Less than a year ago, Westport Little League made huge news with the All-Stars’ run to the national championship game.
Today, the baseball news is less good. Jeff White, chairman of Westport Baseball & Softball, issued this statement tonight:
Westport Baseball & Softball has a long and successful history of serving our community. We are proud of what our children have accomplished over the years, and the Board of Directors takes all aspects of our work seriously.
Recently, the Board began an internal investigation into allegations that one of our Board members misappropriated funds in multiple ways for his personal gain. As a result of the investigation, the Board made a unanimous decision to turn the matter over to the Westport Police Department to investigate further, and this matter is now in their hands. The Board member has resigned, and is no longer affiliated with Westport Baseball & Softball. The expenditures in question will not hinder our operations and commitment in any way.
Since learning of the situation, and in order to protect Westport Baseball & Softball for the long term, we have made several improvements, including new financial procedures and improved ways to review and approve reimbursements and expenditures.
Westport Baseball & Softball will continue to deliver all of the popular, broad-based programs that we always have. With the weather starting to break and a new season on the horizon, we look forward to another fun, productive, successful year for our more than 1200 children.
sad and dumb
Wow- itâs always the adults
Charlie
Charles Taylor
Director of Major Gifts
Vanderbilt University
School of Engineering
Mailing address:
PMB 401531
Nashville, TN 37240-1531
615-322-4732-office
615-294-9624-cell
615-343-2060-fax
Charles.taylor@vanderbilt.edu
Volunteer organizations, whether it be Little League, your church, or a condo board offer tempting challenges to tthe morally compromised. It is important to place controls on collection and disbursement of funds. Just because it is a “good guy” group, and everyone knows one another, does not diminish temptation. It could have saved the heartache that Little League is going through now.
Nick is correct. Sounds like lot of money floating around for baseball where was the oversight before this happened?
In our town we moved to in Manchester New Hampshire the oversight is in following the National Little League Rules. “The local league board of directors, elected from and by the adult members of the league, is responsible for the day to day operation…” see National Little League manual and the following link.
http://www.littleleague.org/SearchResults.htm?q=how%20are%20boards%20determined
Electing a Board of Directors by the parents of the participants makes a board accountable preventing theft or abuse. Why would a great town like Westport not be electing a Little League board like every other Little League in the country? .. .