2023 BPYC Commodore’s Letter
April 27, 2023
Dear Members,
Hope all of you are well. I’m excited to unofficially kick off the countdown to summer in Biddeford Pool with this letter! It was an honor (and relief!) to complete my first season as your Commodore. I thank you all for your involvement with the Club and hope that we were able to help you enjoy some quality time on the water last summer.
We’ve assembled below some helpful updates about BPYC and our plans for the 2023 season and beyond. Before we dig in, I’d like to note the passing last winter of one of our longtime members, Sherwood “Joe” Bain. I remember when I was a launch driver (too many years ago to count) giving Joe and Carol rides out to their small sloop, Lady Byng. We wish the Bain family, and Joe, fair winds and following seas in this world and the next.
2023 Flag Officers & Committee Chairs – I’m pleased to share that the full slate of Officers has been reelected – Mike Massey as Vice Commodore, Adrian Mott as Rear Commodore, Taylor Barstow as Treasurer, and Daisey Carroll as Secretary. We thank everyone for their service and continuing commitment to the Club.
Olivia Hennedy remains head of the Junior Sailing Committee; Mark Tuller the Building and Grounds Committee; Adrian Mott and Taylor Barstow, the Communications Committee; David Millet, the Membership Committee; and Brian McLaughlin the Finance Committee. Chris Marshall has taken over as head of the Club-Owned Boats Committee, and Kendra Emhiser has assumed leadership of the Social Committee. This year the Executive Committee is serving as the Strategic Planning Committee. Thanks to all committee heads old and new, and, as usual, we’d like to remind all Members that BPYC is only as strong as our volunteers. Please reach out to Officers, Board Members, Committee Heads or the Manager if you would like to get involved.
BPYC Management & Staff – John Hennedy will return for his ninth season as General Manager. We are fortunate to have John’s professional and purposeful hand managing the Club, and we are grateful for his continued hard work to make every season a successful one. We are further grateful that Meadow Hughes will return as our full-time launch driver this season, and that Mike Massey, Dave Houle, Lee Kimball and Pat Donaghue will return as part-time launch drivers. Chris Dakers and Jack Webb will also be returning as dock hands, hopefully soon to earn their six-pack launch driver’s licenses.
2023 Calendar and Social Events – The Club has a 14-week season. This year, Opening Day is Saturday, June 10th and Closing Day is Sunday, September 17th. Last season Covid was a non-issue and our Members enjoyed a full slate of social events – this year will be no different! Events this season include:
Sunday, July 2: Fourth of July Pig Roast
Saturday, July 15: Member’s Cocktail Party
Saturday, August 12: Rhodes 18 Nationals Party (in place of Commodore’s Social)
Sunday, September 3: Chowder Luncheon
Our famous Tuesday Night BBQs are sure to be well attended again this year – they begin on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, please remember to join us for the Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, August 5th.
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. The tentative BPYC Junior Sailing Program Calendar is available on the club’s website: www.biddefordpoolyachtclub.org. Olivia Hennedy will be following up with her letter in the coming days with details, but for the time being please take note that the JSP registration deadline for 2023 is Friday, June 2nd. We are looking forward to a great summer of junior sailing at BPYC and will be providing updates on a regular basis!
Membership Update – Last year you may recall me writing in this Letter that we might need to institute a waiting list for prospective members. This year, the natural ebb and flow of our community has left us in a comfortable place, with a strong membership count and some room still left to grow. If you know of anyone who is interested in learning more about membership, please send them our way (you can contact myself, John Hennedy, or David Millet). All junior members under the age of 35 as of June 14, 2023 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. As always, we encourage any young prospective members who qualify for automatic entry this year to take advantage of it – if you are the parent of one, please make sure they are aware of it!
Financial Update and 2023 Budget – 2022 was a great year with social attendance at an all-time high and several new members joining the Club. Revenues were up as expected totaling $358,000 – including $253,000 in membership dues ($18,600 of which were first year premiums), $39,000 in Junior Sailing lessons, and $38,000 in additional Club services. Total expenses were $294,000 – a continuation of increases we have seen over the past 3 years which can be attributed to rising costs across the board, as seen in the broader economy. The Club ended 2022 with a positive operating cash surplus of $46,000 not including first year premiums. For 2023, the Trustees have approved a budget of approximately $342,000 that is projected to net a little more than $20,000, somewhat less than our typical $30,000 target. This is principally due to significant damage to the clubhouse and grounds from the Christmas storm that must be repaired at a projected cost of approximately $10,000 in order to safely operate, and which cannot be capitalized due to our plans to significantly improve the grounds next year. Also contributing were increases in numerous expense categories ranging from labor and insurance costs to electricity rates in Maine, as well as reductions in certain income categories, including Annex rent as the Club has identified a need to provide additional summer housing this year to attract and retain an appropriate level of staffing. In lowering our net income target for this year, the Club has decided not to pass on increased expenses to the Membership, opting instead to weather the storm, buoyed by last year's strong financial performance.
Member Dues and Fees – After last year’s dues increase, we are pleased to share that we will not be raising dues this year. However, as our budget can attest, the cost of keeping the Club and our Fleet fully staffed, safe and well-maintained continues to go up. Further, the Officers and Trustees continue to take our fiduciary duty seriously to provide for projected capital projects, including the upcoming effort to move and elevate the clubhouse, shore up her foundations, and reinforce the riprap wall surrounding and protecting our peninsula (this project was originally slated to take place this year, but we are pushing it to 2024 in order to be in the best financial position to take it on – more on this below).
You will be receiving an email shortly with reminders on how to use the website to pay your dues. We are asking everyone to renew their dues online again this year; however, you may also print the invoice and send in a check. The Club will continue to impose a 15% surcharge for dues paid after May 31st. Please ensure all of your membership information is up to date, and if you have any questions or issues with the website, please email [email protected]. As always, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns directly.
Capital Budgeting and Upcoming Projects – The combination of ever-increasing operating costs and long-term capital needs continues to present significant challenges for the Club. As was reported here last year, the Board’s conservative financial stewardship over the years has resulted in our ability to absorb some significant capital projects while remaining well prepared, through the establishment and funding of the Goldenrod Investment Fund, for most reasonably expected capital needs. Unfortunately, what Mother Nature and the economy continue to throw at us is anything but reasonable or expected. As anyone who was in The Pool over the Christmas holidays knows, our Club and indeed the entire peninsula weathered a very difficult storm coinciding with an extremely high tide in late December. The road across Fletcher’s Neck was closed for a period due to risk of washout, and we had about a foot of wind-blown water submerging the entire lawn and parking lot, with waves quite literally lapping at our doorstep. We will be sharing some photos and additional details on the website soon for anyone who missed this. Scientific consensus indicates that these storms are likely to get more frequent, not less, and stronger, not weaker, so we have no choice but to be prepared. And, economic forecasts indicate that the cost of these preparations are likely to get higher, not lower.
As mentioned above, we will be undertaking a significant project in the 2024-2025 offseason to raise the clubhouse and make various repairs and changes to protect the peninsula from high water events. We’ve delayed the timing of this effort in order to approach it in the most fiscally prudent manner possible. Part of this approach will involve leveraging the monies intended for capital improvements, just such as this, in the Goldenrod Investment Fund. Part of it will involve an appeal to the Member community to financially support the future of the Club. It has never been clearer to me than when I was standing on our lawn, but also knee deep in Saco Bay, that the decisions and contributions we make in the coming year will decide if our children and grandchildren get to enjoy the same experiences, and make the same memories, as so many of us did growing up at BPYC. I hope you sense and share this feeling of urgency. Please look out for additional communications about fundraising efforts through the spring and summer.
Forward Looking - There are several key objectives that continue to guide our efforts for the Club. We are proud to say we continue to make great progress toward meeting these goals.
Sustainability. Maintaining a vital Membership and addressing demographic and inter-generational issues. We nearly hit our membership cap last year and continue to enjoy a robust and engaged membership. The Board is committed to developing a leadership succession plan that will set the Club up for success through the next decade.
Physical and Financial Health. Maintaining a strong balance sheet and making long-term investments. We have a strong balance sheet and have thus far been able to consistently fund all needed capital projects. This year and next present unique challenges, but prudent financial leadership and the establishment of the Goldenrod Fund will be keys to our success.
Community. Ensuring the Club is a welcoming, safe, and enjoyable place for members and guests alike. The Club Membership, the Officers and the Board all remain as committed as ever to treating everyone with dignity and respect, and to maintaining our fine reputation within the yachting community.
Affordability. Maintaining a cost structure that is affordable to all Members, throughout our community. We are holding dues steady during a time of significant environmental economic stress, absorbing the hits as best we can while planning for a sustainable future. The Membership can rest assured that the Board’s primary concern is balancing affordable access with safe and sufficient services.
Professionalism. Improving governance and developing our staff to provide excellent service to our Members. Our staff is both proficient and professional, and we continue to engage in ongoing staff training to improve and upgrade their skills and preparation – including the launch of a new dock hand program last year that is intended to cultivate the launch drivers of the future.
I want to thank our Officers, Trustees, Committees, and the entire Membership for their many contributions to the Club. A special thank you goes out to John and every BPYC staff member who left it all on the course last season to ensure that Members could enjoy the respite of the ocean during what was, transparently, a challenging year as our community and our society struggled back to “normal” in the post-Covid economy. As ever, I look forward to seeing you all around the Club and, most importantly, out on the water.