Present: Jeff Abrams, Bob Babich, Steve Brand, Carole Eigner, Steve Haynes, Spike Harvey, Don Macek, Jerry Ralph, Jerry Ringer, Brian Sexton, John Shacklett, Walt Zable.

Guest: Don Whitt, Todd Tobias from Hall of Champions

Absent: Dennis Ackerman, George Bralla, Allen C. Brown, George Brown, Bill Christopher, Chet DeVore, Brian Fogarty, Barry Humphrey, Kevin McGarry, Dennis McKnight, Mark Osman, Mike Riley, John Rozar, Steve Smith, Ted Tollner

1. Everyone was welcomed by Chapter Chair Jerry Ringer,
   
   
2. Minutes from the January 13 meeting were reviewed and approved. Jerry said action items from the prior meeting will be covered today.
   
   
3. The chapter's 28th annual awards banquet set for March 17 was reviewed by Carole Eigner and Jerry.
   
   
   1. Facilities, video, press kits, and M.C. have all been secured. Remaining item is raffle prizes.
      
      
   2. Board members were asked to reserve their places at the banquet with Carole before y leaving the meeting.
      
      
   3. Jerry announced that Bernie Kish, Executive Director of the College Football Hall of Fame, will be our guest at the banquet.
      
      
   4. Carole said she has 305 dinner reservations to date.
      
      
   5. Still have not heard from a few schools and honorees. Dennis Ackerman will call schools. Our office will follow-up with kids.
      
      
   6. Jerry Ralph assured the board Santana High's cheerleaders will be at the banquet to sell raffle tickets by 5:30 p.m.
      
      
4. New board nominees Steve Haynes of Athletes for Education and John Shacklett, Athletic Director of City Schools and head football coach at Morse High, were unanimously elected to the board. They take the places of Andy Anderson and Sid Gillman who now serve as Emeritus on the board.
   
   
5. NFF programs were reviewed by Jerry
   
   
   1. Play it Smart - Chapter picked Kearney High. Nnational has not hired a coordinator yet. We did suggest a candidate this week.
      
      
   2. Coaches accreditation - National is not ready to start yet.
      
      
   3. Chapters support of City School's program to start freshman (9th grade) football. Have been granted $2,500 in NFF grant funds to support effort to raise $300,000. School district does not have approval to go forward on freshman football sports. Once they receive okay, chapter board agree to continue its efforts.
      
      
6. Chapter fund raiser via E-BAY. Chapter has cataloged 1,000 of Sid Gillman coaches videotapes from NFL and college football teams. Also have 12 of his autographed play books. Will begin to list these items soon after March 20, 2000.
   
   Chapter will also include 100 decks of Sports Deck playing cards on E-BAY.
   
   
7. Board agreed to join Coaches Association - Shacklett will get application to chapter office. Fee is $50.
   
   
8. Board agreed to present Willie Jones Most Inspirational Player award winner John Chaidy of Madison High with a $1,700 grant.
   
   
9. The year 2000 golf tournament was discussed - Chair Bob Babich asked that we begin sending out letters of solicitation to all NCAA colleges and professional teams for raffle prizes.
   
   Steve Haynes will help Bob and work to get more sponsors and run a more profitable raffle. Also Bob and Steve will get an auctioneer for the evening.
   
   
10. Report from National- Walt Zable said there is a board meeting in April and will give us a report then.
    
    
11. The Feb. 29, 2000 letter from the Valley of the Sun Chapter showed that "the top 16 chapters", each of whom have over 100 members (representing 15% of the 113 chapters nation wide), collectively make up 45 % of the Foundation's total membership.
    
    Jerry commented that in the Dec. 31 1999 NFF chapter membership report, in the Western Region many of the new chapters like Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Las Vegas, Inland Empire and Alaska have under 30 members with Alaska having 4.
    
    He suggested that more attention be spent where chapters are franchised, as start-up and maintenance costs are high and take away funds from healthy units.
    
    
12. New Business:
    
    
    1. Board member Jerry Ralph said he has been named head football coach at Saint Augustine High after resigning from Santana High. There was no other new business.

Meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.