Minutes 2024
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association October 2, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Erik Eckilson, Peter Hill, Jen Stanton, Cheryl Thompson, Paul Leclerc, Deb Britt, Pat Lardner, Ronald Entriger, and Sharon Dragon. Meeting called to Order at 7:03 by Erik Approval of Executive Board Meeting minutes from September: There was a motion made by Steve seconded by Sharon, and there was a unanimous vote to approve. Approval of the treasurer's report: There was a motion made by Steve seconded by Sharon, and there was a unanimous vote to approve. Old Business: Picnic overview: Erik thanked Jen and said it went well. Peter said he enjoyed the food and that even the cookie was gluten free. Jen said 36 sandwiches were ordered and about 40 people were signed up to attend. Paddle for Progress update Gary emailed a report stating that they appreciated our donation. Sharon said that we also received a thank you letter from Lifespan. Paypal account reset - Frank said there has not been movement yet, but he did move funds out of PayPal just in case. RICKA Wilderness patch, other swag? - tabled as Danny was not present Website/Newsletter design - Erik will put the blurb requesting someone to work on this in next month's newsletter. Ongoing Updates
Flatwater - Cheryl said we could use more trips on the calendar. Whitewater - Paul said that there are a couple of trips in NH in October. Sea Kayak - no report Membership: Gary emailed his report stating we have 208 members through August with 114 joint BVPC/RICKA and 45 new members. Wilderness - no report New Business: Pool Sessions - 4 for next year Rich contacting YMCA for dates Upcoming Member Meetings October: Erik said this will be Mark Marosits on ACA and safety. November: Erik asked if we could do Movie Night in person - Pat will look into the West Greenwich Community Center's availability for November 18 or a date in that vicinity. January - Erik said this will be Jonathan Malone on his wilderness adventures, January 21st. Open discussion: Pat said that Bill McCusker is having a cleanup water and land cleanup on 10/26/2024, at the Saugatucket. Deb said there were additional cleanups posted by the Kayak Centre. Erik adjourned the meeting after a motion made by Steve and seconded by Peter, and a unanimous vote, at 19:25 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association September 4, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing
Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Erik Eckilson, Danny O'Shea, Peter Hill, Jen Stanton, Cheryl Thompson, Brenda Rashleigh, and Sharon Dragon.
Meeting called to Order at 7:02 by Erik
Approval of Executive Board Meeting minutes from July (there was no August meeting): There was a motion made by Steve seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve
Approval of the treasurer's reports for multiple months: There was a motion made by Steve seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve
Old Business:
Picnic Planning Jen said everything is arranged with the caterer, and Cheryl is keeping track of attendees. Peter suggested setting a backup person to pick up the key since he will be away - he will ask Pat. 2024 RICKA Awards Erik said that Pat has ordered the awards. The expenditure for 11 total trophies (4 sea kayak, 1 Wilderness, 1 Flatwater, 2 BVPC, 1 Conservation, 2 Rubber Ducky - $741.51. Steve made a motion for the club to spend $741.51 for these awards; Danny seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Paypal account reset - Frank said that he has changed the password but has not been able to change the username. He is working to keep the balance low in case of a breach, and is listed as an owner of the account. Newport Paddlefest Update - Frank said we had 3 members in attendance for most of the event. He said about 12 people stopped to chat, including new members and those interested in joining. Problematic behavior on trips - Steve said the person involved has not been back
Ongoing Updates • Practice Groups Flatwater, Sea Kayak, Whitewater, Wilderness - Cheryl said the BVPC season just ended, and flatwater is going well but could use more trips for the fall. Erik said the recent sea kayak trainings were excellent. Membership Erik said there were 206 members through August with 112 joint BVPC/RICKA and 42 new members.
New Business: Regarding Facebook group “Rhode Island Kayaking and Canoeing - Erik said a lot of our members are now in their group as well. Erik said he did not think they would be confused with us. Jen said our page has our logo on it, which is helpful to differentiate from us. Steve asked whether they still post photos without safety gear, and Danny said they feature photos without PFDs. Brenda suggested we could post something on our Facebook page stating that we not affiliated with them if needed. Erik asked if we could table this, and there was agreement. Website/Newsletter design Erik said this had come up in regards to mobile devices and compatibility. Cheryl said she does not have the knowledge to make the website mobile friendly and we would probably have to hire someone. Jen said she is grateful that Cheryl maintains the website. Brenda suggested we put a blurb in the newsletter asking for someone to help with this project before considering hiring someone, if it came to that. Erik said we would have to get the practice groups to agree how the boards would look, if they all took one form. Erik said he would add this to the Paddler. RICKA Wilderness patch - Danny said he would like the board's approval, for those who have camped off grid with the group. It would cost about $75 for 20 patches. Sharon said it sounded like a great idea and moved to approve $75 for wilderness patches. Danny seconded this and there was a unanimous vote. Preventing spam emails - Erik said another batch of these went out. Jen said that maybe we could set up separate email accounts for the board positions. Skye pointed out that these would have to forward to our actual accounts, and would therefore be subject to the same scam attempts. Sharon said that the board is aware of this scam and our members know it's not legitimate. Paddle for Progress RI Gary had suggested we make a donation for $100. Steve made a motion to this effect, Frank seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. SCORP Survey - Danny said he is our representative and hopes everyone did the survey.
Upcoming Member Meetings
September RICKA Family Picnic October Mark Marosits on ACA and safety November Movie Night January - Jonathan Malone on his wilderness adventures
Open discussion:
Frank said that the Blackstone Collaborative is doing another paddle trip from the Blackstone River in Worcester into the Seekonk River in Providence, meeting at the brewery afterwards. Cheryl said it is already on our website.
Erik adjourned the meeting after a motion made by Steve and seconded by Danny, and a unanimous vote, at 19:53
Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association July 10, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Danny O'Shea, Ron Entringer, and Sharon Dragon. Meeting called to Order at 7:03 by Erik Approval of Executive Board Meeting minutes from June: There was a motion made by Deb seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve. Approval of the treasurer's report: Frank said he needs to reconcile his numbers with membership numbers with Gary. Erik suggested we table the report until this is done. Erik said that we wanted to thank Frank for his years of service as President , for stepping up as treasurer, and in other roles, and that he will receive a gift card in the mail. Old Business: Picnic Planning - Erik said that the catering is confirmed and that this will go in the paddler. Frank said that Cheryl can get into PayPal and can receive payments for the picnic there. Erik said the volunteer of the year will be a flatwater paddler this year, and that we need to get the trophy and have it engraved. Problematic behavior on trips – Erik asked if there have been any further issues and no one reported any. Ongoing Updates Practice Groups no representatives present Membership report was emailed by Gary Conservation - Ron said he had nothing to report, other than that there a chestnut pull on the Blackstone River. New Business: Paypal account reset - Frank said that the account has connections to the person who set it up originally, so he would like to contact PayPal to reset and remove outdated information so we can reduce vulnerability. He said if this does not work, he would like to setup a new PayPal account owned by the current treasurer at the time. No one raised concerns with this idea. Newport Paddlefest (8/17) - Frank said that Mark was still looking for someone to lead a paddle (flatwater and/or sea kayak) and give a wilderness demo/talk on land. Mark was going to see if the ACA could lead a paddle, since we have not had anyone step up, but Frank is still working on a demonstration and table. Donation to Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association - Sharon said she got a notice in the mail to contribute, so she asked if the board would like to donate again. In the past, we have donated $100, so Sharon made a motion that we donate $100 to WPWA. Danny seconded and it was a unanimous vote. Upcoming Member Meetings July Meeting on the Water – Fort Wetherill (backup Potter Cove) - Erik encouraged paddlers to attend. August Meeting on the Water Lincoln Woods - Al Sampson will lead. Erik said he would like to add wilderness skills demonstrations. September RICKA Family Picnic October Erik suggested people think about ideas for speaker for Zoom meeting. Frank said that Mark Marosits might be an option, to speak about the harbormaster program. November Movie Night Open discussion: Danny brought up a Facebook group called
Rhode Island Kayaking and Canoeing, which has 1400 members, with lots of
enthusiasm and not a lot of PFDs seen in their photos. He was concerned
about confusion between their group and ours. Erik asked how we get more
of our Facebook followers to actually join and come to paddles, and Deb
brought up that the website is not easy to use on a phone when looking
for paddles. Erik suggested that this could be a separate meeting, as he
has heard from someone else who had difficulty finding our trips
online. Danny also mentioned getting wilderness patches made, along with possibly flatwater and sea kayak versions. He said he will wait until Chuck is present to discuss this further. Deb asked if we would be interested in a speaker on the topic of wildness backpacking. She said ha name is Jonathan Malone, and he is a great speaker. There was interest in this idea, so Deb said she will run it by him. Erik adjourned the meeting after a motion made by Steve and seconded by Frank, and a unanimous vote, at 19:33 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association June 5, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association May 1, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Pat Lardner, Cheryl Thompson, Danny O'Shea, Sharon Dragon, Richard Coupland, Ron Entriger, Jen Stanton, and Peter Hill. Meeting called to Order at 7:03 by Frank Approval of Executive Board Meeting 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: There was a motion made by Danny, seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old Business: RICKA at The Kayak Centre Frank described how this will work and said he plans to show looped videos. More are welcome, if interested, contact Frank.
Picnic planning - Jen said she'd like to open discussion about possibly having a potluck this year. Peter said that we have electricity in the building but do not have the kitchen booked. There was discussion about increasing engagement by sharing food versus logistical challenges from bringing food before paddling. Frank suggested just having people bring side dishes alongside a catered main item. This was well received. Jen also mentioned a gear exchange, which also had a lot of support. Jen said we would do both of these. Rich said that there could be a signup for attendees to bring games. Deb brought up concern about food safety and lack of time - there was discussion about these. Last year's picnic was abbreviated only because there was no paddle. We could have games, a raffle with donated items, or another alternative if there was no paddle this year. Sharon suggested that we make a decision about food today, and table the entertainment question for a later date. There was further discussion about cost. Rich made a motion that we engage with Jigger's for a main course and bring the cost back to a future meeting. Peter seconded it and there was a unanimous vote. Ongoing Updates: Flatwater - Cheryl said our first official paddle is Saturday on Wood River. There are over 60 trips so far between Flatwater and BVPC. Sea kayakers - Rich said that the sea kayak planning meeting is also this Saturday, a paddle with a potluck. The paddle season for summer will be planned here. Rich sent a separate pool session report via email April 15. Conservation Pat thanked Gary for his work on the cleanup this weekend. She mentioned an opportunity to get free rain barrels in Barrington this weekend, and said this month's general meeting was with Bill McCusker on hydrilla. Membership report none
Upcoming General Meetings: May General Meeting Pat said Bill McCusker is planning to present on hydrilla in the Saugatuck River. June General Meeting - meeting on the water - Upper Pawtuxet River, on June 17 July General Meeting - meeting on the water - Erik suggested we do a sea kayak paddle. There was discussion about locations URI Bay Campus, but wind can make it more challenging there. This would probably be July 15. Open discussion: None Erik adjourned the meeting at 19:41 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association April 15, 2024 RICKA Election of Officers Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Roberta Engel, John Saresky, Rich Coupland, Bob Larrivee, Mike Longenbaker, Kate McPherson, Pat Lardner, Chuck Horbert, Cindy Gianfrancesco, Al Sampson, Cheryl Thompson, Danny O'Shea, and Alan Morrow Meeting called to Order at 7:05 by Frank New Business: Frank mentioned that the Kayak Centre is looking for someone to teach rolling classes. Also, the City of Newport is seeking a paddle safety officer for about 20 hours per week. Frank then opened the elections. Steve read the slate of officers: President: Erik Eckilson Vice President: Steve Pechie Secretary: Skye Pechie Treasurer: Frank Cortesa Steve entertained counter nominations for anyone interested in the role of President. Hearing none, he closed nominations. Steve entertained counter nominations for anyone interested in the role of Vice President. Hearing none, he closed nominations. Steve entertained counter nominations for anyone interested in the role of Secretary. Hearing none, he closed nominations. Steve entertained counter nominations for anyone interested in the role of Treasurer. Hearing none, he closed nominations. He made a motion for the secretary to cast one ballot for the slate as previously nominated: President: Erik Eckilson Vice President: Steve Pechie Secretary: Skye Pechie Treasurer: Frank Cortesa Rich seconded it and there was a unanimous vote.
The election was closed. Frank then introduced our guest speaker Kate McPherson of Save the Bay, and she gave her presentation - Keeping an Eye on Narragansett Bay - primarily about the River Keeper program. A motion to adjourn was made by Rich, seconded by Chuck, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 20:05 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association March 6, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Pat Lardner, Jen Stanton, Danny O' Shea, Cheryl Thompson, Rich Coupland, Sharon Dragon, Paul Leclerc, and Peter Hill. Meeting called to Order at 7:00 by Frank Approval of minutes from February: There was a motion made by Cheryl seconded by Danny , and there was a unanimous vote to approve Approval of the treasurer's report: There was a motion made by Steven, seconded by Frank, and there was a unanimous vote to approve Old Business: Pool Rolling Practice: Rich said that the sessions are going well; there is one more opening for this Sunday. He said Brenda told him there was a lot of interest in a fifth session. RICKA at The Kayak Centre: Frank said that several people have volunteered to participate on Thursday June 20 to speak about RICKA and offer member registration. Frank will coordinate as the date nears - contact him if interested. Pat asked about a presentation on hydrilla in the Saugatuck River at the May meeting - she said she would check with Bill McCusker on availability. Ongoing Updates: Membership report: see Gary's email. Frank said he has been getting checks in the mail at the new address. Conservatio: Pat said there is focus on invasive species in the watersheds. She said she spoke with someone affiliated with Indian Lake who wanted to have a fundraising paddle, and she forwarded the information to Frank. New Business: RICKA Election 2024 Frank said that the nominating committee will present a slate of candidates. President: Erik Eckilson Vice President: Steven Pechie Secretary: Skye Pechie Treasurer: Frank Cortesa Rich asked how we get other people to decide to join the board, perhaps as members at large. Pat suggested we look at who is active, perhaps at the planning meetings, and it is a good way to get new people involved. Peter mentioned encouraging people who aren't on the board attend board meetings. Rich said we could post something on the website to encourage additional board members to join, and add a statement to this effect to the agenda for the general meeting. Picnic: Peter said he needs a date to book the picnic - either 9/22 or 9/29 would be the usual date, at the North Kingstown Town Beach. Skye said the Greenway Challenge is on 9/28; Peter said he will book the 29th if it is available, and will book the 22nd if not. Guide to the Blackstone River Frank said that Emily Vogler of RISD (who participated in the 2022 Blackstone Expedition) is developing a Guide to the Blackstone River. He said that she mentions RICKA and the BVPC in the guide and wanted to know if we would like to include our logos. No one voiced objection. Danny said that we were mentioned by Blue Cross as an organization to promote healthy recreation. Rich said that it might be suboptimal to have our elections in spring when our busiest season is summer - it does not give much transition time, and he asked if it would be better to do so in winter. Danny said this time of year is dictated by bylaws. Frank said that there was not much learning curve and Sharon agreed. Upcoming General Meetings: Spring Soiree - March 21 - General Meeting. Chelos on Post Rd. Sharon said we are all set. pril General Meeting: April 15 - virtual Frank said we have Riverkeeper Kate McPherson of Save the Bay speaking. May General Meeting Ideas for a speaker? Pat had mentioned one idea earlier tonight. She thinks the speaker would prefer it to be virtual. Frank said that the Kayak Centre has offered their building for meetings. Open discussion: Pat spoke of a man who drowned after launching from Conimicut Point recently and what lessons could be learned from this incident. Frank said he recently paddled and saw others dressed in a very unsafe manner for the water temperature. Pat mentioned that it would be wise to see if our PFDs are due to be replaced, and if they are buckled tightly enough. A motion to adjourn was made by Steven seconded by Rich, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:45 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association - Minutes not yet approved February 7, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting Held via Zoom videoconferencing
Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Pat Lardner, Danny O' Shea, Cheryl Thompson, Rich Coupland, Sharon Dragon, and Peter Hill.
Meeting called to Order at 7:00 by Frank
Approval of minutes from November 2023: 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 October: There was a motion made by Steven, seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote to approve
Old Business: Boat Ramp Denials Frank said this was previously tabled awaiting Chuck's availability for an update, and we are tabling it again since he was not at tonight's meeting.
Movie Night Frank said this was well orchestrated and others agreed.
Pool Rolling Practice Rich said we had 9 people at the first session and 10 at the second. Ten each are signed up for each of the following 2 sessions, and everything has been going well. Brenda is running the session this coming weekend as Rich will be away.
Santa Paddle Frank said that this was fun and kids (and fish) enjoyed it. He said that PFDs for the candy canes would help, as they sank quickly this year.
In Person Meetings Frank said it was suggested, by one member, that we bring back in-person meetings as they have difficulty with Zoom. Pat said that the board meetings, Zoom works very well. She said that for the general meetings, in-person is good to do as well, perhaps alternating one in person and one Zoom. Danny said he really does not like Zoom but also does not like long drives home. Peter said that he would not be able to attend board meetings in person due to a conflict. Pat suggested having an alternate to run the Zoom meetings in case of absence and Frank agreed this was a good idea.
PO Box Frank said this was not renewed for 2024, and there is now a mail forwarding order to Frank's address. He said he hasn't received anything; Cheryl offered to send a test piece of mail.
Ongoing Updates: Membership report see Gary's email.
Conservation Pat said she had nothing to report, but that Bill McCusker is organizing an inventory/clean comparing trash along a roadside a month apart.
New Business:
Password protocol? Frank asked whether we should have a protocol on how often to change passwords relating to club business and how often it should be. Peter mentioned 2-factor authentication being helpful. Sharon said that this would preclude multiple people being able to access the accounts. Peter suggested using an email address for this, with those people being able to access the email account to verify. There was discussion about sharing credentials and 2-factor authentication. Frank suggested we change passwords every 6 months and there was agreement among those attending. Pat said that people who are using logins and are affected by it should be the ones to decide.
RICKA at The Kayak Centre? Frank said that the Kayak Centre has asked if RICKA wants to set up a speaking engagement at the store detailing what RICKA has to offer and offer member registration. The store is looking for more community engagement, and has set aside time for events each month on Thursday evenings. This would be advertised and we could make a presentation, or just have a question and answer session. Cheryl said this was a good idea, as long as we could find someone to do it. Frank suggested having a standard slideshow for this purpose. Pat suggested we have one of our general meetings there. Rich said that we could have a session before the meeting, for prospective members, and then have our meeting. Frank suggested photos, videos, and brochures showing what the club is about, once or twice this season.
Upcoming General Meetings: Spring Soiree - March 21st General Meeting - Sharon said it this is all set, upstairs at Chelo's in Warwick, and they are aware we will have separate checks. RSVPs go to Sharon.
Open discussion:
Cheryl suggested we look for a date for the picnic soon, so Peter can reserve the venue. She also said that we need a speaker for the April meeting, and that the Kayak Centre has done presentations in the past. Pat said we had a meeting at Save the Bay once, with a presentation. Frank said he would send a note out to the rest of the board to ask for ideas for this via email - to discuss and then make a decision by the end of February.
Bend Farm is scheduled for April 6. A motion to adjourn was made by Steven seconded by Danny, and there was a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 19:43 Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie
Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association Meeting canceled January 3rd, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting
|
|||