Randonneurs USA

Discussion
Some corrections were submitted.
Proposal
Mike moved that the minutes be approved with the changes, Spencer seconded.
Voting
Passed unanimously.

Bob Redmond / Santa Rosa RBA / Move to approve Late Event Submissions for 2015 ACP Calendar -- Approved.
Steve Yesko / Long Island RBA / Move to approve Late Event Submissions for 2015 ACP Calendar -- Approved.

Discussion

Mark explained the current process -- RUSA submits results to the ACP in France, they assign certificate numbers, and eventually print the stickers for the brevet cards. Those are sent to Lois Springsteen, and she sorts them out and forwards them to the RBAs, who affix the stickers to the cards. This is a significant part of Lois' workload.

He (Mark) would be perfectly happy to create an ACP brevet card template with the ACP sticker as part of the document; RBAs could add the certificate number when it is issued, either manually or with an incrementing stamp. It would be a great work savings for him, but doesn't know how the other RBAs feel about it. He thinks it would be a wash for him, and very much less work for Lois.

Mike asked, for RBAs with a large ridership, what could RUSA do to help? He doesn't think it would be hard to create the sticker master, 8.5x11", make a pdf and have RBAs print that. Nobody is shipping paper in that case.

There was much discussion on merging results and printing labels. Perhaps Don and Ian could create a script on the web site which builds the labels for the RBA and exports a pdf or Word doc for printing.

Mike D will check with Jean-Gualbert about getting the sticker image.

Mike and Ian worked on making it live over the last month; it was largely successful. The process did show the limitations of the existing web site programming, because there are so many little quirks. Mike thinks we have sorted it all out. Bill has reached out to all who have an SR600 in the US; all the owners are opting in. The records will need to be updated when the ride code (cert #) comes from France. Mark has volunteered to do the manual update.

It was asked if the owners have to submit their route to Crista so she can get it in the database as a perm, then the owners can enter the results. Michael W has results from 2013 which will have cert#s. Yes, they do; Crista is keeping the same sorts of documentation as if she had approved the permanent.

• Our current hosting provider (Jumpline) isn't supporting/updating our server.
• The first goal is to move the web site somewhere more stable by Dec 31.
• We are well on our way; the site on linode should be identical to jumpline (current provider).
• The databases of record are the ones on jumpline.
• We do have a process to move the database to linode.
• We need to kick the tires (test and make sure all is working) on the staging site first.
• We'd then move the database, and do a dns switch, routing the website address to the new host.
• Eric requested that we leave the files on the old server for 6 months after the switch as backup. It doesn't cost much.
• Don as long as we keep paying, the files will be there.
• Eric said that we have it on autopay.
• Lynne asked if we have a process to kick the tires to make sure everything still works?
• Eric noted that the ride records link to the store for the awards .
• Lynne will make a list of test cases.
• Don says that email is not yet configured on the site. This means that we can do tasks which would normally trigger email, and it won't.
• Don's main concern is moving the database. It has moved, now in the realm of detail work.
• Mark asked about maintaining the old server and mirroring the database updates.
• Don says he can dump the database from jumpline to linode, and can make the database go the other direction as well.

The next issue is in the preparation stage, still using an outside designer. Copy, Ads, Membership Info are all in good shape. The newsletter will be out by Dec 1.

Tom B has all 51 states. Do we have an article?

Mike has received close to 600 votes so far, with a couple more weeks to go. Many ballots were received through USPS. Whatever we have done, we should try to repeat it next time! Let people know we have 10 more days.

Mark noted that a number of regions around the country are offering Brevet Weeks, starting pretty early. It sounds like this newsletter is already too late to add content.

Mike noted that we also have the web site, FB, and the randon list.

Mark thought he and Spencer could pull together a list.

Mike said there might be time to put something in the next issue; it is not at the printer yet.

Mark noted that in 2011 we didn't forward the riders applications to ride PBP, but we did keep them up on the info. Do we want to do that this year, or send riders off to the ACP for information?

Mike said we did want to provide some information.

Mark asked if we would provide a vehicle, or a point person. He noted that RUSA had a PBP wiki on the web site which had much information; both Rob and Mark contributed to it. Mark said it was a TON of work, but extremely well appreciated. It is challenging, making sure you don't provide the wrong information. The last time, the ACP gave us access to the registrations as they were happening, and he'd check to see if they hadn't paid or whatever, and get in touch with them.

Mike asked if Mark wanted to head this up for 2015.

Mark… well no, but if we had a group of 2 or 3 people, with a common email address.

Mike asked if we wanted a forum or wiki, with the Q and A.

Rob suggested having someone in charge, but not an open forum. It should be more than one person, but not a free for all.

Mike suggested that the people with the official information should be those people, like Mark, who had access beyond the public access.

Mark suggested that questions could be asked, but there would be only official answers on the wiki.

Rob volunteered to be part of the effort.

Mark suggested that it would be good to have a French speaker subscribe to the ACP online forum. There was information there which was unavailable elsewhere, such as the ruling that once could stop anywhere along the route to sleep and get support, rather than just at the controls.

Mike said that Jennifer Wise and Johnny Bertrand are French speakers; he'd speak with them. Lynne recommended Bill Watts, who also speaks French.

Rob noted that Don stepped in a contributed a lot.

Mike wants a moderated Q&A. Mark and Rob agree.

none

Dec 3 2014, 8pm EDT

New board member(s) will be invited to sit in.