Minutes of the New England Walkers Annual Meeting
Sunday, October 13, 2012
Groton MA

New England Walkers members pledged support for the 2013 US-Canada Junior Racewalking meet, reelected officers, and heard a request for a new president to come forward next year during the club’s annual meeting Oct. 14.

Members reelected Tom Knatt as president, Ed O’Rourke as vice president, Justin Kuo as treasurer, Brian Savilonis as member at large and Charlie Mansbach as recording secretary. Upon reelection, Tom said his tenure as president has now reached 31 years and he would like someone else to step into the role a year from now.

Steve Vaitones furnished details of the US-Canada races, which will be held in late July or early August at the same East Boston site that was used for the 2011 event. The meet will mark the 25th anniversary of the series and may be broadened to include participants from other nations. He asked that NEW members help organize, promote, and conduct the races and take part in an all-comers race. Club members voted to set aside $500 to support the match.

Members also voted to allocate $200 to streamline and personalize the Jeff Salvage racewalking flier, adding information about our club and distributing it at races.

Steve, Ed, and Brian talked about updating our newalkers.com  website and our NEwalkers page on Facebook and asked that members offer thoughts on what is most needed to make the sites more effective. Bill said he would post information on upcoming races.

Charlie raised the question of whether to change our Grand Prix, which has grown to include more than a dozen events, most of them short, without creating a discernible increase in participation. Steve suggested an alternative of setting up a shorter series of races for walkers to complete during the year — perhaps a 3K, 5K, 8K and 10K.  Members’ thoughts are invited.

Steve told the gathering that the One-Hour National Championships will be moved to the spring next year — somewhere between late April and the end of May — because the national calendar is being revamped. The location is uncertain; if the Bentley track is unavailable, we will look elsewhere.

Those attending the meeting were Tom Knatt, Annie Montgomery, Bob and Hilary Keating, Bill and Joanne Harriman, Brian Savilonis and Ann Neuburg, Steve Vaitones, Ed O’Rourke, Bob Ullman and Charlie Mansbach. The meeting was held at Ed’s house in Groton, MA, preceded by the traditional untimed and unmeasured walks of the Groton rail trail and the traditional potluck lunch.

Charlie Mansbach

Ed O’Rourke is now the New England Walkers Vice President.

The New England Walkers elected officers for 2012, reviewed the upcoming calendar of races, and voted to support youth development activities during the club’s annual meeting Oct. 16 at the home of Tom Knatt and Annie Montgomery in Groton, MA.

Officers reelected were Tom Knatt, president; Justin Kuo, treasurer; Brian Savilonis, member-at-large; and Charlie Mansbach, recording secretary. Ed O’Rourke was elected vice president, succeeding Beth Katcher, who chose not to seek reelection.

Steve Vaitones reported on the US-Canada Dual Meet, an event for elite juniors held this past August in East Boston with New England Walkers support on many levels. The races, the course, and the logistics were well received by all, and Steve will look into hosting another international event at the site next year.

Justin Kuo reported in absentia that the treasury contains about $6,800. After a discussion of how to draw new racewalkers, particularly young athletes, NEW members voted in principle to spend $250 on T-shirts, books, and other appropriate materials to help develop youth participation.

Members agreed on a Grand Prix schedule for 2012 that essentially includes every judged race in our region, plus one slightly outside it, the national 10K championship in Albany. The other races are the Dartmouth Relays mile, the Greater Boston Track Club, New England Masters Indoor, New England Indoor, New England Outdoor and Bay State Games 3K’s, the Seacoast 5K, the New England Masters Outdoor 3K or 5K, the national one-hour, and the Connecticut 10K. Walkers may also include a result from one other national championship.

Tom Knatt reported that one-mile results from the 2011 Dartmouth Relays have been submitted for listing as national records in various masters age groupings.

Members agreed to pursue holding a clinic led by Olympian Joanne Dow of Manchester, N.H.

Bill Harriman told members that he continues to hold coaching sessions year-round on Tuesday evenings in Lexington.

Members discussed the appropriateness of letting lap-counters inform walkers of how many laps they have covered while the one-hour races are in progress. A judge halted the practice in this year’s race, then relented, saying that the issue will be discussed at a future meeting by USATF officials.

The meeting was preceded by informal racewalks of indeterminate distances on the Groton rail trail and the usual potluck feast. Those attending the meeting were Tom Knatt, Annie Montgomery, Steve Vaitones, Paul Schell, Ed O’Rourke, Bill and Joanne Harriman, Bob and Hilary Keating, Brian Savilonis and Ann Neuberg Savilonis, Rich McElvery, Beth Katcher, Ruth Karacek, and Charlie Mansbach.

New England Walkers Annual meeting Oct. 31, 2010

New England Walkers members agreed at their annual meeting to help sponsor and conduct the Canadian-American Junior Racewalking Competition next summer in the Boston area. Members also reelected officers, received a treasurer’s report, outlined a Grand Prix schedule for 2011, and discussed club clothing, possible racewalking clinics, and the best ways to recognize volunteers and sponsors.

Steve Vaitones told the group that the Canadian-American Junior meet has been held for the past 22 years, alternating between Canada and the United States, but never in Boston. The meet has a 10K for men and a 5K for women and allows unlimited guest competitors, which means that other areas that nurture young walkers, such as Maine and Ireland, could send participants. An all-comers race could be held in conjunction with the meet, with the race fee going toward the overall expenses. The date would be somewhere between the third week in July and the second week in August.

Many tasks lie ahead: finding a site, putting together a budget, scheduling such responsibilities as pedestrian control, coordinating meals, refreshment, and lodging, and managing volunteers. The club voted to declare its interest in helping put on the event and to commit $500 to the cause, and Tom Knatt said he would draw up a chart outlining duties for volunteers.

Tom read the club treasurer’s report submitted by Justin Kuo, which said we have $6,684.49 in our Sovereign Bank account, and then promptly collected $18 more from members who had been lax in paying their $6 annual dues.

Tom led a discussion about obtaining New England Walkers T-shirts and sweatshirts, which he said would make good gifts to race sponsors. Steve said he would explore sources of inexpensive clothing. Members voted to acquire clothing of some kind.

Members also voted approval of a list of Grand Prix races that includes the newly announced Eastern Masters Indoor 3K in Providence on Jan. 30, the Dartmouth Relays 1-mile, and our customary events: the Greater Boston Track Club and New England Indoor 3Ks, the Clamdigger 5K, the New Hampshire Seacoast outdoor 5K, the 10K Nationals in Albany, the New England Outdoor and Bay State Games 3Ks, the Eastern Masters Outdoor 5K, the One-Hour Nationals, and the Connecticut 10K. Competitors can also include a result from one other national or international race (such as one of the World Masters events in Sacramento next summer). Members also voted to solicit other events, especially one in Maine, to broaden the geographic range.

Members discussed having New Hampshire-based Olympian Joanne Dow conduct a racewalking clinic, perhaps at the Canadian- American meet or perhaps at the University of New Hampshire, where she spends much of her time. Tom said he would explore the possibilities with her.

Club members discussed whether to extend complimentary membership to those who conduct or volunteer at races. Beth Katcher said it is best just to thank people, and to waive dues for those whose activities bring in funds (such as volunteering at the Tufts 10K and the Corporate Challenge). On the subject of recognizing sponsors, veteran race organizers Steve Vaitones and Joe Light stressed the value of sending personal thank-you notes.

The club reelected its officers: Tom Knatt, president; Beth Katcher, vice president; Brian Savilonis, member at large; Justin Kuo, treasurer; Charlie Mansbach, recording secretary.

Present at the meeting were Tom Knatt, Annie Montgomery, Beth Katcher, Bill Harriman, Joanne Harriman, Bob Ullman, Joe Light, Brian Savilonis, Ann Neuburg, Ruth Karacek, Steve Vaitones, Paul Schell, Charlie Mansbach.

The meeting was preceded by informal 5K and 10K racewalks on the Groton rail trail and our traditional potluck lunch, hosted graciously as always by Tom Knatt and Annie Montgomery.

Charlie Mansbach