As a committee, we want to be as open and transparent with everyone as possible. That is why we make a habit of sharing our monthly meeting minutes so our members can stay up to speed with what’s happening around the club.
However, you might notice that some parts of the public minutes are blanked out or redacted. We don't do this to hide secrets or keep you in the dark; we do it out of respect for our players, volunteers, and families.
Here is a plain-English look at what we cross out and exactly why we do it.
Baseball is a tight-knit community, and life happens. Sometimes families fall behind on fees, or someone goes through a tough time and applies for a confidential fee discount or waiver.
While the committee has an administrative duty to track who is financially eligible to play or vote, we don't believe anyone should be publicly named or embarrassed over financial difficulties. Keeping those details private is simply the right, respectful thing to do.
If we are dealing with an official club grievance, a dispute between members, or a disciplinary issue, we have to make sure the process is completely fair. Airing unverified arguments or sensitive mediation details in public minutes before a situation is actually resolved isn't fair to anyone involved. We wait until official decisions are made before recording final outcomes.
Like any organisation, we have to negotiate contracts, facility upgrades, and prices for services. Publicly publishing early negotiations or sensitive financial quotes while we are still trying to get the best deal for the club can ruin our bargaining power and hurt the association financially.
We never alter or erase our master club records. Behind closed doors, our Secretary keeps full, completely unedited minutes of each item discussed. These records are always kept secure and are fully available to our management committee, official auditors, and state baseball regulators whenever required for legal compliance.
We hope this makes sense. Our goal is to run a great baseball association while protecting the privacy and dignity of the people who make this club a great place to be. If you ever have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to a committee member.