Tag: Alliance Council

MEETING MINUTES
date: Sat, Sept. 8, 2012

time: post-game

location: stadium

Attendees (14/20): Angeline Bounds, Dave Clark, McKenzie Clark, Paul Cox, Leann Johnson, Roberta King, Evan Kolius, Ron Lamb, Rachel Molloy, Kris Mydske, Likkit Pocinwong, Dan Roe, Mark Winchester, Kevin Zelko.
Front office representative: Bart Wiley

1. Dave Clark resigned his position on Council due to his new status as contractor to Sounders FC. He will be preparing stories about Council.

 

Old business:

2. Selection of Two Alliance Charities – Dave Clark

Following Dave Clark’s resignation from Council, Angie volunteered to lead this effort. She will gather information and ideas from Dave.

3. General Manager Retention Vote– Paul Cox

Paul and Bart Wiley reported on current plans for promoting the vote and the voting process. Sounders FO will make multiple announcements and provide interviews. There will be both in-stadium and online voting options for Alliance members. Council will be helping out at the stadium, and there may be additional voting events. The resolution passed by Council at the July meeting was amended, removing the final paragraph related to amending the Bylaws and coordinating with the Club. The revised resolution passed unanimously.

4. Alliance STH Scarf Design Competition for 2013 – Daniel Roe
   Due to the schedule and budget constraints, the scarf competition will not go forward this year as originally envisioned. Adidas needs a final design by October 7^th. Council approved a compromise plan in which the SSFC design team will provide designs to Council for final selection for the 2013 season. This allows time for the Club to develop an online design submittal option for next year.

5. Resolution on Banning PA Noise – McKenzie Martin Clark
   Council agreed that stadium PA noise issues have improved.

6. Resolution on Future Kit Designs for 2014 – Dave Clark
   Bart Wiley provided an update and offered to invite Sue Harris, Sounders FC Director of Retail Operations, to meet with Council to further explain the design process and other factors involved in selecting new kit designs.

7. Resolution on Championship Banners – Paul Cox
   New banners, celebrating previous A-League championships, were not included in the SSFC 2012 budget. Bart indicated that these could be planned for 2013.

8. SSFC Crest Resolution – Mark Winchester

Bart Wiley explained that crest design (and any modifications on the kits) is considered a business decision of the Club, not the Alliance.

9. Council Communications / Alliance Feedback – Roberta King
   Council approved the committee’s proposal to set up Twitter and Facebook accounts to help relay information from Council. Evan will manage the two accounts, with backup provided by Kris.
   Roberta is editing outdated information on the Alliance and Council on the SSFC website; Ron and Dan will help review. Roberta reported that we now have a friendly URLfor the Sounders FC eBallot login page, soundersfc.com/vote

New business:

1. End of Year Business Planning Committee

Angie , Paul, Kris, Mark and Kevin volunteered to work with the Club to plan the 2012 business meeting. Bart Wiley indicated that December 13 is the tentative date. The results of the General Manager retention vote will be revealed at the meeting.

2. Next meeting
   The next meeting is planned for October 6^thor 14^th, depending on front office availability.

3. Open discussion

Leann Johnson: Jr. Alliance

Alliance Council Meeting Minutes

July 17, 2012, 1 p.m.

Stadium

In attendance (12/20): Paul Cox, Evan Kolius, Leann Johnson, Dan Roe, Justin Williams, McKenzie Clark, Kris Mydske, Likkit Pocinwong, Angeline Bounds, Ron Lamb, Mark Winchester, Roberta King

Old Business:

1. General Manager Retention Vote – Paul Cox

Paul reported on recent conversations with the front office and sought Council input on the voting process and schedule, including minimum votes required and promoting the vote to Alliance members this fall.

New Business:

GM Retention Vote Resolution – Paul Cox

The following resolution on the GM retention vote was passed by unanimous vote. A related amendment to the Bylaws will be determined at next meeting.

“Whereas, during the formation of the Seattle Sounders FC, the Club dedicated itself to the ideal of “Democracy in Sports”; and

Whereas, the most direct expression of the wishes of the fans and supporters of the Sounders would be a vote on the proposed retention of the Club’s General Manager once every four years; and
Whereas, the 2012 season represents the fourth season in MLS for the Club; and

Whereas, the Alliance has been formally established by the fans and supporters of the club as the representative organization of the fans, supporters, and overall Sounders community;

Therefore, be it resolved:

That the Alliance Council asks the overall Alliance membership the following question: “Shall Adrian Hanauer be retained as General Manager of the Seattle Sounders FC?”

Be it also resolved that the Alliance Council shall pass a bylaw governing the voting timeline, procedures, and other such details, and shall work in conjunction with the Club to organize, manage, and count said vote. The Council also shall have an independent accounting firm assist with the verification and trustworthiness of the vote. 

Next meetings:

August 5^th – 1 pm

September 8^th – 45 minutes after end of match

Alliance Council Meeting Minutes

June 16, 2012

Stadium

In attendance (12/20): Paul Cox, Evan Kolius, Leann Johnson, Dan Roe, Justin Williams, McKenzie Clark, Mark Winchester, Angeline Bounds, Ron Lamb, Arthur Kim, Dave Clark, Roberta King

Old Business:

1. Alliance STH Scarf Design Competition – Dan Roe

Dan reported that Bart Wiley is waiting to hear if Adidas has any requirements. Dan will contact Bart.

2. Council Communications and Integration of Alliance Feedback – Roberta King

Roberta contacted Jeff Richards, Director of Marketing for Sounders, about past surveys of Alliance members, and learned there is potential to add questions from Council to future surveys. The committee will meet immediately after Council.

3. Selection of Two SSFC charity partners by Alliance – Dave Clark

There are currently five charity partners. The Club has raised the question of how existing partners would be replaced. Council does not have information on agreements the Club may have with partners, and agreed the matter should be referred back to the FO. (Tabled? Until meeting with FO??)

4. Alliance Council Nominations for 2012 – Paul Cox

The Club has provided their anticipated schedule for Council nominations to restart after updating the system to include newly designated Alliance members.

June 15 – designation period ends
June 18 – voting to go live June 27^th
June 22 – voting platform completes upload of new names
June 25 – testing
June 27 – voting goes live

5. Resolution on Future Kit Designs for 2014 – Dave Clark

The following resolution was discussed and approved by Council.

“Whereas the Seattle Sounders FC recognize that their fans are not just customers, but stakeholders in the Club.

Whereas, the Alliance Council is the formal embodiment of such stakeholders

Whereas the uniform of the Club is a banner for all who call themselves Sounders

Be it resolved that the Club and its apparel partners will present a minimum of three and no more than six near final designs for the 2014 third kits to the Alliance Council. During this meeting between the Council, the Club and the kit apparel partner a consensus will be reached between all present to pick the kit that best represents the Seattle Sounders FC as a soccer club, a democracy in sport and a key member of the great Puget Sound sports community.”

6. Resolution on Championship Banners – Paul Cox

The following resolution was discussed and approved by Council.

 “Whereas, the Seattle Sounders have a long and established history of successes on the field; and

Whereas, the Sounders have banners at their home stadium celebrating their championships in the United States Open Cup in 2009, 2010, and 2011, as well as their championships in the USL First Division in 2005 and 2007; and

Whereas, the Sounders also won the championship of the A-League in 1995 and 1996; therefore
be it resolved that the Alliance Council requests that the Club order and hang banners (identical in design and size and using the proper time-appropriate logos) celebrating the Sounders 1995 and 1996 A-League championships, from the rafters of the stadium. The Council further urges that these banners be completed and hung during pregame for the match on October 7, 2012.”

7. Resolution on SSFC Crest – Mark Winchester

The following resolution was discussed and approved by Council.

“Whereas, the crest or badge of a football club is worn over the heart to signify the importance of the Club to the wearer, the badge of the Seattle Sounders Football Club follows this tradition and appears on the left chest of the various uniforms and apparel worn by the team; the badge represents the organization’s personality, image, core competencies and characteristics; a badge’s design is loosely based on a heraldic shield, which helped identify combatants who were otherwise hidden by their armor; 

Whereas the Seattle Sounders FC badge was developed to represent the partnership between the ownership, the community, the players and the fans; and whereas, the partners are all united under one banner, which carries the team name; and whereas, the Space Needle is a universally recognized icon and symbol of Seattle, therefore be it resolved:

The Seattle Sounders FC Alliance Council believes that the various teams playing as part of the Club should wear uniforms that carry the ORIGINAL badge of the Seattle Sounders FC, namely, the one that appeared on the Club’s uniforms during the inaugural season for the Club in MLS competition in 2009, on their Rave Green home uniform jerseys. This is the white outlined, Sounder Blue shield underneath, with the black depiction of the Space Needle over the top, and Rave Green shield in the middle, all abound by the white banner with the text “Seattle Sounders FC”.

This should be the only badge worn on uniforms by Players on the field of play during all competitions, and only in these original colors. This shall take effect at the start of all competitions beginning in January 2014.  The Alliance Council supports efforts by the Seattle Sounders FC to market merchandise with the original badge, but understands that the badge may not be used on all clothing marketed by the Club.”

8. Election of Secretary

Dave Clark and Roberta King were nominated to fill the vacant Secretary position. Roberta King was elected by blind ballot.

9. Meeting with Front Office – Paul Cox

Waiting to schedule meeting. Tabled
New Business

10. By-Law language clarification –– Dan Roe

Dan will propose language to clarify the start date of term for re-elections of Council members.

11. Open Discussion

Discussed ideas for instituting a Sounders hall of fame, or equivalent of the Seahawks ring of honor, and how to determine criteria appropriate for SSFC. This will be a topic for next meeting with FO (??)

Paul Cox presented his plan to bring forward a resolution to reward Alliance members who participate in GM vote with a vinyl window sticker declaring their membership and that they voted.

Next meetings:
July 17 or 19^th with the intent of inviting ownership/FO, the day before or after Chelsea friendly
August 5 – 1 pm or 3 pm

MEETING AGENDA: 
date/time: Sun, April 29, 2012
location: Stadium

Attendees (09/20): Paul Cox, Likket Pocinwong, McKenzie Clark, Roberta King, Ron Lamb, Dan Roe, Mark Winchester, Rachel Molloy, Evan Kolius

Old business:

1. Elect New Secretary– Postponed until next meeting for quorum voting.

2. Alliance STH Scarf Design Competition for 2013 – Daniel Roe
   Dan shared the outlined schedule, promotion and recommendations that the Scarf Committee put together and will be forwarding that information to Bart next week. We are recommending only one competition for the “Alliance Member” scarf design, voted on my Alliance members only, with submissions open to anyone. We are also recommending that the FO pick their Top 5 from the eligible submissions. The Scarf Committee and Council would also select their Top 5, and a joint decision of the FO and Council would determine the Top 5 designs that would go to an Alliance vote at the end of the year. A representative of the Scarf Committee is invited to attend the FO discussion/review of the suggestions.

3. Council Communication and Integration of Alliance Feedback– Roberta King
   The committee has formed and will be meeting/emailing in the next month to formalize a proposal. Results of the most recent fan survey were requested from the front office. The website updates will also be rolled into this committee’s responsibilities.
4. Selection of Two Alliance Charities – Dave Clark
   Review of charity partner proposals and voting. Tabled until next meeting.
5. Alliance Council Nominations for 2012 – Paul Cox
   We are still waiting on finalization of the one-seat/one-vote for Alliance members. The Sounders FC and Ticketmaster CRM system integration details regarding account tracking have been holding up the launch of this new designation and voting system. Council reps expressed concern at the continued delayed and voice interest in exploring alternate ways to activate the system more quickly, even if it means slight delays between seat designations and the ability to vote.
6. Resolution on Future Kit Designs for 2014 – Dave Clark
   Tabled until next month.

Whereas the Seattle Sounders FC recognize that their fans are not just customers, but stakeholders in the club

Whereas the Alliance Council is the formal embodiment of said stakeholders

Whereas the uniform of the club is a banner for all who call themselves Sounders

Be it resolved that the Club and its apparel partners will present a minimum of three and no more than six near final designs for the 2014 third kids to the Alliance Council. During this meeting between the Council, the Club and the kit apparel partner a consensus will be reached between all present to pick the kit that best represents the Seattle Sounders FC as a soccer club, a democracy in sport and key member of the great Puget Sound sports community.

7. Resolution on Championship Banners – Paul Cox
   Tabled until next month.

Whereas, the Seattle Sounders have a long and established history of successes on the field; and

Whereas, the Sounders have banners at their home stadium celebrating their championships in the United States Open Cup in 2009, 2010, and 2011, as well as their championships in the USL First Division in 2005 and 2007; and 

Whereas, the Sounders also won the championship of the A-League in 1995 and 1996; therefore…

Be it resolved that the Alliance Council requests that the Club order and hang banners (identical in design and size and using the proper time-appropriate logos) celebrating the Sounders 1995 and 1996 A-League championships from the rafters of the stadium. The Council further urges that these banners be completed and hung during pregame for the match on October 7, 2012. 

8. SSFC Crest Resolution – Mark Winchester
   Tabled until next month.

Whereas, the crest or badge of a football club is worn over the heart to signify the importance of the Club to the wearer, the badge of the Seattle Sounders Football Club follows this tradition and appears on the left chest of the various uniforms and apparel worn by the team; the badge represents the organization’s personality, image, core competencies and characteristics; a badge’s design is loosely based on a heraldic shield, which helped identify combatants who were otherwise hidden by their armor;

Whereas the Seattle Sounders FC badge was developed to represent the partnership between the ownership, the community, the players and the fans; and whereas, the partners are all united under one banner which carries the team name; and whereas, the Space Needle is a universally recognized icon and symbol of Seattle, therefore be it resolved:

The Seattle Sounders FC Alliance Council believes that the various teams playing as part of the Club should wear uniforms that carry the ORIGINAL badge of the Seattle Sounders FC. Namely, the one that appeared on the Club’s uniforms during the inaugural season for the Club in MLS competition in 2009, on their Rave Green home uniform jerseys.

This is the white outlined, Sounder Blue shield underneath, with the black depiction of the Space Needle over the top, and Rave Green shield in the middle, all abound by the white banner with the text “Seattle Sounders FC”. This should be the only badge worn on uniforms by Players on the field of play during all competitions, and only in these original colors. This shall take effect at eth start of all competitions beginning in January the year 2014.

The Alliance Council supports efforts by the Seattle Sounders FC to market merchandise with the original badge, but understands that the badge may not be used on all clothing marketed by the Club.”

New business:

1. Goals for year – Paul Cox
   Tabled until next month.

2. May Meeting Date– May 12^th at 3:30pm (before the Real Salt Lake game)

3. Meeting with Front Office– Paul Cox
   Tabled until next month, for Council to internally discuss possible agenda items, focus and tone for any potential meeting to discuss increasing/improving the working relationship and vision with the Club. With the invitation to owners, Peter McLoughlin, Gary Wright, Bart Wiley, etc.
4. Open Discussion

MEETING MINUTES: 
date/time: Sat, March 17, 2012, 3pm
location: stadium

Attendees (quorum reached): Paul Cox, Greg Mockos, Mark Inderhees, Leann Johnson, Daniel Roe, Justin Williams, Angeline Bounds , Kevin Zelko, Ken Wyatt, Roberta King, Dave Clark, Bob Davis, Rachel Molloy, Ron Lamb, Likkit Pocinwong, Aaron Reed, Mark Winchester…
Observers: Drew Carey, Gary Wright, Bart Wiley, Adrian Hanauer, and other staff

Old business:

1. Secretary By-Law  Amendment – Approved, will go to full Alliance

Council Secretary   
The Secretary shall keep minutes of Council meetings and shall publish those meetings to the Council, Alliance, and general public.  The Secretary shall maintain, and keep current, a record of the Council Constitution, By-Laws, Resolutions, Commendations, and Membership.

2. Supporter Group Recognition
   Emerald City Supporters, North End Faithful, Gorilla FC and Eastside Supporters all had representatives in attendance and were able to produce their documentation and speak to their membership numbers and activities. All were approved for recognition for the current season.
3. Alliance STH Scarf Design Competition for 2013 – Daniel Roe
   Daniel Roe gave a quick update to the progress so far by the working group. Detailed recommendations to be forthcoming next month.
4. Bylaws Amendment: Binding Votes and Super Majority
   Paul to draft an initial resolution for review (regarding operations, agenda items, supermajority for votes without timely notification, etc ) and possible incorporation into the by-laws.
5. Resolution urging Portland away game ticket allotment– Paul Cox
   SGs had divided up their allocation by percentage in a prior meeting. Still waiting on final confirmation of ticket amounts (likely 750). There will be 74 tickets available to non SG members this year, which will be distributed by the FO via lottery (2 opposed, all others in favor). Further details to be decided by FO and working group, but may include the ability to access two tickets at once, and require the fans to follow SG and stadium security rules such as meeting in advance of the game to enter as a group. Leann, Roberta and Paul will work in a small group to advice on the issue and report back next month.
6. Council Communication and Integration of Alliance Feedback
   A communications working group will meet on the issue to compile recommendations and a plan for moving forward.
7. Selection of Two Alliance Charities – Dave Clark
   There was a discussion about whether allocating Alliance charities would mean bumping current charity partners (something that council members voiced concern about). Tabled until next meeting.
8. Alliance Council Nominations for 2012 
   Update on the one-seat/one-vote for Alliance members, ETA on form launch “very soon” according to the FO.
9. Alliance web changes in accordance with Constitution 
   Update on Soundersfc.com progress getting council member info updated, campaigning candidates’ page and SG recognition page/forms. To be rolled into the Communications Committee.

New business:

1. Proposed Council email list access for Bart Wiley
   Bart has been added to the Council email distribution list

Open Discussion with Council and Ownership:

CARD SYSTEM

Chris from the FO was brought in to answer some questions and hear issues regarding fans getting paper tickets when they requested cards, and vice versus. As well as incorrect “all-inclusive” labels and SG logos on other cards. There will be additional chances for fans to opt into the card system later this year as well, and increasing loyalty programs in the future for discounts and account control as they system evolves.

TICKET REPS

It was also expressed again that it’s important for ticket reps to be giving out a consistent answer when issues or problems arise. Speculating and guessing only adds to the confusion otherwise.

Council continued to push for Qwest for hosting of events, rather than Starfire. And enhanced control and functionality in the Account Manager system.

TICKET RENEWAL ADVANTAGES

2010-2011 STHs have not seen an on-going advantage to renewing, like the 2009 fans. In future 2009 fans may see an increase in ticket prices.

GM VOTE

Drew Carey has begun his “Retain Adrian” campaign, with buttons! There will be a vote at the end of the year to address his retention. A 51% vote of the STH base is required, which will require publicity and turnout.

HAWKS NEST

Council asked about the Hawks Nest. While it is filling, it took longer than expected with slightly lower demand. It remains to be seen how having a large chunk of fans seated in a block will affect stadium atmosphere.

MEETING MINUTES: Sun Feb 26,2012 1pm
location: Stadium

Attendees (17/20): Paul Cox, McKenzie Clark, Evan Kolius, Greg Mockos, Mark Inderhees, LeAnn Johnson, Daniel Roe, Mark Winchester, Justin Williams, Angeline Bounds , Kevin Zelko, Ken Wyatt, Likkit Pocinwong, Roberta King, Dave Clark, Bob Davis, Rachel Molloy

1. Welcoming new members, membership update:

Re-Elected Council Members	Newly Elected Council Members
Dave Clark Rachel Molloy Kevin Zelko Lori Ross Paul Cox Leann Johnson Greg Mockos Mark Inderhees McKenzie Clark Ken Wyatt	Bob Davis Evan Kolius Likkit Pocinwong Justin Williams Ron Lamb Mark Winchester Aaron Reed

2. Electing New Officers for 2012 – McKenzie Clark led the voting

Honorary Chairman
Drew Carey elected honorary chairman – all in favor

Council President – 1 year term
Paul Cox, Dave Clark – nominated
Paul Cox – elected as president by blind ballot

Council Vice President – 1 year term
Bob Davis – nominated and elected as Vice President by vocal vote

Council Secretary   
Angeline Bounds , Roberta King – nominated
Angeline Bounds – elected as Secretary by blind ballot

Proposed Secretary By–law Amendment:  for a vote on next month’s agenda – Rachel Molloy
The Secretary shall maintain, and keep current, a record of the Council Constitution, By-Laws, Resolutions, Commendations and Membership.

Old business:

1. Formally vote on any Actions, Commendations and Resolutions Passed in 2011 – Rachel Molloy
   Formal recognition of the Commendations and Resolutions passed during the interim between the Council passing the Constitution and Charter, and its official ratification by the full Alliance. (Commendation Open Cup, Away Tickets Resolution, PA Noise Resolution, Scarf Competition Resolution) – All favor and formally approved
2. 2012 Budget Discussion – Paul Cox
   FO is granting funds to the Council on an “as needed” basis, with requests for funding formally made to the front office. Whenever possible, Council will get requests in before Aug/Sept for budgeting.
3. Supporter Group Recognition – Paul Cox
   No changes were proposed to the Supporter Group “minimum standards” outlined in the ratified by-Laws. The March meeting has been set aside as the earliest possible date to recognize SGs for the 2012 season. Formerly recognized SGs will be contacted and invited to apply for formal Council recognition at that meeting and an open call will go out for interested SGs who wish to apply. On-going renewals will happen in October for the next year. Formal recognition by Council allows the SG to negotiate directly with the FO on issues, allows them access to away-game SG ticket allocations, and places them formally on the SoundersFC.com website as a recognized Supporter Group.

Dave Clark will work to update SoundersFC.com website info, and will create a google doc space for SGs to check off that they meet each “minimum standards” requirement. SGs attending the March meeting must have two leadership representatives in attendance to speak on behalf of their SG.

 “Bylaw 7) Supporter Groups recognition

Supporter groups are an integral part of the Sounders community and gameday experience.  As such, the Alliance wants to encourage the growth of existing groups as well as the formation of new groups.

The relationship between supporter groups, the Alliance, and the Club, has a unique nature.  As such, it benefits all of these parties to have a set of minimum standards for groups to attain, demonstrating their commitment.

Therefore, for formal recognition as a supporter group, groups must meet the following standards:

• At least 25 identified, paid members
• Identified group leadership who are responsible for coordination and can speak on behalf of the group
• Organized participation as a group in activities like songs, chants, tifo, etc.
• Established history of conducting supporter group activities for the Sounders
• Have registered articles of incorporation with their local state

Supporter groups may apply to the Council for recognition, and the Council will invite the leaders of the group to a meeting for discussion prior to a vote.  A majority vote of all Council members present is required for recognition.

Supporter groups may annually request renewal of their recognition from the Council; renewal is automatic (assuming it is requested) and will be schedule yearly in October.

Recognition may be withdrawn by the Council with a two-thirds vote of all Council members present and voting at a meeting; such votes will always be taken with at least one month’s notice to the supporter group in question.”

4. Resolution Banning Vuvuzelas – Paul Cox
   The Team Store is no longer selling them , and the Front Office has said they are already “banned” from the stadium. Issue tabled.
5. Resolution Banning P.A. Noise – McKenzie Martin Clark
   The front office responded they will no longer have orca noises on corner kicks or Virginia Mason ads during run of play in 2012. And staff in the booth will be confirming that no other artificial noises are introduced during the run of play. The Council was very happy with this response.
6. Alliance STH Scarf Design Competition for 2013 – Daniel Roe
   The front office offered two options in response to the resolution…selling a fan scarf in the team store or planning a 2013 scarf. Council voted to continue to work towards a 2013 STH scarf design. A small working group was put together to work out the details (Dan Roe, Angeline Bounds, Rachel Molloy, Roberta King, Likkit Pocinwong) and report back on progress at the next meeting.

NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL AT THIS TIME:

The team may not be having a scarf for fans in 2013, or may have an opt out option for fans who are tired of getting scarfs and would prefer something like a bonus to the team store, etc.

7. Bylaws Amendment: Binding Votes and Super Majority – Paul Cox
   Tabled until next meeting. Paul to draft an initial resolution for review/discussion and possible incorporation into the by-laws.
8. Resolution urging Portland away game ticket allotment – Paul Cox
   Tabled until next meeting with formal proposals to be submitted by council members for consideration. It does look like we may have additional tickets allocated in response to the away ticket resolution…formal announcement to come from the Front Office if so. The Council confirmed they are excited to accept the tickets and will be deciding how to allocate them in future meetings. General options and ideas were discussed…including a lottery for a non-SG ticket allocation, SGs only deciding how their tickets will be divvied up between recognized groups, and discussions surrounding GA seating versus seated tickets and how that will affect traveling fan experiences/expectations.

NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL AT THIS TIME:

This year another 300 Portland and 750 Vancouver away game tickets will be allocated to Sounders fans. (800 Portland / 1250 Vancouver …exact numbers to be confirmed later)
1) how many, if any should go to non-supporter group ticket holders
2) how to divide remaining tickets among supporter groups

9. Soliciting Alliance Feedback Next Year – Roberta King
   Tabled until next meeting. Roberta suggested a “communications working group” to tackle this issue (regarding getting wider Alliance feedback and involvement either through FO emails or surveys to the wider Alliance, end-of-year question requests, integration of any feedback from last year’s EOY meeting into council agenda, review of sounders survey results, etc) and the related council communications issue (regarding getting the word out on resolutions, commendations, etc). She’ll be bringing a formal proposal next meeting.

New business:

1. Selection of Two Alliance Charities – President
   Dave Clark will formalize proposals for next meeting, begin organizing a committee to tackle the issue, and will take suggestions from other council members on who and how to decide Charity Partners.
2. Golden Scarf Ceremony – President
   FO recommends giving two Scarves away in 2012 – one on opening night and one at the last regular season home match on Oct 21st. FO requested Council’s feedback on the matter. Dave Clark proposed the opening match and the Cascadia Cup games for the golden scarf ceremony (three total). Majority voted in agreement…though there were a few who abstained or voted nay.
3. Alliance Council Nominations for 2012/2013 – Paul Cox
   Still no ETA for actual launch of the one-seat/one-vote for Alliance members…though reportedly the technical system is in place. Voting will continue to be suspended.
4. Resolution on Future Kit Designs for 2014 – Dave Clark Tabled….next meeting
5. Resolution on Pre-Season Open Practices – Dave Clark
   Tabled
6. Alliance web changes in accordance with Constitution– Angeline / Dave Clark / Dan Roe / Roberta
   Team will report back next month on updates to the Sounders FC site information for Councilmembers, Supporter Groups, and campaigning candidates.
7. Recognition of former councilmembers – Dave Clark

Dave will write a thank you on the blog.

8. Public Alliance & Council Communication – McKenzie Clark
   There was a general discussion around the need for publicizing Council resolutions, recommendations and agreed upon Council positions or facts via public media (twitter, the blog, website, facebook, traditional press, etc). It was agreed that this currently fell under the President’s responsibility according to the by-laws to disseminate or delegate (not personal opinion as the Blog or personal twitter accounts allow, but for council-only dissemination). Paul will move forward with setting up a Council Facebook page and the Twitter page, and the other Council officers will have admin access. Some of these plans may also overlap with on-going Communications Work Group plans or proposals, and will be revised as needed by Council.
9. Discussion on Club/Council conflicts of interest – Paul Cox
   There was a discussion on the issue of council members possibly attempting to get jobs with the Club and whether Council should have a policy about that. At this time, the council doesn’t feel that it would cause a conflict of interest, but did encourage those on Council to openly disclose if they were involved in future. If a councilmember would like to bring a formal resolution or amendment they can add it to a future agenda.

MEETING AGENDA:
Sunday Nov 13th, 1-4pm
Starfire Sports, banquet room
(12/22) LeAnn Johnson, Greg Mockos, Lori Ross, Dave Clark, Katie Pendleton, Angeline Bounds, Mark Inderhees, Roberta King, Paul Cox, Ken Wyatt, Dan Roe, Rachel Molloy

Observers: Ron Lamb, Mark Winchester, Evan Kolius

Old business:

1. Publicizing the Charter, Bylaws and Constitution Alliance Vote – Dave Clark
   Tentatively voting requested to take place Nov 28^th – Dec 11^th…supporting ratification. Council is waiting on the Club business PR team to review and approve the press release for distribution. Council has requested a longer review period for publicizing and promoting the vote (2.5week minimum) if the timeline is delayed (possibly until after the MLS Cup). It will be important for members and supporter groups to help get the word out via social media channels in repeated blasts. Alliance Council blog will be getting one block of homepage space on-going in the next redesign.
2. Finalize Dec General Meeting Plans – Tom Challinor/Paul Cox
   December 13th, WaMu theater, 7pm. Tom had a meeting on Monday with Bart. Basic agenda of meeting will be a lot like last year. This year is a joint effort, but in future years the Club would like to see the Council taking over. Doors open at 6:30pm…pre-meeting activities to include as many players as they can for greeting, photos, and autographs. Posters with the Constitution and Alliance Charter will be posted. Questions for the meeting (as well as those gathered from the site) will be gathered by the Alliance Council at a table. As well as a table for trophies and a message book for Kasey Keller.

   MC will be Tom Challinor. Council report from McKenzie. Update on Charter/Constitution voting results. Gary Wright will give the business update. Adrian Hanauer the team update. Q&A…aggregated questions will be filtered and compiled to avoid repetition and ready for display. Three different groups will respond to the questions. The business meeting is not being broadcast or webcast.

3. Resolution urging Portland away game ticket allotment – Paul Cox

RESOLUTION TO THE CLUB

The Sounders FC Alliance Council urges our front office to actively work with the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps to increase the number of tickets available for games in Portland and Vancouver. The 2011 Sounders matches in these cities were extremely successful and popular amongst Sounders fans. We feel that greater success and enjoyment would be shared if the number of available tickets were to increase.

In accordance with standards around the world and our own desires as fans of our club, the Council finds it in the best interest of its constituents to strongly recommend that the largest ticket allotment possible for traveling Sounders fans be pursued for each Cascadia match, in all competitions, each season.
Portland should have stadium flexibility to sell more tickets in future. Our current request is for “more” tickets from the offices for Cascadia games…and if granted, future Council decisions would decide “how” those tickets would be distributed. Schedules for next season are still being discussed, but Sounders will still be able to take large traveling groups down. All voted in favor of the resolution.

4. Database Requests from the Council – Paul Cox
   Paul met with the new CRM staff. They haven’t picked a vendor for a new ticketing system but we were able to pass off our data base requests. (One vote possible for every seat, be able to designate members/seat each year for Alliance membership), supporter group designations, able to check if an Alliance member has voted on something, etc) Some season ticket holders received a “loyalty card system” survey from the Club…on whether using their card and getting award would be appeal to them, so it sounds like the new system is still being fine-tuned in many ways.

New business:

1. Bylaws Amendment: Binding Votes and Super Majority – Paul Cox
   There was discussion around the need to firm up a written set of rules for our own operations, agenda items, supermajority for votes without timely notification, etc. Giving people advanced notice for important votes so members can attend as needed. Paul drafted an initial resolution that was reviewed and discussed…but it was decided that these changes should be tabled until next season for proper super-majority status and possible incorporation into the By-laws.
2. 2012 Budget Discussion – Paul Cox
   In the past, Council budget has be set at zero and any legitimate expenses approved on a case-by-case basis. Council brainstormed possible needs for next year to request in advance as a budget…some of which were previous fan displays that were labeled as coming “from the Alliance”. This would formalize them as truly being from the “fans” instead of the Club. (examples include the Charlie Davies and Steve Zachuani tributes, as well as the Kasey Keller award). Council will be speaking to the club about allowing larger fan displays like this to be handled by the Council on an on-going basis as a starting point.
3. Supporter Group Recognition – Paul Cox
   Finalize the procedure and steps for groups seeking official Alliance recognition.
   Tabled until next year for full integration in the by-laws via super-majority.

(tentative) Beginning Feb 2012, every current Sounders supporter group would reapply for official recognition (and only need to request yearly renewal of their recognition in subsequent years via email). Dave Clark will set up an online submission form based on the by-law requirements already in place for those wishing to apply for official recognition by the Council next year (which grants Supporter Groups official recognition in dealings with the Club and their staff).  Submissions for recognition would then be included on the next Alliance Council agenda, with a representative from the group to attend that next meeting to speak on their Support Group’s behalf.

4. Soliciting Alliance Feedback Next Year – Roberta King
   A request will be made for inclusion in Club emails or homepage articles once or twice a year to solicit fan feedback to the Council…helping to ensure fans continue to have their voices heard throughout the year. This is in response to the positive feedback/response received by the “call for questions” for the General Meeting.
5. Resolution Banning Vuvuzelas – Paul Cox
   Unable to vote. Tabled until 2012.

The Club must be given advanced notice of any resolution the Council wishes to send to a full Alliance vote. This way, the club can have a representative in attendance at that meeting to speak to the issue, before Council votes on whether to send it to the larger Alliance vote.

6. Resolution Banning P.A. Noise – McKenzie Martin Clark

RESOLUTION TO THE CLUB

In an effort to maintain an organic, fan driven atmosphere, Seattle Sounders FC shall not introduce any noise, music, announcement, or advertisements through any auditory medium in an attempt to impact the atmosphere during any Seattle Sounders FC match. This includes all times during regulation, overtime periods, or a penalty kick shootout. This includes times during which play has stopped, which includes but is not limited to: substitutions, fouls, goal kicks, corner kicks, and penalties.

This resolution does not apply during times before kickoff, during halftime, or after the final whistle.

 

Examples from the 2011 season include, but are not limited to: the Virginia Mason Advertisement, “Orca” noises on corner kicks and enhancements to the “Boom-Boom-Clap” cheer.

This resolution does not apply to the fans of either the Seattle Sounders FC or the visiting team’s fans.

Announcements of match events, emergencies, or other priority information are always exempt from this restriction.

7. Alliance Scarf Design Competition – Dan Roe
   All voted in favor.

RESOLUTION TO THE CLUB

Supporting the creation of a “Design a Seattle Sounders FC Scarf” Competition.

 

Whereas, the scarf can be worn anytime as a symbol of the fan’s love and loyalty for the Seattle Sounders FC;

 

Whereas, the scarf is worn in good weather and bad;

 

Whereas, fans raise their Scarves Up during key moments before, during and after the match;

Whereas the Seattle Sounders FC continues to draw record crowds in MLS of talented and creative supporters as evidenced by the TIFO displays throughout the stadium;

 

Whereas, the Seattle Sounders FC offers the only members association in professional sports in the United States; and

 

Whereas, the Seattle Sounders FC Alliance is a Democracy in Sports: Now, therefore, be it

 

Resolved, That the Seattle Sounders FC Alliance Council,

 

SECTION 1: SUPPORT FOR DESIGN A SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC SCARF COMPETITION

 

The Seattle Sounders FC Alliance supports the efforts by the Seattle Sounders FC to create a competition for Seattle Sounders FC Alliance Members to design the season ticket holder scarf for 2012 (or 2013 as time permits).

SECTION 2: ELEMENTS THE COMPETITION SHOULD CONTAIN

 

• Entrants – Any person may submit a scarf design during the time the competition is open.

 

• Judging – Any submitted scarf design will go through the following process

 

• a panel consisting of Seattle Sounders FC officials and Council Members will determine the top five designs; and

• the top five designs will be put to a vote of the Seattle Sounders FC Alliance.

8. Resolution on Kit Input – Dave Clark
   Table until 2012… resolution asking for fan input on kits in future.
9. Resolution on Pre-Season Open Practices – Dave Clark
   Table until 2012.

NEXT MEETING:  First meeting of next season will be in Feb 2012. Details TBD.

ALLIANCE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES:
July 2010

(Due to time constraints, this is exactly what individual Council members sent in as comments… no lead in and no editing)

1) Can we vote to have the Match C be a CCL match? This would be a  great opportunity to educate our fanbase on a prestigious competition.

2) Did I miss the golden scarf voting for the Celtic match? Celski is a cool kid, but I thought we decided who got the golden scarf? or is this out the window now?

3) Ensure that the vuvuzela does not take over our great atmosphere…I would like a committment from FO that its not sold in the stadium.

4) In game ads, its a continuing problem as well as the band playing during the run of play.

5) Has the FO solved the “email” issue about only account holders getting FO emails? I know that the owners thought this was a concern, but has there been any progress on this issue?

6) Game day in stadium announcer: can we have him slow down so that the fans can yell the players last name?  It would be very cool imho if he said ” Nate….” and the rest of the stadium replied “JAQUA!”. I also don’t always catch this, but I rarely hear the name of the scorer be announced.

———————-
I highly second number 6…

I  know that was the intent from the beginning of last year, but not sure why it was missed and not followed up on.

Fans would love this and it is a simple, simple implementation.
————————-
Huge backing of #1 from me

When are we getting feedback from Council’s monthly comments?
What happened to the conference calls?  The website still states that we have monthly conference calls.

————————
Kudos for adding Big Al Brewery to the beer choices at Qwest.  People would love to see even more local beer choices available (Manny’s, etc).  Supporters often complain that you can find many different beers at Safeco, but hate that Qwest is so limited.

I strongly agree with not selling vuvuzela’s in the stadium and encourage some sort of policy to help control their use.

I am also bummed, as are others who stand near me, that commercials and the band continue to play during the run of play.

I would like more feedback/communication from the FO in regard to ideas/issues brought forward from the Council.  Most of our communications have been in regard to which one of us would be giving the golden scarf away.

—————————–

– Vuvuzelas.  I hate them- they should be banned, period.  I don’t care if the team sells them, but they shouldn’t be used.-Championship banners.  The top level of American soccer in 1995 and 1996 was the “A-League”, the American Professional Soccer League.  It later merged with the USL. In 95 and 96, the Seattle Sounders were the champions of the A-League. Those banners should proudly hang from our rafters. As far as the other items, we discussed the rhythm of the stadium announcer a while back.  It’s still an issue.  Getting the fans MORE involved in bonding with and cheering/yelling/chanting for our team is a Good Thing.   The announcer skipping opponents’ names because they’re hard to pronounce is pretty lame, too.  (And how tough is “Ki Sung-Yong”, anyway?) The Golden Scarf is not working.  It’s boring, it’s too far before the game, and the system set up to pick recipients doesn’t work for me, either. I say again, make it a more or less replica of the 12th Man Flag deal the Hawks have.  Do it almost immediately before kickoff, up in the spot in the Brougham (south) end of the stadium, and take out all the ridiculous pomp and girls in tight pants.  They’re hot and all, but whatever.  I won’t miss ’em when they’re gone. Instead, just present it, scarves up while the teams shake hands with each other and the ref, and then boom, let’s go with the game.

———————-
–  No more Vuvuzelas.
–  Yes, to hanging the banners.
–  Totally second item #6.
–  Does Golden Scarf need to be every home game?  Maybe just a few select games. And yes presenting right before kickoff would be nice.  No comment on the Golden Scarf girls.  If Golden Scarf will continue then there needs to be some fine tuning of this whole process, hopefully coming up with ideas to making it better.
–  I would like to know the FO’s comments on the issues we have discussed so far and if anything has progressed.
——————————————
–  Friendly Match 3 being a CCL match is a great idea, +1. –  I’ve never been a fan of the golden scarf ceremony. At first it was kind of cool to recognize Seattle icons but now it just seems cheesy. I’m all for discontinuing it completely. If this does continue it MUST NOT be right at kickoff. The ECS and the NES do their tifo displays at that time. Some of you may not think it’s that big of a deal but I can guarantee that both those groups do. Tifo is for the players and to get the stadium amped up. I think kick off-timed golden scarf ceremony would detract from that. –  All vuvuselas should be melted down and turned into earplugs to be used while thundersticks are thundersticking. Seriously though, we all watched the world cup and we all know how annoying the bbrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz was. We don’t need that to happen at qwest. –  It would be great if the announcer said the name of the goal scorer.

ALLIANCE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES:
May 2010

Security Outside Qwest – As discussed previously, security outside Qwest needs to be addressed.

–   “ I’m very disappointed to hear about and personally witness that, once again, Sounders fans encountered problems with some of the visiting supporters today.

I specifically stated at our council meeting earlier this year that hostile situations were presenting themselves in Sounders related areas outside the confines of Qwest. Seattle Police/Qwest security/whoever have not had a significant enough presence to prevent these tense moments from turning violent. Luckily –I cannot speak for everyone, but to my knowledge…– nothing has taken a turn for the worse, and we’ve all gone our separate ways without anything more than a few choice words.

Until today.

I’m frustrated and angry that my complaint has apparently slipped through the cracks, especially when I singled out the San Jose supporters as being particularly troublesome. I also thought Gary Wright in particular had taken my warning seriously, but maybe I was mistaken.”

–   “bummed to hear that something went down, but not at all surprised. i walked past these guys about 10:30 with my 4 year old and they promptly told me to “F off” after doing nothing but walk past them. that was a great experience. i then watched them threaten everyone else that walked by we left for a bite. i texted a few people i knew in the march to the match saying that the SJ thugs were sitting there, right at the end of the march, waiting to start some trouble, and it sounds like they did.”

Communications – Is Council’s monthly email submittal the best communication tool?  Several comments received from Council relate to receiving updates or responses from Council’s comments.  We would encourage a more open venue or forum for communications between the Front Office and Council.

–    “We have only received a response from one of our ‘April’ Council comments, related to the Golden Scarf Nominations.  I would like to get more feedback on all the main topics we bring to the Front Office.  There’s not enough information exchange.  I found the most helpful tool from our previous communications (Conference calls) was the exchange of ideas and stated responses to issues we brought to the discussion”

–   “I would like an update on how the decision was made with the horns. Last year we brought it up, and while I haven’t seen any for sale this season, it would be intriguing if the reason had anything to do with what we had said.

An update on Drew’s idea to have sub-accounts for voting rights and email notification.”

ALLIANCE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES:
April 2010

VOTING (One vote per seat) – Council seems to be in support of the ‘one seat, one vote’ idea.  Drew Carey’s suggestions of having a name associated with every seat and vote seemed to be the most favored idea… although, there was still some concern for giving too much control to a corporation or ticket broker.  Ideas varied from having an exception for large ticketholders by giving a percentage vote per seats, or max number of votes (4?) per acct, to using an ‘opt in’ type email address idea.-          “I’m in support of adding a 4 vote limit per account.  I don’t like the idea of someone being able to be overrepresented.”

–          “It seemed to me that the sub-account system that Drew Carey crafted is ideal. It allows greater email access by the club…   it limits the likelihood that brokers and corporate interests flood the Council”

–          “I’m partial towards an opt-in style voting system. If account holders with multiple tickets register a name and e-mail address, and that person confirms this registration (via e-mail I assume), then they receive an additional vote. This can be done as many times as the person has tickets. If the account holder does not have more than 1 ticket, or does not register an additional name to the account, than no additional votes are awarded.”

–          “For large corporations who buy 400 season tickets, is it possible to give them a percentage of account holders based on the number of tickets they buy?  For every 25 season tickets they buy, they get 1 account/vote.  This would be a guideline for big corporations….  For smaller account members ( households who buy 3 or 4) we ask them while they are purchasing season tickets if they intend to share their season tickets or if they would like just one person as the official account holder.  If they … provide the others full names, e-mails, and mailing addresses before the transaction even goes through…  Those who want to have a say will take the time to have more than 1 account/vote.”

–          “One seat, one vote, with a provision that an account holder needs to be a certain age or older- say 14 to 16ish?    Corporate accounts should be prohibited from voting at all.  The Supreme Court might have said that corporations are people and have total free speech and can spend whatever they want, but the Sounders don’t have to…   Truly dedicated soccer fans who are at Microsoft can (and almost certainly do) buy their own season tickets anyway.  They therefore get their vote from there.  I would throw in a provision that if there’s a ‘corporate’ account that was purchased by a group of folks, and they want to convert it to a personal account, that should happen..”

–          “I like giving a name to every seat to enable the change to one seat, one vote.  If a name/email is supplied, more people will be able to participate in ‘Democracy in Sports’ while also becoming more informed.   No need to limit voting age as parents paid for the seat and should still receive the vote.  As well, parents can get their kids involved in the process, if they are interested… wouldn’t want to take Jr. Capo or other young highly involved supporters vote away.  FO really can’t judge who should vote.  Everyone should have the opportunity.”

–          “I think that Drew’s idea from our last meeting would work, but I’m also a proponent for changing to a one vote per ticket system. The issue of large corporations potentially manipulating the councils decisions due to the fact that they would have a vote majority if we went to the ‘one vote per ticket’ system is silly. Yes they would have more votes than any other group of people but that wouldn’t matter because the council would be much larger so their ‘advantage’ would average out. Plus, let’s not kid ourselves, the council has power to make decisions but only the decisions that the FO allows us make.”

AWAY FANS – Council seems overwhelming concerned with keeping seats available for out of town teams, so that there will be seats available to us when we travel.  This year isn’t as big of a concern as next year, when Portland and Vancouver join the league.  Talks with Portland and Vancouver should begin now.

–          “I strongly support accommodating a large number of away fans, so we are treated accordingly.”

–          “I also strongly encourage as many away fans to be allowed in as practical. The LEAGUE needs it. Most of the stadiums are too small for the sport to ever succeed.” –          “This year isn’t an issue for this.  Nobody is going to bring more than 200 fans to our stadium.  What I would like to see (league-wide, actually) is …that every stadium has to set aside at least 250 seats (if they want to do more that’s allowed) and leave them available for sale until 14 days prior to the game, at which point the unsold tickets can be released to the home fans if the home club so chooses. I think the Sounders can lead the way by doing this.  If we’re so sure we’re going to sell every seat for the entire season anyway, then having a couple hundred come onto the market with two weeks to sell them won’t be an issue.”

–          “I would like to get the research/statistics of the number of tickets sold for each team’s visiting fans that came to Qwest per game and number of tickets Sounders fans bought or were put aside for us at away games.  We can alter the number of seats per game we give to visiting teams based on these facts and their factors such as visiting fans’ traveling costs, distance, the rivalry between the 2 teams, and most importantly their fan base… I think it can be predicted easier with the statistics in front of us and help is come to an agreement based on these facts.”

–          “I say the more the merrier. It shouldn’t matter if they can’t reciprocate the number of tickets we provide to them. Some of them can’t even physically accommodate large numbers of people in the stadiums. All that matters is the level of support WE generate. I can tell you from experience, when there is more away support at one of our home games our intensity level rises to the occasion. It’s a pride thing. Just stick em’ all in the 300 level.”

GOLDEN SCARF – The new idea hasn’t been received well.  Even though many agreed to help with the nominations, Council feels the club’s idea wasn’t executed properly.  It has actually become a joke, changing the tradition into something completely different.

–          “I vote to strongly remove membership council from handling the Golden Scarf debacle and nomination.  Too much work and the FO found a way to push off a bunch of crap work, and label it democracy in sports.”

–          “I haven’t heard anyone say much of anything nice about the Golden Scarf this year.  I don’t get why the club is trying to pretend it’s not like the raising of the 12th Man Flag that the Seahawks do when it looks like it was modeled after exactly that.   Not to take anything away from any of the nominees, but the club’s process for the whole thing is a load of crap and frankly I’m not taking part in it.  Had we voted on it and had control over the process instead of it being decided and sloughed off onto us, that would be different.”

–          “I noticed on the Sounders Facebook wall there were long discussions/comments about the Golden Scarf and most said they felt like it was kind of a joke.”

FRIENDLIES – There was strong support that no politically tainted clubs should be considered for our ‘Friendly’ matches.

–          “I would also like to state that the FO should stay away from bringing politically tainted teams to Seattle for friendlys.” –          “I object to clubs that have used bigotry to generate profits from coming to Seattle and play in “friendlies.” The team claims that community is a core value, and for that to be true than the community’s values should be respected. There should quite simply be some standard to be met by teams visiting the community.”

OTHER ISSUES MENTIONED – Several other issues were mentioned, although not enough comments to add as a subject for themselves. –          Horns – “We were once promised that we would hear back on the horns, and whether our words last year had an effect on them being sold/not sold. It would be great to see the results of that.”

–          Alliance Correspondences– “We’re too big for email.  IMO, we should set up our own bulletin board forum.  When it comes to online communication, emails to groups works up to a certain number of people, and beyond that it doesn’t work.  We’re past that number and will likely have a few more members join us this year.
If we want to do it then I can have it up and running within a few or several days.  We can even give Bart and the owners access (read-only if we so choose) to the BBS/forum so they can see what is going on.  Plus we can do polls and votes that way if we want.” –          Beer –          No Ads/band during run of play.  Ads too loud at halftime. –          Cameras blocking some season ticketholders views.

–           Fans wonder why there’s not an extended time clock or if reg. clock can continue to run.

–       Fans wonder why Sounders victory lap starts at midfield.  Some sections feeling excluded (Sections 110-114).