Minutes 2024 

 

Rhode Island Canoe and Kayak Association (minutes not yet approved)

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account has connections to the person who set it up originally, so he would like to contact PayPal to reset and remove outdated information so we can reduce vulnerability.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 

 

 

Held via Zoom videoconferencing 

 

Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Cheryl Thompson, Danny O'Shea, Sharon Dragon, Pat Lardner, Peter Hill, and Jen Stanton.

 

Meeting called to Order at 7:03 by Erik

 

Approval of Executive Board Meeting minutes from May:

There was a motion made by Frank seconded by Steve, and there was a unanimous vote to approve

 

Approval of the treasurer'report:

Frank said he has been working on getting access to bank accounts, so April and May treasurer reports will be available soon 

Old Business:    

 

National Rivers Day Central Falls Landing - June 15th from 3 to 7pm. Erik said that Gary is looking for help staffing the booth. Peter said he would be doing this.

RICKA at The Kayak Centre  June 20th at 6pm - Frank said this is a series of meetings to promote paddlesports in the community. We will have 60-90 minutes to present. Frank would like to get the banner from Gary (who will have it for Rivers Day) in time for the program, along with a couple of volunteers to help. Deb said she would do this. Frank will run videos on the laptop as well.

Picnic Planning - Jen said she called Jiggers South and left a message. 

Officer Transitions â€“ Erik and Frank are now signatories to the bank account, after meeting with Sharon. Sharon said that the registered office and agent have also been updated. 


New Business:

Newport Paddle Fest - Frank said this is a new event, on August 17 at King Park and Fort Adams, and Mark Marosits is hoping to have RICKA participate. Frank said that a wilderness demonstration was of special interest to the event, and potentially paddle trips. Peter asked about liability when having non-members on our trips, and a discussion ensued. Frank said he would tell Mark we would be part of it. 

 

Upcoming General Meetings:

June Meeting on the Water Upper Pawtuxet

July Meeting on the Water  Erik said he was working with Rich on a venue like Fort Wetherill, Potter Cover or Wickford. Weather might be a factor, and there would likely be equipment requirements.

 

Open discussion:

Pat brought up an incident that happened last night on a SNEP paddle, where a person who is also a RICKA member arrived with insufficient equipment and skill. She said this person could not keep up with the group, where Pat asked her to consider whether they should continue. Pat said she soon escorted them back to the launch, and this person was argumentative as they have been at past paddles, so they were removed from SNEP. Pat said this person expected something like a guide service. Several others remembered this person being problematic on RICKA paddles in recent years. Steve described her behavior and lack of participation with paddling on another trip, which got him back to the launch past dark since he was the sweep. Sharon asked what we should do, and Pat advised we be prepared to tell her she is not equipped for the trips. Steve recommended we do a safety check to be sure everyone has what is required for the trip. Sharon said we should document issues like this. Frank pointed out that if someone is this far behind, that the sweep is a personal escort, and suggested we add language about not taking breaks and that we may be paddling for 90 minutes continuous, for instance. Steve said she stated she did not read the writeup on last night's trip. There was discussion on how to handle this in the future. It was decided table the issue until next month.


Erik adjourned the meeting after a motion made by Steve and seconded by Sharon at 20:07

 

Minutes submitted by Skye Pechie


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


New Business:


Officer Transitions  Erik said he thinks this is going smoothly. Sharon said that she would be meeting others later this month to change things over at the bank. She said Frank and she did the March treasurer report together and he did well - she will work on the IRS filing and Secretary of State change of address.

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

April 3, 2024 RICKA Board Meeting 

Held via Zoom videoconferencing  

Present: Frank Cortesa, Skye Pechie, Steven Pechie, Deborah Britt, Erik Eckilson, Pat Lardner, Cheryl Thompson, Sharon Dragon, Paul Leclerc, and Peter Hill. 

Meeting called to Order at 7:03 by Frank 

Approval of minutes from March:

There was a motion made by Frank seconded by Sharon , and there was a unanimous vote to approve 

Approval of the treasurer's report:

There was a motion made by Frank, seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote to approve

Old Business:     

Pool Rolling Practice: Frank said that the sessions have been completed, and we will await a final report. 

RICKA at The Kayak Centre:  Frank said he will draft an outline/plan based on input from several people who have volunteered to participate on June 20 (a Thursday evening). More are welcome, if interested, contact Frank.

Election 2024: Frank said that the Nomination committee has posted the list of candidates and that the term begins next month. 

Picnic planning - Peter said that the facility has been reserved. We will need to provide the form for the 990 form renewal when it is time to do so. Sharon said she will renew this with the new treasurer when they take office (it cannot be done until March 31).

Ongoing Updates:

Membership report: Frank said that Gary sent an update via email. Cheryl said she has been contacted by several members who had trouble finding the address to mail their renewals in. There was discussion about older people having trouble with PayPal and giving them life memberships - perhaps at 80 years old. Erik said there is nothing in the bylaws about life memberships. Deb suggested we get Gary involved with the discussion since he is membership chair. 

Conservation: Pat said that the town of West Greenwich partnered with DEM to preserve the headwaters of the Hunt River.  She said Earth Day is April 20 and that there are many cleanups throughout the state. She is involved with the Big River cleanup, and Gary is offering a paddle and cleanup.

New Business:

Officer Transitions: Frank said that we have the potential for a new president and treasurer. Sharon said that she will bring the laptop and the folder with information to the flatwater planning meeting, and that she will meet people at the bank and make the transition. Pat asked if Frank was going to use the laptop, in case someone else needed it, and he said yes.

Upcoming General Meetings: 

April General Meeting: Frank said this is set for April 15 via Zoom  Guest speaker Kate McPherson of Save the Bay. Steve will make the motions during the election, before the program.

May General Meeting:  Pat said Bill McCusker is planning to present on hydrilla in the Saugatuck River.


Open discussion:

Frank said he got a call today from Mark Marotsis from the office of the Harbormaster and is the safety officer there. He wanted to let us know there is a paddle fest on August 17, in the harbor, and wanted to see whether we would like to participate. It will be both land and water based. Frank said that Mark also mentioned a budget and that he would like to hire a part time, seasonal, safety officer to be a face on the water. He hands out whistles and advise people about the PFD law. Frank also said that the Mettatuxet Yacht Club has an event on the narrow river this Saturday, 9-11am, and Mark will be presenting there and will share information on RICKA. He also invited us to send someone to participate there.

A motion to adjourn was made by Steven , seconded by Cheryl, and there was a unanimous vote.

Meeting adjourned at 19:37

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. 


Cheryl said that the flatwater planning meeting at River
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