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BOAT CLUB MEMBER WINS HONOURS AWARD
Warwick Boat Club are delighted with the news that top tennis player and coach, Jackie Robinson, has won an OBE for Services to Sport in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Jackie was elected Chairman of England Squash in 2002 and led the recovery of the organisation, which was struggling financially. Her leadership and determination through some very challenging times resulted in a 25% increase in the turnover of England Squash. After standing down in 2006, Jackie was elected President of the organisation and still holds that post.
In addition to her role as ESR President, Jackie is Director of the World Squash Federation’s Championships Committee and has been Technical Director of the past five World Junior Women’s Squash Championships.
As well as her involvement in the world of squash, Jackie is a keen and successful tennis player. She is reserve for 2010 Great Britain tennis over 60’s, captained England in the 2010 Home Internationals and plays tennis for Warwickshire County and the Boat Club. As well as playing herself, Jackie still finds time to run a busy coaching schedule at the Club as well as organising local charity tennis tournaments.
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Winter blues but now spring is upon us…..
After one of the worst winters most of us can recall (yes I know 1947 and 1962) we keep getting brief glimpses of Spring! However the nights are lighter and that is most welcome - all of us except the squash and racquetball players notice the difference. So it is a ‘warm’ welcome from me to all club members as we move into the 2010 / 2011 Club Year. It is always a pleasure for me to be able to see more members in the summer instead of passing them by as we tend to do in the winter, all muffled up against the cold and often barely recognisable.
We managed to keep subscription increases down to manageable levels and this year we gave people the option of paying by BACS direct into the club account and preliminary indications are that subs are coming in quicker than in previous years and I would like to thank members for that. We have a regular flow of new members coming into the club and we are delighted with this. Squash have managed to lure some members from rival clubs and this is really good news and well done to them for achieving this. We had an Open Day and brunch on Sunday 18 April and this was really successful. All sections were represented and it was a wonderful opportunity to show off our multi-sports capability in the best setting you could wish for.
AGM really went well…..
The club AGM has been held and at the end of the formal business we had a lively and informative informal session where I was able to give the members some flavour of where we are heading and they were able to ask questions of the committee on matters that were of consequence to them and the club. During the AGM we made one major administrative change to the club Articles of Association in that we have now moved the end of the club financial year to 30 September and the AGM to the first week in February; we will therefore run a short year in 2010 ending 30 September.
Centenary Plate 2010 goes to a rower…
The Club President, Tom Smeaton, presented this prestigious club award to Kate Rider, a leading light, of the rowing section for many years. It is hard in a few lines to say what Kate has brought to the rowers but if you consider she first got involved with the Annual Regatta in 1992 and only gave it up in 2009 but has written a full manual on how to do it in 2010 and beyond that gives you a flavour of why she got this award. Note this only scratches the surface of what she has achieved so a truly fitting way to reward this remarkable club member.
On-line bookings and more….
In yet another positive move the club has a project, spearheaded by the squash section, to look at online booking of squash courts and if this is workable extending it to floodlit tennis court bookings in the winter. A good move I am sure all will agree and we will explore what other benefits online access may bring. We are also determined to get a minimum of 90% of our members on an e-mail database before the end of this year so if you have not given us your e-mail yet and forgot to write it on your renewal form send it in to admin@warwickboatclub.co.uk as soon as possible
Encouraging inter-section sporting excellence….
As we are a multi-sports club and I constantly get asked by people whether they can take part in other sports although not members of that section. We have clarified the existing rules and opened them a little further so as members can prove they are all-round sportsmen and women! Thus:-
Squash players can play tennis in June
Tennis players can play squash in September
Rowers can play tennis and squash in September
Tennis, Squash and Rowing members can play bowls at any time in the season subject to contacting the Bowls Captain in advance
Tennis, Squash and Bowlers can row on most Saturday morning at 9.30am when the rowing section runs starter / learner sessions with full training and supervision but please check with the Captain of Boats that the session will be run – we don’t want people turning up and finding the rowers are away at a regatta.
All of this is free of charge in the period outlined but if you get the bug for another sport and want more participation, then membership of a second section is payable but at a reduced rate – what value for money!
Clubhouse developments….
The issue of the refurbishment of the clubhouse is also now looking much more encouraging now that we have a significant boost to the fund of some £40K. We have had a preliminary project to look at how we proceed with this whilst at all times ensuring that any financial commitments we enter into are not going to cause the club any short, medium and long-term issues. Watch this space as they say!
Increasing internal administration capability….
We have decided, as the General Committee, that we will increase our internal administration facility to now cover the club Monday to Friday on an all-day basis. This will be achieved by a job-share between our existing administrator and someone yet to be recruited. They will be responsible for all areas of administration, day to day financial issues and take responsibility for the workings of the clubhouse such as heating problems, booking in of food for match suppers, receiving and signing for beer and wine and so on. In short it means we can reduce the pressure on volunteers such as Pavilion, Catering, Membership, Honorary Secretary and generally ensure we are a club that is moving forward in a clear and constructive way with the back-up that a club of our size, i.e. a small business with some 1200 members and £250k turnover, needs.
150th Anniversary in 2011….
I have mentioned this before but have no apologies for bringing it up again. Next year is the 150th Anniversary of Warwick Boat Club and a team under the very able chairmanship of John Edwards is looking at an event to ensure that we celebrate this in style. It makes me feel very proud to be part of a club with such a rich tradition and I am sure you all feel the same. Each section is also being encouraged to hold an event that ties in with this although it is only the rowers who can trace their lineage back to 1861. So watch this space….
Drive and Parking Attendant….
Finally, and I hate finishing my note to you on a less positive theme, we appointed an attendant to monitor specifically the way members use the drive and observe the very clear rules we send out. The attendant will start on Monday 19th April and be here at random intervals Monday through to Saturday morning. Even I do not know when he will be coming. If he does indicate to you that you have not been following the rules please be courteous he is only the messenger. The rules are ours and mostly liked by the neighbours but irrespective of whether any member likes them or not they are there to be observed. The ultimate penalty for not following the rules is a ban on the member using the car park. If he has spare time the attendant will make checks of the car park for cars not displaying permits and for poor parking. There is no excuse for saying ‘I did not know the rules’
Have a great summer…..
We must all hope the weather will be kinder this summer than last and we can make the most of our fantastic club. Our excellent social committee have come up with a series of events, some brand new themes plus some old favourites, so please all throw yourselves into them and support your club. It is all part and parcel of making new friends and feeling part of something that can give so much more than just sporting pleasure
Enjoy….
Geoff Reynolds
Club Captain
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Dear Member,
Well the summer and autumn have come and gone and Christmas is upon us. So it is appropriate at this time for me to wish all members a happy and healthy Christmas and hope we all have an excellent New Year. Let us hope that the trials and tribulations that have beset the country this year show some sign of abating in 2010. The club has weathered the financial storm pretty well – membership did fall a little but we have got that back up in all sections thanks to a lot of hard work from the section and general committees together with a mixture of open days and membership promotions.
Highlights
I would just like to highlight some of the significant progress we have made this year:
- We had a complete ‘Re-Vite’ (®) of the Tennis courts and they now look and play much better. To further improve things we invested in a new purpose built tractor and attachments to do much of our own remedial work. We also bought some new drag mats for the tennis playing members to do their bit in maintaining the courts in excellent condition.
- We had the willows pollarded to improve light to courts 6 – 10 as at the river end of those courts the shade was causing algae to flourish. The tress are growing back beautifully I am pleased to say;
- Court 11 is now in play with a new artificial grass surface so it is no longer the Cinderella court;
- The drive has been resurfaced;
- The cark park has had a complete transformation, newly re-gravelled and the bays clearly marked out;
- We have bought some new chairs for the clubhouse to replace the old ones which had got very shabby;
- The bar has been completely refurbished and now looks very smart and improves the ambience. The bar storage area has also been refurbished and is now much more functional and easier to keep clean as well. We look forward to more work being done in various areas in 2010.
- After the tanking project last year, the Squash courts have remained dry despite the wettest November on record and the section have started regular coaching sessions for Adults and Juniors on Saturday afternoons.
- The Rowing Section has secured funding for coaching and equipment from the King Henry VIII Trust to introduce Sixth Form pupils from Myton and Aylesford School to the sport of rowing. There has been a good uptake by both girls and boys, in no small way due the enthusiasm of the chief coach, Mike Rigby.
- The veteran men continue to produce the best results from the rowing section, with success both at national and international level.
- After many years of sterling service Kate Rider has decided to step down as organiser in chief of the regatta. It is going to be a challenge to get everything right in 2010 without her; though I am sure she will be keeping a keen eye on things to make sure we do not undo all her good work over the years.
- The Bowls section has had an excellent year. They really are an inspiration to us all; particularly in the social activities they organize. As well as donating some £800 to local charities they have also given £200 to the pavilion refurbishment fund. They have many new ideas for recruiting members in 2010.
- A windfall came our way courtesy of our electricity supplier, in the form of a refund for overpayments stretching back to 2005. I am not going to dwell on the why’s and wherefores preferring to be glad a wrong has now been put right and we can now commit in excess of £30,000 to the ring-fenced pavilion refurbishment fund.
These are just some of the collective highlights and there are some personal ones too. The top of which must be Jenny Waggott’s achievement in playing a large part in Great Britain’s Over 65 Ladies team win in the Kittee Godfrey cup in Perth, Australia and culminating in the award as Coach of the Year at the recent Warwick District Sports awards.
Other News
In a new innovation we are in discussion with Moreton Morrell Tennis Court Club to allow their members to play at WBC and for any of our members who want to try real tennis to play at MMTCC, for a much reduced fee albeit on a restricted basis. More details in due course but watch this space. We feel this is a positive step forward in offering even more value for your membership.
There have been sad losses as well and none more so than the death of our much loved and revered immediate past captain, Philip Wade. Everything that needs to be said about Philip has already been said by those more eloquent than me but I have to say I have never seen a man stand up to a terrible illness in a more courageous way.
The Drive!
Unfortunately, there are always a few gripes at any time of the year and I have to comment about them. Sadly these often revolve around the car park and use of the drive. Our neighbours are not ogres and we have to understand we are using their drive and should not in any way be cavalier about its use. Some do’s and don’ts
- Don’t try to enter the car park before the due opening time because it will not let you in and certainly don’t wait on the drive for opening time.
- Don’t follow the car in front down the drive – what happens if they are the last car in and the red light comes on. Inevitably you turn around in the neighbours parking area which is both contrary to club rules and discourteous to them.
- Do wait at the end of the drive and only enter when the car in front enters the park and no red light comes on.
- Don’t come down the drive when the red light is on and wait for someone to exit. This is contravening club rules.
- Don’t park in Mill Street because again it is against club rules and in future you may find yourselves with a heavy fine as Mill Street will be regularly checked by Traffic Wardens.
- Don’t drop children off in Mill Street for coaching – the correct procedure is to use St Nicholas Park car park and walk children across
Finally on the list of gripes and this is very serious, please can all parents whose children attend coaching ensure any siblings who are not being coached or who have finished their session are kept under control. Recently I found four children running up and down the river bank in pitch darkness - truly an accident waiting to happen. The club takes its health and safety obligations seriously, but parents must remain responsible for their children when they are not being coached.
Thanking you all
So as I have now got that off my chest I want to say warm thank you’s to several people – to Derek Whitehead who after many years of putting on excellent social events has handed the baton on to Peter Grant. Please support Peter in all he is doing. Sheila Young is stepping down as Catering Chairman, with immediate effect, for family reasons and leaves a huge role to fill. She has being doing the job for so many years I cannot remember when she was not in charge of catering!
A sincere thank to the all the members who serve on various committees and those who help out in a general sense. Our dedicated team of staff also deserve a lot of praise for their hard work this year. Our club would not run without Janet, John, Mark, Berkeley and Deborah, who put so much work into chasing our electricity refund.
We need volunteers to fill various positions from next year and as well as Catering Chairman we will need a Membership Chairman, an Honorary Secretary and a volunteer to take on responsibility for organising the Sunday and Bank Holiday lock up rota. Also is there anyone with experience who can help the club as a bookkeeper. We need someone in this capacity to assist our Treasurer and Administrator. Please feel able to put something back into a club that brings so many people so much pleasure. It is not a lot to ask! Contact me or any committee member if you feel able to volunteer or would like to know more about what any job entails.
Finally, as I said earlier, have a fantastic Christmas, wonderful New Year and I fervently wish that we all go from strength to strength in 2010. Thank you for your support in 2009.
Geoff Reynolds – Club Captain
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