First of all, I would be remiss if I did not thank the Board of Directors for their support and hard work during the year; these people are the real “heroes”.  As President I simply, along with the approval of the Board, delegate duties and responsibilities to various Board members.  The Board members take their duties and responsibilities very seriously and always try to do what is best for the league.  You may not always agree with their decisions but always remember that they are doing what is in the best interest of the league. The fact that many Board members have been on the Board for several years speaks volumes to their commitment and dedication to our slo-pitch league.  

My past year as President has been very enjoyable for the most part.  I have been President of several organizations, and I know that our Board members, me included, will be criticized from time to time for decisions that we make on your behalf.  We always try to make decisions that will benefit you, the players in our league.  If we find that one or more of our decisions are not well received by the players, then we adjust as needed.  

Unfortunately, we have some players (luckily a very small minority) who continually like to criticize the Board for their decisions and spread their discontent to their fellow players. As President I can accept criticism of myself and that of my fellow Board members when “warranted”.   What irritates me is the spreading of false information about the board and its’ members. As President, for example, I have been accused of making decisions arbitrarily without consulting the Board. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I, as President, do not even have a vote.  As president I simply carry out the decisions made by a majority vote of the Board members.  The President may be the “face” of the Board but in no way the decision maker or decision influencer.  The Board is the ultimate decision maker.  All decisions are decided by a majority vote of the members, not just one or two members.  To be told otherwise is false and misleading and detrimental to the wellbeing of our league.

I have not decided whether to run for a second term even though for the most part it has been a very enjoyable experience.  I can accept criticism when it is warranted.  The same is true with other Board members.  The only thing that I/we would ask, that going forward, if you are told certain things about the Board in general or about any Board member including the President, please contact the President directly.  Do not believe everything you hear. The President will give you the true facts and the reasoning behind the decisions made by the Board.  You may not agree but at least you will have the facts not hearsay, lies or innuendos.  

In closing I truly believe that the vast majority of our players are very supportive and agree with the decisions made by the Board on their behalf.  These same people also believe that if decisions are not being well received, the Board will take immediate action to rectify the situation.  Also, these same people realize that the Board members put a lot of work and effort into making our league the “best it can be”.

Have a great off-season and hopefully you plan and are able return to play for another season of WECSSO Summer slo-pitch. Also, remember if you want to know the latest happenings regarding our league, go to our much improved and up-to-date website.  

Ron Ottogalli 

President

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Unfortunately, another season of WECSSO slo-pitch is in the books. Two teams have been declared winners, a third team was rained out.  In my mind and probably others as well, we are all winners to a certain degree.  We are winners since, at our advanced ages, we can continue playing this wonderful game of slo-pitch.  We should “count our lucky stars” that we continue to have good health that enables us to get up every morning in the summer and look forward to going to the diamonds at Ciociaro.  You may not have the skills that you once had but that does not stop you from enjoying the game and having fun at the same time. 

We have three divisions of play- Red, Blue, and Green. Not all the players have the same athletic abilities for a variety of reasons.  Players want to have the chance to play with players that they feel that they would be competitive with.  Our three-division setup is unique in this regard.  The Board of Directors strives to make sure that all three divisions are successful.  No one division is more important than the other.   We, as a Board, realize that players want to play with players of similar abilities and talents.  Our three division setup enables this to happen.  The Board also realizes if our league wants to remain successful, we must ensure that we keep and support the concept of three divisional play.  No ifs, ands, buts or maybes!!!!!

The ball season may be over, but our league still has two important events- our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday Oct 2^nd at 1pm at Ciociaro Club-Salon F and our Annual Banquet on Wednesday October 16^th at the Ciociaro Club at 5pm (doors open at 3:30 pm)

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting is a good time to find out what the elected board members have done on your behalf.  It is also a good time to say thank you for all the work that the Board does on your behalf.  The Board of Directors are very committed and dedicated to providing the best league possible. Your presence at the AGM shows that you support their efforts. You may not agree with everything they do but at least you respect their efforts.  Nothing would be more discouraging than having just a handful of players attend the AGM.   I urge you to attend the AGM in support of your league.

You can go to our website and see the agenda for the AGM, our year-end financial statement, Minutes of the WECSSO 2023 AGM, several proposed changes to our constitution, along with the current Constitution. This will allow you to compare proposed changes to the current constitution.  Come out to the meeting to have your say and vote on each proposal. It is very important for the board to hear what the membership thinks of these changes to our constitution.  A vote will be taken on each proposal. 

Another important part of the meeting is the election of six members to our Board. Six members currently have a 1-year term left to serve on the Board.  If you have an interest in joining the Board, have someone nominate you at the meeting to run for the board. 

One last point, even though you can now register online to play, registration forms will be available for those who do not have a computer.

ANNUAL BANQUET

If you have not yet purchased a ticket for the banquet, the AGM will be your LAST opportunity to do so. Cost is $25, with players only, getting a $10 refund at the door.  NO tickets will be sold at the door of the Annual Banquet. There will be door prizes available and a share of the wealth draw.  Contact Jack Bump if you have a door prize to donate or simply bring it with you to the banquet.

Another slo-pitch season is just around the corner. Your executive has met several times during the winter months to plan for our upcoming season. Teams in our three divisions have been formed and all we need now is the weather to co-operate to get our season started in early May.

We have three divisions so that players with different athletic abilities have a chance to play against players of similar abilities. We want as many players as possible to play in our league, no matter your skill level or age. On our website, you will find a brief description of each division to help you decide which division suits your skills and the skills of your fellow players that you will be competing against. If you are in doubt as to which division is best for you, this brief write up of each division should help you decide. We value all our players and want to make sure that they are playing in the proper division with players of similar skills.

I would like to welcome not only our returning players but also the players who will be playing in our league for the first time. I have been playing in this league for over twenty years and I have thoroughly enjoyed not only playing but the friendships that I have made throughout this period.

The comradery in this league is second to none. The league is meant to be recreational in nature and emphasis is having fun playing the game we love. Winning is important but in my opinion, secondary to playing in a relaxed atmosphere where players treat one another with respect and dignity.

Each year a draft is held to form the teams. You can be a teammate one year and an opposing player the next year. This is what makes our league unique and different from other leagues.

You have a chance with having different teammates season after season. Lasting friendships may be formed as result of meeting new players as teammates rather than opponents.

In closing, I would like to remind my fellow players how very fortunate we are to be playing a sport we love as we advance in age. Even though some of our skills have diminished, we still have the health and desire to continue playing. Enjoy the time you spend on the diamonds, enjoy the comradery amongst your fellow players, look forward to each and every game, do your best and do not worry about making errors or not hitting in key situations. Display good sportsmanship during the games, be supportive of one another- realize that everyone is trying to do their best and players have different abilities and strengths.

Also, realize that our umpires are volunteers and we should appreciate their efforts on our behalf.

We are lucky to have a canteen available for us to have something to eat or drink after the game- what a great way to socialize with your fellow players, and

FINALLY,

REMEMBER IT IS JUST A GAME- ENJOY EACH and EVERY GAME- WIN or LOSE

Ron Ottogalli

President