• In the correspondence there is an application from Quakers Hill to join Hills. The Executive has met with representatives of Quakers Hill. While we understand Quakers Hills’ position however the situation is not as clear as we would like.
• Blacktown has also voted to leave Cumberland. What their intention is we just do not know. The remaining clubs appear loyal to attempting to rebuild Cumberland.
• BNSW are meeting with Cumberland tonight (Tuesday).

Attached to this report is a list of games which remain un-played. The cut off date for replay of washed out and mid week games is 7 February. No doubt some games, as usual, there will be games not played.

There will be trouble with having Youth League games replayed. Some teams have three games to ‘catch up’. With State Team training, playing mid week is out of the question.

With the representative Youth League now in hibernation until January/ February it is time to suggest that team make up the washed out games by playing Friday and Sunday? The teams are used to juggling the pitching restrictions on Fridays.

• There is a game in Youth League that causes me concern.
• On 11 October Winston Hills were scheduled to play Quakers Hill. Winston Hills sought a deferment as it was unable to field a team, despite the date being a normal day Hills would play. They did so without any reference to Hills. That game remains un-played as of to day and in reality there is very little chance that the game will be played before Christmas.
• As such and as it already exceeds the accepted period for the replays of one month for washed out or postponed games it is recommended that the game be awarded as a forfeit to Quakers Hill.

The equipment has been ordered for the Holiday Competition to be conducted in January.

• Games will commence on 8 January, 2009 and be played on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning. We have allowed for six teams, but in reality I doubt that we will get enough players for six teams. The minimum age will be of 10 years of age (as at 31 December); although no doubt there will be dispensations. The competition will be completed by 31 January, 2009 so as not to impact on the regular competition.
• The tournament team/s will be for 11 and 12 year olds only… no exemptions will be sought for younger players to be allowed to participate.

 It is December and yet we are still considering dispensations. There is one dispensation tonight from Winston Hills for a nine year old boy who is legally blind to play Under 9. The other request is to vary the precedent to allow a younger players to catch.

The Holiday competition will have an effect on the January Camps.

A number of alternative dates have been considered but we finally have settled on 14th to 16th January for the first camp (preferably for 9and 10 year olds) and 21st to 23rd January for older players. Both camps will concentrate on hitting and throwing. Cost $50 per camp. A minimum of 12 players will be needed for the camps to proceed.

We may run an open two day hitting clinic the week ended 10th January for approximately 12 to 15 players. Cost of that clinic which will involve a professional player would be $50.

The finals of Under 12 and 14 will be held this weekend. We have received no advice as to venues or times. What an organization! I am not all that confident in either age group. The Under 12 has a hard draw but really brought that upon themselves after losing games to Ryde and Cronulla that they could and should have won.

The Under 14 qualified first in their pool but are not playing particularly well. The team is better suited to individual games rather than a round robin competition. Our lack of depth in hitting will be Jeff’s main problem.

The Under 14 Association Cup team finished second in that competition. The result was a little disappointing when you consider that the team led nine runs to one after two innings only to lose 12 – 11. Raff reported that ‘silly’ errors were costly. Having said that Cronulla deserved their victory, the teams played three times and Cronulla won all three games.

We have commenced our visits to clubs. I have been to Carlingford to conduct a pitching clinic for its Under 12 team. We will utilize Trent Oeltjen to assist in the final preparation of the Under 12 and 14 teams this week before venturing to the smaller clubs over the next fortnight. We also can gain contacts for some after school centres. We will visit one of these centres tomorrow afternoon.

While we are worrying about Quakers Hill and destruction of Cumberland as an Association we are ignoring the plight of several of our clubs. An Action Plan to grow numbers has to be done NOW and not in August.

• Look at these numbers and not feel shiver down your spine.
  • Schofields 73 players - 23 T Ball 50 Live Ball
  • Hawkesbury 54 players- 11 T Ball 43 Live Ball
  • Oakville 51 players- 19 T Ball 32 Live Ball
  • Kings Langley 46 players- 9 T Ball 37 Live Ball
• In these four clubs there are only 62 T-Ballers. The overall split in Hills is 493 x 10 years and younger and 559 older than 11 years of age. That is 53% of our players are in live ball, which is not a statistic you really want.
• Schofields really should go back to play its T Ball teams out of the School– that is, or at least was, their base. I think the more central you can play the games to the players’ homes the greater the chance of both attracting and keeping the players in the sport.

The appeal against John Chapman’s suspension and loss of game was not heard by the JLSC at its October meeting. It was a breach of the JLSC protocols. We were forced to seek a stay of proceedings to allow John to coach the team pending the appeal being heard. The protest over the result of the game now makes no difference to the team’s position in the competition. If the appeal fails then John won’t coach again unless the team qualifies for the grand final.

After a little bit of agonizing it was decided to split the Under 17 Competition into two competitions – North and South.

• North has five teams, Kellyville, Schofields, Hawkesbury, Winston Hills and Carlingford. South has four teams Schofields, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill and Oakville.

We have commenced our visits to clubs. I have been to Carlingford to conduct a pitching clinic for its Under 12 team. We will utilize Trent Oeltjen to assist in the final preparation of the Under 12 and 14 teams this week before venturing to the smaller clubs over the next fortnight.

Progress with the Club Championship and Incentive Shield is as follows. It was as at 22 November...

[Data not available]

Mr. Yard also suggested that the format for the Hay League final series be altered. With now only three teams in the competition, the proposal is that the three teams play a round robin final series with the two leading teams after that round robin, playing in the Grand Final. It will need very clear rules to split tied teams in case of each team winning one game each.

Business arising from the Secretary’s Report:

• Mr. Frew reported that Oakville is encountering difficulty in organising a washed out game against Baulkham Hills in Leonard North.
  • Mr. Yard advised that Hills will set a date for the replay.
• Quakers Hill v Winston Hills Youth League. It was agreed that the game to awarded to Quakers Hill on forfeit.

The Secretary’s report was accepted.

 Mr. Yard reported on the November meeting of NSWJBL where the Cumberland situation with Quakers Hill wanting to change Associations was discussed. The concern being if Cumberland ‘folds’, who will develop the area?  It is quite conceivable that it will be lost to Baseball. The change to allow Manly to enter Little League after the date nominated, had passed.

Mr. Whatson advised that the minutes of the November JLSC meeting had been distributed. Mr. Yard raised matters on the Agenda for December meeting which included:-

•  Level 2 Accreditation for Youth League Coaches in 2009,

• Scorer accreditation required for Scorers in SJC in 2009,

• Mandatory attendance of SJC coaches at TIP sessions.

Problems for Hills and other Associations will be what if they do not have the personnel that have the required qualification.  As for attendance of SJC coaches at TIP. Hills coaches for 2009/10 will not be appointed until July, 2009.

Mr. Whatson was instructed to vote against those three proposals.

• Statement of Financial Position was presented.
• Payments were approved.
• Debtors and liabilities were disclosed.

Dispensations  -  There was a dispensation request to allow B. O’Brien to play Under 9. The dispensation was approved.

 Kings Langley sought approval to allow a nine year player who has dispensation to play up in Leonard South, to catch.

• Mr Yard advised that the usual practice is not to allow players with a dispensation to pitch or catch in live ball OR play pitcher or first base in T Ball.

• The dispensation was approved 2 votes to 1, with four abstentions.

Proposed changes to Hay League final series  -  the suggested concept for the final series was agreed to. 

Make up games on Sunday for Youth League  -   the concept was agreed to.

Quakers Hill   –   Mr. Yard advised that the Executive had met with the representatives of Quakers Hill (Steve Arnold & Mark Scully).  Peter Schmidt has issued a copy of the Hills Presentation. Since that meeting, Quakers Hill have formally applied to join Hills.  In doing so it has failed to meet with Greater West, which is disappointing as it is against what the club had said it would do. It had met with Ryde, which we understand was not overly enthusiastic to Quakers Hill joining Ryde.

Mr. Yard stated that Hills criticized Ryde for taking Stealers and Kissing Point, which led to the demise of North Shore. As an Association, Hills believes in the boundary policy that NSWJBL had in place and saw Associations both had a right and responsibility that the boundaries provides. There is a risk that if we do not accept Quakers Hill then BNSW may decide to redistribute the areas and create new boundaries. It was stated that clubs have to be aware of the effect that Quakers Hill joining Hills could have on both Schofields and Kings Langley.  This is an obvious concern.  It is understood that Workers may also wish to join Hills.  The situation is anything but clear.

The matter is to be taken back to the clubs for discussion before any vote is considered.

Ground closures  -  Mr. Yard asked that in wet weather, clubs are to report whether their grounds are open or closed.  In the wet weather in November it was very difficult to provide advice to visiting clubs when the home clubs just did not bother advised the status of the ground..