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Two Important Deadlines Are Approaching
Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 are the deadlines for the SAFE Scholarship program applications and the STMA Field of the Year submittals, respectively.
To be eligible to submit an application for a SAFE scholarship, you must be an STMA member and enrolled in turf management or related subject with the intention of pursuing sports turf management or research as a career, and have one semester of study remaining. Last year, SAFE awarded 10 scholarships, each of at least $1,000. Students were also provided a complimentary registration to conference and three nights lodging. To submit an application, click here.
The Field of the Year application is also online. The application is straightforward and is easy to fill out. Be sure to read the guidelines for photos and sign the photo release form. Categories for submitting an application includes fields used for football, soccer, baseball and softball in the professional, schools/parks and collegiate categories. This program provides excellent recognition of your skills and abilities and validates your professionalism. To submit an application, click here.
Nominate a Worthy Member for a Founders Award
STMA will be awarding its highest honors, the Founders Awards, during the Awards Banquet at the annual conference, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008, in Phoenix. The Founders Awards are named after the four founders of STMA: Harry Gill, George Toma, Dick Ericson, and Dr. William H. Daniel. The awards recognize the extraordinary contributions that each Founder made to the sports turf industry. The recipients are kept secret until announced during the banquet. Take this opportunity to nominate a worthy candidate. To view the criteria for each of the Founders awards, click here, or to go directly to the form, Click here and fill out the short award application, which is due Nov. 1.
Support Student Challenge Competitors
Send a Student Challenge Team to the annual Conference to compete. The STMA Student Challenge, which is supported by Gold Level Sponsor Hunter Industries and The SAFE Foundation, continues to mature. The number of competitors has grown from 60 the first year to more than 100 that competed last year. Get your chapter, local commercial suppliers, and your peers to consider helping these teams defray their travel expenses to the conference. STMA provides each competitor complimentary registration, a $100 value, but hotel and airfare are expensive. STMA encourages these teams to seek sponsorship locally, so look for possible requests this fall from nearby schools. If you do not have a college or university close by, and would like to help these students, contact STMA, STMAinfo@STMA.org. At the conference in Phoenix, you will hear from the 2007 winning teams, Mt. San Antonio College and the University of Tennessee, during a poster session on the trade show floor on how they used their winnings.
GET CEUs at Your Desk!
Eight educational sessions that were presented at the San Antonio conference in January are now on-line! If you take all of them you will receive 1.675 CEUs! Even if you do not need CEUs, these sessions provide excellent education that is convenient to your schedule. Member pricing is just $30 per session, and you can gather your crew around a computer for even more value.
The sessions available include:
Fertilizers for Sports Fields (3 Hours, 40 Minutes) .35 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Brad Jakubowski, University of Nebraska, Dr. Tom Samples, University of Tennessee
Constructing, Managing and Testing Sports Turf Root Zones (3 Hours, 37 Minutes) .35 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Jason Henderson, University of Connecticut, Dr. John Sorochan, University of Tennessee
Drainage Concepts & Issues (1 Hour, 34 Minutes) .15 CSFM CEUs
Speaker : Dr. Andy McNitt, Pennsylvania State University
CSFM Workshop (56 Minutes, 4 Seconds) 0.00 CSFM CEUs - CSFMs should not be attending this because it is the Preparing for the CSFM exam which they have already taken
Speakers: Mike Schiller, CSFM , George Trivett, CSFM, City of Lenoir, Matt Carl, CSFM, Prairie Ridge Sports Complex, Mary Owen, University of Massachusetts
Smorgasbord: Bluegrass, Field Design & Infields (1 Hour, 28 Minutes) .15 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Brad Park, Rutgers, Dr. Norm Hummel, Hummel & Co. , James Brosnan, Pennsylvania State University
Managing Multi Sports Fields (1 Hour, 56 Minutes) .2 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Ross Kurcab, CSFM, Denver Broncos, Dr. Richard White, Texas A&M, Larry Divito, Washington Nationals, Abby McNeal, AEG /Toyota
Eco-Balanced Athletic Fields (2 Hours, 50 Minutes) .275 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Dr. Frank Rossi, Cornell University, Eric Lyons, University of Guelph, Rich Watson, Pine Hill Public Schools, Mary Owen, University of Massachusetts
Synthetic Fields (2 Hours, 13 Minutes) .2 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Webb Cook, A-Turf, Jay Warnick, CSFM, WorldClass Athletic Surfaces, Mark Nicholls, Sportexe
To access these or the sessions from the 2007 conference, click here.
'Thank You' for being Candid!
Thirty percent of you responded to our recent survey asking about the educational resources and information you need to succeed. Thank you! A whopping 70 percent of you who participated indicate that the business/human resources/personal development areas are of great interest, with detailed budget management information being very important. In cool season and warm season zones, the number one need is education on managing fields with excessive wear and overuse. The STMA Information Outreach Committee is developing a priority list of educational tools and resources they will be creating this fall to help meet these needs. To access the full survey results, click here.
Audit Confirms STMA’s Financial Stability
At the end of June, Long CPA, PA, reviewed the results of the 2006 annual audit with STMA Treasurer Chris Calcaterra, CSFM. The STMA Board of Directors and the Finance and Audit Committee subsequently reviewed and endorsed the Audit.
The Audit shows that STMA’s bottom line at year-end 2006 was $233,219, in revenue over expenses. The STMA Board of Directors at their July Board Meeting moved 75 percent of this amount to the reserve fund, which is the percentage recommended by the association’s Finance and Audit policies. This allocation brings the reserve fund to $537,737, which is approximately one half of STMA’s operating budget. This allows STMA to achieve its goal to have one-half to one full-year of our operating budget in reserve.
Service oriented associations use dues and sponsorship dollars to fund programs and services for members. That is STMA’s philosophy — to maximize each dollar earned by providing benefits back to its members. STMA also realizes that it is prudent to build a reserve fund for financial stability. A strong reserve fund allows the organization to be very nimble so that it can take advantage of appropriate emerging opportunities. It also provides a cushion in case of a down economy, or a crisis that affects our major revenue source — the conference and exposition — so that we can continue to offer uninterrupted programs and services.
To review the Statement of Activity for STMA and for SAFE, click here.
SAFE Auction and Raffles --
New Formats & More Prizes To Win!
You have many opportunities to win money and prizes from the auctions and raffles during the Conference while helping to fund education, scholarship and research through The SAFE Foundation. Last year, SAFE funded 10 scholarships, those students’ travel to the conference, an educational DVD on Mound-building and Home Plate Maintenance and $8,000 in educational funding for Student Challenge winners.
Official Raffle — Exceptional Value! Win a trip to Disney and other fun packages! Check out the vacation packages and other valuable items on display at STMA’s Conference Registration area. Buy as many tickets as you wish. The Drawing will take place during the Awards Banquet on Friday night. You do not need to be present to win.
Daily 50/50 Raffle — New - During the conference students will be selling tickets. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to SAFE to fund scholarship, education and research, and 50 percent will go to a lucky, daily winner. The first drawing will be at the conclusion of the Welcome Reception; the second drawing will be at the conclusion of Thursday’s Trade Show and the final drawing will be at the Friday night Awards Banquet.
Silent Auction — New items each day! The Silent Auction will again be open during both days of the Trade Show. However, each night it will close and those items will be gone. When it reopens the next day, all new items will be ready for silent bid.
Live Auction — Select items! We’ll have these items available on display at registration and at the Welcome Reception. You’ll be able to bid on these few, select items during the Pre-Banquet Reception.
Donate an Item - We need your donations of team gear, products, equipment or tickets to unique attractions in your area. This is a great way to showcase your business or your hometown. Please send your items to: STMA Headquarters, 805 New Hampshire, Ste. E, Lawrence, KS 66044. You may also bring your donations to the conference. Thank you!
Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 are the deadlines for the SAFE Scholarship program applications and the STMA Field of the Year submittals, respectively.
To be eligible to submit an application for a SAFE scholarship, you must be an STMA member and enrolled in turf management or related subject with the intention of pursuing sports turf management or research as a career, and have one semester of study remaining. Last year, SAFE awarded 10 scholarships, each of at least $1,000. Students were also provided a complimentary registration to conference and three nights lodging. To submit an application, click here.
The Field of the Year application is also online. The application is straightforward and is easy to fill out. Be sure to read the guidelines for photos and sign the photo release form. Categories for submitting an application includes fields used for football, soccer, baseball and softball in the professional, schools/parks and collegiate categories. This program provides excellent recognition of your skills and abilities and validates your professionalism. To submit an application, click here.
Nominate a Worthy Member for a Founders Award
STMA will be awarding its highest honors, the Founders Awards, during the Awards Banquet at the annual conference, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008, in Phoenix. The Founders Awards are named after the four founders of STMA: Harry Gill, George Toma, Dick Ericson, and Dr. William H. Daniel. The awards recognize the extraordinary contributions that each Founder made to the sports turf industry. The recipients are kept secret until announced during the banquet. Take this opportunity to nominate a worthy candidate. To view the criteria for each of the Founders awards, click here, or to go directly to the form, Click here and fill out the short award application, which is due Nov. 1.
Support Student Challenge Competitors
Send a Student Challenge Team to the annual Conference to compete. The STMA Student Challenge, which is supported by Gold Level Sponsor Hunter Industries and The SAFE Foundation, continues to mature. The number of competitors has grown from 60 the first year to more than 100 that competed last year. Get your chapter, local commercial suppliers, and your peers to consider helping these teams defray their travel expenses to the conference. STMA provides each competitor complimentary registration, a $100 value, but hotel and airfare are expensive. STMA encourages these teams to seek sponsorship locally, so look for possible requests this fall from nearby schools. If you do not have a college or university close by, and would like to help these students, contact STMA, STMAinfo@STMA.org. At the conference in Phoenix, you will hear from the 2007 winning teams, Mt. San Antonio College and the University of Tennessee, during a poster session on the trade show floor on how they used their winnings.
GET CEUs at Your Desk!
Eight educational sessions that were presented at the San Antonio conference in January are now on-line! If you take all of them you will receive 1.675 CEUs! Even if you do not need CEUs, these sessions provide excellent education that is convenient to your schedule. Member pricing is just $30 per session, and you can gather your crew around a computer for even more value.
The sessions available include:
Fertilizers for Sports Fields (3 Hours, 40 Minutes) .35 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Brad Jakubowski, University of Nebraska, Dr. Tom Samples, University of Tennessee
Constructing, Managing and Testing Sports Turf Root Zones (3 Hours, 37 Minutes) .35 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Jason Henderson, University of Connecticut, Dr. John Sorochan, University of Tennessee
Drainage Concepts & Issues (1 Hour, 34 Minutes) .15 CSFM CEUs
Speaker : Dr. Andy McNitt, Pennsylvania State University
CSFM Workshop (56 Minutes, 4 Seconds) 0.00 CSFM CEUs - CSFMs should not be attending this because it is the Preparing for the CSFM exam which they have already taken
Speakers: Mike Schiller, CSFM , George Trivett, CSFM, City of Lenoir, Matt Carl, CSFM, Prairie Ridge Sports Complex, Mary Owen, University of Massachusetts
Smorgasbord: Bluegrass, Field Design & Infields (1 Hour, 28 Minutes) .15 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Brad Park, Rutgers, Dr. Norm Hummel, Hummel & Co. , James Brosnan, Pennsylvania State University
Managing Multi Sports Fields (1 Hour, 56 Minutes) .2 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Ross Kurcab, CSFM, Denver Broncos, Dr. Richard White, Texas A&M, Larry Divito, Washington Nationals, Abby McNeal, AEG /Toyota
Eco-Balanced Athletic Fields (2 Hours, 50 Minutes) .275 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Dr. Frank Rossi, Cornell University, Eric Lyons, University of Guelph, Rich Watson, Pine Hill Public Schools, Mary Owen, University of Massachusetts
Synthetic Fields (2 Hours, 13 Minutes) .2 CSFM CEUs
Speakers: Webb Cook, A-Turf, Jay Warnick, CSFM, WorldClass Athletic Surfaces, Mark Nicholls, Sportexe
To access these or the sessions from the 2007 conference, click here.
'Thank You' for being Candid!
Thirty percent of you responded to our recent survey asking about the educational resources and information you need to succeed. Thank you! A whopping 70 percent of you who participated indicate that the business/human resources/personal development areas are of great interest, with detailed budget management information being very important. In cool season and warm season zones, the number one need is education on managing fields with excessive wear and overuse. The STMA Information Outreach Committee is developing a priority list of educational tools and resources they will be creating this fall to help meet these needs. To access the full survey results, click here.
Audit Confirms STMA’s Financial Stability
At the end of June, Long CPA, PA, reviewed the results of the 2006 annual audit with STMA Treasurer Chris Calcaterra, CSFM. The STMA Board of Directors and the Finance and Audit Committee subsequently reviewed and endorsed the Audit.
The Audit shows that STMA’s bottom line at year-end 2006 was $233,219, in revenue over expenses. The STMA Board of Directors at their July Board Meeting moved 75 percent of this amount to the reserve fund, which is the percentage recommended by the association’s Finance and Audit policies. This allocation brings the reserve fund to $537,737, which is approximately one half of STMA’s operating budget. This allows STMA to achieve its goal to have one-half to one full-year of our operating budget in reserve.
Service oriented associations use dues and sponsorship dollars to fund programs and services for members. That is STMA’s philosophy — to maximize each dollar earned by providing benefits back to its members. STMA also realizes that it is prudent to build a reserve fund for financial stability. A strong reserve fund allows the organization to be very nimble so that it can take advantage of appropriate emerging opportunities. It also provides a cushion in case of a down economy, or a crisis that affects our major revenue source — the conference and exposition — so that we can continue to offer uninterrupted programs and services.
To review the Statement of Activity for STMA and for SAFE, click here.
SAFE Auction and Raffles --
New Formats & More Prizes To Win!
You have many opportunities to win money and prizes from the auctions and raffles during the Conference while helping to fund education, scholarship and research through The SAFE Foundation. Last year, SAFE funded 10 scholarships, those students’ travel to the conference, an educational DVD on Mound-building and Home Plate Maintenance and $8,000 in educational funding for Student Challenge winners.
Official Raffle — Exceptional Value! Win a trip to Disney and other fun packages! Check out the vacation packages and other valuable items on display at STMA’s Conference Registration area. Buy as many tickets as you wish. The Drawing will take place during the Awards Banquet on Friday night. You do not need to be present to win.
Daily 50/50 Raffle — New - During the conference students will be selling tickets. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to SAFE to fund scholarship, education and research, and 50 percent will go to a lucky, daily winner. The first drawing will be at the conclusion of the Welcome Reception; the second drawing will be at the conclusion of Thursday’s Trade Show and the final drawing will be at the Friday night Awards Banquet.
Silent Auction — New items each day! The Silent Auction will again be open during both days of the Trade Show. However, each night it will close and those items will be gone. When it reopens the next day, all new items will be ready for silent bid.
Live Auction — Select items! We’ll have these items available on display at registration and at the Welcome Reception. You’ll be able to bid on these few, select items during the Pre-Banquet Reception.
Donate an Item - We need your donations of team gear, products, equipment or tickets to unique attractions in your area. This is a great way to showcase your business or your hometown. Please send your items to: STMA Headquarters, 805 New Hampshire, Ste. E, Lawrence, KS 66044. You may also bring your donations to the conference. Thank you!