I agree with Nonni's statements about donors.  Nobody knows better than the
Board members of the Friends of Maine Hockey how valuable donations are to
this program's continued success.  I also am aware that the cost of these
tickets has to come from somewhere and it is an awfully small pocket of money
the Athletic Department has to fund all these sports, which achieve so much
on so little.
 
However,
In a message dated 3/29/00 11:53:30 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
 
<< I bet Eric himself has tickets, and President
Hoff, and well lots of adminisrators. >>
 
Yes, true!  And the students are a big part of the success of the team at
home!  I hope that some of those tickets went to the Pep Band and Bananas...
 
A related irritation of mine when I was on the FMH Board was that, beginning
three seasons ago, the cost of tickets for UMaine administrators came right
out of the FMH's contribution to the hockey program's budget, in effect right
out from under the players.  When I, as FMH President, protested (Can you beli
eve ME expressing an opinion?), there was some claim that this money would
get paid back when the NCAA money came to the school, but this was never
going to happen, and didn't.  All the FMH Board members over the years have
spent a lot of time and energy raising money to help lift our team, coaches
and the support staff ( people like Paul Culina(trainer), Peter
Herrick(equipment), Jeanne Goss(admin. assistant), etc.) juuust a little
higher so they could compete juuust a little stronger against the much better
funded programs they play against.  I myself didn't help raise literally
hundreds of thousands of dollars to see that money go to pay for tickets for
the Administration.  I hope that policy has changed this season.
 
If memory serves, President Hoff paid for his out of his own budget, as he
did his Banquet tickets and any other costs for FMH events he and his wife
attended, which I thought admirable and proper.  I still believe that
administrators traveling with the teams should pay their own way or from
their own budgets, not take it from the programs.
 
GO MAINE!
 
Cathy Hart