Richard,

We appreciate your contribution to this discussion; however, do you honestly feel this is enough detail to allow anyone to understand whether or not we are spending funds unneccesarily?

For example: Lodging from 07 to 08 increased from $5,843 to $18,277. Nearly triple. Why?

Officals: What are we paying $9,700 for? Officiating and if so what?

Entry fees: $14,210... to what?

Contract Labor is $0... Will we find $5000 plus paid to Kathy Juby noted in the 2009 fincial statement? Are we having to cover FICA for her, unemployment, and other fees associated with paying and withholding for an employee who is paid more than $600 or are we exempt from such?

If nothing else, these tough times will stimulate more scrutiny and questioning. Everyone needs to be comfortable with full disclosure.

Richard,
First off, Thank You for posting my name. If I am going to be critical of others and things then I should post my name and I forgot to do that so, again, Thank You!.
Next, I see no where in that statement where we listed salaries or bonuses.
I also saw coaches for like $3500???
Next I understand that Topeka was a $15000 savings for USAWKS.
But is your position to do what is best for USAWKS Inc or its membership? Because sometimes that is not the samething!
A majority of KS WRESTLERS have been traveling to Topeka for years and in my opinion if the state event was in Wichita then the majority of USAWKS members as a whole would save a lot more then $15000.

Just My Opinion!
Lance Tracy

Fighting about the Topeka issue makes no sense - they saved $15,000. No brainer. Yes, I understand someone has to travel - you cannot make everyone happy. Same thing with Southern Plains in Hayes, along way for me, but we still go.

However, travel, meals and lodging have increased significantly. From about $13,000 to over $33,000???

Are these people there for usawks INC. or for its membership.
Yes, I understand tou can't make everyone happy but having it in Wichita would make much more sense for the majority.
I know its like beating a dead horse but its just another example of what needs to be done to improve our organization.
Then you hear of people excepting gifts and getting paid for volunteer work... are you serious?
Wow
If we want to pay people then let's make them an employee and tell everyone what we are doing. I think the lady is probably UNDER PAID. But that don't matter when its being done in the shadows!

Lance,

Richard Salyer posted an abbreviated version of our financial report. As he said, this financial report is presented to all of the clubs at each years' state body meeting and members are walked through the numbers and encouraged to ask any questions. I then post the financials on the website - you can pull up last year's report by clicking on the "General Info" link at the left and going to the "Other" section.

Included in the financial report, under the section "Office" is $5,663 for contract labor. Of this amount, $592 was for legal fees paid in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a group exemption for our clubs from the IRS (an item that was discussed in detail at the last two state body meetings). The remaining amount was paid to Kathy for her work for USAW-Kansas. Kathy did receive a form 1099 at the end of the year, as did anyone else who received more than $600 in compensation during the year.

Although you may not have been aware of the payments to Kathy, I would also suggest that there are many other things being done by our state that you and many others may not be aware of. I don't think this is because anyone is trying to hide anything, but simply because most people are selective about the issues they are willing to take the time to become fully educated about. This is the purpose of the selection of officers and directors. It was these representative were the ones who originally made the decision to begin compensating Kathy for her work. If you do not believe that your representatives are doing their job, then you should seek to get new people in their place.

If your complaint is with me specifically, I am elected directly by the officers of USAW-Kansas, Inc. Most of these officers come from elections at the district and state body meetings, so that's the place to start. I genuinely believe that I have been instrumental in helping make Kansas a great place for wrestling, in large part by doing everything I can to facilitate the great volunteers that we have throughout our state. I would not continue to hold this position if I didn’t believe this, and would hope that your representatives would not keep me in office if they thought differently.

Currently, I believe that we have a diversified group of people serving as directors and officers of our organization who are all deeply interested in doing what's best for wrestling in Kansas. You may not agree with them; heck, most of the time they don't agree with each other, but it would be wrong to believe that they are not as enthusiastic about USAW-Kansas and its members as you or anyone else.

Mr. Juby,

When you ascend to the level you have there is NO doubt that you have accomplished much and are very passionate about what you are doing. I have stated for the last few years that the group of you have done a great job but it there comes a time when status quo leads to too much comfort. The personalities are find a way to mesh and any outsiders are outcasts. Decisions are made because there becomes too much trust and a failure to pay attention to perception. This post has caught the eye of far more than the "vocal minority". I have NOT asked for your head on a platter and I DID NOT accuse you of a "cover up" but the "appearance" or "perception" you inadvertently created will leave a bad taste in the silent majority's mouth as well. You are the "Godfather" of Kansas wrestling and you know as well as I do that your advice is sought on issues and problems that are outside of your scope of responsibility. You are the "go to" guy because of your passion, your level head, your experience, and your commitment. I personally do not think you would do anything with the intent to damage our sport, organization or your good name. That said, you must admit that when you are the "top gun" and your wife is being paid without explicit disclosure it creates an awkward appearance. Many, many have called and asked me how they could get Kathy's job. Not a joke!

I really just wanted to buy some cards when this all began but even some of those who voted "YES" were uncomfortable with the way the decision was made. The comfort that the "board" has grown to operate under led to a hasty discussion and a lack of a full understanding of the issues and accounting. (I would still like to know if a email meeting and email vote is an accepted procedure in our bylaws).

A radical departure from the USA increases should/could have been explained on the home page of this site. YOU could have prevented all of this.

You once told me of a decision you made that you made in the best interest of a wrestling opportunity for a youth that you have been conflicted by because you hadn't thought through all of the consequences. It happens, but it especially happens when an individual thinks they don't need to listen to everyone who might have ideas or input before coming to a conclusion. In the past two years you have made two such decisions regarding the eligibility of two Kansas youths. In my opinion the best interest of the two wrestlers nor the best of our organization were protected by your decisions and actions. Conveniently neither of these topics has ever surfaced on here. I don't think our membership is comfortable with the lack of detail and transparency.

I think term limits and fresh minds on the board are needed so this "comfort" which has lead to hasty decisions with no checks and balances will no longer be commonplace.

Given that you have a fear that this topic is NOT reaching the majority, I will help you out with that.

If I remember correctly I was told last year that Kansas is the only state in the USA wrestling org. That was not Required to purchase cards online. And I was told that the only reasons for this was to stop people who maybe should not have cards from getting them. coaches/parents not wrestlers. So if I lived in missouri or anywhere but Kansas I could just go online and purchase my cards and they would already be on the way. Instead I have to watch this post and see whats going to happen. And when we figure it out I have to make darn certain on my spead sheets that all the correct boxes are checked t's crossed i's dotted (god forbid if you are not a computer savy user you forget something). All to get cards and don't forget up the fee's so we can pay someone to process them, which I admit is a crappy difficult job. Can't we eliminate all this by going online to themat.com and buying them like everyone else in the country.

I have been watching this post for a little while now. It seems to me that there are two reasons that we are still having to go through the state to purchase our cards. 1) To save $5.00 a card by not purchasing on the internet. 2) To make sure that not everyone can purchase a coaches card.

If $2.00 of every card is now going to an administrator, we will make $20,000 (if the figures previously stated are correct) by going online. Also if it is inevitable that we will be forced to the internet in the next 2-3 years, Why not now?

As far as making sure not everyone that wants a card can get one, does it really matter? At the state tournament you will need to have a USA card AND be on the coaches list provided by your club. Everyone who completes a Bronze clinic can purchase a card, that doesn't mean they can get on the floor at state.

I have to agree that it is time to allow those who want to, to be allowed access to purchase their cards online. If nothing else the option should be made available.

When they invented the automobile I am sure a few people resisted the change, and kept riding their horses. But eventually the convenience factor won out, and you don’t see to many horses on the roads these days.
The ease and convenience of the Internet will eventually be the way to go but I guess we will keep riding our horse, so we can save a few dollars on gas?

3.5.3 Notice of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall be sent to each Board Member in writing by the State Chairman by mail or emailat least thirty (30) days in advance of the annual meeting and at least fifteen (15) days in advance of a special meeting.
3.5.4 Business may be conducted by the Board of Directors via email, provided that votes are received from at least 75% of all members. The annual meeting will not be conducted via email.
3.5.5 Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to the public unless the Board of Directors votes to meet in executive session. Executive session voting is prohibited.


This excerpt from the Corporate Board bylaws indicates that a meeting conducted by email is compliant; however, how would all of the members know if 75% were participating unless they were all mandated to utilize reply all? How would anyone know what the vote was unless they hit reply all?

Also, bylaw 3.5.3 states that 15 days notice must be given for a special meeting. Did 75% of the Corporate Board receive 15 days notice? Maybe these actions and votes are null and void?

fair questions with no answer. Maybe no answer answers your question.

I just want to add that just because another "non profit" does it a certain way, that does NOT justify USAWKS doing it that way as well. If USAWKS has done it one way forever, which is all volunteer, any change to that should be brought before the membership.

I think that the overall decline in charitable giving to these "non profits" charities can be attributed not only to the economy, but also to the fact that people, including me, think that too much of what they give goes to salaries, instead of directly to the "need".

My two cents worth

Doug

A fact that needs to be considered ... is that USA Wrestling did not decide to raise their until August 20th (or so) of 2009. As new cards became available of September 1, 2009; the time frame was definitely compressed.

I have a question. If we switch to the online purchasing, does that mean that the state of Kansas will not get the $10.00 from the competitor cards anymore or is it that they just have to wait on getting it from USA Wrestling? If Kansas still receives the $10.00 then I say we should go ahead and go online. I can't imagine why anyone would want to deal with all of the headaches of processing the cards if they didn't have to. As for raising the cost of the card I think Will's calculations of just adding the $1.00 increase plus the online fee of $5.00 which makes the cards only $36.00 makes more sense than raising the fee to $35.00 and going through the same time consuming process as in previous years. I also agree that the clubs could and should pick up the additional fees to charter and sanction their tournaments rather than the state taking a hit on this.
Cheryle Seaton

USA Wrestling will keep $5 for online processing and then cut a check to USAWKS each month for the fees charged above their $21.

I have been told that the contract which charges USA Wrestling $5 per card for nline processing expires after this year and that this fee will likely drop to $2 or $3.

Is it too late to begin online card purchase if the clubs all agree that is the way we want to go this year? Can this be voted on at the State meeting?

As a club president, not having to order wrestling cards for each competitor will save me a LOT of time and headaches. Making everybody purchase their own and showing me a new card before they begin practice would be ideal.

It’s great to hear the opinions of the people that deal directly with the hassle of processing their clubs cards. Cheryle Seatons’ and Sharon Henes’s opinions should not be ignored. Their time is valuable , and if the online purchasing of cards will ease the time consuming hassle of all of these volunteers it should be done.

That is the other thing that is not being considered. All of the club folks that still have to deal with sending requests to the state, that are not getting paid anything. If each kid got their own USA card, online, they just need to hand us a copy of it and we stick it in the folder and we're done with it. DOn't have to collect the money, fill out the spreadsheet, pass out the cards, get the little attachement card signed by parent and wrestler, etc. etc. $5 sounds cheap for that and us not having to pay someone from our state to do anything.

My two cents worth.

Doug