A Statement to Our Parents and Families,

Regarding the Raffle Tickets and Lights for Your Fields

When we formed a new Board of Directors for North Howell Little League for the 2005 baseball season, we made you, the membership of this league several promises.

• Open Board of Directors Meetings: Done. Held the first and third Mondays of each month and always open to the public.

• Quarterly Financial Reports:  Done. We actually provide updated financial reports every two weeks and they are available at our Board Meetings.

• Formation of a Fund Raising Committee: Done. This committee has brought in donations from individuals and corporations to improve the fields.

• More effective communication with the Membership: Done. By using our web-site, mailings, Board Meetings and Parent Meetings we have communicated more often and more effectively.

• Revamping the way Volunteer Fees are returned: Done. We have predetermined pickup dates, which are advertised and distributed during registration

• Formation of a Capital Improvement Committee. Done. It was our goal to light the fields….and we did have lights for the 2007 baseball season (and beyond).

Since the current Board of Directors took office we have not required that our membership sell raffle tickets, as had been done previously, and as is the practice in other sports leagues. We have not asked you or your families to sell candy, or cookie dough or wrapping paper as had been done in previous years.

Beginning with the 2007 Spring Season, for the first time we provided mandatory raffle tickets to be sold (if you sell your tickets to others, you can make all or part of your money back). This will once again be required this year. Each family will receive twenty raffle tickets which may be sold for $5 each. The prizes for the raffle will be a $5,000 first prize and five $1,000 second prizes. The proceeds from the raffle will be used to help pay for the cost of lighting the fields.

Though the lights were installed in the Spring of 2007, we continue to incur a large yearly expense due to the payback structure of the financing packing which was supplied through Musco lighting. In addition to the initial down payment, each year for next five, we are required to make one lump sum payment at the beginning of each year (this is in lieu of making monthly payments).

Should any one, at any time, have any questions about this or any other financial or operational aspect of this League, we would encourage and invite you to attend any bi-monthly Board meeting. All meetings are open for membership participation and "public" attendance. These issues will also be addressed at the upcoming mandatory Parents meetings in which there will also be an "open discussion" format.

All raffle tickets will be picked up and paid for at registration.

We appreciate your help and cooperation as we make this dream a reality for our children.

Sincerely,

The North Howell Little League Board of Directors