Feb. 8 Meeting Likely Postponed to Feb. 22

Be on the lookout tonight for an e-mail from president Gary Stewart. Given the impending weather forecast for this weekend and the possible need for officials to be available Feb. 8 to work makeup games, the Feb. 8 Board 23 meeting will likely be postponed to Feb. 22. I say "likely" because we have not confirmed the availability of Lansdowne High School to host the meeting. But stay tuned.

As always, be sure to keep you availability up to date at www.arbitersports.com, as AACPS and BCPS will likely have several games to reschedule if Friday's slate is wiped out.

-PK

1099s Mailed

If you earned more than $600 through Anne Arundel County Public Schools, by way of a check from IAABO Board 23, in calendar year 2009, check you mailbox over the next couple days for the tax form 1099.

AACPS, BCPS cancel school-sponsored activities Feb. 2

The Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) have canceled afternoon and evening school-sponsored activities, including basketball games, for Feb. 2 due to the forecast of impending snow this evening and tonight.

According to baltimoresun.com, AACPS has moved its Feb. 2 slate of games to Feb. 3, which will make it a busy day for Board 23 as Feb. 3 already contains many BCPS games.

Be sure to keep your availability up to date as games will be rescheduled. To update your availability, log on to www.arbitersports.com.

-PK

And We're Off!

Friday night was opening night for public high school basketball in Maryland. So the long march for boys' teams to UMCP and girls' teams to UMBC has begun! I was very excited to get back on the floor for high school basketball and hope you felt the same way. Remember you are representing yourself and Board 23 as you officiate, so be professional, make your calls and hustle, and it will be a good season.

I am in the process of scoring NFHS exams and completing the paperwork necessary to register officials with the MPSSAA. I will advise when that process is complete and scores are available. At the January meeting, I will have the scantron forms with answers marked so you can use it as a study guide if you wish.

Some of you have asked me for IAABO patches. I have ordered more and will post a note here when they arrive.

Have a great season!

PK

NFHS Exam - Notes

A few nuggets regarding the NFHS Exam, which will be administered Nov. 30 at Lansdowne High School at 7 p.m. This is a required meeting/test date. If you cannot attend, the makeup date is Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., also at Lansdowne.

The test is 100 questions. You must score a 75 percent in order to officiate in 2009-10. If you do not score at least a 75, you must take the test again on Dec. 1.

I will administer the test on Nov. 30. The esteemed Lou Engle will administer the test on Dec. 1.

All basketball officials who work public-school games in Maryland must take the test and pass, and thus be registered with the MPSSAA.

If you are a dual member to Board 23 and paid only the $68 in dues to Board 23, do not take the test with Board 23. You must take the test with your home IAABO board. Some dual members paid $90 in dues because they wish to take the test with Board 23 and be registered with the MPSSAA through Board 23. Those dual members who paid $90 should take the test Nov. 30 at Lansdowne. There are only five dual members who paid the $90.

Again, if you're a dual member and only paid the $68 dual-member dues, you must take the NFHS Exam with your home IAABO board. The vast majority of dual members only paid the $68, so if you're a dual member, chances are you'll be taking the test with your home board.

If you have questions about your membership status, e-mail me.

Please bring a No. 2 pencil to the exam. Good luck to all!

-PK

Couple Notes: MPSSAA Clinics, Oct. 19 Meeting, Etc.

All members of Board 23, including applicants, transfers, prospects and Active members, must attend one of the MPSSAA Rules Interpretation Clinic meetings, hosted by MPSSAA Coordinator of Officials Bill Burroughs. If you attended the clinics at either Joppatowne or Franklin high schools, you do not need obtain an attendance verification slip from Bill and give to me. The reason? I was given copies of the sign-in sheets of both meetings, so I can verify your attendance assuming you printed your name legibly on the sign-in sheet.

If you attended or have plans to attend an MPSSAA clinic at any other site, you will need to get that slip from Bill and give to me at your earliest convenience, but definitely before mid-November. A schedule of MPSSAA clinics is on the Current Members page of the Board 23 Web site.

Also, as some of you might be aware, we have a family medical situation we are dealing with. Our 18-year-old nephew is in ICU at UM hospital downtown with extreme complications from a virus. His prognosis is uncertain. It is unlikely that I will be able to attend the Oct. 19 meeting at Lansdowne HS. If you have any questions about your membership, transfer status, etc., send me an e-mail and I will address it as soon as I am able. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. His family is in great distress.

Couple other notes:
1. I haven't received the answer key for the 2009 IAABO Refresher Exam yet. As soon as I do, I will convert it to a PDF and post it on the Web site.
2. If you are an Active Officiating home-board member of Board 23 and did not pick up your 2009-10 IAABO handbook (which includes the rulebook) and IAABO membership card, please plan to do so at the Nov. 9 meeting at Lansdowne. Unclaimed handbooks after that date will be opened up and dual members and 2009-10 applicants will be allowed to take one, supplies permitting.

Thanks,
PK

Required Attendance at MPSSAA Rules Interpretation Meetings

Just a reminder that all Board 23 members -- actually, anyone who wants to officiate a basketball game in a public school in Maryland in 2009-10 -- must attend one of the rules interpretation meetings hosted by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA). Coordinator of Officials Bill Burroughs always does a good job going over rules, mechanics and changes that have come down from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), of which the MPSSAA is a member association.

Board 23 members should obtain the attendance verification slip from Bill Burroughs at the meeting. You should put your name on it and then forward it to Paul Krome, Board 23 secretary. According to MPSSAA policy, failure to do so makes you ineligible to officiate basketball games involving public schools (namely, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County in our case).

The schedule of MPSSAA rules interpretation meetings is listed as part of Board 23's master schedule on the Board 23 Web site. Basically, your three best options are Oct. 6 at Joppatowne HS, Oct. 13 at Franklin HS or Oct. 14 at Poly HS.

Thanks,
PK