DC United players Perry Kitchen and Chris Korb will be at St. Mary's College on Wednesday to visit those players participating in Streen Soccer! Be sure to bring things you want signed! More info on Street Soccer can be found here.
Major changes at state level keep operations moving forward
Over the past few weeks, St. Mary's Soccer leadership has been following the challenges at our state organization, Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). We have had the luxury of having a member of our board part of the process as they also sit on the MSYSA board, and therefore, getting first-hand regular reports on status. The letter below outlines and defines what transpired and a path forward for MSYSA. SMS supports these actions and looks forward to the future. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me directly @ president@stmaryssoccer.org.
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JACOB S. FRENKEL| Chair, Securities Enforcement,
White-Collar Criminal and Corporate Investigations Practice
Members of Maryland State Youth Soccer Association
c/o Maryland State Youth Soccer Association
221 Fifth Avenue, SE
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Re: Recent Events of Concern to You at MSYSA and Moving Forward
Dear Members of Maryland State Youth Soccer Association:
Many members recently have written expressing concern and uncertainty about recent events at the MSYSA, primarily the 2014 annual general membership meeting (known to the membership as the AGM) postponed by the Executive Board, but nevertheless conducted by the organization’s now past-President with only four of 131 member clubs present. Members also have felt that the silence of the organization has left a void of information. And, local media now have reported on a court restraining order entered on Wednesday morning in Montgomery County, part of which includes the resignation of the now past-President and the now former-Secretary of MSYSA. The purpose of this letter is to bre! ak that silence and share with you what the majority of your Executive Board has done to restore your confidence in the leadership and direction of the organization. I am going to refer to the majority of your Executive Board as “the Board Majority” because they acted and are acting in your collective interest, and the full Executive Board last night, by majority vote, understood, recognized and acknowledged that the Board Majority filed the litigation acting in the best interests of MSYSA.
The Board Majority retained my law firm and me in connection with recent events that garnered attention from the membership and from observers. These directors, mindful of their duties to all members, rather than the select favored few who were invited to what has come to be known as the “Parking Lot AGM”, recognized that the now past-President and now former-Secretary were engaging in activities that were designed to consolidate and perpetuate their authority and to change the rules governing the organization to benefit a select few clubs. The Board Majority shared your concern about disenfranchising members (depriving members of equal voting rights) and the consolidation of po! wer in the hands of a few. Their silence has not been inaction; instead, the Board Majority sought to take constructive and effective steps to address and remedy swiftly the uncertainty and risk of further damage to the operation and reputation of MSYSA.
On Thursday afternoon, July 10, 2014, acting for and on behalf of the Board Majority, I filed a lawsuit against the now former President of MSYSA and the person who was continuing to hold herself out to be the Secretary, despite her having resigned twice from the Executive Board. In the following days, I filed Motions asking the Court for expedited relief, all of which I will explain in this letter. There were several objectives of the lawsuit. One was for the Court to make clear who comprises the Executive Board – whether the directors and officers in place as of June 20, 2014 and since 2013, or those shoehorned in at the Parking Lot AGM. That determination was to establi! sh who is responsible for governing MSYSA, so decisions can occur with clarity going forward. At the time of filing the lawsuit, the next Executive Board meeting was on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, and the request to the Court was to make the decision about who lawfully comprised the Executive Board before the meeting on the 16th. At the Executive Board meeting, the Board Majority intended to and the full Executive Board did select a date for the previously postponed 2014 AGM. That date is September 14, 2014, and the Executive Board will give proper notice to all of you, the members. The Board Majority is scheduling an AGM of inclusion, not exclusion. And, the 2014 AGM will be conducted according to Maryland law, the Charter and the Bylaws.
Among the relief that the Board Majority sought in the lawsuit was a “declaratory judgment”, meaning that the Board Majority asked the Court to issue a declaration as to the rights of the parties. Specifically, we asked the Court to declare, as a matter of law, that (1) the Parking Lot AGM (which I refer to colloquially in the lawsuit as “the Parking Lot Cabal”) and all decisions made and action taken under its auspices are null, void, and illegal, including the passage of the proxy-voting amendment to the Bylaws and the election of seven directors; (2) the resignation of Defendant Filemyr (the Secretary) on June 9, 2014 or June 18, 2014 was and is effective, and that File! myr no longer is a member of the Executive Board; and (3) the Board Majority continues to comprise a majority of the members of the Executive Board until such time as a valid annual general membership meeting of MSYSA members can be held and at which there will be proper elections for those directors whose terms are expiring.
The other part of the lawsuit sought what lawyers refer to as “injunctive relief”, that is an order from the Court preventing the defendants (the President and Secretary) from inflicting or continuing to inflict irreparable harm on MSYSA. The Montgomery County Circuit Court entered an Order that had four components, and the following reflects the language of the Order:
, the purported meeting of the members of MSYSA held at a parking lot on June 21, 2014 and all decisions made and action taken under its auspices are null, void, and illegal, including the passage of the proxy-voting amendment to the Bylaws and the election of seven directors.
, the Majority Directors, and each of them, and all officers and directors serving in such capacities as of June 20, 2014 continue to comprise a majority of the members of the Executive Board until such time as a valid annual general membership meeting of MSYSA members can be held at which proper elections for those directors whose terms are expiring can be held, except that the resignation of Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr is of full force and effect and Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr shall no longer serve as officers or members of the Executive Board of MSYSA.
, Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr be, and each of them hereby is, temporarily restrained from making any decisions or taking any action that are grounded on the decisions made and actions taken at the purported annual general meeting of MSYSA members held on June 21, 2014.
, Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr be, and each of them hereby is ordered not to act in any capacity on behalf of MSYSA or hold themselves out to represent themselves to act for MSYSA, including participating in or attending all meetings of MSYSA, until the Executive Board of the MSYSA conducts a meeting to determine specifically what disciplinary action, if any, shall be imposed on Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr pursuant to the applicable provisions of the MSYSA’s charter and bylaws.
The Board Majority gave plenty of thought and careful consideration to the decision to pursue this course in the interest of the membership. Although this may appear, on its face, to create more disarray, in fact the opposite is true. The quickest and shortest path to eliminating the distractions and perceived turmoil is and was to obtain clarity as to leadership and move aside those whom the Board Majority and others, as alleged in the Complaint, considered to be harming the organization. This litigation was designed entirely to achieve these stated objectives. In fact, from the filing of the lawsuit to entry of the Order, which included the resignation of Defendants Greenberg and Filemyr, the elapsed time was less than six day! s, including the weekend. That is the opposite of “dysfunction”; that is an example of decisiveness, focus and function.
I have not attached a copy of the lawsuit to this letter; however, if you would like to receive a copy, as it is a matter of public record, then my office would be pleased to provide one to you via e-mail. MSYSA hopes that you will take comfort in the efforts of the Board Majority to bring order and direction to the organization, and recognize that all organizations at some points experience some turmoil. It is how the leaders respond that distinguishes them and the organizations. The Executive Board meeting of Wednesday, July 16, 2014 returned to a full, open and candid discussion of issues, including final planning for Nationals.
With Nationals a mere days away, MSYSA hopes that you will volunteer to help make Nationals a success and attend as many of the games as possible at the Soccerplex. The entire Executive Board uniformly and united looks forward to a long, active and successful future in partnership with you, MSYSA’s loyal members.
Very truly yours,
Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker, P.A.
/s/
Jacob S. Frenkel
JACOB S. FRENKEL CHAIR, SECURITIES ENFORCEMENT, WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS PRACTICE
The information contained in this electronic message and any attached documents is privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure. It may be an attorney-client communication and, as such, is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, note that any review, disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this electronic message or any attached documents is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please destroy it and notify us immediately by telephone (1-301-230-5200) or by electronic mail (LawFirm@srgpe.com). Thank you.
Drop-in Soccer
Saturdays at FitU for U5 though U7s
SMS is now offering "Drop-in" soccer at FitU in Leoanrdtown from 10-11am. This program is designed for the U5. U6 amd U7 player (players between the dates of Aug.1, 2007 through July 31, 2011).
Bring a ball - wear your shinguards and a bottle of water (no sugary drinks, please)
Cost of the program is $15 per session and promises a full hour of fun!
Dear St. Mary’s Soccer Players, Families, & Coaches,
On Saturday, August 9th, 2014 from 11:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m., the Lexington Park, Dick’s Sporting Goods store location will be hosting the 3rd annual St. Mary’s Youth Soccer Appreciation Discount Day to assist families and players with preparing for the upcoming soccer season.
Any St. Mary’s Soccer participant can print out the attached appreciation day coupon that will enable you to receive 20% off your entire purchase (some exclusions apply) on Saturday, August 9th. This is a great opportunity to not only get 20% off all of your necessary soccer equipment but it’s a great opportunity for back to school shopping or to get 20% off that kayak or treadmill you have had your eye on.
If you are unable to make it to the appreciation day event please remember that you can click this link - http://app.dcsg.com/couponsheet/?s=804518 - to print out your Team Packet soccer coupon sheet, which is good for discounts off your soccer purchases (as listed on the coupon) all season long. You will not be able to use the soccer team packet coupon in addition to the appreciation day coupon on the appreciation day.
St. Mary’s Soccer families should print off the attached appreciation day coupon and bring it with them to the Lexington Park, Dick’s Sporting Goods store on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m in order to take advantage of the discount. If you are unable to make it during those times, Dick’s Sporting Goods will still honor the discounts throughout the entire day.
Also, please make sure to stop by the St. Mary’s Soccer table to register to win gift certificates to Dick’s Sporting Goods!
We hope to see you there!
Do you "TWEET?"
SMS introduces our Twitter handle
St. Mary's Soccer is now on Twitter! Take some time to follow us and stay up to date with what's going on. CLICK HERE to follow us now!
"LIKE" our new Facebook Page
A place to see all the latest
For a few years now, SMS has had a Facebook page (see it here), but now we have created a new presence where we will post all the latest goings on in the world of St. Mary's Soccer. We will keep the old page for now to allow our membership to communicate, and answer questions as we can - but the new page will be for us to post important info you need to know (last minute cancellations, tryouts, or special events). CLICK HERE to "LIKE" us today!
Fall Registration Now Open!
Rec and RecPlus
FALL 2014 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
The Fall 2014 season for SMS Soccer is approaching fast. SMS is now accepting registrations for the upcoming season.
St. Mary's Soccer has updated our registration system (again!). If you registered for a Travel Tryout, or Travel Team in the past few weeks, your will login as an existing/returning user. All other players will login as a new user. If you are not sure, try to log in as a returning user, and if that does not work, login as a new user.
During the registration process, please make sure to update your contact information. When entering your address, please use your street address NOT your P.O. Box. SMS does not contact players using mail; we will contact players/families using e-mail or phone contacts only. Your street address helps us identify where in the county you reside, which helps in the formation of teams, and in showing the county where our players are located. When entering your phone numbers, plase make sure that cell/mobile phones are listed in the cell phone block even if that phone is your primary home phone.
Fees for the upcoming season are $80 per player; if you have more than one player, each player after the first will be $70.
For Rec Coed Soccer, FALL 2014/Spring 2015:
Date of birth from Aug 01, 1996 to Jul 31, 2000 will play U18
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2000 to Jul 31, 2002 will play U14
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2002 to Jul 31, 2004 will play U12
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2004 to Jul 31, 2005 will play U10
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2005 to Jul 31, 2006 will play U09
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2006 to Jul 31, 2007 will play U08
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2007 to Jul 31, 2008 will play U07
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2008 to Jul 31, 2009 will play U06
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2009 to Jul 31, 2010 will play U05KK
Date of birth from Aug 01, 2010 to Jul 31, 2011 will play U04KK
Players born AFTER Aug 01, 2011 are not eligible for SMYS soccer.
ONLINE registration will close on August 9th. If an age group reaches the maximum number of players allowable, registration for that age group will close before August 9th. There will be a late registration period after the regular registration period, with players accepted only a space available basis.
We are currently identifying locations for our WALK-IN REGISTRATION and will post that info once available.
Teams will be formed by August 23rd and announced following MANDATORY coaches training for volunteer coaches and assistant coaches. The scheduled for coaches training will be announced separately. Please consider volunteering to be a coach. If you want to coach, please be sure to check the coaching box in the volunteer section of the registration.
The season will begin on the weekend of Sept 5th/6th/7th.
St. Mary's Soccer will sponsor the "Marylander Jr." starting this August. Years ago the club sponsored the CrabKnocker tournament for several years but was forced to discontinue the event because the local infrastructure (hotels, etc.) couldn't support the teams who were entering. Starting this Fall, we will get back into the tournament sponsorship game to continue to raise funds to support our programs. This initial event is for U9-U12 travel teams ONLY. In the Spring, we plan to host a bigger event for older teams! For information and to register, CLICK HERE!
