Dear Members,
Tennis is a magical sport. For many of us, tennis has been even more special these last two years as a rare source of thrills, exercise, and connectivity during an unsettling period. So, as we enter 2022, I’m delighted Opening Day is only a few months away…hard to believe as we prepare for a blizzard this weekend, but cheers to the Australian Open for the assist in striking the summer mood early.
At the end of last season, we highlighted the Club enjoyed the broadest and most active participation on record, and we have every reason to believe 2022 will see similar levels of enthusiasm, and then some. Our spirit last year extended well into the holidays as evidenced by the record contribution to the Staff Holiday Fund (30% more than 2020!), wonderful recognition for the dedication and hard work of the incomparable STC Staff, and a testament to the generosity and sense of community within the Club. Thank you, fellow Members!
Your Staff and Board have been hard at work during these darker months to prepare for next season and ensure the Club is in rock-solid operational, financial, and physical position to deliver the finest membership experience possible. Following is an update across various fronts.
First, as Ed highlighted in his earlier note (link: https://conta.cc/3s20DvU) he’s made remarkable progress during the off-season reloading another elite instruction team. Kim has had similar recruiting success as she assembles another outstanding operational crew that will include multiple returners.
We are also excited to preview an innovative operational development. This year we are rolling out a new reservation and billing system which will overhaul our digital interface with the Club and revamp our public website. We are confident Members will appreciate the improved ease of interaction and user-friendly features when booking courts, registering for events, networking around the Club, or paying and managing your account, among other advantages. And, importantly, the site will offer advanced mobile app functionality. Stay tuned for details to come.
Many Members have been understandably curious as to the status of our logo transition. I’m thrilled with the very constructive and creative energy throughout the Club to develop a new design that reflects the soul and values of the Club. The public comment last year was extremely helpful to frame sentiment, priorities, and themes. The Board was also delighted with the overwhelming response to our “call to action” request in November for Members to join or assist in the process. We formed a lean but gifted dream team Logo Committee comprised of three Board Members and four at large Members with deep expertise in marketing and branding. Blessed with the guidance and artistry of professional designer and lifelong STC Member Jon Converse, the Committee is zeroing in on a design and we expect to present the new logo to Members before the first daffodils emerge so we can showcase and promote it all season.
The process of reflecting on our new logo has also inspired an urge to refamiliarize ourselves with the history of Sippican Tennis Club, so we’ve begun an initiative with two STC Member legends to catalogue and document Club history. The project will manifest itself in a few ways this year, including collaboration with BYC and Kittansett as they celebrate their 150th and 100th anniversaries respectively, and we commemorate the collective historical linkages among the clubs that may be unfamiliar to Members.
While we do not plan to host a large dinner dance event this summer, the House Committee is planning a series of exciting and creative smaller events that may even launch new traditions going forward, and we can look forward to another major social event in 2023. Additionally, our Adult Tennis and Junior Tennis leadership are collaborating with Ed and Kim to refine our roster of popular programs and events throughout the summer schedule so stay on the lookout for more specific announcements on sign-ups as spring approaches. We also hope to welcome Contract Bridge back to full strength in 2022 as we round out the complete breadth of STC offerings.
Meanwhile, another continual Board priority is to maintain and enhance our iconic clubhouse, world class tennis courts and beautiful grounds. Many may recall our largest planned physical project for this off-season was to replace the clubhouse roof. We secured a good contract but unfortunately when the roofers began the repairs, they discovered structural rot in several locations which necessitated full replacement of the underlying sheathing along with the shingles. The expanded scope raised the cost of the project substantially, but we believe the new reinforcement will extend the durability for our timeless structure. Other building and grounds projects we envision over the medium term include reinforcement of the vulnerable columns, replacement of certain windows, casings, and trim, addressing overgrown and damaged front hedge sections, repair/replacement of several net posts, and partial resurfacing of the courts.
Speaking of the courts, we rarely take time to salute how lucky we are to play on some of the finest, original, and authentic clay courts in all New England. Not every player is aware that our STC courts are not the typical green Har-Tru synthetic clay courts but built from western Massachusetts clay. Only Longwood Cricket Club and a handful of country clubs dotted across New England can boast they play on this traditional surface. Among the benefits of this surface is that with consistent maintenance, our courts don’t dry out as fast as regular Har-Tru but retain moisture while producing a fantastic bounce. Plus, our juniors can still slide into their shots! The surface does require skilled care, especially before and after rain, and we are fortunate that Ed, Kim, their teams, and our special installer are meticulous and diligent in preparation and maintenance each year to keep them in top shape. As we make financial and strategic plans, we recognize this effort preserves a distinctive legacy and a key feature that makes Sippican Tennis Club one-of-a-kind.
The Board is committed to optimizing the Club experience for Members, ensuring the Club remains on solid long-term financial footing, and altogether delivering excellent value for our dues. As with the rest of the world, the Club faces cost escalation across areas such as supplies, services, labor, and utilities. We are also contending with the large, unexpected increase in our roof project outlay and making provisions for the other anticipated capital projects I referenced above. Additionally, as full/active tennis play increases (hooray!) and Members increasingly squeeze more tennis out of each day and out of the shoulder months (hooray again!), we rejoice in the expanded participation and quest for endless summer, but the additional hours and longer effective season impacts our operating expenses. The dues invoice you receive shortly will reflect an average increase of 7% across membership categories from 2021 dues. The increase is a higher than our pattern in recent years, but we hope Members appreciate the realities we confront, and we believe the pricing still represents excellent value for Members.
We are also in the midst of admissions season. Thank you to those who are serving on the Admissions Committee and to everyone else who is helping to identify, cultivate, support, and evaluate the numerous qualified candidates who have expressed interest in joining the Club. Each year we are eager to welcome new Members to the Club and celebrate the fresh blood, but as we evaluate our admissions goals, we remain cognizant of the effects an expanded membership base can have on the utilization and enjoyment of the Club as well as the financial implications. The Board weighs all these considerations very carefully. As interest in the Club has grown, we formed a waiting list, but we want to maintain a healthy pipeline, so please continue to encourage excellent prospective candidates to apply!
A final comment to wrap up – we miss Colin and the other former Board Members who set the Club in such a strong position, but I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a tremendous current slate of talented, engaged and devoted Board Members. Speaking as a fellow Member I’m touched by the passion and duty of care each of them dedicates on behalf of all of us to make Sippican Tennis Club a better place. A hearty thanks to them and to all Members who volunteer your time and energy to the Club.
Here’s to a wonderful 2022 and stay healthy friends!
Brent Elkins
President
