Dear Member,
Welcome to the First Quarterly Directors Report of 2025.
We started this year with major organisational changes in the way the Club is to be run. From this year forward, we will be focusing on the Pro Shop being front of house. The shop staff will be able to deal with day-to-day members issues leaving Steve Brockway in our club office to deal with general admin and management of the bar and restaurant.
Steve has offered to man the office for a 3-month period before the post is permanently filled.
Other changes you will experience this year include how you pay your annual subscriptions using the BRS app.
Next month, we will be holding our 61st Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 19th March 2025 at 7pm in the function room. This year, as part of our drive to reduce our carbon footprint, you will be receiving your AGM packs by email only. For those not able to receive emails, several printed packs will be made available for collection behind the bar.
This year we have received 5 nominations for the 3 vacant directorships from the membership. Members will be able to select up to three from five candidates:
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| SIMON DIBLEY |
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| LIAM ELEY |
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| ANDY ELSTON |
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| ROBERT GIBSON |
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| GARY PICTON |
Full CVs of these applicants will be supplied shortly. Those two candidates with most votes will serve the normal 3-year term and the third placed candidate will serve 2 years.
Elections for Directors this year will be online by either using the online ballot or filling in a paper form that will be made available behind the bar. Please hand in any paper ballots in a sealed envelope to the office, pro shop, or on the night of the AGM.
There will also be an online ballot for 2 no Special Resolutions for a change to the Articles with results announced on the night of the AGM. Should any member wish to propose an Ordinary Resolution to be voted on at the AGM, please submit a written text of the proposed change and rationale to a change in a club rule or structure by the 4th March 2025. The Board will decide then whether the proposal will be voted for on the night or form part of an online ballot to the general membership.
The preferred choice of Vice Captains this year were unopposed so no election for these posts will be necessary. Congratulations therefore go out to Tony Regan and Bev Smith who will take up their VC posts on the night.
A full financial report for the year 2024 will be included in your AGM Documentation. Questions regarding the accounts are invited provided they are in writing or email at least 2 weeks before the AGM and will be answered by one of the Board on the night.
Report from Tony Shanahan, Finance Director:
St Mellons accounts have now been finalized and we can report a pre-tax profit of £30,595 for year ending 2024.
Our turnover went up to £1,084,322, which is a record for our club. During the year, our Bar sales increased by 5% to £187,494 and our catering sales increased by 15% to £98,408. Clubhouse profits are down, but we hope staff re-structuring carried out last year and recently will address profits from this revenue stream.
Thanks to our team, including Brian Lee and Brian Trendell, we sought to maximise revenue from golf visitor fees through the BRS system while lowering the visitor footfall. The green fee income was up to £163,000 from £150,000. We hope to emulate this result this year with a further emphasis on marketing.
Our subscription fee revenue increased by 2% to £573,527, which was achieved by replacing lost members throughout the year and maintaining membership numbers.
It was an extremely tough year on staff who coped admirably to produce these results, so my thanks go to Trish and the bar staff, Simon and catering staff, Brian Lee and his golf staff, and Jackie in the office.
From the Board
The Board are pleased to announce that Mrs Kenvyn Newling has been
granted Honorary Membership of the Club. Kenvyn served as our Secretary Manager for over 21 years from 1982 until 2003, she was Junior Organiser for over 10 years.
When she took up playing golf herself in 1984 her handicap soon dropped to single figures which saw her become an active member of both the Ladies 1st and 2nd Teams she continued playing for them for over 10 years, she has been a full playing member for the last 40 years and won the Ladies Bronze Knockout and was also a runner up in the Ladies Club Championship.
Whilst she spends the winter months in Spain she can always be seen
meeting up with many old friends through the Summer months and is a
regular at most club functions, congratulations Kenvyn and thank you for your continued support.
The board would like to take this opportunity in thanking Peter Borley who steps down as a director and Chairman. Peter has worked tirelessly for the club over the last three years and has been instrumental in the club being awarded funding to carry out the improvements to our coaching facilities, the start of the buggy path programme, and the improvements to the top bar. Thank you, Peter, we hope you enjoy your time now out on the course.
