Fall Message from President Ed MacDermaid

As September arrives and the golf season begins to wind down I want to take this opportunity to review some recent events. Firstly, the Club Championship, in spite of somewhat dreary weather went off with a large field participating. I want to congratulate our club Champions, Kathy Grebenc and Charlie Vienneau as well as all of the 100 plus who participated. The Juniors wrapped up a very successful season with their field day and awards Banquet which was attended by over 100 guests. The Junior Club Champions were Annie Hachey and Shawn Crawford. The program was very well received and a great deal of credit goes out to Sally and Bradley Chamberlain as well as our pro Staff of Dave Ross and Adam Chamberlain. The past month also saw another very successful Leach Mixed Tournament chaired by Scott Poupart. Men’s and Ladies Day continue to be well attended. On the Men’s side the Thursday night suppers will be finishing up on the 13th of September. The next big event on the golf calendar is the Howard Doucet Memorial Tournament scheduled for Saturday, September 15th. This event is of course in memory of the late Howard Doucet who is fondly remembered as a great contributor to Gowan Brae. As usual a great day of Texas Scramble will be followed by Alvin’s inimitable, not to mention delicious, Roast Beef supper. Also the Annual Cross Country Tournament is being finalized for Saturday Oct 13th and will provide an entertaining afternoon of Golf??? for those who want to end the season with a bang. In other news the Town Hall meeting, while sparsely attended, did provide an opportunity to review the current state of affairs at the club. Several issues arose and were discussed to the general satisfaction of all who attended. One issue that arose and continues to be a source of some consternation is the water issue. As discussed at the meeting water coolers on golf courses has been an issue for some time now. The cost of providing on course water due to a variety of reasons, not the least of which are regulatory, makes it financially prohibitive. Free water is available at the Bar as well as at the fountain on number 7 for those who wish to carry their own water. The Executive has given this issue a great deal of consideration and hopes that the members appreciate the complexity of the decision. The Executive also provided a positive Report on the Club’s finances to date. Due to a number of factors, but in particular the efforts made by staff, the Finance Committee is well within budget and we are looking forward to a successful year both in terms of Finances and the quality of service provided. The 50th Anniversary Committee is already planning special events to commemorate that milestone. Presently a Gala Black Tie event is on the Agenda as well as a number of other initiatives including a draw for free memberships. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please contact Joe Flynn or Emery Goguen, Co-chairs. The Strategic Planning Committee’s continues its work and it is hoped that their interim Report will be available for the next Annual Meeting. The Committee is actively reviewing all aspects of the Club’s operation and proposes to set up a long term Operational and Financial structure that will ensure the future sustainability of our club. Should you have any suggestions or ideas which would aid the Committee in their review, please do not hesitate to share it with any member of the Executive. Finally I want to take this opportunity to thank all our Summer Students for the wonderful job they did this year. Most of them are off to University for another year of laborious study and we wish them well and hope to see those still available back at work next year. And even though Fall is descending there is still plenty of golf left at Gowan Brae. If you know of anybody interested in a Fall Membership have them call the club and get the details. Once again I want to thank you for your continued support and wish you a great fall of golfing at Gowan Brae. Ed MacDermaid, President PS The Pro Shop is in full operation and now may be a good time to pick up some early Christmas gifts at excellent prices. Adam would like to clear out the summer stock, so bargain hunters should be in their glory!