Mount Pleasant Swim Club Parent Association
Board Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes for July 9, 2012
Present:
Mark Reed - President
Stacy Hanling
Jesse DiBona
Dionne Gada
Kellye Hafner
Doug Fetchen
Lauren Meyer
Betsy Jessup
Parents:
See last page of the minutes with a full list of parents in attendance.
Next meeting: August 13, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Call to Order – Mark Reed called the meeting to order at ~7:15 PM.
Mark thanked Stacy for her service to the MPSC Board and her interest in continuing as
a member of the board.
Coach’s Report
 Coach Doug stated that Olympic trials were a great for the MPSC swimmers, and
the achievements by the MPSC swimmers elevated the team to becoming known as
a national level team.
- A suggestion was made that the Olympic trial participants talk to other MPSC
swim groups about their experiences. It was also suggested that these
swimmers could speak at the parents meeting.
 There are plans for a big sister/little sister and big brother/little brother program.
- A suggestion was made for the board to pay for an ice cream social as a kickoff.
 As recently posted on the website, tryouts for the team are being held in August.
The date is moved forward compared to past years to better fit with timing for
Minnows/Sharks registration.
 The Danny Jones Structure will take 2-3 weeks to build. The constructions dates
are anticipated to be in August or September. The bottom of the pool will be
resurfaced during this time as well. Back-up practice locations are being determined
for groups practicing at Danny Jones, since the Park West and Jones Center
practices are anticipated to be full.
Vice President/Fund Raising Report


The Swim-a-thon fundraiser is scheduled for October 13. A team photo will be taken
before the event starts. Each swimmer will receive a photo paid for by the board. A
proposal for the Swim-a-thon is being put together for the next board meeting.
Details will be provided at the September parent meeting.
The MPSC board has already contributed $10,000 towards the Danny Jones project.
The goal of the Swim-a-thon is to raise another $10,000 for this project.
Treasurer’s Report
 Annual MPSC swim fees are anticipated to remain at 2011-2012 levels.
 Monthly pool fees are not increasing at this time.
 Less than 10 families participate in the Scrips program. The benefits of this program
will be assessed.
Secretary/Communication Report
 The annual non-disclosure forms by board meetings have been completed and are
on file.
 Secretary email responsibility through the website has been turned over from Kathy
Frame to Kellye.
Facilities Report
 There will be an additional blue group at Park West with practice Mon-Thurs.
 Orange group will continue at Jones Center pool.
 Pre-Senior groups will practice at Park West. There are some invited Pre-Senior
spots for state-level swimmers to practice at the Danny Jones pool.
 Morning practice for the older groups will be at Park West and Danny Jones pools,
so that kids can attend the pool that best fits with their school schedule.
 Currently there are no plans for additional groups at the Danny Jones pool. Statelevel swimmers will have pool time from 4-7pm during the week. To enable
additional practice groups, conversation and agreements will have to be determined
by Mt. Pleasant and North Charleston.
Officials Report
 Officials were discussed as part of the proposed volunteer point system but no
decisions were made. An incentive is being considered for working additional
meets (home and away) once an official has achieved volunteer requirements.
 MPSC parents who are officials are needed at away meets, and hopefully, their
participation encourages officials from other teams to help when MPSC hosts swim
meets.
 It was recognized that there is a need to have parents as officials who represent the
younger kids on the team.
Development of Volunteer Contract
Betsy Jessup shared the following ideas and recognized that the proposal is a work-inprogress:
 There are 5 volunteer points required for each swimmer, with a volunteer
point = to physical volunteer effort. Considerations will be made for families
with multiple swimmers.
 If a family has not earned 2 points by Christmas, then a fee will be charged.
 If volunteer points are not earned or the fee is not paid, then swimmers will
not be allowed to register for the next year.
 Family points will not be tracked after achieving the required points.
 No points will be awarded for paying monthly pool fees on time.
- Should there be a penalty? Laurin will check into the possibility of charging
monthly late fees. Coach Doug said that he prefers the late fees go
towards the pool/team, instead of the town general budget.
Comments:
 5 points sounds better than 200 points and should be easier to explain to new
swim families.
 The volunteer opportunities should look similar to the job-sign-up on the
website
A motion was made and passed to move forward with a program requiring 5 volunteer
points. Details of the program will be discussed and voted on at the next meeting.
Parent Questions and Conversation
Will there be an opportunity for other kids to train at the Danny Jones pool during the
Long Course season?
Coach Doug would like to see this happen but it is too early to determine details such as
a rotating practice schedule. After the structure and lane lines are in place, options can
be considered. SC swimming recommends training in both 25m and 50m pools during
Short Course and Long Course seasons.
Will there be an opportunity for MPSC swimmer and coach evaluations?
Coach Doug did evaluation with the state-level swimmers in the Spring, and he would
like to continue but recognizes that this took over a month to complete by talking to
kids/parents at the end or beginning of practice. Coach John has a folder system for
the orange groups. Parents requested something similar for the blue group. Online
surveys were discussed as an option for parents to provide feedback to coaches.
Will there be consequences for swimmers who do not attend practice frequently,
particularly as the pool is more crowded?
As long as fees are paid, there is an open format. MPSC is not a private club.
Is there a problem with the Danny Jones pool water quality?
There has been a spike in sickness, with illnesses including strep throat, mono, ear
infections, swimmer ear, a fever virus, etc. All pools pass DHEC inspection and more
diligence is being paid to chlorine levels. The Danny Jones pool is not covered so the
environment is variable but there is no indication that the water quality is causing the
variety of illnesses. Inherently, a closed pool has a more controlled environment. An
Aquatics manager is in the process of being hired for the Danny Jones pool. Right now
the lifeguards are responsible for the pool checks and chemical treatment.