Registering the team

Today, I filled out and sent in paperwork to register MGM as a club within USMS. When I hear back from ILMSA, we can start thinking about collecting dues. I'm certain you're going to be receiving some kind of email from ILMSA that chastizes me for not doing this sooner, but let me just say this: Whenever  you get an email from ILMSA that talks about team registrations, mark it as spam and throw it away. (More on this later...)

 Anyway, filling out these forms is an adventure in tedium, but it has to get done. Essentially, to maintain our status as a club, a team representative has to send in $35 at this time every year and fill your club/team's name into a registration form approximately 900 times. I list myself as the 'Coach', even though I always feel uncomfortable doing so--I think it really is a point of pride that we don't have a coach. I only do it because we're supposed to have someone with an official title. 

Now, just for background, I'm going to tell you why we need to bother with this at all. Unless we're registered correctly, our team isn't "official" and your registration in MGM won't count. Team points wont count at meets, and we'll be banished from civil society forever.

On the other hand, once they've finished processing them and stamping them twice*, we can start collecting dues and membership forms for 2009. I'll let you know when that happens.

Of course, this team is a fully volunteer effort, and my time falls into that category. What I'm getting at is that I probably should have sent this form in a week ago. Oh well, today is still before the deadline. No matter. If history provides any guidelines, I'm certain every team member will receive some kind of email adminishing MGM for not having our paperwork filed on time. 

If so, don't worry. It's being handled. When it's time for dues and membership forms, I'll let you know.

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*I made that up. I have no idea if they actually double-stamp the forms, but it truly wouldn't surprise me.