Association Members,

We hope this email finds you and your families healthy and doing well.  We all are looking forward to the day when our lives return to normal, and we can get kids back on the ice. 

Due to the unfortunate circumstances with COVID-19, we have had to alter the way we do business, as we are sure that many of you have as well.  We have been busy trying to keep things moving forward for next season.  We have successfully hosted our High School Club awards ceremony, and our OHC April Board meeting using Zoom Conferencing.  We have been collaborating with other Associations, and Midwest Hockey.  Collectively decisions are being made to proceed with Annual Meetings via online platforms, to complete Board elections, and to stay on schedule to plan next season.

We are planning to hold the Omaha Hockey Club Annual Association Meeting via Zoom Conferencing, and our Board Elections process is being finalized, but will likely be conducted using online voting software. 

The OHC Annual Association Meeting will be live on Tuesday May 26th, starting at 6:00 pm. 

Similar to last year, we are proposing a couple bylaw changes that need to be voted on as well.  Our goal is to better clarify rules, or to modify them, if it helps serve the Membership.

1. The first bylaw change would allow the OHC Board to adjust the term of a Board position(s) to either 1 or 3 years, instead of the traditional 2 year term.  The reason for this purposed change is to help the Board balance the positions that are open each year for elections.  Originally the OHC Board had 11 positions, so one year 6 spots were up for election, and the next year 5 were.  In the past couple of years, the AAA Director position was removed, and a Board member resigned half way through their term, so that position comes up for re-election a year sooner than expected.  So the currently we have 6 positions up for election this year, and 4 next year.  As the current layout stands, the Program Directors being voted on this season, support approximately 775 players, and the 4 Program Directors that will be voted on next season, support approximately 125 players.  This bylaw change will allow the Board to properly adjust a term, in order to even things up, and have each year’s elections be more balanced.  Once the term is adjusted, and the imbalance is corrected, then that Board members terms returns to 2 years, to retain the balance.
2. The second bylaw change will be to create the process that allows the Board the option of holding an online/video Board/Annual Meetings, if a situation (like the present one) makes it impossible to hold an in person meeting.  Most of the Associations are forced to improvise this way because few knew to update their bylaws for something this unexpected.  Now that we’ve been through it, we need to make the update in the event that it happens in the future.

In the coming days and weeks, more information will be coming about the plan and process for the Annual Meeting.  If anyone has questions, please let us know.

Sincerely,

The Omaha Hockey Club Board of Directors