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Minutes 2023
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association November 1, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Jen Stanton, Pat Lardner, Danny O' Shea, Ron Entriger, Deb Britt, Cheryl Thompson, Rich Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Peter Hill, and Pat Lardner Meeting called to Order at 7:00 by Frank Approval of minutes from October: There was a motion made by Steven seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from September: There was a motion made by Steven, seconded by Jen, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Steve said there was nothing new to report. Frank asked whether we should continue to bring this up or to just hand out business cards. Steve moved to table this until necessary. Jen asked about sending articles to the media. Frank said he sent in articles and did not hear back from the newspapers, but could try again. Frank said he would revisit sending the article at the February meeting. Boat ramp denials - Frank asked whether there has been progress. Steve suggested that doing this in the off season would be ideal - Frank said we will table the letter until Chuck can be involved. Ongoing Updates: Membership report Gary sent his report ahead of time. Frank asked whether we could do anything to increase membership. Rich asked when new memberships go into the next year - Cheryl said she thinks it is when the season ends. Conservation Pat and Ron both said they had no updates. Frank asked if there were more water chestnut pulls, and Ron said he would keep us updated if so. New Business: Movie Night - Frank said it is late to schedule in-person events, so it will be remote. He said the date is usually the regular general meeting date, which would be November 21. He said he will set up the Zoom meeting for 7pm. Pool Rolling Practice: Rich said the price has gone up a little and we would like to offer 5 sessions. The cost would be $1350, but we would recoup a lot of the cost with 80% turnout. Frank asked how much club would be subsidizing: Rich answered that it depends on how many attend, but about $27 per person if we had 100% attendance. Frank asked whether charging $10 might cause lower attendance. Peter asked whether this includes insurance and Rich said it does not. Steve said that because we have a new insurance carrier, we may be paying a different amount per paddler anyway. There was discussion about how to collect the $10 is PayPal or at the door. Rich suggested that we could also charge for insurance. Frank said he was not sure about expanding the number of sessions at the same time that we are adding costs, and suggested that we ask the YMCA if we can schedule 4 sessions with the option to add the 5th if we have the demand. Cheryl said that because part of our mission is safety, it would be okay if we lost some money to promote it. Rich asked whether he could sign the contract with the YMCA if they are okay with this. Frank made a motion for him to do so, which was seconded by Danny . Steve said the sooner the better for us to get the insurance certificate to the Y and get the dates to the ACA. PO Box - Frank said that we will revert back to how it was before we had a PO Box. This is because we have to pay about $10 per check received when you do the math for how much we pay for the box. Frank is willing to have mail go to his home address even after he is no longer president, so club mail will now go there. Resumption of In-Person Meetings: Frank said someone had inquired whether we will bring these back. Rich said we are entering the holiday season, and people don’t want to get sick at a meeting and then go to holiday gatherings, nor vice versa. Steve said that we could use a masking protocol when danger is higher. Pat said we could reevaluate this for the next general meeting after Movie Night, which is in spring anyway. Pat suggested we might be able to use the WPWA facility and have a hybrid meeting. She said that the Kayak Centre is another location idea. Rich said this could be combined with a spring sale and unveiling new items. Pat said that she will ask the WPWA if we can use the room. Cheryl said that the club donates every year and are members. Sharon said we could donate enough to achieve the level of membership that lets us use the room if need be. Upcoming General Meetings: November 21 - Movie Night on Zoom - Frank said this is now set for 7pm. Santa Paddle - Pat said that it is December 2. She requested reimbursement for candy canes, and asked whether it's too soon to put this on the message board. She said she would like RSVPs so she knows how many hats to make or bring. Sharon made a motion to allow $106 for candy canes, and Cheryl seconded this. There was a unanimous vote. Frank said we could put it on the message board now and add a reminder later. Open discussion: Steve said that the holiday season is upon us, and that he wishes all of us the opportunity to be surrounded by the people they love having the time of their life this holiday season. Frank seconded this and there was a unanimous vote. A motion to adjourn was made by Steven seconded by Frank, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:48 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association October 4, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Jen Stanton, Pat Lardner, Danny O' Shea, Ron Entriger, Erik Eckilson, Gary Powers, Cheryl Thompson, Rich Coupland, and Chuck Horbert Meeting called to Order at 7:35 by Frank Approval of minutes from September: There was a motion made by Steven seconded by Jen, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from August: There was a motion made by Steven,
seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Steve said there was nothing new to report Picnic Jen said she got good feedback on the food. The paddles were canceled due to weather, and the ceremony was held indoors. Rich said he awarded the trophy to Cat before the swallow paddle on Sunday. Jen asked if anyone had feedback about the picnic food. Rich said he likes potlucks for added interest and engagement. Pat said that we have enough campers so that we could heat food up. Cheryl said that it was a lot of work cooking, and arriving early, in years past. Erik described a cook-off done at his church, where chili or chowder are made and brought as a competition. Jen asked about bringing food that would have to sit in the car during the paddle if it had not been canceled. Chuck said that the box lunches are easy and that this year's leftovers were good - and added that there is cleanup to consider. Frank said that we could revisit this topic in January. Boat ramp denials - Frank asked whether we got a reply from DEM - Chuck said he had sent an email about this and read it during the meeting. Chuck contacted Jason McNamee, who directed him to Phil Edwards. Chuck said that there is actually no guarantee for boaters' access. He said DEM does not own the Bowdish boat ramp, but Parks and Recreation does. The agreement expired and no access agreement could be found. A new agreement was made. Access is unhampered between the last weekend in October to first weekend in April. Beach Pond is a similar issue where there is an access agreement between Parks and Recreation and Fish and Wildlife. Chuck said he will send the email for attachment to the minutes. (Please see attached after minutes). Steve said he felt that this was not a good trend as we lose access to places to paddle. There was further discussion about access, trailer spaces, and ticketing. Gary said that he spoke with Sheldon Whitehouse who was an advocate for canoeing and kayaking, and offered to send him a letter. Chuck said that being federal, he would not be able to make a difference on this issue. Frank said he would follow up with Steve and Pat to draft a letter on this topic. Ongoing Updates: Membership report Gary sent his report ahead of time, and said the biggest change from last year is that 1/3 as much pay by check. There was a discussion about PayPal, 2-step verification, and paying as a guest. Conservation Pat said she had no updates - Ron said he is in Florida and has nothing to report New Business: Spot X Account Chuck described the Spot X service, what comes with it and its insurance, and said that Erik recently used it and was made the designated user for that trip. There was discussion on allowing members to use the device for non-club wilderness trips, with or without reimbursement of the monthly fee. The consensus seemed to be to allow members to use it for wilderness trips without reimbursement, as part of membership benefits. Upcoming General Meetings: Oct 17 - Zoom - Erik said that Bob is set to present on Broken Skull. He asked a Chuck to moderate a discussion about wilderness tripping and make an introduction. Open discussion: Erik brought up movie night and whether it would be in person or remote. Gary had brought up a venue in Pawtucket. Steve said he would encourage keeping an eye on COVID rates as he has seen a huge surge at work recently. Frank echoed it. Cheryl said that last time Bill checked into this, the venue was expensive. Rich said he is starting the process of arranging pool sessions. He asked if we would like to have a fifth session, since the four were solidly booked, and perhaps have attendees pick up some of the cost. The cost to RICKA for the 4 sessions was $896. There was discussion about demand, cancelation, and having participants pay online ahead. Pat suggested that we use a signup like that used for the picnic to have participants reserve spots. It was decided to offer 5 sessions and have there be a fee. A motion to adjourn was made by Frank, seconded by Pat, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 20:44 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie ........ Letter from Chuck to Frank regarding access issues: Hi Frank, FYI, I contacted Deputy Director Jason McNamee last Friday, and he directed me to talk to Phil Edwards, who is chief of Fish & Wildlife, who maintains and manages both boat ramps and is aware of the issues. I'll describe what I now know and you can decide (or bring to the board) a proposed course of action, if any. The first thing to know is, despite what Skye and Steve thought (and I at first also thought) there is no State statute guaranteeing unfettered access to boat ramps. Not even public boat ramps. Fish and Wildlife receives federal dollars to build and maintain access sites for fishing and boating, and is obligated to keep the boat ramps on property that they own and control open 24 hours for boating and fishing. But in the case of George Washington, they do not own and control that boat ramp. It is owned and controlled by the Division of Parks and Recreation, and had an access agreement with Fish & Wildlife to maintain it. And when Parks and Rec changed their Rules to limit access to campers only, Fish & Wildlife was caught by surprise...and no one could find any access agreement. Likely it expired and was not renewed. So Fish & Wildlife told Parks and Rec that without an access agreement, they would no longer maintain or repair the boat ramp or parking area. Well, Parks and Rec doesn't have the staff or equipment to do that either, so they worked with Fish & Wildlife to come up with a new access agreement. Thus was born the pilot on-line reservation system. Fish & Wildlife could not negotiate anything better, so we're probably stuck with it. However, one useful nugget of information: access will be unhindered when the campground is closed...so, trips could happen, snow and ice conditions allowing, any time for any group between the last day of October and the second Friday in April. Which isn't much, but is something. Beach Pond is probably a bit easier to deal with but has similar issues. Again, while Fish & Wildlife operates and maintains that boat access, they do so under an access agreement with Parks and Recreation. Fish & Wildlife staff it during most of the boating season Thursday through Sunday 8 amto 6 pm. Staff are instructed to allow anyone with a boat into the gated area, if the non-trailer parking spots are full. They would just ask non-trailer cars to double up. But, usually there are spots available, if only in the overflow lots nearby. Unfortunately, this same lot is used by hikers, so it can get busy. The beach is closed to the public now, so at least there are no longer beach crowds to deal with. Even if only overflow lot spaces are available, all boaters are free to park near the ramp, unload their cars and boats there, and then go park.
So that's what I have to share. It does not appear that we have any legal recourse. We do have a sympathetic ear from Phil, but he does not have too many options at this point to improve matters. It could be worse. Some states require an annual fee and sticker to use any of their public boat ramps. -Chuck Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association September 6, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing
Present: Frank Cortesa, Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Jen Stanton, Deb Britt, Pat Lardner, Peter Hill, Rich Coupland, Brenda Rashleigh, and Chuck Horbert
Meeting called to Order at 7:00pm by Frank
Approval of minutes from August: There was a motion made by Steven seconded by Jen and there was a unanimous vote to approve
Approval of the treasurer's report from June and July: There was a motion made by Cheryl, seconded by Steve, and there was a unanimous vote to approve
Old business: RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Frank asked if there were any updates. Rich said that we put a message on the back of the business cards and distributed some, and should make an effort to do more of this in April when people are excited about starting to paddle. Chuck suggested that, when we reorder, we add something like, "PFDs - it's not just a good idea, it's now the law in RI". Cheryl said she would distribute the cards to the leaders at the flatwater meeting. Frank said that we could share cards among the members at the picnic as well.
Memorial Paddle - Cheryl said we would try again in the spring. Pat suggested that we could do so for the 1 year anniversary of the loss
Blue Water Focus group - Rich described what happened in the meeting, which covered mostly access issues. A professor and his graduate students were doing a project over the summer. He believes the issue is closed.
Treasurer's laptop - Cheryl said she believes that Sharon purchased a laptop
Boat ramp denials - Cat Radcliffe was contacted by someone who regarding a potential Tiverton aquaculture project, which might have affected recreational use of the water. Apparently, the board is doing further research and the project has not come to fruition. Steve said that part of why this issue came up was the Bowdish Reservoir paddle, and previously, the Madeira Street paddle. Chuck said that approximately a week later, a press release went out about a new online reservation system for Bowdish, but this is only for 2 vehicles plus 1 handicapped spot, so would not work for a group trip. He said that we talked about contacting Jay McNamee before this happened, but the permit form has another person's name, so we could contact them. Peter said that public rights of way do not necessarily come with parking. Steve said that he is most concerned about places that had established parking already, and have removed that access, such as at Goddard Park which is now marked trailers only. He said that a launching lane could be added at the beach if nothing else, as is done in some parts of NH. Chuck said that previously, you could leave straps on your vehicle to show you were boating, and double up in spots, and would not get a ticket in a trailer only zone. Pat said that a number of people got tickets doing this at Beach Pond, but they were thrown out because the signage wasn’t clear. Steve said that there are no longer any hand carried boat spots, and that there are staff members at the gate controlling access. Frank asked how we should address this. Skye asked if Cheryl had previously contacted the person involved with permitting at Bowdish and she said it was that same person. Chuck suggested that we email them before going to Jay McNamee, and citing the law. He said he could also contact the deputy director informally. Frank asked Chuck to get us a person we could talk with at DEM and Chuck agreed to do so. Cheryl said there are also safety concerns as people launch from Route 44.
Ongoing Updates: Membership Report: see Gary's emailed report
Conservation Pat said there were no updates. Frank said that the Friends of the Blackstone has bins, tools, etc. that they will deliver to chestnut pulls. Pat said that other groups did pulls while RICKA was in the Adirondacks, and they think they got most of the chestnuts. Janine and Frank participated in one in Uxbridge, and they filled 4 trucks.
New Business: No topics received
Upcoming General Meetings: Sept 24 Picnic - award recipients need to be decided so items can be ordered and engraved The trophy company told Pat that we could get them the information around the time of this meeting. Rich said that the sea kayakers would choose a recipient for the trophy. Other recipients: -Henry Dziadosz will get a flatwater award -Bill Luther will get a conservation award -Julie and Steve Riendeau will get a RICKA collaboration award for their contribution to BVPC Cheryl is giving Tom a rubber duck award for the most swims on a paddle BVPC members who participated in the rescue of the missing person will be acknowledged at the picnic. They received their medals at the BVPC party. Pat said that perhaps we could do a group award for those involved in getting Jim Cole to be able to enjoy the Adirondacks. Cheryl suggested we call this the It Takes a Village Award. Rich said he had talked to Brenda regarding the sea kayaker of the year award (perpetual trophy) and would like to nominate Catherine Radcliffe and will have the writeup about this soon. Pat said she’d like to order the awards by Friday morning.
Oct 17 - Zoom - Frank asked whether we have arranged for Bob to present on Broken Skull. Cheryl said that Erik had a writeup about it.
Open discussion: Frank said that there is a fundraising paddle, Paddle for Progress, for breast cancer, on September 17. He asked if the club would like to contribute to the cause. Pat made a motion to donate $200. Cheryl said we could also sponsor paddlers. Jen said that it might be difficult for them to track which paddlers are sponsored. Steve agreed that we should make the donation outright. Cheryl seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Frank said he would contact Sharon to get the check sent. motion to adjourn was made by Steve, seconded by Chuck, and there was a unanimous vote.
Meeting adjourned at 20:03
Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association minutes not yet approved August 2, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Jen Stanton, Pat Lardner, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Peter Hill, Chuck Horbert, Ron Entriger, & Daniel O’Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:06 by Steve Approval of minutes from June: There was a motion made by Danny seconded by Cheryl and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from May: There was a motion made by Skye, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Chuck said that it is now state law to wear a PFD and there is a $100 fine. River Days Gary emailed that he has not received an update on rescheduling this event. Picnic Jen said the food is all set, and that Cheryl has the website all set so that people can pay online. She will pick up a cake and Pat will bring watermelon. Peter said he has to pick up the key and drop off a check. Cheryl and Sharon will lead the flatwater paddle. Steve said that we should discuss who will receive the trophy, which is a sea kayaker this year. Pat will get it engraved, as well as the other awards. Chuck suggested that Henry Dziadosz coordinated the Adirondacks, he should receive a lifetime membership; Cheryl said he already has one, but he could be given a flatwater award. Cheryl suggested Bill Luther for a conservation award since he does so much. Erik brought up Julie and Steve Riendeau for a paddle club award for all they do for BVPC, including hosting the party each year. Erik said Cheryl should get an award, but she declined. Chuck said some of the BVPC paddlers should get an award to acknowledge the rescue that happened on the Nipmuc River. Cheryl said she has medals that could be used. Pat said she would find out how much lead time the awards would need so that we could potentially finalize the other awards at the September meeting. Memorial Paddle Sharon said she is hoping to reschedule, or pick another paddle as tribute. Cheryl said she is coordinating a joint sea kayak/flatwater paddle with Rich, so it could potentially be then. Pat gave a shout out to RI DEM a because they provided supplies for the water chestnut pull, when DEEP (CT) did not show much interest. Blue Water Focus Group tabled until Rich returns Ongoing Updates: Conservation: Conservation Pat said she just did a paddle with Wild & Scenic Rivers, which was a water chestnut pull in Spaulding Pond in North Stonington, CT. A whole pickup truck bed was filled, and only about 1/5 of the amount was removed. She was asked if RICKA had anyone interested in doing more, but it may be in the spring. Ron said he joined Bill Luther and DEM for a water chestnut pull on the Ten Mile River this year. Membership report: Gary sent this via email. Steve asked if anyone had questions and none were brought up. New Business Treasurer's Laptop - Sharon said that the keyboard does not work. It is almost 4 years old and cost about $300. Steve asked if she can use an external keyboard, and Sharon said she could, but it defeats the purpose of having it be portable. Cheryl and Erik said it is probably not worth it being fixed. She said she found one for $519. Erik made a motion for Sharon to spend up to $600 on a new laptop, and Chuck seconded it. Sharon asked about moving the Office programs over, and Erik said it should be possible if she has the code. Chuck suggested that Best Buy might be able to transfer programs and files over. Erik amended the motion to say that Sharon purchase a new laptop, including a new copy of Office if needed. Chuck seconded the motion and there was a unanimous vote. Boat ramp access denial at Bowdish Steve described the loss of access to several of our launches, including Madeira street on the Blackstone due to restaurant patrons taking up the spaces. Chuck said that the city of Central Falls owns and controls the boat ramp. Steve said Goddard Park has little to no marked access for non-trailer parking, and Bowdish is no longer allowing access for boating only. Steve said that Beach Pond is not accessible for cartop boat launching and is all trailers as well. He said that it is a disturbing trend for paddlesports to lose access - he asked if anyone would be interested in working to reverse this trend. Chuck said that if you are going to contact DEM to effect changes, the slowest way is to contact your legislator. Chuck said that DEM should not be cutting off access and that Beach Pond should have 4-5 spaces - he will look into this. Skye said even if that were true, that this number of spaces does not allow us to have trips there anymore. Chuck said that Bowdish should not be restricting access. He said RICKA should alert DEM about their concerns about this - Jason McNamee, the deputy director in charge of Parks and Recreation is the person to contact, and Chuck is willing to be the signatory. Cheryl said she called Allen Libby, who she has worked with for 20 years, to get a special use permit for Bowdish. She left 3 messages without a return call. Cheryl said she has seen canoeists launching over the guardrail on Route 44, which is a serious safety issue. Pat asked whether there is pushback because of the coastal access law. Chuck said it is a completely different issue and does not provide rights to freshwater ponds and lakes. If it is tidal, the access law does apply. Pat described a woman reprimanding the group saying that Green Hill Pond is only available to residents. Deb said that the Blueways site says that Bowdish no longer allows access other than for campers. Chuck said it is owned by the state and so should allow day access, unless something has changed. Pat said there are also signs put up illegally. Steve said he will talk to Frank about drafting the letter to Jason McNamee. Upcoming General Meetings August 23 Meeting on the water Brickyard Pond Open discussion: Erik said that the next general meeting is October, and asked if he should have Bob present on his trip on the Broken Skull river. This was well received. Jen asked about switching to in-person meetings. Steve said we could discuss that at the September board meeting, as we are seeing more COVID cases again. A motion to adjourn was made by Ron, seconded by Cheryl and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:59 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association June 7, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Jen Stanton, Pat Lardner, Brenda Rashleigh, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Peter Hill, & Daniel O'Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:06 by Steve Approval of minutes from May: There was a motion made by Cheryl seconded by Pat, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from April: There was a motion made by Pat, seconded by Deb, and there was a unanimous vote to approve The picnic, September 24, was addressed first as Peter had to leave the meeting early. He said the venue has been booked, but the same regatta as last year is also happening at the same time again, so the person he worked with had to check with her boss to make sure it was okay to book us at the same time. He has not heard back either way. The cost is $125, and Peter would like to designate someone else who could pick up the keys. He said if we exceed 50 people, permits would be required. Pat suggested that we say that the first 50 attendees would be accepted. Jen said she has been looking into places that do box lunches - there are a few places in the area ranging from $10-16 per person, but not all offer gluten free meals. She will complete her research and bring information to the next meeting. Old business: Steve tabled the RICKA promotion of PFD usage as no one was present to present. He tabled River Days as Gary was not present to discuss it. He said he has not heard back from Mark Marosits regarding ACA/Coast Guard Auxiliary. Cheryl said that the memorial paddle is on the calendar - Sharon said that it will be announced that the paddle is in her honor, and that she is missed. Ongoing Updates: Membership report: Gary sent this via email. Steve asked if anyone had questions and none were brought up. Conservation: Pat said that Gary wanted to increase our participation in cleanups. Erik said that the Friends of the Blackstone would like us to do more. There was discussion about participating in other agencies' cleanup as a club. New Business Blue Water Focus Group – Rich will follow up with the group after last night's meeting. Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association - Sharon made a motion that we spend $100 to renew our membership; Pat seconded, and there was a unanimous vote. Insurance for this weekend' Flatwater Training It was agreed that RICKA will pay for this as in the past, Erik will have the waivers filled out, Steve will submit the forms electronically, and participants will be requested to bring ACA cards if they have them. Cheryl said that Clear Currents offers a opportunity to paddle at night in the Providence River with giant koi fish; this is up on our website. Upcoming General Meetings July Executive Board Meeting canceled - Frank previously said he will put together an agenda so that people can update topics by email if needed. Open discussion: none A motion to adjourn was made by Erik, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:38 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association May 3, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Rich Coupland, Jen Stanton, Pat Lardner, Ron Entriger, Gary Powers, & Daniel O'Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:00 by Frank Approval of minutes from April: There was a motion made by Steven seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from March: There was a motion made by Skye, seconded by Pat, and there was a unanimous vote to approve
RICKA Promotion of PFD usage. Frank sent the article to several publications and did not get a reply. He will follow up. He said that business cards were distributed at the soiree. Rich said he will hand some out at the planning meeting. ACA - Coast Guard connection Steve said he talked with Mark Marosits from ACA. He is the state AUXPAD delegate, and is going to work to modify the education to make it more universal for flatwater, whitewater, sea kayaking, etc. and Steve encouraged him to become an active RICKA member again. River Days Participation Frank said this is Saturday June 17, at Central Falls Landing. Gary is looking for people to help staff the tent that day. Cheryl will post it on the calendar. Picnic September 24th would be the day if we use a Sunday. We will follow up with Peter to see where we are with the venue. Jen offered to help with catering. Ongoing Updates: Ongoing Updates: Membership report Frank said that, per Gary's email, we now have more BVPC + RICKA members than RICKA members alone. Most people are using online renewal. Conservation – Pat said that Earth Day had a lot going on, including our cleanup. Over 60 high school volunteers helped, and it was great to see young people involved. Frank said we had a small group for our cleanup, with big results: over 200 pounds of trash removed in about 2.5 hours. He said that Friends of the Blackstone picked up a huge amount of trash near mill ruins. Ron said he will be returning to RI in a few weeks. Save the Lakes has their annual meeting with DEM representatives attending. New Business Blue Economy Meeting Rich said they are trying to schedule it one more time, and it may happen or may not. Will table this until the meeting occurs, if it does. July EBoard Meeting - Frank said that the BVPC paddle is shifted to Wednesday due to the holiday, which lands us on the same day as the board meeting. Frank suggested we cancel the executive board meeting, and he will put together an agenda so that people can update topics by email. Sharon said she would take minutes on 7/12 if a meeting does need to occur, since Skye cannot do that date. Rich said he will be sailing on Wednesday nights through September 27th. He will see if Brenda can cover some of those meetings. Memorial Paddle Pat suggested someone who knew Donna choose a memorial paddle in her honor. Sharon said that she seemed happy on every paddle she shared with her. Cheryl said she enjoyed salty paddles, so Ninigret might be a good choice. Sharon is leading a trip there July 15, so that can be the memorial paddle. Upcoming General Meetings May 15 Rich said that Greg Paquin has been confirmed and he and Rich will do a Zoom check when Greg returns from Wales. Mark Marosits can be a speaker at a future meeting. Frank said he cannot moderate the meeting, and will share the Zoom credentials with someone to run the meeting. Steve said he would moderate but has not run a Zoom meeting before - Frank will check with Deb about doing that portion. Frank also said his Zoom membership expires in June and is $150 for a year, at the level we are at. There was discussion on the merits of the paid membership versus free. Steve made a motion to spend up to $150 on a year membership. Sharon seconded and there was a unanimous vote. Open Discussion Frank said he will be paddling in Louisiana next Friday. A motion to adjourn was made by Steve, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:38 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association April 18, 2023 RICKA Meeting & Election Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Skye Pechie, Richard Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Pat Lardner, Eric Eckilson, Cheryl Thompson, Gary Marino, Alan Morrow, Brenda Rashleigh, Mike Krabach, Al Sampson, Andrew Foster, Daniel O’Shea Paul Leclerc, Barry, John, Jem, Keri B, Ronald, Maria, Cam, Robert Larrivee, Gary V, & jcgiv (some members did not put their full name in their Zoom profile). Meeting called to Order at 7:07 by Frank The first order of business was to conduct elections for the corporate officers for the 2023 - 2024 year.
President - Frank Cortesa Vice President - Steve Pechie Secretary - Skye Pechie Treasurer - Sharon Dragon Steve moved to open elections. Skye seconded it and there was a unanimous vote Steve moved to open counter nominations for President. Skye seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. No counter nominations were made. Steve moved that counter nominations for President be closed. Erik seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve moved to open counter nominations for Vice President, Frank seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. No counter nominations were made. Steve moved to close counter nominations for Vice President. Rich seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve moved to open counter nominations for Secretary. Andrew seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. No counter nominations were made. Steve made a motion to close counter nominations for Secretary. Pat seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve moved to open counter nominations for Treasurer. Skye seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. No counter nominations were made. Steve made a motion to close counter nominations for Treasurer. Skye seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve made a motion that the Secretary cast one ballot for each candidate on the slate as presented by the nominating committee. Skye seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve made a motion to close elections. Frank seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Steve thanked Danny for his years of service as Vice President. Jon Sharlin then shared his sea kayaking photography presentation. Frank brought up the Earth Day cleanup this Saturday - Gary is looking for more volunteers to help clean up the Blackstone. Frank opened the floor to general discussion. Rich asked when the next monthly meeting would be - May 15. No other topics were brought up. A motion to adjourn was made by Steve, seconded by Skye, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:50 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association Minutes not yet approved March 1, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Richard Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Brenda Rashleigh, Erik Eckilson, Pat Lardner, Jen Stanton, Deb Britt, Gary powers, Peter Hill, Paul Leclerc, & Daniel O'Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:01 by Frank Approval of minutes from February There was a motion made by Danny, seconded by Pat, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from January There was a motion made by Steven, seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RIDEM Trails Advisory Committee - Danny said he will let us know when this needs to be on the agenda, in at least 6 months most likely. There are no meetings coming up. Rolling practice update: Richard said these were fully booked and went well in February, and should be in March (this Saturday) as well. RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Follow-up on February discussion: Frank said that the article was redrafted to a shorter version with more safety focus. This was attached to the agenda. Deb suggested we might add an opening sentence and move the RICKA anniversary part further down, since many readers will not know the club. There was positive feedback from the board regarding the article. Banking update Sharon said that there has been progress on opening the savings account and asked how much should be in checking vs. savings. Frank suggested about 2 mont's worth of expenses in the checking. Pat asked if there is a minimum balance - Sharon will ask the bank on Saturday. Expense approval process Process revised based on Feb discussion - Frank attached the new document to the agenda. We will adopt the expensive approval guidelines as attached as of today. Cheryl will make them available on the website with the bylaws. Spring Soiree Jen said that the date is Thursday March 30, and the manager is 90% sure and is waiting for confirmation from the owner. Gary made up a form that people can use to reserve a spot. RICKA asset listing updates Frank asked if there is anything we have not accounted for. No one added anything.
Membership report Gary sent an update via email, including that we have 14 new members. Frank asked if we do any special outreach for new members - Pat said she got a welcome letter and she laminated her membership card. Paul asked whether people know to look at the message board. Sharon said there was a letter describing our meetings and so on, before we went paperless. There was discussion about new members' experiences and how they find us. Rich said some have joined because they heard about our pool sessions. A discussion about posting on Facebook ensued, and it was decided to post a generic reminder about upcoming paddles on Facebook, without details, directing recipients to check the calendar. Frank asked whether we do anything specially targeted to new members - thinking back to when he was new, didn't know people or how his skills measured up. There was discussion about Meetup and its pros and cons. This part of the topic will be tabled to a future meeting. Peter asked if we should put together a new member flatwater paddle - others supported this idea. Rich suggested rescue practices as another way to make people comfortable.
Business cards - Gary said the price is $25 plus tax for 500 double sided cards with a safety message. Frank made a motion to purchase these. Jen seconded this and there was unanimous vote. River Days Participation Gary said River Days was going on when reconnaissance was done for ZAP the Blackstone. Gary suggested we set up a tent there and maybe schedule a paddle before the event. It is tentatively June 17th at Central Falls Landing. Steve made a motion to participate, Frank seconded if, and there was a unanimous vote. Gary needs at least one more volunteer to staff the tent. Job Openings Frank posted two sets of paddle related job openings on the website. He even applied for one of them. He wants to be cautious not to appear commercial, but wants to include relevant opportunities. No one expressed concern about posting topics like this, but the topic will continue to new business at a future meeting. Upcoming General Meetings Frank asked about Greg Paquin and Jon Sharlin as potential presenters. Rich said he had mentioned them, but had not reached out yet due to not settling on a date for either. Both had agreed to present "in the spring". Rich will ask if either can do April 17th, and will offer the May meeting to the other. Open Discussion Rich said he was asked to attend the Blue Economy meeting which is now March 23. He will report back. Erik announced that the nomination committee has done its work: Frank, Sharon, and Skye have agreed to stay on in their positions. Steve has agreed to be nominated for Vice President as Danny will step down after 4 years. A motion to adjourn was made by Steve, seconded by Rich, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 20:12 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association February 1, 2023 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Richard Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Brenda Rashleigh, Pat Lardner, Jen Stanton, Deb Britt, & Daniel O'Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:01 by Frank Approval of minutes from January There was a motion made by Steven, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from December 2022 There was a motion made by Pat, seconded by Steven, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RIDEM Trails Advisory Committee Danny said that he attended the meeting, and there will be no grants given out until summer 2024. Frank said he will discuss the idea of grants with Friends of the Blackstone. Rolling practice update Richard said that there were 10 participants at the first session and that it went well. The February 11 session is full with alternates. There are 2 more sessions to come after that one. RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Frank wrote a letter for all to look over. He asked how we would distribute this - Rich said he thought the letter was long and felt like an ad. He said that focusing on safety and wearing a PFD would be more likely to be published in a paper for free. Pat said that photos from the pool session, showing rescues, could be used. Deb said she knows the person who publishes the East Greenwich News and could contact her. Steve said he would do the same with the Valley Breeze & Observer, and the Foster Home Journal. Frank said he will make the letter shorter. Frank asked about the Coast Guard safety project. Steve said he has still he not heard back after reaching out. Banking update: Sharon said we still have not gotten an update from Citizens, and the claim department is supposed to get back to her. She did get a letter that said that they are still investigating and will let her know when this is complete. We have the money back although it is provisional. Frank asked about the change in the banking account, and Sharon said she and Cheryl had not gotten to the bank yet. We are down to one debit card, though, due to canceling the problematic one. Frank said that our first check was successfully deposited remotely Frank said that our previous bank, Coastway, was taking fees from us without our knowledge, so our balance was less than the treasurer's reports. He proposed that we document this to explain why the ending and beginning balances are different. The discrepancy is in the amount of $140.11. Expense approval process Frank wrote up a brief review of the draft process - there was a discussion of next steps as the document was reviewed during the meeting. Deb suggested that #1 (authorized expenditures) be restricted to certain board members and Pat suggested maybe just chairs - this was then discussed and agreed that it need not be any board members or chairs having the option to spend without prior discussion/approval. Pat said that the President or Vice President could instead approve these expenditures rather than it having to be an email to the whole board. Sharon asked that the treasurer to be copied on such emails to and from the president. Under #2, Sharon suggested that the amount be limited to $150 without prior approval for the board. For #3, recurring expenses, Rich proposed that the board review these annually. Frank suggested we remove the percentage part as well. If someone sees a great increase in an expense, they should report it. For #4, it was clarified that our quorum is 5. For A, Rich said that in many cases people expect to be reimbursed, and for Sharon said that for recurring and especially large expenses, a club check makes more sense. Steve asked about having the ACA paid via club check; he said Bill Luther used to log the treasurer into the ACA account to pay directly. Sharon said any of these would work. Finally if someone has strong dissenting opinions but are in the minority, they will be documented in the minutes. Frank said he will make these changes to the document. Ongoing Updates: Membership report Gary emailed this Conservation Pat had nothing to report New Business Upcoming General Meetings Spring Soiree will be March 30 around 6pm - Jen had questions about putting it together. Sharon said she would help her and Jen agreed to lead it. Greg Paquin and Jon Sharlin were mentioned as potential presenters for April, May, or beyond. There was discussion about having these remote versus Zoom. It was decided to do April via Zoom and then May in person. March 18 will be the flatwater planning meeting, 12-4pm with BVPC following Open Discussion Rich mentioned the multi use blue economy study - he will participate and it will now be March/April. Rich also said that Gary and he have been working on updating our business cards to include a PFD safety statement. Pat agreed to bring these from Gary to the rolling clinic, planning meeting, etc. to distribute them. Frank said that he would like to inventory RICKA assets. He would like each board member to report to him via email what items they have or know exist to start a list. He knows of radios, pop-up tent, and banner. Pat also has the projector. Cheryl said there is a list on our website. A motion to adjourn was made by Steve, seconded by Frank, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 20:21 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association January 4th, 2023 RICKA board meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Cheryl Thompson, Skye Pechie, Richard Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Steven Pechie, Gary Powers, Pat Lardner, Jen Stanton, Eric Eckilson, Ron Entringer, Peter Hill, Deb Britt, & Daniel O'Shea Meeting called to Order at 7:00 by Frank Approval of minutes from November 2022 There was a motion made by Sharon, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report from October & November 2022 There was a motion made by Frank, seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old business: RIDEM Trails Advisory Committee Danny said that a meeting is scheduled for later this month. It is just discussion of other projects approved using 2021 funding.
Rolling practice update Richard said the contract with the Y is signed and submitted, and he appreciates the help with this. He sent an email inviting people to join the sessions, and has 7 signed up for the first session so far. Erik will send a message to the whole club, letting members know the dates and inviting them to participate. Steve said that we will have to pay another $20 (one time fee) to the ACA to place the Y as an additional insured.
RICKA Promotion of PFD usage Rich said he and Gary talked about putting a message on the back of our business cards. Steve said he sent emails to each of the local Coast Guard Auxiliary offices and has not received a response - he then sent a message to the public affairs office. He found that they focus on sea kayaking, and have a standard vessel safety inspection for sea kayaks. Pencil flares and marine radios are on their list. Frank said he could write up a draft for the local papers, and welcomes input on what to include. Rich suggested we see if the Coast Guard Auxiliary wants to do a joint safety program with us and the media - we could have boats in the water and demonstrate rescues with dry suits.
New PO Box - Frank set one up in Uxbridge. It is only on the membership form so far.
Ongoing Updates: Membership report Gary sent a report which Frank read: For 2022, we had 253 members, 47% are also in BVPC, 13 have renewed this year.
Conservation Ron and Pat - Pat said she will be participating in a collection of nip bottles in West Greenwich, until March 27. When we fill a 5 gallon bucket, Bill McCusker will take them for a program to bring awareness to the fact that they cannot be recycled. Anyone is invited to pitch in.
New Business all funds, including penalties and fees, were returned to our account by the bank. The penalties and fees were not automatically returned, but with work, we got those back as well. Pat asked about the police report - Sharon said that we did not because we got the money back soon after the special meeting. Pat said that because it was a provisional credit, it would not hurt to have one to cover us and show that we reported the fraud. Skye said that she could not imagine we would regret having the police report in the future, and Sharon said she would get one.
Discussion on banking options Sharon said that the debit cards are only connected to the checking account, and Frank asked if some should be moved to savings or even a CD. A discussion ensued about potentially opening an additional account and/or moving money to savings. Frank made a motion to have Sharon establish a savings account and moving most of our money into it for safekeeping. Jen seconded it and there was a unanimous vote.
Debit cards - Frank said he has a card that has Andy's name on it. He would like to have the cards be in the holder's name. Cheryl and Sharon have cards as well. There are Visa logos on the cards. Danny asked what we use the cards for - Sharon said they are for depositing checks and for purchases and bills. Sharon said that for Frank to have a card, they would have to go to the bank together. Deb asked if the deposits could be done from home via mobile deposit, alleviating the need for the card for deposits. Frank said he would be willing to try this and said he would look into getting the app. He could then cancel the card with Andy's name on it.
Expense reimbursement approval process discussion - Frank said that email exchanges indicate president can approve up to $250. There was discussion on what types of expenses are acceptable for reimbursement and whether a policy should be put in place not to reimburse anything without board approval. Frank suggested we make a list of recurring expenses that we'd like to streamline. Deb asked about the potential of audit, and Cheryl said that because we are a not for profit organization, it is not the same as for nonprofits. Meeting minutes revisions process discussion - Frank said he has gotten multiple iterations of minutes each month, and in looking at the changes, there is a process for modifications at the beginning of each meeting. He said that if there is a change requested that is not critical, it should be fixed at the next meeting rather than cause the minutes to be reissued. Danny said that if you wait a month, the changes won't be fresh in our minds. Skye said that in other groups where she is and has been secretary, changes are made by proposal at the following meeting, and voted on - this prevents one sided corrections. Steve said that the minutes are legal documents and should be reviewed by the group all at once. Rich asked about putting together a Google doc for the minutes - there was discussion about this. Deb said she agrees that requests for corrections are to be made at the following meeting and this is how other boards operate. Skye said that she believes the club bylaws and Robert's rules of order dictate it be done this way. Frank suggested we try this for a couple of months. Steve seconded it, Danny opposed, and the remainder of the votes were in favor.
VENMO update to current process - Sharon said there is a Venmo account that got set up while she was signed into her own account - it now covers her personal finances and RICKA. She is interested in shutting down the RICKA part. She said this got complicated with the loss of money, and she requests to be reimbursed approximately $10 for candy canes when the money was removed from her own Venmo account once the RICKA one was overdrawn.
Upcoming General Meetings Erik said the soir'e is normally in March, and then we resume general meetings in April. Rich said that Greg Paquin and Jon Sharon are potential presenters.
General discussion - Danny said he would like to make a short announcement - he will not be running for Vice President in April but would be willing to be a member at large.
A motion to adjourn was made by Frank, seconded by Steve, and there was a unanimous vote.
Meeting adjourned at 20:15 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
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