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It gives me great pleasure in introducing myself to you as your new Chairman.
I have been on the Management Committee for 18 months and was up until our last meeting, your Treasurer.
I see my primary responsibility is to lead the Management Committee, ensuring its effectiveness and encouraging us all to get on with the business of the Club without too much interference and red tape. Although, I ultimately will have the casting vote on matters where we can't agree, but I hope we don't get to this stage.
Judy Emms
I feel it’s vitally important to thank Judy Emms our former Chair of the Committee for maintaining the club in such good order.
During her tenure major initiatives completed include:
- Replaced the surfaces on tennis courts 5 & 6 giving us a near perfect playing surface.
- Installed heating and cooling system to all the squash courts, cooling us just when we need it.
- Reintroducing CCTV to the club, reducing vandalism and increasing general Club security.
- Rolled out the new website giving us enhanced credibility and a professional online presence.
- Upgraded the telephone system, saving the Club money.
- Announced Steve Gledhill as our new Chief Executive, for which we will all as members benefit greatly.
A great legacy to leave us with and we all look forward continuing to work with Judy as a valuable member of the Committee.
Treasurer Position Vacant
With that said I now have a dilemma, I cannot remain as Treasurer and Chair so we have the position of Honorary Treasurer vacant. We have advertised this role throughout the Club and have had some excellent people come forward and declare an interest. Unfortunately I can’t reveal the next Treasurer at this juncture as it has to be put to a vote at the end of this month at Committee - watch this space! Good luck and many thanks to those who came forward offering their help.
2010 Summer Ball
The Summer Ball in June was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The weather on the day was glorious and topped off with a typically English summer evening where revellers enjoyed welcome drinks outside. Denise, Richard and the catering team delivered a sumptuous cold buffet and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thanks also to Kay Moss for organising Stephanie Scott who entertained throughout the evening with her captivating singing.
Squash
Tim Vail organised a great evening of squash finals culminating in presenting the Club’s top players, a range of trophy’s and silverware on the 9th July. Congratulations to; Tim for an excellent evening and all those who won and not forgetting those who came second (better not say lost!)
Tim’s month doesn’t end there; once again our Universal Squash camps start 17th July. We have youngsters from all over attending and living with some of our members for the duration. So if you see a youngster looking a little LOST, they are in the right place!
Tennis
The sun shone on SW19 during Wimbledon fortnight and ballot winners from the Club were treated to some excellent tennis.
Chris Wilkinson will be holding three tennis camps during the summer holidays:
- 28th and 29th July
- 4th and 5th August
- 25th and 26th August
Booking forms can be collected from Reception
Date for your diary – Sunday 19th September Tennis Club Closed Finals.
Fitness
The gym will be closed on Tuesday 20th July while Cybex install three new pieces of equipment. Apologies for any inconvenience, but it will be worth it.
Sports Clothing in the Bar
A sticky subject, quite literally, I hope you will agree. More than a few of you regularly complain of seeing persons unnamed in the bar area wearing the same outfits which only ten minutes before were moist with sweat on court. As we don’t have plastic wipe down furniture but soft velour upholstery in the bar area, Members have an understandable right to protest.
Frankly there can be no excuse. Whether we drip like a tap on court or barely work up a sweat would you go home and sit on your furniture in those same outfits? If you would then there is no debate, however I politely suggest you would not.
We need to find a solution to this matter. If you have a suggestion that could work then let’s hear it and the Management Committee would then discuss and vote on it. If you don’t then it’s up to us all to consider others feelings and refrain from this. Ultimately if it continues and complaints carry on Man/Comm may have to take a decision that bans the wearing of all ‘damp’ sports clothing in the bar.
DDA Compliance (Disability Discrimination Act) Members may have noticed various works taking place throughout the Club to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. These works have not been decided upon arbitrarily but as a result of meetings with an access adviser. Although some people may think, that as a private members’ Club, we are exempt from the provisions of the act, we are not, and, therefore, must seek to ensure that less able, partially sighted or those with hearing difficulties, for example, are able to access and use our facilities just as able members and their guests can. We also have a duty to ensure that all staff can access their workplace without difficulty.
The building itself of course restricts us, but there are a number of small works that we can do to improve access for all.
Examples of these include:
- Differentiating the colours on the staircase risers and banisters thus making it easier for partially sighted people to use the stairs without fear of falling.
- Installing hearing loops at reception, which would really assist people with hearing difficulties.
- Grab rails in corridors and changing areas make it easier for less mobile people to move around our Club.
We will attempt to undertake these works with minimum disruption but please bear with us.
Pool Table
You may have noticed a pool table has snuck neatly into the other side of the bar area. We have introduced this on a trial basis for the next few months. If it remains a success we may keep it, if however it gets abused it will be returned. Todd Hughes (Man/Comm and Snooker Chairman) recommended this and personally I like the idea and I hope you do to.
Chairman’s Chat
I don’t like the title, it’s a bit starchy. So I would like to re-brand it to: ‘From the Umpire’s Chair’ as it better describes my role as Chairman. (I’m not favouring tennis when I use this title; I like to think I play squash…no cheeky comments thank you!)
A simple analogy:
In my capacity as Chairman I call upon the ‘server’ to introduce a topic and I watch as it gets played around the room. More often than not they all agree whether it’s ‘in or out’, however contentious points don’t have the benefit of Hawkeye presiding over them, so I have to make that final decision. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, as I want a Committee that agrees on the whole, making my life and my Chairman’s role relatively straightforward.
Members Surgery
We hold a members’ surgery every 2 months where you can talk to a member of the Management Committee and Steve Gledhill our Chief Executive at the same time. We actively encourage any member who has an idea, grudge or needs an audience to come along. All matters raised are considered confidential and if possible dealt with there and then. Other items may be entered into our agenda and heard at the next Management meeting.
Our next surgery is on 26th July at 6-7.30 PM where both Steve Gledhill and I will be waiting to hear from you.
Thanks for reading and I hope you continue giving the Management Committee and I your continued support
Finally, the Club is always in need of help, either on one of the many committees we have or in the working parties we run from time to time. If you want to get involved in any aspect of the Club and you have some complimentary skills we could use, please email us or come into the office and chat with any of us.
Steve Frankland
16th July 2010
