Burrell. I wrote to the board and asked who the author was. I received feedback from the chairperson that it was heard doing and also feedback from other members that they knew nothing about the letter. I found this upsetting that the chairperson who according to bylaw can act as spoke spokesperson wouldn't at least as courtesy have run it by her colleagues. Also I think in doing so some factchecking would have come to light. You see you issued a statement of accolades and opinion signed off by the entirety of the board. You also stated that Mr. burial spearheaded um the security task force and implemented SRO's at every school. This is simply not true and in fact it's immensely hurtful and minimizing to the people that did in fact spearhead the security task force. After Sandy Hook, an extremely small group of moms were the ones that spearheaded spearheaded the task force from infancy.
And as a PS to that, but we'll be reflected in the appropriate accounting year when that obligation is is incurred. Yes. Okay. So that that's fine. Okay. All right. That basically was some of my comments on from on from on the narrative and thank you for cleaning it up. If you now want to go to the operating statement and point out any anything in that that you'd like to discuss or any topics or items there that you find are the watch items uh that we should be looking for. Rich, I'm sorry to interrupt. Uh Oneanita has her hand up. Okay, Oneita, go ahead. Okay. Um thanks Mike. Um I just I didn't see it on the agenda, so I hope this is the place to ask the question. Um the non-lapsing account right now um we're not planning on contributing to that. Is that correct?
Yeah, I guess what Irish is saying is I exactly think that too. Um I think that against a spinner you have you have to use as you said your mind a lot and cricket is like a lot of coaches say 80% mind game and 20% of the physical game and I think um like against a spinner you need to kind of as a batsman go into the spinner's head see what he's going to do or what they're going to do and I think as a and when you're playing B like a short ball that's coming at your head. You could like at max leave the ball by ducking down. But I guess if you're looking at it overall perspective, I would say that spin, as much as it's fun to play it, I think that might be one of the hardest for players. Yeah. So, both of you guys mentioned how um playing against spin bowling, it requires a lot of like mental strength and discipline.
I put together a business plan. We met downtown and we talked about it and uh we said, "Let's let's uh let's go for it." So, you know, the wheel started there. But before I'm going to go back a little more for thanks. I want to thank Walker Development and specifically my son Mickey who built the bar. I definitely thank all of our partners. Um, our team, Macy and Patty and Michaela and Beth. They do a great job. We tell them to make this the most friendly place you can come to. Help everyone out. Do everything you can to make their experience great. And that's what we're going to continue to do. Um, so that's kind of our our uh our mission. So, obviously, thanks to my wife for letting me come from Charles Town all the time back here. We did live in uh Ashlin for 26 27 whatever years and now we live in Charles Town, but uh back here a lot.
They held numerous convincing meetings with officer PCEL over the immediate need for SRO's as well as speaking up and writing in and meeting with borders selectman, board of finance, BOE, getting um uh sending out petitions, getting signatures. These moms spearheaded the security task force. By 2013, SRO's police were present at all four schools and district. To me, it's best important that you acknowledge those parents and maybe also try to get back to partnering partnering with parents and maybe in the in the future will be welcomed with the school district. Now, in the bylaws, it says the chairperson can act as spokesperson. I implore everybody, you have a volunteer position. I would never allow anybody to speak for me. you should make a motion to amend those bylaws and have it at least run by you and get the approval from the entirety of the board before someone speaks on your behalf.
Um for the first year that we were um allowed to that the legislation kicked in was uh fiscal year 24. Um, and there was at year end at the time we presented the financial there there was about a 2 point um Rich correct me if I'm wrong a $2.1 million favorable variance at the year end right um and we wanted to move that in. we had the ability to do 2% which would have been up to um 3 million um and I asked that we just wait until the financial audit was uh complete because as we saw um in fiscal year 23 those numbers are extremely volatile. So um there is going to be um a surplus for fiscal year 2024. So we will be contributing to that. Um the exact amount um I'm not sure of yet, but um the finance committee will know as soon as we do and I believe the board will vote on that prior to that um being done.
So, what do both of you guys do? Obviously, cricket is a sport that requires a lot of physical strength and endurance and stuff, but how do you guys train your mental strength and how do you guys build discipline? Um, it's all about just staying calm. Um, thinking only about the game. Don't get distracted by like people outside yelling and screaming there. I know there's a lot of parents sometimes that uh yell from outside about like stepping forwards or like hit the ball even though they're not really uh they're not really aware of what's going on in your head and what's going on in the bowler's head. So, you just have to keep to yourself, focus exactly on that ball at that specific moment and cut off all distractions. And it's just about not being too stressed, not being too nervous, but not being overconfident or anything.
So, what the hell? I have a car. I don't walk. Um, you don't think I walk, baby. So, as I said, we had 22 partners. Um, it was really interesting when we started the project. Um, it kind of started all at PKL. Some guys were playing in a league, a downtown Boston place. Went there and they were we were watching it and all of a sudden uh one of our friends came up here and they set up a temporary court. They said, "Oh, we can play inside here." So, we came and we looked at it and I hired an architect and went through that whole process. Um, kind of did the lease, hired the staff. Uh, it was a lot because of all of us that are owners. Not one of us has ever owned a bar, a recreational facility, a restaurant, or anything. This is all our our third, fourth, fifth jobs.
Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Case. With that, we're going to move to um written correspondence. So, Stephanie, what do we have? The following people have emailed the board of ed since March 5th. David and Erin, Denise Rice, Deborah Casease, Irene Korea, two emails. Andy Korea, two emails. Okay. Um, before we Thank you very much for that. Um before we move to approval of board minutes um I would like to um uh add an agenda item and for that I need to first tell you about it then we need twothirds vote um it is for um after the executive session and I would like to tell you the substance of the um of the item and then discuss it and then maybe make the motion if you guys are amendable. Uh and this is this is based on a conversation that I had with uh Pete Maher this afternoon.
Um for fiscal year 20 five, which we're in right now, um as of February, we're showing a um $9 million favorable um variance. As I said, we're moving people in and out of uh the grants to get them in the correct place. So that since um a as of today as of March is going to be coming down uh a little bit but there um to the extent that there is a surplus we'll be able to put uh up to 2% which for this fiscal year would be on the 160. So there would be a maximum of 3.2 2 million um available um if there is a surplus to put into the 2% account and and so in either the accounts have been established that the movement of cash hasn't been done and Kim had pointed out um that there were a lot of legal restrictions in terms of this account.
You just have to focus on what's going on in front of you instead of what's going on like the back of your hat. Yeah, I I agree. I think I think you have to keep yourself calm in situations like that where you're I would say a lot of the wickets that go for as a batsman is because of the lack of uh concentration that is put into playing their playing the ball. And I think being as focused as possible is the like proper or not proper like the way that you should you should be as a as keeping your mind calm and I think yeah and I think um that like keeping your your being I think being calm is the best way to tackle those difficulties. How do you think um India might have felt like as we're talking about um calmness and the mental uh stress that goes in India lost in 2023 in the finals and it was I mean for fans and for India it was a big really tough moment because they did really well.
We don't No one's working here full-time doing this. It's all just kind of a passion project is kind of what we talked about and uh I get a lot of help from a lot of people. So, specifically my friend Tim Sgs, Mike Cork, Bookie, you're here all the time. You need to come more. You need to get here more. You're here all the time. Um, and just the ability to have all these guys here all the time and um, it's it's been truly truly incredible and I think we've really created a good community of what people want. It's so I mean Mike and I, SES and I have talked, you know, we sit here and the courts are full. People are playing. Old ladies are banging it back and forth and we're like this is unbelievably cool. I can't I wasn't talking about you. Oh, you're young.
Um so I would like to add the agenda item that after executive session that we uh the that we engage in a possible action regarding the appointment of a personnel search committee for superintendent. Yeah. That we engage That that that's yeah that's the idea of it. But I I wanted to because it's kind of complicated. What I would s just as a point of order I would suggest you make the motion get it on the table and we can have that discussion of whether or not it's added to the agenda during the discussion. Okay. Then um I move to add the agenda item and it's wordy so yeah we'll discuss it. That the board engage in a possible action regarding the appointment of a personnel search committee for a superintendent. Second. Okay. So, with the motion on the table, um, let's talk about this. Um, so you're referencing a specific firm or No, no, no, no, no.
So right, I thought it was simple. You open it, he opened a technical account, he moved the monies in, but it was more complicated than that. So there was So you're right. We haven't moved the funds in here, but we do have the capability of utilizing those funds, right? And so we have the capability of using that account, but um number it's not mandatory. And if we do have additional funds, then they might be um used elsewhere before putting into that account. Is that a possibility? I don't think so. But yeah. Yeah. I I would certainly think though that that's our our prerogative so long as within the scope of utilizing the funds that are applicable to to the expenditure in that year. So yeah, thank you. Okay. So, we will we will see um these these numbers uh move as we move people um in and out of of the grants.
How do you think they had to take that mental stress and now use it like get rid of it and now win the champions trophy here? So yeah. So I mean cricket in India it's like it's just built into your life it's like everywhere even if if you play cricket if you watch cricket whatever cricket in India it's always just there. So, losing a big game like that, being undefeated in the group stage, winning all your um semi-final games, and then to lose like that at home, I'm sure it must have been, I mean, it was obviously heartbreaking for all of us, but as players, I'm sure they felt really like bad and really sad. But I also think that it's not just a thing about cricket. It's a part of any sport. Whichever you're playing, there's always going to be ups and there's always going to be downs.
I'm young. But just the joy that people are having, the joy that people are having is incredible. You know, to see the joy and to see them playing it and be able to do it inside is is exciting. So, I wanted you guys to talk a little bit about the experience and what you guys have been uh doing. Yeah. Uh Tim Gazer, an investor. Um thank you. Thank you. I actually once you heard that knowing we didn't do anything I thought the 12 months was just a trial. That's we see if we were going to make it before you cut a ribbon. But uh I'm not going to try and talk too much about uh the community piece cuz that's Mike's uh talking point. Um but that's kind of what all this is about. Um you know, we've done a lot of private events um that have been a huge lift for us.
We're just going to engage in the conversation. Yes. With a possible action afterward, who would be on the committee? That's for the outside. I think we have Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm just I mean, we're going to have to have the conversation, but I think that it's also important to acknowledge we asked for, you know, three of us requested a special meeting to specifically discuss these steps, and I was told we had plenty of time. So, I'm a little bit thrown off that you want to do it tonight when we could have already done it. I totally understand what you're saying there. Um the I think things will become clear in our uh discussion in executive session. I I would also like that to be in public session. I think that's important for the community to have transparency with that too. Um I don't know how much Well, the action item you're proposing would be in public session.
Um Carara, myself um as well as Angela and Wanita will be meeting shortly to just review every um every grant we have and and every person and make sure that the salary lines and the benefit lines um are are correct in all of funds. I thought it was important that in light of the recent favorable adjustment that was found within the 23 audit uh that we're showing experience here at at this particular time a favorable variant but yes to to be further adjusted and explain that part of this is just because of certain practices or certain conditions in the marketplace. So I I I think it's important that at least we we understand that we're going to have all things being considered they equal a a surplus of x number of dollars because we can't build these positions. Yeah, there will be um a favorable surplus, favorable variance at year end for um salaries and benefits even if we were to be able to um fill the positions 100% being that we're midyear um you know not 100% of their salary is going to be able to reflect.
And I think that's something that India has done really well in the past few years. They've recovered really well from that and winning the T20 World Cup recently. I mean, obviously it's not going to bring that trophy back that we lost, but I think they're doing the best they can to make up for the loss in winter 2023. But yeah, I think recovering from that is hard, but I think as they've represented the country for a long time, they're experts at what they do. Yeah, exactly. I mean another part of a winning team is every team has their ups and downs uh act like failures and everything and another part of becoming a good team uh good people is coming back from these downs and bringing yourself back up. That's the real That's probably the hardest part for people when you lose confidence in yourself and bringing up that confidence by believing in yourself and performing again and again to bring up that confidence is a really important part especially in cricket.
We're on our fifth iteration of leagues. Um, and just to come to think about where we started, our first event was uh the moms of Ashlin. It was 24 moms in our third week. And just the lift and what that uh took on our end and how we didn't really know how to run an event and just to see uh see the operation and what Macy's has been able to do and and um all the events we've been able to hold in the last 30 to 45 days. we've held um church groups, temple groups, birthday parties, networking events. Um and it's just been really special to see um the different groups of people be able to come in here and leverage this facility to um you know, grow their special groups and and uh um you know, I'm from Ashland. My parents are from Ashland.