Welcome everyone to another program year.

The NYSOMA Board held its first meeting of the year September 10, 2005 in Rochester. The board welcomed Frank Brosnihan as secretary to the board.

The Board would also like to welcome 8 new Regional Directors. We hope you will join us in supporting these new Regional Directors and help them have a successful year. One of the new Regional Directors represents Region 1 (Brooklyn area). Students from one school from this area participated in Odyssey last year and based on their experience have convinced others in the area to become involved. We welcome this new (at least new to most of us) region and look forward to helping them get organized.

NYSOMA received $300.00 from the Wilton Rotary. The Board thanks them very much for their donation. The Board voted to use this money to help support regional growth.

Refer to the NYSOMA web site (www.nysoma.org) for important dates, registration information, coaches training locations and dates, etc. This information will be updated as it becomes available.

This past summer NYSOMA conducted two one-day camps – Spontaneous Combustion with Style in Vestal and Castleton. Attendance at the 2 camps was 70 and 29 respectively. The summer camps continue to be well received and the board has agreed to hold two camps again next summer. Preliminary locations are in Region 14 and Region 5. Dates are to be determined.

Head judge/ problem captain training will again be held this year in Binghamton at Broome Community College on January 7, 2006.

The Board accepted the resignation of Dan Resch as Marketing Chairman. Anyone interested in this position should contact either the Board Chairman or the Association Director. The board reviewed many excellent pin designs submitted by New York State OMERs. The Board and the Marketing committee have started the development of this year’s pins. Thanks to all the OMERs who submitted pin designs. NYSOMA is looking for pin designs for next year so keep the ideas coming.

NYSOMA is looking at ideas to help simplify the membership registration process in NY.

The next board meeting will be in the Rochester area, on October 15.

Jim Hoelscher, Chairman of the Board, September 28, 2005