March 2008


In This Issue

Greens Committee Report Membership
Social Committee Report

Treasurer
Management and Personnel Handicap and Tournaments
 

President's Report


President’s Report

Happy New Year to everyone – what a spring we have welcomed in! Your new Board is busy trying to improve conditions in our clubhouse and on the course. We really appreciate that Andre and Carole Lemieux have purchased a second-hand, six-burner, electric stove for our kitchen, Marion and Peter Alexander have purchased a new metal prep table for our newly floored and extended room, Doug and Gisela Cavill have donated a brand new barbeque and Winston and Shirley Cerniuk have donated a sizable sum towards our kitchen improvement. Hopefully lots of you will be dropping in to see the renovations, which have been done as inexpensively as possible. The House and Grounds Committee budget, which is currently being headed up by Lyn Clarke for Bob Blair, has paid for most of the flooring with the Social Committee, headed by Shirley Cerniuk, paying for the additional length. We would also like to thank Winston Cerniuk and his crew for their incredible work, YB for his electrical prowess and Pat Tisdall for getting the ball rolling. As a club, which has been undergoing huge improvements, we really appreciate any assistance we can get.

Clyde Coates has once again offered money towards the betterment of our Club in the amount of $12,500 per year for the next two years. We really appreciate the much-needed assistance he keeps providing.

At our first meeting we moved that our Manager Sarah Kostiw be given the authority to pursue the possibility of leasing out food services while the Club retains control of the primary liquor license. At this time we have decided to manage the kitchen ourselves and are presently hiring more staff.

Michelle Marks is continuing as our Secretary and has formed a committee to update our Policy Manual. She has done an excellent job in the past and I am sure she will continue to do so.

Andre Lemieux is our Treasurer and also holds the position of Past-President. Andre has also agreed to be our Webmaster and the Handicap and Tournament Chairman. He is hard at work finding people to run the Men’s Amateur (Miranda Barnes) and the Ladies Scramble. We know he can handle all of this, as he appears to be a real workhorse!

Marion Alexander remains on as our Membership Director. Marion is always an asset to the Board and we hope she will continue her assistance with the Men’s Amateur.

Harold Jenner is the new Greens, Driving Range and Carts Director and is already hard at work learning his portfolio and has now hired Mike Stewart as our new Greens Superintendent. I am sure Harold will prove to be an excellent addition to the Board and will manage his very large job handily.

Lyn Clarke has agreed to be the Management and Personal Director – we know she will handle this job well. She has already set up a committee to look further into the future handling of our kitchen.

Shirley Cerniuk has been appointed the new Social Director and I know she will do an excellent job. She has been on the Committee for several years and is always ready to lend a hand. She’s also an excellent hostess and cook and we should all be looking forward to some fabulous functions in the coming year.

Respectfully submitted
Carrol Craig

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Greens Committee's Report


The Greens Report.

Men’s day opened on Thursday March 27, 2008, and I suspect it was the first time many had golfed in snow, rain, hail and warm sunshine. Well, we can say the course is in excellent condition. We appreciate all the work the members did on clean up last week. I am really pleased at how the 5th green has matured. You can actually stop the ball on the green with a good approach shot. The sixth green is wetter than usual and we’ve roped off part of it.

We will be cutting the fairways as soon as it is dry enough, and with the snow falling as I write this, that will be in a few days. Then once the greens are dry enough we will be calling a work party to punch the greens.

I hope you have been able to say hello to our new Greens Superintendent, Mike Stewart. He is busy learning the ropes. I am also, this being my first year as a director and know very little about golf course management. Please feel free to share (kindly) with me any concerns you have about the course and what our priorities need to be this year.

Regards,
Harold Jenner
Director

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Social Committee's Report

Mark it on your calendar, Saturday April 19, an intimate Italian Evening.  Great food, a selection of fine Italian wines, and music by Lou Gradanti.  What better way to celebrate another great year at the Gabriola Golf and Country Club.  
Tickets are now on sale at the Golf Club.  Don't wait and be disappointed, get yours today.
Hope to see you there.

Shirley Cerniuk
Social Committee

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Advertising & Promotion

Publicity and Advertising

Once again we will be participating in the Golf the Gulf Islands advertising and promotion for Gabriola, Salt Spring, Galiano and Pender.  This year we will also be advertising on Vancouver Island and the Silva Bay Yacht Club will also be advertising our Club in all of its promotions.

We have also agreed to sell the Lung Book to our members.  With its many golf privileges I’m sure a lot of our members will want to purchase this savings book.

We will be advertising our Free Golf – 9 Holes or a bucket of balls followed by a free hot dog – let your friends know – this will at the end of April.  Watch for it!

Carrol Craig
Advertising & Promotion

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Management and Personnel


Management and Personnel March 2008

First, I’d like to comment on the excellent job Sarah has been doing for us. We certainly noticed her absence while she was away for holidays. However, now she’s back and has been in full swing hiring new people for the upcoming golf season. Over the next couple of weeks she’ll be busy training all of them. Please be patient with our “newbies” . There is lots for them to learn, everything from the P.O.S. system to the new menu to who’s who at the club. I hope you’ll take the time to get to know each of them and make them feel welcome. A big ‘welcome aboard’ to Greg Duqette, Nic Holt and Quinn Kinloch.

Starting next month, April, we can all look forward to a new menu. With the “Grab And Golf concept, all the items to be made available sound very tempting. With this project being in the preliminary stages there is apt to be additions to what already is looking good. Please bear with us while we over-come the final hurdles associated with acquiring potable water to our club. Once this has been achieved we’ll be able to fully utilize our new kitchen.

Please note, that starting March 31, the club will be adhering to the newest “no smoking” regulations. What was the smoking room will no longer be available to our smoking members for that purpose. A small area of the deck in excess of 15 feet from the patio door has been earmarked for that activity. In advance, thank you for your co-operation regarding these regulations.

Lyn Clarke,

Director,

Management and Personnel

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House and Grounds

House and Grounds March 2008

We are about to enter into another year of golfing. And not unlike other years, the beginning of this one has been accompanied with repair and maintenance problems.

In particular, the last few water samples submitted for testing have come back with less than favorable results. For this reason we have been dealing with“boil water advisory”. The good news is that as of March 31st, new equipment will be installed to produce potable water for our members. While the equipment is scheduled to be installed before the beginning of April, it is unlikely that we can immediately lift the water use restriction. Just formality, but once we have submitted two consecutive clean water samples, we’ll be back in the running. At which point, Management and Personnel will be free to re-instate full cooking duties to our staff. I’m looking forward to that as I’ve been privy to inside information on our new menu. Next month, along with our new equipment and a general over-haul on the existing, we can all look forward to Bob Blair returning to the island. I know I will be exceptionally glad to see him. Bob will be taking over all the associated duties for House and Grounds from me. Here’s wishing him clear sailing and a happy term as Director.

Lyn Clarke
Temporary Director for, Bob Blair

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Membership Secretary

Report from Membership Secretary, Marion Alexander

We would like to thank the many members who have paid their dues already as this is a big help to the club. Revenues are always down during the winter months and we need every penny we can collect.

The Board of Directors has approved a 12 month payment plan for playing adult members. There is a 10% surcharge for doing this, but we hope that this will encourage new members to join because they won’t have to pay everything up front. This option is also open to current members. You will have to sign a contract guaranteeing payment and provide us with either post-dated cheques or authorization to charge your credit card each month. Please speak to Sarah in the Clubhouse if you are interested in this option.

We would like to welcome Louis Sparkes and the Ellis family – Simon, Lisa, Andrew and Nathan – to the club and hope they enjoy golfing with us.

The membership count as of March 23, 2008 is:
Playing – 167, Social – 46, Junior – 18, Associate – 17, Honorary – 7 for a total of 255.

We have had 16 members resign so far this year, but the good news is that 6 members have already up-graded their membership to full playing and we are hoping that more will do the same. However, our count has never been this low so we need everyone to promote our club and to take part in all the activities planned for this coming season.

Marion Alexander
Membership Secretary

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Treasurer


From the Treasurer

A Treasurer’s job is to look after the finances of the Club. It is, therefore, my job to let you know that, at this point in the financial year, everything is normal and as planned.

But it is early in the playing season to really know what the outcome will be as most of our income comes from green fees and membership dues. Last year bad weather in the Spring made a big dent in our income and we are keeping our fingers crossed for the next few months.

All dues should be in very shortly and we will have a final tally of our membership in about one month. The Board has approved the payment of membership dues over a 12 month period for those who would like to pay that way. A surcharge of ten percent will be added as administrative fee and post dated cheques will have to be provided with the payment application.

Donations of close to $3500.00 have been received to help with the upgrading of our cooking facilities. It is not all finished at this time and I will give a final update after its completion.

We need new members! Help your Club by inviting your friends, family and neighbours

Andre Lemieux
Treasurer

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Handicap and Tournaments

Handicap and Tournaments

The new tournament schedule is on our web page under ‘Events’. This year, we have given that page a new look and more information when you click on a particular event.

Our first tournament will be the String Tournament scheduled for April 20th. The sign up sheet will shortly be on the board at the Club House.

Sunday, April 27, is the Free Golf Day for the community and we would like you to take advantage of this special invitation to bring those whom you think would be interested in joining our Club. This is the only day of the year we have this event and it has not been well attended in the past. We would like the membership to make a special effort that day by just showing up even if you do not have a guest. That day we want to be a show off to the community. We can only do it with your help.

The RCGA handicapping system has been improved and you will find it easier than last year to move around it and also to enter your scores. There is no doubt that last year was not their best but since it was a new system we have to give them some breathing space and hopefully they will have it right this year. It is possible that the system will ask you to update your personal information the first time you use it. Try to do it right away as it is possible that you did not enter enough information last year.

Good luck and a good golfing season.

Andre Lemieux
Handicap and Tournaments

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Birdie produced by Lyn Clarke