery, who represents the BSF on the DSC, reported that the main items discussed were BSUK's latest “How Are We Doing?” quarterly review and the upcoming official launch of Hit the Pitch, BSUK's all-inclusive development programme to grow participation in the sports, scheduled for 1 April.
Mike Jennings reported that he has asked BASU Treasurer and former GBMC Treasurer Steve Getraer to assist him on the BSUK Finance Committee.
Website registration
Questions have arisen about registration forms and procedures in place on the BSF website for 2015, and General Officer Mark Munnery will work with Trevor Clissold at BSUK to ensure that there are no problems.
Meanwhile, invoices to leagues and independent teams for 2015 affiliation fees will be circulated shortly.
BSF Treasurer Mike Jennings reiterated that the BSF would like to see all of its affiliated teams register and roster their players on the BSF website, and that the BSF needs to push harder to make this happen.
Fees and insurance for non-BSF teams
The Executive discussed the issue of insurance cover for overseas teams coming to the UK to play in tournaments. Such teams may be asked to prove that they carry civil liability insurance in their own country and/or that their players have appropriate medical insurance or carry EHIC cards.
UK-based teams playing single-sex slowpitch that are not affiliated to the BSF (such as teams from US military bases or domestic teams that only form to play in the Single-Sex Nationals) will be asked to pay a one-off £25 affiliation fee, in addition to tournament fees, that will include insurance cover.
Next meeting
The next BSF conference call meeting will be in April.
Anyone with matters to raise at the meeting should contact BSF President Stella Ackrell.