BPYC Commodore’s Letter – 2017

March 2017

 

NOTE TO MEMBERS: The "member's area" password is "nimrod" (without the quotes)

 

Dear BPYC Members,

With the recent snowstorm here in the northeast it seems hard to believe, but spring has officially arrived and floats will be going in the water in less than 60 days. As we mark this transition of the seasons, I would like to thank Jeff Miller for his years of dedicated service to the Club. It is my honor and privilege to be writing this letter as your new Commodore. I’m pleased to share with you some highlights from a very successful 2016, and also to look forward, together, to 2017.

2017 Flag Officers & Committee Chairs

Alex Millet has been reelected as Vice Commodore; Abigail Carroll as Rear Commodore; Ollie Kippen as Treasurer; and Norann Oleson as Secretary. Jeff Miller will now serve on the Board of Trustees as immediate past Commodore.

Mike Massey has taken over as Chair of the Club Owned Boats Committee; Mark Tuller has assumed the role of Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee; Chris Hennedy will continue to Chair the Junior Sailing Program; Daisey Carroll is Chair of the Membership Committee; Adrian Mott is Chair of the Communications Committee and Olivia Crudgington will Chair the Social Committee. We added two additional committees this year. Brian McLaughlin will Chair the Finance Committee and Alex Millet will chair the Strategic Planning Committee. I’d like to thank all of them for their continued support, and I encourage any member looking to participate on a committee to reach out directly to the Chairs to express your interest.

BPYC Management & Staff

John Hennedy will return for his third season as General Manager for 2017. John has done an incredible job of streamlining the Club’s daily activities, increasing efficiency while, amazingly, also improving the member experience. John will continue to oversee all aspects of the operations including the Junior Sailing Program. Mike Massey will return for his sixth season running launch. Mike has been instrumental in maintaining continuity and offering wisdom to the younger launch staff, and we appreciate all that he does. Joining him is another Trustee and longtime member of the Club, Dave Houle, who we welcome wholeheartedly. Mike and Dave will mentor our two new additions, both outstanding products of our Junior Sailing program, Peter Kittredge and Harrison Barfield. Please be sure to (re)introduce yourself the next time you are at the Club.

Financial Update and 2017 Budget

2016 was a solid year, financially speaking, by all measures. Total revenue for the Club was up and totaled $271,000, which comprises $187,000 in membership dues, $40,000 in Junior Sailing lessons, and $44,000 in additional yacht club services. Total expenses were down and totaled $236,000, as compared to $243,000 for 2015. The Club ended the year with a positive operating cash surplus of approximately $35,000, which was ahead of budget and will be added to the Club’s capital account. The Trustees approved a 2017 budget of approximately $250,000, with a projected cash surplus for capital account of approximately $30,000. The slightly higher budget will fund additional staff and more social activities this coming summer.

Membership Update

Below is a table highlighting the total membership for 2016 by classification.

2016 Membership Classifications and Counts

  • Family Membership: 104
  • Individual Membership: 25
  • Junior Membership: 28
  • Contributing Membership: 36

In an effort to align our policy with other organizations in the community, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the age range for Junior Membership to the ages between 25 and 35. All Members under the age of 35 as of June 15, 2017 will receive a 50% discount on their annual dues.

Member Dues and Fees

I am pleased to announce that the Officers and Trustees have elected to keep all 2017 dues and fees flat. We do need to highlight a few changes. In previous years, the Junior dues have been slightly modified to mitigate the impact of past dues increase. In connection with raising the Junior age to 35 we are resetting the Junior dues to 50% of the corresponding dues classification. Enclosed is the 2017 dues form. You can also complete your membership renewal online at https://www.biddefordpoolyachtclub.org/online-membership-payment. Please make sure that we have your current contact information, including email addresses and telephone numbers (including mobiles). The Club will continue to impose a 15% late charge for dues payments made after May 31st.

Also, importantly, the Board voted unanimously this winter to offer a one-year initiation “amnesty” to legacy Junior Members, aged 26-35 who have not yet joined the Club. From April 1, 2017 through May 31st only, prospective legacy members who are 35 or younger as of June 15, 2017 will be offered the opportunity to join with no initiation fee. This one-time amnesty represents both our commitment to rejuvenating the young membership of the Club, and our acknowledgement that we can do better at tracking and leveraging member data to better serve our Members and their families. Please share this information with appropriate family and friends, as this offer will not be extended again.

In relationship to this one-time offer, I would like to reiterate three longstanding Club policies. First, all children of Members in good standing (“legacies”) are able to avoid initiation fees by joining as Junior Members the first year they are eligible. Second, as always, we welcome any Member who is facing financial hardship or special circumstances to contact the Officers directly to make special arrangements.  And third, our guest policies, as outlined in the Handbook (available through the website or by request at the Club office), exist to ensure fairness for all and, as always, we ask for your help in abiding by them. Please introduce your guests to the Operation staff when you arrive on the property so that they can be formally signed in.

BPYC Junior Sailing Program

The BPYC Junior Sailing Program, JSP, is dedicated to promoting and teaching seamanship and sportsmanship in a safe and fun environment. Our goal is to teach the basics of recreational sailing and racing while instilling a life-long love of sailing. Chris Hennedy continues to Chair this committee, and Madison Oleson will again be the Program Director for the 2017 season.

In support of our effort to ensure the highest level of instruction and to properly align our staffing and scheduling, we ask that you please register your sailors before the deadline date of June 15th. Registration forms will be available on the new BPYC website and you can make payment directly through the site. https://www.biddefordpoolyachtclub.org/registration/. The highlights from the BPYC Junior Sailing Program Calendar are summarized below, included in the attached calendar, and available on the club’s website

  • Thursday June 15: JSP registration deadline
  • Monday July 3: JSP first day of classes
  • Tuesday July 4: Community 4th of July parade (no morning classes)
  • Friday July 29: End of July session
  • Monday July 31: Start of August session
  • Wednesday August 2: JSP Ice Cream Social
  • Friday August 25: End of JSP 2017 season
  • Sunday September 3: Chowder Luncheon and Awards ceremony

We are looking forward to a great summer of family fun at BPYC!

BPYC Communications

Adrian Mott, Andy Lindsay, and Taylor Barstow have overhauled our website: http://www.biddefordpoolyachtclub.org. The new site is much simpler to edit and is more user-friendly. It offers many of the same features as the old site, such as the event calendar and membership directory, but includes greater capabilities for member outreach as well as online payments and a live webcam of the Club property. It also provides direct access to the BPYC Facebook page and storefront at Team 1 Newport. For transients, there is a section integrated with Dockwa for making online mooring reservations. The new site is easily updated and we hope you will visit it frequently to keep up on all the comings and goings at the Club. The Member site password is nimrod. This is a shared password for the entire membership as there is no sensitive data inside the Members section. We think you will be pleased with the changes and welcome your feedback for future updates.

2017 Calendar and Social Events

The Club has a 14-week season, and as usual we have an active schedule. Opening Day is Saturday, June 10th—please join us on the lawn for a cookout—and Closing Day is Sunday, September 17th. Olivia Crudgington, Social Committee Chair, along with Ellie Bronson and Jes Millet, are organizing several great events! These events are wonderful opportunities to bring our membership together and are great chances to invite any prospective members as guests. The 2017 calendar of events is enclosed and is also available on the club website. https://www.biddefordpoolyachtclub.org/calendar/.  Any updates or changes will be made available online.

Winter Storage & Mooring Maintenance

Graham Ganz will continue to provide mooring services for personal moorings located in the inner and outer harbor. He also is our vendor of record for winterization and storage of member boats in the Club parking lot. We encourage all of you to take advantage of his great work and store your boats here at the Club next winter.

Forward Looking

I would like to briefly remind Members of the objectives that guide our efforts as Officers and Board members, each of which I believe we have made significant progress on over the course of 2016-2017:

  • Sustainability. Maintaining a vital Membership, and addressing demographic and inter-generational issues.
  • Financial Health. Maintaining a strong balance sheet and making long-term investments.
  • Fairness. Proper cost allocation to all Members, while maintaining a culture of volunteerism and generous contribution.
  • Affordability. Maintaining a cost structure that is affordable to all Members, throughout our community.
  • Professionalism. Improving governance and developing our staff to provide excellent service to our Members.

I want to thank our Officers, Trustees, Committees, and Members for their many contributions to the Club. We are fortunate to have such a strong community of sailors, supporters and volunteers.

 

Sincerely,

R.J. Hoar, Commodore