Fall Meeting, DAPP elections, Piney Wood Grand Opening!

[Sandi Metz]

Good evening to all.  Hope you managed to play some pickleball over this grey weekend.

My apologies, I know I've been neglecting you.  I was away for, well, long enough that my pickleball play has seriously suffered.  I rely on your sympathy when next you see me on the court.

Speaking of you, in this email:

1. Fall DAPP meeting is Thursday at 5pm at Bethesda
2. Nets and windscreens at Bethesda
3. DAPP 2024 Elections
4. Piney Wood Courts! Yes! Almost ready!

1. Fall DAPP meeting will be Thursday at 5pm at Bethesda

We've reserved a court at 5pm this Thursday evening at Bethesda Park for the fall meeting.  This is your chance to come and hear what's up ... at the risk of being recruited to volunteer for stuff or run for office.  

Have questions?  We can possibly answer them.  

Have complaints?  We can anoint you the head of a committee charged with resolving them. 

What's not to like?

Seriously, this is your chance to get involved and do good for all.  Please join us on Thursday at 5.

(Sorry about the 5pm start time.  There's a league at 6, so this was the best we could do.)

2. Nets and windscreens at Bethesda

You may have noticed that the windscreens at Bethesda have been fixed and are now well attached to the fences, and that whenever a net takes, err, unexpected damage, there's a silent and mysterious repair.

This does not happen by magic.  A person who does not wish to be named has stepped up and is tending to the equipment as if it's his own.  DAPP has spent thousands on gear for community use at Bethesda, and I am deeply appreciative of these efforts.  Those of you who play in the mornings may know of whom I speak.  Please add your thanks to mine.

3. DAPP Elections

Last January (after I got snookered into being the 2023 President of DAPP) I was charged by the board to broaden community involvement in DAPP, and to increase the diversity of the board.

This year (among other things) we:

• modernized the durhampickleball.org website
• monitored the durhampi...@gmail.com account and answered a ton of incoming email
• sent regular updates to the DAPP community email list (this!)
• organized the annual Bull City Open fundraising tournament
• ran a GoFundMe that raised nearly $5,000 in the name of Piney Wood to help convince City Council of our sincerity
• attended meetings of the Durham City Council to lobby them allocate an additional $200,000+ to cover unexpected costs at Piney Wood
• worked with DPR to get power outlets installed around the courts at Piney (can you say "I can charge my cell phone!?!")
• spent $22,000+ to get permanent court dividers added to the Piney Wood construction project 

Many people participated in these efforts.  Thank you all.  But despite this increased participation, the internal workings of DAPP remain a mystery to most, and the "official" DAPP folks are too few to do everything the community needs.

For example, this year we have not 

• organized any free community programs, for adults or for children, 

nor have we 

• installed a representative on the city committee that's creating a 10 year Parks and Rec plan for Durham (you can bet that tennis has!)

I'm sure there's a pile of other stuff we should be doing.

This leads me to elections. We need you.  All the gory election details are here, but let me emphasize a few things.

The DAPP board has nine members.  Four are officers, five are "at-large" members.  As of this fall's election, each at-large member will represent a specific constituency, and will chair a committee of helpers.

The five areas are:

1. Durham Parks and Rec (DPR) Liaison

Main contact between DPR and Board. Works with DPR on future plans for pickleball in the area, communicates DPR info back to DAPP and community.

2. Community Representative

Responds to incoming emails requesting information about where to play/how to learn/etc. Organizes and coordinates free community activities (for example, new player meetups, informal evening play by rating, up and down the river events, etc).

3. Instructor Representative

Represents the interests of instructors (these are folks who coach or lead clinics for payment).  Works with DAPP and DPR to arrange court space, coordinate reservations, etc.

4. Fundraising Tzar

Organizes and oversees fundraising activities, and helps set priorities for spending money.

5. Events Organizer

Leads and coordinates non-free DAPP events such as tournaments.

It is so hard to get folks to volunteer to hold offices, or to work on committees in community organizations.  I'm thinking the best way to find people is to get you to suggest them. :-)  

Many hands make light work; so please pass on some names, either for board seats or for committee members.  We'll handle the browbeating...and we promise not to blow your cover.

We're looking for collegial, generous, open-hearted pickleball players with great social skills and a willingness to pitch in.  I'm sure you know some.  Please nominate them via this form.

As per the bylaws, a nominating committee was formed on Oct 8.  It consists of three current DAPP board members (me, the vice-president, and the treasurer). Nominees will be announced Nov 8.  Voting will be Dec 8-15.

4. Piney Wood Courts

I'll close with some very good news.

Yes! We are all but playing pickleball on the courts at Piney.

A committee (notice how I snuck that in) has organized a Grand Opening Party.  If things go as planned, this party will be held near the end of Oct.  

Ribbon Cutting! Balloons! Food truck! Swag! And, of course, PICKLEBALL!  I'll keep you posted on the date, and will very much look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks, as always, for reading.  Hope to see you Thursday night at 5pm at Bethesda for the fall meeting.

Best,

Sandi Metz

2023 President

Durham Area Pickleball Players

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