Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Board Does Some Things Right


The latest minutes of the Minnesota Baseball Board of Directors are up and on the website at www.MNbaseball.org.  There were a few things that got my attention.  Number one, the agenda was on the website before the meeting and according to Dave Hartmann, the agenda will be posted a week before each meeting.  Hopefully, it will be updated right up to the day before the meeting.  Number two, the minutes were posted within two days of the meeting.  This is a great benefit to all that are interested in Minnesota amateur baseball.  Hartmann assured everyone that the minutes will be up within two days of every future board meeting. 
Hartmann also ranted about the Blogs and message boards around the state that "misrepresent" things in dealing with the Board.  The biggest thing that he spoke about was "secret meetings".  He mentioned meetings that were closed in preparation of pending litigation and also because the Board always met in private to choose State Tournament sites.  "If those are secret meetings, then so be it," he said. 

He is right.  Those aren't secret meetings and I have no problem with them.  What this blogger is concerned about is the wrong times and places that have been posted in the past for Board meetings, meeting and talking over things in an informal setting with no notification and being asked several times by Board members not to attend certain parts of meetings because it tends to inhibit some of the Board members in discussions. 
My view and I've said it over and over is:  All meetings should be open.  That is not to say that meetings are open discussions.  If you attend a meeting there should be no talking unless asked by a Board member.  If you want to discuss something at the meeting, you should be on the Agenda.  There is nothing that is discussed at a Board meeting that anyone involved in Minnesota Amateur Baseball should or could not hear.  If you are not comfortable expressing your opinion for all to hear, you should not be an elected Board member.

Hartmann also stated that he felt that "individuals should not put their personal agendas ahead of what is best for baseball in Minnesota."  I totally agree with that sentiment.  I have been an advocate for the Dundas Dukes since I started playing for them in 1975.  But my overall philosophy has always been: what is good for the State of Minnesota Baseball is also good for Dundas.  The State comes first. 
I don't think that the Board has paid enough attention to Class B in the past.  Then two years ago, the Class B teams got together, put in a lot of work and the result was a very successful year and tournament.  Last year the Board assumed all of the Class B duties.  I don't think things were thought out as well as they should have been.  Now the Board has a chance to add teams to Class B and work with the Class B group again.  Let's hope personal agendas don't get in the way. 

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