Austin Chapter Volleyball (ACV) Newsletter 2018
Issue 6
5/4/2018
Countdown to the 2018 Volleyball Season
The beginning of the 2018 volleyball season is now less than three months away. There are many items to check off of the “to-do” list before scrimmages begin on August 3 & 4. To facilitate this, a checklist is now available on the ACV website: http://www.austinvolleyballofficials.com/2018-membership-requirements-checklist/ for your convenience. It is accessible under “Members” and is titled, “2018 Membership Requirements Checklist”. Please take time to keep up to date on what is required. If you have any questions, please contact your at-large representative.
One Remaining WebEx Test Opportunity
As announced in the last newsletter, the ACV board recently purchased a license to use WebEx, which is a video and web conferencing software system. An email was sent in late April inviting members to do a test run of WebEx. If you have not had a chance to test Web-Ex, you have one more opportunity to do so. On Monday, May 7, a WebEx test will be conducted at 7:00 p.m. Please plan accordingly so as to be prepared for when the actual sessions take place. Also note that it is helpful to download the WebEx app for IOS and Android devices prior to attempting to log into WebEx.
Mandatory At-Large Representative WebEx Meetings
On Monday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m., the first of three At-Large Representative meetings will take place, hosted by Teresa Fierro and Christle Miersma. Libero tracking will be the training component at this meeting. While this one is designated for those officials whose last names begin with the letters A-G, any official can participate. All three At-Large Representatives will be participating in these meetings. Please note the dates of the other two At-Large Representative meetings being offered in subsequent months:
· Wednesday, June 6: At Large Representative WebEx Meeting – Hosts Chez Slayton (H-N) and Christle Miersma (Scorekeeping)
· Monday, July 16: At Large Representative WebEx Meeting – Host Christle Miersma (O-Z) (Most missed test questions from the 2017 TASO Rules Test)
Attendance at one of these is a meeting attendance requirement for 2018. You are welcome to attend the one that best fits your schedule and the training session that you feel will benefit you the most, or please feel free to attend all of them for extra training.
Change of Format for Returning Member Training
Two returning member training sessions will be offered in the summer. Unlike past years, these two will differ in content. The first one being offered on Saturday, June 16 will be an intermediate-level training. Location is still to be determined. The second one being offered on Thursday, July 19, at Pflugerville High School will be an advanced-level training. In addition, some of our senior officials will assist with conducting the training. All returning members are required to attend at least one returning member training.
2018 Chapter Meetings Set
Please mark your calendar for the 2018 Chapter Meetings, which will continue to be held on Wednesdays. A few changes have been made for this year’s meetings. Two will be held at the Austin Police Union Hall (same place as last year) and dinner will be provided. The other two will be held via WebEx. In addition, the start time will be at 7:00 p.m. The Chapter meeting requirement for 2018 is attendance of at least two of your choice.
· August 1 @ 7:00 p.m. – Austin Police Union Hall
· September 5 @ 7:00 p.m. – WebEx
· October 3 @ 7:00 p.m. – WebEx
· November 7 @ 7:00 p.m. – Austin Police Union Hall
Recommended Meeting Attendance for Returning Members
While members can meet their meeting attendance requirements in a variety of ways, the recommendation of the board is attendance at one At-Large Rep meeting, both Returning member sessions, and the August and November meetings at the Austin Police Union Hall.
2018 Match Assigning Fees Schedule Now Available on Website
The 2018 Match Assigning Fees Schedule is now available on the Austin Volleyball Officials website. It is located under “Members/Members Information/Assigning Information. Please note that the assigning fees will remain the same as last year’s. Please pay close attention to the due dates. Remember that assigning fees will be considered late and the member assessed a $10 late fee if the fees are not paid within 10 days of the invoice being generated in Arbiter.
Message from Assigning Secretary
The 2018 Availability Form is due by Friday, June 1. Remember to update Arbiter to match the hard copy of the availability form. Don't forget to mark yourself “READY” on the left side of your profile when you have completed Arbiter and have sent your form to Janiece Nelson.
Other WebEx Training Sessions Being Offered
With the ease of using WebEx, the ACV training team is offering extra WebEx training sessions to help members improve their officiating skills. While these are primarily geared towards members with less experience, it does not hurt for experienced officials to use these as a refresher. Even though these three training sessions listed below do NOT count toward your meeting attendance requirement, they are excellent opportunities for additional learning/refreshing.
· Monday, June 18 @ 7:00 p.m. – Match Night Procedures
· Sunday, July 22 @ 7:00 p.m. – TASO Rules Test Prep
· Sunday, August 5 @ 7:00 p.m. – Line Up Card Training
New Member Orientations
Kudos to those of you who have sent the contact information of potential new members to Roni Downey. The first orientation was held on Monday, April 30. Approximately 15 individuals attended. The next orientation session is set for Saturday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Hampton Inn in Buda. All new officials must attend one orientation. You can earn a $25 referral bonus if you refer a new ACV member who works a minimum number of matches during the season.
Next ACV Board Meeting
The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. It will be held at Poke-E-Jo’s Smokehouse, located at 2121 W. Parmer Lane. As always, please contact your at-large representative at least 24 hours in advance if you are interested in attending this board meeting.
Enjoy your Cinco de Mayo weekend!