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Introduction

 

 

The purpose of this website is to publicly disclose information pertaining to the operation of the Southern Marin Lacrosse Club (SMLC). The content of this website is the product of 2 years of research and discussions with parents in our club.

 

Aside from the financial misbehavior, milking hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal gain (including a 6-figure salary), too many parents and players have unacceptable SMLC stories to tell.

 

The goal of this report is to strengthen the governance and to restore the integrity of SMLC, by removing the current SMLC board of directors, and changing the club's leadership to those who have the best interest of our children in mind.

Top Questions and Concerns

 

 

  1. What is reasonable compensation for in-season and out -of-season roles in a not for profit organization, such as SMLC, with the privileges of IRS 501(c)(3) status?

  2. Open and transparent access to the organization's management, finances and rules of governance.

  3. Feedback from too many parents depicting unacceptable pressure on players regarding in and out of season play.

  4. Adherence to organization bylaws and IRS 501(c)(3) rules.

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Suggested way to proceed on this site...

 

  • Read the open letter to the community below.

  • Read the stories and the respective relevant questions and concerns.

  • Follow the story references and data for more detailed information.
    (Board Meeting Minutes, Tax Returns, Bylaws, more...)

  • Provide your feedback on this questionnaire; your identity will remain anonymous.

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Please keep in mind, many attempts have been made to work with the board on the issues over the past two years.

 

Hopefully, you will arrive at the same conclusion...

...It’s time for a change of leadership.

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AN OPEN LETTER AND REPORT TO THE GREATER SOUTHERN MARIN LACROSSE CLUB (SMLC) COMMUNITY

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SUMMARY

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Two years ago, I was invited by SMLC management to discuss changes in club policy. Upon review and analysis, I disclosed several concerns including significant financial mismanagement. The board refused to address the issues and neglected to reform its governance. I continued to gather information and have tried to work with the board – to no avail.

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Given the severity of the bad behavior, financially, ethically, and with respect to how children are being mistreated, I am reaching out to you, the SMLC lacrosse community, to gain support for a change of leadership. Additionally, I am repeating  my offer to pay for an accounting of the club’s books and to make the results open to public scrutiny.

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I have chosen to share my report with the SMLC community, in an effort to inform, open a dialogue, and to attract the necessary support to help restore SMLC to its former highly regarded status.

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SMLC has a distinguished history, it is one of over fifty “clubs” in the “league,” the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association (NCJLA). SMLC and NCJLA are 501(c)(3) not-for-profit tax-exempt organizations, they are, in fact, public charities. It is important to understand that SMLC does not belong to anyone, it belongs to our community, to all of us.

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The board’s refusal to penalize repeated abhorrent personal behavior, and unauthorized taking of hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal gain, is bad enough to warrant their removal. But even more critical is that too many parents and children have egregious and unacceptable SMLC stories to tell. It’s time for a change of leadership.

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At http://www.smlaxinfo.com you will find commentary and the supporting documents: the SMLC Bylaws, Tax Returns, the IRS Form 1023, Board Minutes, etc. When you review the information and consider the facts, please contribute to the discussion by responding to this questionnaire, or by contacting me at contact@SMLaxinfo.com; your identity will remain anonymous.

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Five proposed reforms:

  1. To require transparent governance, full disclosure, and a return to open board meetings.

  2. Clearly communicate the difference between in-season policy and the voluntary out-of-season policy.

  3. Separate paid staff from the board due to financial conflicts of interest and private inurement.

  4. Return to using the required arms-length procedures for determining the compensation of paid staff.

  5. Establish proactive succession planning by recruiting and training a leadership ladder.

 

The involvement of you, the community that entrusts SMLC with its children, is essential to ensure that in the future SMLC conducts itself with high integrity and for the benefit of its players and their families. We do not have access to the SMLC contact list, one essential way you can support our effort is to forward this letter to others.

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Although legal proceedings and a complaint to the District Attorney remain options, the people that I have spoken with say that a community resolution is best. Therefore, I find it morally imperative to reach out to you, to ask for your help to push back against ongoing financial malfeasance and management abuse, to bring about a change of administration and a financial accounting of the books of SMLC, a public charity.

 

Yours truly,
Harris Holzberg (Coach Harris)
SMLC - Past Board Member and Past President
NCJLA - Current Board Member and Past President
US Lacrosse NORCAL Chapter Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)
Corte Madera Park & Recreation Commission Past Chairman

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