Being Treasurer of a brand new organization is a lot of work! Not as much work as the skaters and coaches of course, but still enough to make me say "Phew" each time a deadline is met.

One milestone recently met is the acceptance by the IRS for our tax-exempt status. Just because an organization is formed without shareholders doesn't mean that it can solicit and receive tax-deductible contributions. I am pleased to say that we now have that status and are permitted to accept contributions now. Donations to Team Excel might be matched by your employer too so please check with me if you have a matching gift program at your work and don't know if we are eligible. Although most gifts to charities are in cash, we are happy to accept gifts of stock too for savvy donors who want to avoid the capital gains on their appreciated securities.

Another recent accomplishment of the Board is the passing of revised Bylaws that will help us be a better organization. Good governance comes from clear rules and we now have them. More on that and our membership structure as we approach the Annual Meeting in the Spring.

The Treasurer also has the task of keeping up with the monthly payments but the more fun job of ensuring that we have the structure in place to audit our books at year-end, reconcile the bank accounts, and approve expenses as they come up. We're still actively looking for volunteers to help us with the detailed tasks of allocating expenses to the correct lines and making sure we are sticking to our budget. We use QuickBooks to process the transactions so if you have skills in that area and would like to work (much can be done at home or while at the rink on a laptop) please let me know by dropping me a line at treasurer@excelsynchro.org.

The Finance Committee is already looking to next season’s budget and learning from the lessons of this season to improve on the efficient flow of information about finances to the hardworking volunteers who make the team run.

It's been an exciting year. From the financial side it couldn't have run any smoother. Thank you to everyone for making your monthly payments as required and a special thank you for those who were in positions of leadership and saw to the efficient purchasing of what we've needed to keep the team rolling!

Gary Pforzheimer is the Treasurer for Team Excel and is therefore an officer of the Board.

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Last spring, I decided to follow my vision of a synchronized-skating focused organization that would combine synchronized-skating experienced coaches, trainers and supportive volunteers with developing skaters and teams in a nurturing training environment as the goal. It is my dream to be able to make detailed and specific decisions for my synchronized skating teams – in order to provide them every advantage to perform successfully and to the best of their ability.  To realize that dream – I needed equally strong support both off and on the ice.  To that end, Team Excel was created with a singularly focused Board of Directors and Steering Committee to help me make organizational decisions based on the well being of synchronized skaters and teams.   On the ice, we benefit from having older accomplished skaters mentoring and nurturing younger skaters, inspiring them with personal passion and excitement for our sport. Volunteerism is what supports a synchronized skating organization  and I feel strongly that this philosophy should apply to the skaters as well. The competitive synchronized skaters of today, are the technical specialists, judges and coaches of tomorrow.

A devoted, smart, supportive and large group of volunteers donated their personal talents to help me realize my vision. We were prepared to be an individual member club but were generously approached by an established and well-respected club to join and represent them.  We were able to affiliate in a manner that allowed for the support of a generous skating organization, while enabling the synchronized skating teams to have their own  voice.  The vision was coming to life.

Tryouts blew me away. Over one hundred skaters auditioned for my new organization Team Excel, representing The Skating Club of Boston. I was overwhelmed with the response. Numerous graduated skaters and family members came to assist in that process. My vision was validated and I was touched to my very soul.

We work very hard!  The Preliminary and Beginner teams learn teamwork and developmental-level yet quality synchronized skating elements and transitions.  The Juvenile, Novice and Junior teams are being challenged with difficult IJS programs. (Yes, even Juvenile as they must be prepared to be Novices and Intermediates.)  I have many supportive senior skating mentors: Lee Ann Filosa, Nikki Sullivan, Ally Bejma, Domenica Fuller, and Melissa Delano.  I do not ask – they simply appear at practice to work with the teams at all levels.  What a gift to the skaters of Team Excel!  My own daughter Katherine volunteers as off ice-dance choreographer for Juvenile and Novice. Many people contribute in many ways.

Team Excel had our First Monitoring and Competition this past weekend. I had butterflies. It was our debut! Junior Monitoring was very satisfying. Not much work to do!  Megan and I were relieved.

Then at the Thanksgiving Classic, hearing "and now, representing the Skating Club of Boston, Team EXCEL" as my Juvenile team took the ice absolutely gave me goose bumps. It gave life and breath to all of the support, the hard work, and to my vision. We won our first 2 Team Excel medals in the Juvenile and Beginner divisions. I was approached by so many coaches and synchronized-skating friends who wished me and my new organization the very best. I was touched by their kindness and consideration.  Synchronized skating really is a community and I love my community.

Reflecting on the competition, I thought to myself: "OK, here we go." We have much work yet to do, but who doesn't at this time of year? We are on our way, and eagerly working toward whatever comes.  Megan, Kristin and Krista, I am proud to have you on my Coaching Team; we keep each other going and laughing.  Skaters of Team Excel:  Great job, first time out. Let’s get to work!