BPYC Commodore’s Letter – 2018

March 31, 2018

Dear BPYC Members,

It is my honor and privilege to be writing this letter to you. As April draws near and we have dug out from the last of several Nor’easters this winter, I hope you are as excited as I am to put the floats back into the water. I’d like to take this opportunity to update you on what was a very successful 2017 and everything we have to look forward to in 2018, including the Club’s 84th birthday!

2018 Flag Officers & Committee Chairs – Alex Millet has been reelected as Vice Commodore, Mike Massey was elected as Rear Commodore, Brian McLaughlin was elected as Treasurer and Norann Oleson was reelected as Secretary.

Olivia Hennedy has assumed the role of Junior Sailing Committee Chair with some help from our long-standing chair Chris Hennedy. Jes Millet has assumed the role of Social Committee Chair. Mark Tuller is Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee; Mike Massey will continue to serve as Chair of the Club Owned Boats Committee; Daisy Carroll is Chair of the Membership Committee; Adrian Mott is Chair of the Communications Committee; Dave Houle has been appointed Chair of the Finance Committee; Alex Millet will continue to Chair the Strategic Planning Committee. I’d like to thank all of them for their continued support and dedication to the club and encourage any member looking to participate on a committee to reach out directly to the Chairs and express your interest in supporting them.

BPYC Management & Staff – John Hennedy will return for his fourth season as General Manager for 2018. John has done an incredible job streamlining and building efficiencies into the Club’s daily activities. He will continue to oversee all operations including the Junior Sailing Program. Mike Massey will return for his fifth season running the launch and will be rejoined by Dave Houle, Peter Kittredge and Harrison Barfield, all back for their second season as launch drivers.

Financial Update and 2018 Budget – 2017 was a solid year financially. Total revenue for the club was up and totaled $275,000, which comprises $202,000 in membership dues, $37,000 in Junior Sailing lessons, and $36,000 in additional yacht club services. Total expenses were also up year over year and totaled $253,000, as compared to $239,000 for 2016. The club ended the year with a positive operating cash surplus of approximately $45,000, which was ahead of plan and will be added to the capital account. The Trustees approved a 2018 budget of approximately $253,000, with a projected cash surplus of approximately $45,000.

Membership Update – Our Junior Membership drive this past season was a great success. All members under the age of 35 as of June 15, 2018 will continue to receive a 50% discount on their annual dues, and children of members in good standing will continue to be eligible to join without an initiation the year they turn 26.

Below is a table highlighting the total membership for 2017 by classification:

Family Membership: 107
Individual Membership: 20
Junior Membership: 31
Contributing Membership: 40

Member Dues and Fees – I am pleased to announce that the Officers and Trustees have kept the 2018 dues flat. Enclosed is the 2018 dues form and feel free to send in a check. You can also complete your membership renewal online, and you will be receiving an email shortly on the new process, which will save the club on the processing fees. 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% surcharge for dues paid after May 31st.

BPYC Junior Sailing Program – The BPYC Junior Sailing Program 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.

We welcome Olivia Hennedy as our new Committee Chair. The Program Director position remains open, but we are in the process of reviewing candidates. Mackenzie Bryan will be joining us as the Race Coach. Mackenzie grew up sailing in St. Croix and is currently the senior skipper at Roger Williams University. This past season he was selected as an ICSA Honorable Mention Coed All-American Skipper, chosen as a Second Team All-NEISA Skipper, and won B Division at the New England Dinghy Championship to help RWU earn a berth in the ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championship. Needless to say, he will be a welcome addition to the program, so please introduce yourself when you see him at the club. We are also very excited to have our very own Betsy Eames joining us as a Sailing Instructor. She is a distinguished alum of the Junior Sailing Program who knows both the dynamics of the Club and many of the families in the community. Her presence is very much appreciated and we are excited to have her onboard. Please be sure to reintroduce yourself when you see her.

The Junior Sailing Program strives to ensure the highest level of instruction, but we need your cooperation in registering your sailors before the deadline of June 15th.

This will help us greatly with staffing and class schedules. Registration forms will be available on the new BPYC website and you can make payment directly through the site.

The highlights from the BPYC Junior Sailing Program Calendar are summarized below, included in the attached calendar, and available on the club’s website:

Friday June 15: JSP registration deadline
Monday July 2: JSP first day of classes
Wednesday July 4: Community 4th of July parade (no morning classes)
Friday July 27: End of July session
Monday July 30: Start of August session
Friday August 24: End of JSP 2018 season
Sunday September 2: Chowder Luncheon and Awards ceremony

We are looking forward to a great summer of junior sailing at BPYC!

BPYC Communications – Adrian Mott continues as Chair of the Communications committee and is supported by Andy Lindsay, Taylor Barstow, and Lucas Blom. After redesigning the Club’s website last season the committee’s focus this year is to expand and enhance the Club’s digital presence. Look for lots of new updates on the site as well as emails this coming season.

2018 Calendar and Social Events – The Club has a 14-week season, and as usual we have an active schedule. Opening Day is Saturday, June 9th—please join us on the lawn for a cookout—and Closing Day is Sunday, September 17th. Jes Millet, Social Committee Chair, along with Ellie Bronson, Olivia Crudgington, Sharon Casey and Chelsea Hyde are organizing several great events! These events are wonderful opportunities to bring our membership together and invite any prospective members as guests. The 2018 calendar is enclosed and is also posted on the website. Updates will be made online as needed.

Capital Budgeting – This will come as no surprise to those who spent this winter in the Northeast… while last year’s letter anticipated relatively low capital expenses for the coming years, this past season took a toll on our Club. We are now in the permitting process to restore what Mother Nature has taken away. The restoration project will begin in the fall of 2018. The full scope of work is yet to be determined, but will likely continue through 2019 and beyond. On top of this, the dredging project that was put on hold is now underway in the Upper Saco River. Thanks to our proactive piggybacking on the Army Corps of Engineer’s preliminary work last year, we are now shovel ready once funding is in place. We are hopeful the dredge project will begin in Wood Island Harbor, during the winter of 2019. Nimrod’s ancient and temperamental Westerbeke was also finally upgraded to a brand new Yanmar, similar to the engine in Breakaway. We completed a full survey of the boat prior to moving forward with this project, and I am happy to report that all of our efforts to preserve her have been worthwhile – she is in pristine shape and we expect this repower to keep her in service for decades to come. Lastly, we had planned to renovate the bathroom this coming season but have put that project on hold given the three major projects listed above.

2018 Members Workday – Historically, the club hosts the annual workday in the fall right before we haul the floats, which we canceled last year because of how well prepared we were to close. Given the amount of general clean up that is necessary from this winter’s storms, we plan to host a workday this spring instead. We will look for the best weather window and will give everyone plenty of warning via the website and emails so you can plan accordingly. It will be a fantastic way to kick off the season and a perfect opportunity to put some shine back on the Club.

Forward Looking - There are several key objectives that continue to guide our efforts for the Club. We are proud to say we have made great progress toward meeting these goals.

Sustainability. Maintaining a vital Membership, and addressing demographic and inter-generational issues. We have reinvigorated the Membership, rebalanced the Junior Sailing Program, and rebuilt the enrollment. We have elected younger Trustees to the Board, in order to gain from their perspective and to begin to pass the mantle of responsibility for governance of the Club.

Physical and Financial Health. Maintaining a strong balance sheet and making long-term investments. We have a strong balance sheet with a substantial cash balance. Our assets have been consistently maintained and upgraded, and the Club continues to generate operating surpluses to contribute to future funding of capital expenditures.

Community. Ensuring the Club is a welcoming, safe, and enjoyable place for members and guests alike. The Club and its Membership remain as committed as ever to treating everyone with dignity and respect, and to maintaining our fine reputation within the yachting community. The Officers and Board take this commitment seriously.

Affordability. Maintaining a cost structure that is affordable to all Members, throughout our community. We have held dues steady for three years, avoided capital calls, and held voluntary capital campaigns only when critically necessary to the Club’s future.

Professionalism. Improving governance and developing our staff to provide excellent service to our Members. Our staff is both proficient and professional, and we engage in ongoing staff training to improve and upgrade their skills and preparation.

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 group of supporters and volunteers.

Sincerely,

R.J. Hoar, Commodore

NOTES TO MEMBERS:

Dues Form: Click here to download the 2018 membership dues form (PDF)
Online payments: We will be sending a separate email with a link and instructions on how to pay dues online this year. Last year's method of payment is no longer supported. Paying via check is still an acceptable method. Thank you for your patience on this effort!