1st Association Meeting

[frezer11]

We have our first meeting tonight where I am taking over as president of our local association. I pretty much have an agenda planned, but have been racking my brain with important info/messages that should be said at the first meeting. Here are the main points I'm looking at right now:

1. Professionalism (look the part, arrive on time, etc.)
2. Communication (crew, players, coaches)
3. Position on the court (best position to referee a play)

Of course we have a lot of topics we go further in depth on throughout the course of the year, but does anyone think there is other info that is critical to communicate on day 1? The high school season doesn't even start here for another month or so, and I'd like to really focus on teaching and training during the early middle school season.

Any ideas/advice you might have would be appreciated, thanks!

[LRZ]

Originally Posted by frezer11

We have our first meeting tonight [snip] does anyone think there is other info that is critical to communicate on day 1?

Greet new members; tell them what they can expect their first year; educate them about the procedures for getting games (with contact information about assigners) and moving up.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by frezer11

We have our first meeting tonight where I am taking over as president of our local association. I pretty much have an agenda planned, but have been racking my brain with important info/messages that should be said at the first meeting. Here are the main points I'm looking at right now:

1. Professionalism (look the part, arrive on time, etc.)
2. Communication (crew, players, coaches)
3. Position on the court (best position to referee a play)

Of course we have a lot of topics we go further in depth on throughout the course of the year, but does anyone think there is other info that is critical to communicate on day 1? The high school season doesn't even start here for another month or so, and I'd like to really focus on teaching and training during the early middle school season.

Any ideas/advice you might have would be appreciated, thanks!

In my associations, the rules interpreters and assignors are responsible for 2 & 3. The president addresses #1 as it pertains to representing the organization, sets the agenda, and runs the meetings.

[Mark Padgett]

Be sure to inform them of the first rule of basketball.

[Stat-Man]

First meeting is usually a good time to go over the new rule changes/interpretations for the season.

Even if your state has an on-line rules meeting for officials to view, as mine does, there will likely be questions. Think about our spirited discussion on the free throw POE.

[frezer11]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

First meeting is usually a good time to go over the new rule changes/interpretations for the season.

Even if your state has an on-line rules meeting for officials to view, as mine does, there will likely be questions. Think about our spirited discussion on the free throw POE.

Yes, I didn't put that in the original post, but that'll actually be a decent chunk of the meeting time-

[Kansas Ref]

A word of advice: Don't overburden them with details, keep it open, talk about your goals for this season (e.g., reducing the number of bad reports from coaches, increasing the number of good reports/reviews from coaches)Be sure to invite dialogue Q & A.
Likely questions will be:
1) how much will I get paid for games?
2) how does the payment system work and how long does it take to get paid by check or online deposit?
3) when and how do i get a raise in pay?
4) how do you determine who will be the "referee" and who the "umpire"?
etc...
Above all, initiate and maintain the Q & A session--as one poster wrote, let experts in 'communication' and 'rules' do their own presentations.

[Kansas Ref]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

First meeting is usually a good time to go over the new rule changes/interpretations for the season.

Even if your state has an on-line rules meeting for officials to view, as mine does, there will likely be questions. Think about our spirited discussion on the free throw POE.

I agree, the group dynamic is superior to a solitary online type of rules meeting.

Make sure you show them Freddy's 67-page uniform requirements slideshow.

[BillyMac]

Meeting schedule, and meeting attendance attendance rules, and penalties for missing, or being tardy, for meetings.

Payment schedule (dues, insurance, fees, fines, etc.), and penalties if not paid, or if late.

[Nevadaref]

Let everyone know the first date for games and/or scrimmages.
Make an announcement of the standards used in your group for uniforms. Thin zebra stripe shirts, thick stripe, side panel or not, patches needed or alowed, etc.
By when do member need to complete their preseason rules exam, if one is given?
By when do people need to update their calendars with open and closed dates & times?
What is the pay rate for each level of contest?
When will people be paid for games?
Any other tasks refs must complete before the season?

[Mark Padgett]

Don't forget to tell them where they can get the directory of hot moms.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Don't forget to tell them where they can get the directory of hot moms.

Hot, single, moms. We're not home wreckers.

[frezer11]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Hot, single, moms. We're not home wreckers.

Absolutely. Pretty sure I've missed multiple dunks in pre-game because I'm creepily scanning the crowd...


Thanks all for the feedback!

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

First meeting is usually a good time to go over the new rule changes/interpretations for the season.

Until last week I'd have told you that there is not much to talk about this year. But then we were introduced to the great NFHS semi-circle debacle of 2015, and now there's plenty to talk about.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I agree with other posters that the President should stay away from the minutia. Professionalism is a great opening topic, but I think perception is an even better one. Emphasize that how an official is perceived is reality, so check the ego at the door. And make sure they recognize that 75% of an official's reputation, at least within the association (where it counts) is based on off-court stuff (timeliness, honesty, communications with the assignor, keeping your Arbiter blocks up to date, film study, etc.).