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BOSL NEWS – President's Message
On behalf of your Board of Directors, I would like to welcome you to the 2010 BOSL Season. This season holds a special significance as it is our 30th Anniversary and one in which we will unveil several new changes that I believe will make what is already the best Slo-Pitch League in Canada that much better! I would like to take a moment to thank our departing board members, Paul Jamieson and Don Radke, for their hard work and dedication over the past several years. I would also like to thank those of you that have been captains and/or board members in the past and whose significant contributions have helped shape our league since its inception in 1980. Our two newest additions to the Board of Directors are John Andersen and Dale Latendresse, both of whom have made a positive impact in their new roles already! At the very core of our league are two slogans – “Fun and Fellowship” and “Giving Back to the Community” – These are not just some catchy words on paper, they really are what we are all about! For those of you that are new to the BOSL, I am confident that the Fun and Fellowship aspect of our league will become very evident to you on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting in May which will not only be a time for you to get some exercise and compete on the field, but it will also be a time where you develop lifelong friendships with many of your teammates! Over and over again I hear from our players that the real fun starts after the game, and truer words were never spoken! I am very pleased to announce that this year’s beneficiaries of our Giving Back to the Community program will be The Burlington Special Olympics Softball Program and Carpenter Hospice. The Burlington Special Olympics Softball Program is one that commenced in 2009 and involves approximately 25 local athletes with various special needs who compete on either a developmental team or a competitive team. The BOSL will be funding the park permits for their 2010 season and will also be providing new balls, bats, bases, equipment bags, as well as a new uniform and helmet for each player. Thank you to both Corbett’s Sports and C.S.T. Marketing Corp. for their help with the uniforms and equipment and to Ken Medland for introducing us to the Special Olympics program. In addition to the equipment and financial support, we will be asking for volunteers from our membership to attend practices once or twice per month during the season to help teach fundamental baseball skills to their players. The cherry on top will be at our Mid Season Tournament where in lieu of our usual cheque presentation ceremony, the athletes from the Special Olympics Program will have an exhibition game on Sherwood A to demonstrate the skills they have developed throughout the year.
Our support of Carpenter Hospice will take on a much different form than that of the Special Olympics. As many of you are aware, Mary Jane Wright, who is the wife of long time league member Mark Flood, recently passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Mary Jane’s last days were spent at Carpenter Hospice and as they always do, they provided MJ and her family with outstanding care and compassion during their difficult time. In an effort to support such a worthwhile cause, we are turning our annual golf tournament from an internal league event to a full-fledged fund raiser which, for this year, will be called The BOSL Mary Jane Wright Memorial Golf Tournament in aid of Carpenter Hospice. All proceeds will be donated to the hospice in honour of Mary Jane. Our goal will be 144 golfers and though the registration fee will be increasing, please understand that your money will be going to a great organization and one that has benefited a few of our league members directly over the years and will likely do so again for others down the road. Running a golf tournament is a huge undertaking and any help is appreciated. If you have the time or resources to assist us, please contact Wayne McSpadden who will be forming a committee in the coming weeks. In my opening comments I had mentioned some new changes this year, one being the Golf Tournament. Three other significant changes that you will notice this year will be our New Website which will become the cornerstone of communication amongst our league members – the New Equipment Bunks at each diamond which will allow our captains more time to come up with that winning formula and less time breaking their backs carrying equipment bags and bases around – and finally, our New Logo that has been freshened up in recognition of our 30th anniversary while still maintaining our history by incorporating our original logo in the design. I would like to thank our I.T. Director, Larry Gagnon, as well as Scot Cameron from co2digital, for their tremendous efforts in developing such an impressive website and stunning new logo. The website goes live in early February and I encourage all players to visit it regularly for the latest league news, scores and standings. Please make sure to sign up for the RSS Feed which is a free service that will allow for instant communication from the league to your cell phones/email addresses at times when rainouts or other important league matters may be occurring. In closing, I wish all players and your families a safe and enjoyable 2010 season. Yours truly, Mike Porkolab |
To All BOSL Players,