2019 BPYC Commodore’s Letter
March 31, 2019
Dear BPYC Members,
It is my honor and privilege to be writing this letter to you. As April draws near, 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 successful 2018 and everything we have to look forward to in 2019, including hosting this years Rhodes Nationals and the Club’s 85th birthday! And, as part of our continued effort to transition all club communication online, I am pleased to be sending this year’s letter entirely digitally. (That’s right; there is nothing coming your way via the United States Postal Service this year!)
You can renew your membership online by clicking here.
2019 Flag Officers & Committee Chairs – Alex Millet has been reelected as Vice Commodore, Mike Massey has been reelected as Rear Commodore, Brian McLaughlin has been reelected as Treasurer and Daisey Carroll has joined the slate of officers as Secretary.
Olivia Hennedy will lead the Junior Sailing Committee. Jes Millet & Chelsea Hyde will serve as co-chairs of the Social Committee. Mark Tuller will continue to Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee; Mike Massey will continue to serve as Chair of the Club Owned Boats Committee; Daisey Carroll will continue to serve as Chair of the Membership Committee; Adrian Mott will continue to serve as Chair of the Communications Committee; Dave Houle will continue to serve as Chair of the Finance Committee; Alex Millet will continue to serve as Chair the Strategic Planning Committee. I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support of, and dedication to, the club. BPYC is a special place because of its membership and particularly the members who put in the extra effort working on committees. I encourage all of you to help where you can. Anyone looking to become more active on a committee should reach out directly to the Chairs and express your interest in supporting our community.
BPYC Management & Staff – John Hennedy will return for his fifth season as General Manager for 2019. John has done an incredible job streamlining and building efficiencies into the Club’s daily activities while ensuring the club is a safe and fun place to be. He will continue to oversee all operations including the Junior Sailing Program and we are incredibly lucky to have him at the helm. Mike Massey will return for his sixth season running the launch and will be rejoined by Dave Houle as our part time launch drivers. Harrison Barfield, Peter Kittredge and Nathan Brody are all back for their third seasons on staff and we are very excited to have them.
Financial Update and 2019 Budget – 2018 was a solid year financially for the Club, especially given some of the fiscal challenges the year threw at us. Total revenue for the club was up and totaled $280,000, which comprises $197,000 in membership dues, $36,000 in Junior Sailing lessons, $35,000 in additional yacht club services and $12,000 in rent from the Annex. Total expenses were also up year over year and totaled $257,000, as compared to $254,000 for 2017. The club ended the year with a positive operating cash surplus of approximately $23,000, which was below our target of $30,000 due to some unforeseen expenses; specifically the Fuel Station which kept us out of the fuel business for most of the season. We will sell more fuel in 2019! The Trustees approved a 2019 budget of approximately $253,000, with a projected cash surplus of approximately $31,000.
Membership Update – Our membership is strong and continues to grow. All junior members under the age of 35 as of June 15, 2019 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 2018 by classification:
Family Membership: 106
Individual Membership: 20
Junior Membership: 36
Contributing Membership: 33
Member Dues and Fees – I am pleased to announce that the Officers and Trustees have kept the 2019 dues flat. We are asking everyone to renew their dues online this year. You can renew your membership online by clicking here. For anyone that wants to pay with a check, please fill out the online form, and you will receive an invoice via email. Simply print the invoice, mail it in with your check. 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.
Olivia Hennedy along with her committee have updated several of the class categories to better align our Junior Sailing classes with the student’s ages and interests in mind. We think everyone will be pleased with these changes. We are also pleased to welcome Lillian Robinson as the new Program Director. Morgan Casey also returns as the Head Sailing Instructor this year. It gives me great pride introducing this year’s staff as they are both fantastic products of this wonderful program and we are lucky to have them back for the summer. Please be sure to reintroduce yourself when you see them.
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 May 15th.
This will help us greatly with staffing and class schedules. Registration forms will be available on the BPYC website and you can make payment directly through the site.
The highlights from the BPYC Junior Sailing Program Calendar are summarized below, and available on the club’s website:
Wednesday May 15: JSP registration deadline
Monday July 1: JSP first day of classes
Thursday July 4: BPL 4th of July parade (parade is the sailing class morning activity)
Friday July 26: End of July session
Monday July 29: Start of August session
Friday August 23: End of JSP 2018 season
Sunday September 1: 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. 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. Most specifically, we are expanding the membership directory and expect to have it in operation this summer. Instructions on creating an online profile are forthcoming so be sure to update your profile when they arrive! As always, we are happy to answer any questions. Just email us at [email protected].
BPYC Historian Request – The Board of Trustees recently approved a new club Historian position which is co-chaired by Lillian & Kathy Robinson. The committee is composing a history on each individual trophy at the Club and would like to include anecdotes and photos from people who remember these important members. The following is a list of people who have trophies named after them:
Robert Black
Anthony Blake
John R. Deupree
Mary Ann Beaudry
William Arthur Dupee
Jeannie U. Dupee
Fred Wakelin
We also would appreciate any photos or stories associated with the Windsong and Tijuba trophies for our annual Labor Day races. Please contact Lillian Robinson [email protected] or (617)-797-2375 with any updates.
2019 Calendar and Social Events – The Club has a 14-week season. Opening Day is Saturday, June 8th and Closing Day is Sunday, September 15th. You can look forward to a great season full of events in between. Social Committee Co-Chairs Jes Millet & Chelsea Hyde, along with Ellie Bronson, Olivia Crudgington, and Sharon Casey, are organizing several great events! These events are wonderful opportunities to bring our membership together and invite any prospective members as guests. The 2019 calendar is posted on the website. Updates will be made online as needed.
Capital Budgeting – 2018 was loaded with capital expenses, most of them planned, but some not as much. We expect 2019 will be just as challenging as we have several projects in progress simultaneously. After completing our assessment of the damages incurred during the winter of 2018 we have decided to move forward with securing our perimeter and raising the club onto a solid foundation. The restoration project is currently in the design and permitting phase and will likely begin in the fall of 2020. Our preliminary plan is to temporarily move the physical clubhouse into the parking lot, install new pilings for the clubhouse foundation and raise the first floor elevation in the existing location. While the clubhouse is out of the way (so to speak), we plan on rebuilding the riprap wall in the boat slip. The final phase of the project will be repairing the entire riprap seawall surrounding the property. The dredging project was put on hold this winter as the Army Corp of Engineers finalizes an eel grass study within Wood Island Harbor as well as waits on federal funding to start the dredging project. We expect the project will be ready to move forward assuming our permit is finalized, based on the Army Corps of Engineers schedule. We will keep you all updated as we learn about the specific timeline later this Summer/Fall.
2019 Members Workday – Last year we needed many hands to put the club back together. While putting in some hard work we realized it was a great event to kick off the season, so we are planning to do it again. Though this winter was much easier on the club, and there will be much less to do, we will look to hold this year’s workday in the spring. We’ll find the best weather window and will give everyone plenty of warning via the website and emails so you can plan accordingly.
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.
Kind regards,
R.J. Hoar, Commodore
(617)-834-3583 (cell)