CALL TO ORDER
President Sharon Cockerton, acting as chair, called the meeting to order at 10:10 AM.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA
MOTION: GEOFF CAMP /  PAT NIBLETT
To accept the agenda.
CARRIED.
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES
Sharon to e-mail Bruce regarding corrections to minutes of November 8, December 13 and January 17.
MOTION: GEOFF CAMP / CHARLIE LANE
To accept minutes as corrected.
CARRIED.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
CONSTITUTION: PAT
No report
STRATEGIC PLAN: SHARON
Sharon requested that each committee head e-mail her by the end of March with one objective for this year.  Following receipt of the objectives a strategic plan shall be formulated.
NOMINATIONS: CHRIS (NOT PRESENT)
No report
FINANCE: DARLENE (NOT PRESENT)
No report
MSC: GEOFF
1) NATIONALS   ( with input from Pat )
Registrations has reached 411, slightly below the anticipated registration at this time.
Hotel space is being booked and available space is now limited.
There will be a break after the  breast and before the fly events each day, to give the officials a break.
 Start and estimated finish times are:
  Friday  6:00 PM / 10:15 PM
  Saturday 9:00 AM / 4:45 PM
  Sunday  9:00 AM / 4:15 PM
  Monday 9:00 AM / 4:30 PM
Morning warmup in the competition pools shall be 2 one-hour periods; 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM and 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM split by gender and alternating each day.
Plaques and stickers shall be awarded rather than medals and ribbons
2) WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES
Charlie contacted Eldon Godfrey, Canadian Representative to FINA, requesting that FINA recognize records set  by registered masters swimmers at the Calgary 1997 WPF games and the WPF games to be held this year in Stockholm.  In Canada records can only be set at sanctioned meets.  A requirement for sanction in Canada is that all swimmers must be registered as masters swimmers which was not the case at the WPF games.  Geoff has contacted Walt Reid of USMS who responded that USMS would classify the games as a "recognized " event, providing that the conduct of the meet was in order, and would forward records to FINA for recognition.  MSO feels that if such is the case MSC should change their rules to mirror USMS.  Geoff is waiting on a reply from Walt Reid and will bring this matter to the MSC meeting at Nationals in Ottawa.
   (see attached correspondence)

3) Gay and Lesbian Games 2000
Geoff has received a request for MSO to support a bid for the Gay and Lesbian Games to be held in Toronto in 2000.  After discussion it was agreed that Geoff would write a positive reply offering support for the swimming portion only and that MSO would be pleased to sanction the meet providing all current sanctioning criteria are met.

Communications: Ralph
MSO files from Charlie and Geoff have been passed on to Ralph to maintain.

Membership: Sharon
Reports from regional reps are still being submitted.

Marketing:
No report but Charlie shall consider the task of contacting possible corporate sponsors.  Sharon will contact Barrie regarding the inclusion of a flyer on the web site to promote corporate sponsorship.

Web Site:
Some items are out of date such as the next MSO meeting date.  Sharon will contact Barrie.

Fitness: Grant (not present)
Fitness Clinic is to be held at the Etobicoke Olympian April 17.  Details are on the Web Page,( www.sentex.net/mso/fitness03.htm ).  Registration forms are to be mailed this week by Bruce.

Competition: Cheryl (not present)
No report.  Lesley requested that meet entry forms request the swimmers age and birth date as results are being submitted with the swimmer’s age on the day of the meet rather than on the 31st of December.

Rules: Pat
Pat had been asked if the Age Group rule of a minimum of 14 minutes between events for any one swimmer applied to Masters.  This rule does not apply to Masters.

Officials: Pat
No report

Statistics: Lesley
Lesley is working with Michael to sort out file structures and addresses.  When in order they will be sent to Barrie for inclusion on the web site.
Three meets have been entered.  No results have been received from Kenora.

There has been difficulty with ages in results not agreeing with the registered birth date.  Birth dates should be added to entry forms and invitations should stress that the race age is the swimmers age on December 31st .  MSO recognizes that during the year of transition there will be some confusion.

Sharon is to send a note to Barrie advising that the stats are in the works and to request that the name and e-mail address of club contacts should be added to the web site.

Provincials: Charlie
No bids received for 2000 but there has been correspondence with Tim Doherty in London.  Chris Cowan also in London has being trying to generate interest. There is only one pool but warm up could be achieved by, breaks, one lane set aside for continuous warm-up separated by double lane markers, or one end used part time for warmup.  The change rooms and gallery are small but it was agreed that the facility could handle Provincials.  Sharon is to write Barrie to add request for Provincial Bids on web site.

NEW BUSINESS
Legal Action against MSO
Sharon advised that the issue has been taken over by the insurance company and is out of MSO hands.  Geoff asked if the insurance company was treating the claim as from MSO or SO.  Sharon advised SO.( Swim Ontario).

Handbook/ President’s Editorial
The handbook is to be mailed the week of March 29th.  Cost was $4344 for 3000 copies plus an overrun of 130 copies.

Bruce’s time
Sharon shall request from Darlene the breakdown of Bruce’s honorarium.
 
MOTION:  LESLEY MASON-WARD / CHARLIE LANE
To improve delivery of minutes and to save mailing costs that minutes be e-mailed to clubs.
CARRIED.

After discussion it was suggested that this procedure come into effect next September.

Answering Machine
Approval was given fro Bruce to purchase an answering machine with a ½ hour tape, call answering and other features for $100 or less.  Geoff will advise Bruce.

PST
Sharon will ask Darlene to explore if MSO, as a non-profit organization, is tax exempt (PST and GST).

Insurance for underage master’s swimmers
Darlene has been investigating and Charlie agreed to contact agent for clarification of coverage.

Officiating at sanctioned meets
Charlie expressed concern at the lack of Blue or Green officials on deck at a meet.  Ralph expressed concern regarding the expertise of some timers and therefore the reliability of those times.

It was suggested that Cheryl in the meet sanction should emphasize the rule book requirement for the minimum complement of officials and the requirement for at least one level 4 on deck.

Correspondence
Offer from Joan Santomero of Courtice Masters to assist in compiling statistics.  Pat wrote to Joan saying that she and Lesley Mason-Ward are still in the process of the changeover from Michael Stroud but would keep in touch. MSO appreciates her offer.

Chris Cowan of London through Michael Stroud inquired about club fees across the province.  Ralph has sent an e-mail to Michael.  MSO does not intend to initiate a club fees survey.

Patti Riley, Orangeville and Sue Robertson, Etobicoke through Michael inquired if the rotation of circle swimming in practices should be in the opposite directions in adjacent lanes?  MSO does not set rules or suggest guidelines for club practices.  Ralph is to reply to Patti and Sue.

NEXT MEETING
May 2nd, 1999
10:00 AM
Lesley Mason-Ward’s home
Prescott, ON

Directions to follow
 

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 2:35 PM

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source : mso minutes; updated : 1999.04.24; file : minutes22