Editor:
A lengthy letter submitted by Robert and Jutta Dolman discussed comments attributed to me regarding the current financial status of the Osoyoos Golf and Country Club.
I am sure they have applied their best effort to try and understand a very complicated issue.
It is true that financial statements are available to members, not only from the office but also online.
It is directly from those statements that I drew my conclusions and projections, and I stand by those completely.
While the Dolmans refer to my cost projections as “doom and gloom,” I prefer to call them realistic – based on the same assumptions that the Board has used to determine today’s shortfall.
I simply presented the likely future costs to members based on a number of scenarios.
Some may call it doom and gloom, but I call it planning realistically for the future.
Many people are interested in knowing what their future liability may be.
I did not say, as the Dolmans quoted me, that the Board was not aware of a financial problem until the end of August.
Likely the Board was well aware of the problem long ago, however they failed to take the action necessary in a timely way which would have avoided the situation in which the club now finds itself.
My reference, which was apparently missed, was to the fact that the Board was unaware of its failure to meet the obligations of its debt covenants until August – a failure which actually occurred at the end of the last fiscal year (December 31, 2008).
The Dolmans state that the members were notified early in the year that a shortfall would be required.
This is true.
The notification came almost exactly one month after the AGM in which the General Manager stated that the club was in good financial condition and that “we hope to be able to hold our own for the balance of this year at least matching last year.”
Without belaboring all of the misunderstandings contained in the Dolmans’ letter, I would just comment on one final item.
I had mentioned that neighboring clubs all made money last year, including Fairview Mountain, Inkameep (Oliver), Christina Lake, and the two singled out by the Dolmans … being nine-hole courses in Rock Creek and Oroville.
The Dolmans implied that OGCC lost money because it has 36 holes and more amenities, unlike the other courses I mentioned.
With respect, I don’t believe that is a reasonable assumption, since 36 holes (with amenities) can accommodate many more people each day than can nine-hole courses.
They are all comparable because they are in the same business, and have equal opportunity to make or lose money … depending on how they are managed.
Lowell Ritchey,
Osoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 4, 2009
MEMBERS NEED TO STAND BEHIND THE CLUB’S LEADERS
Editor:
As members in good standing of the Golf Club, Lynne and I are extremely concerned with the viability and the future of our club.
We are fully aware that the current financial situation has resulted in an assessment for all members, and that this has made us all analyze and re-think our golfing future.
The Board and Management have been under extreme scrutiny and are being blamed for their past actions and the current conditions.
While it is strongly believed that their actions have aggravated the problems, they were in accord with the precedents and practices of past boards that were met with member approval.
Through the increasing pressure of a major financial crisis and the aggressive behavior of some of the membership, this Board and Management have continued to employ their expertise, experience and background knowledge, in an effort to find viable solutions.
They have submitted a timely, thorough and comprehensive Five Year Plan, which includes an analysis of past and current practices to increase revenue.
This Plan offers a “reasonable estimate” for the years 2010 to 2014.
This Plan will need qualified and experienced people to make it work.
We have them in place now.
As well, there will be a combined members/board committee formed to support and assist in their future decision-making.
This Plan is far from perfect, but it is a professional, and comprehensive effort put out on behalf of the members.
Yet at the same time a small group is calling for the total elimination of the Manager and the experienced leaders of the board.
They call for an election of new officers, who will rescind the assessment, and then this newly created board, without management support, will present a new five year plan.
Who is this group, who call themselves an association of members, and attempt to include me and other members in this, via the internet?
I did attend a meeting, out of interest, to listen to the members voice their concerns, and I certainly share some of them.
However, when the supposed chairman and his chair partner began their presentation of threats, suppositions and false and/or unfounded premises, all I saw and heard was smoke, mirrors and hypotheses based on faulty reasoning.
We are forced to form professional, comprehensive strategies to overcome the challenges of a world-wide economic crisis, while at the same time defending against a small group of members who appear to have an agenda which can only lead to chaos and failure.
Please stand in defense of the legitimate board and management team, who will lead us through the foreseeable future successfully.
Bob and Lynne Blount,
Osoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 4, 2009
