presented at the annual general meeting of members held at balmoral … · 2017. 7. 4. · status...
TRANSCRIPT
BALMORAL BEACH CLUB I 2015/16 Annual Report
Presented at the Annual General Meeting of members held at Balmoral Beach Club on Thursday August 25th 2016 at 7.00pm
INDEX I Contents
1 I Company Directors
2 I Sub-Committees
3 I President’s Report
6 I Captain’s Report
11 I Treasurer’s Report
12 I Investment Report
13 I Facilities & Maintenance Report
14 I Use of Club Report
16 I Archives Report
17 I Swim for Cancer Report
18 I Nippers Report
20 I Membership Report
22 I Communications Report
23 I IT Report
As the Club is registered as a company under theCorporations Law, members of its Committee ofManagement are all Company Directors within theCorporations Law.
President Robert JohnsonCaptain Martin QuinnHonorary Treasurer David Hosking Honorary Secretary Jackie Bourn
Members of CommitteeDuncan Adams Ross Boakes Jan Davies Cathy MackayDick Morath
COMPANY DIRECTORS I 2015 - 16
Patron Tim Anderson
Honorary Club Solicitor Brian Davidson
Auditor Grant Thornton Audit Pty Ltd
Bankers National AustraliaBank, Sydney
Status of The Balmoral Beach Club Limited
The Balmoral Beach Club Limited is incorporatedas a public company, limited by guarantee underthe Corporations Law. The company is a non-profit organisation.
Registered Office
Edney Ryan GroupLevel 2, 357 Military RoadMosman NSW 2088
Page 1.
The various subcommittees of the Club comprise at least one member of the Committee of Management andother Club members:
Membership Cathy Mackay Sharna HinchliffMeredith Aveling Clive Mancey Tim Anderson Duncan Adams
Use of Club & Social Activities Jan Davies Jon AttwaterJenny Hole Tony ArenaAlison Maunder
Facilities & Maintenance Ross Boakes Tony MoorePhil Thomas (Special projects)
Archives Jackie Bourn Jon AttwaterMeredith Aveling Tim BurnettMary Farquar Gail Kennedy
Finance David Hosking Dick Morath Rob Johnson John Mather Stephen Ryan James Marshall
Sports Martin Quinn Traicha Jandera Terry Carroll Chris Webb
Communications Duncan Adams Mark SimkinsChris Webb
IT Barry Feyder Jackie BournGarry O’Sullivan Allan BoltonTony Smuts
The President is an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Page 2. SUB-COMMITTEES I 2015 - 16
I’m writing this report justafter a deep east coast lowhas hit Sydney (June 4/5),with the accompanyingmassive seas. Balmoralhad its fair share of thestorm too, with surfers out
at the island, and the wavescoming right up to our front
door. We are lucky to have a secureclub building in our location, although we did suffersome water ingress to the Top Room in particular.
With that in mind we are continuing our refurbishmentprogramme, and you will see new louvres appearing incoming months, a new display cabinet in the Top Roomfor archive displays, and discussion around refurbishmentof the women's change-room. The change-room inparticular will be a significant project, planned for winter2017, however it is well overdue to bring them upto scratch. I must thank Ross Boakes for his enthusiasmin picking up the facilities role from Peter Brown, tokeep the momentum going on these sorely neededupgrades. As we think through all of the things we have beeninstigating and involved with at the BBC this last year,and our plans for the future, I think the thread of ourvision runs through most of them;
“The BBC strives to inspire vitality and cultivatefriendships”
There is a long list of milestones for the year thatdeserve a mention….here is a sample;• our vision and values were endorsed by
members at the AGM• our Top room refurbishment was completed
successfully
Page 3.PRESIDENT’S REPORT I Robert Johnson 2015 - 2016
• Charm Frend started the “500’ swim on Saturday morning, which was well received
• Terry Carroll’s Summer of Fun was the most popular yet!
• Christopher Deane, Brian Davidson and Peter Ellis were made Life members- congratulationsagain!
• It was Ben Cardin and Alex Korjavine’s 10th anniversary at the BBC
• Our administration system was upgraded without a hitch. Many thanks to Barry Feyder and the IT committee.
• Our sporting systems were reviewed in detail, and confirmed as being ‘fit for purpose’. Focusis now on our courses to manage ourincreasing participation rates.
• Nippers completed the season safely, and great fun was had by lots of kids, with their parents.
• The Swim for Cancer was a great success, withnew fund raising initiatives by Tom Fry makingan impact. Thank you to Peter Ellis and all of the volunteers.
• BBC Events Pty Ltd was put into action, to oversee the Nippers, and the Swim for Cancer
• A Capella gained momentum, with numerous performances for the community
• Bridge continues to keep many brains active• Yoga expands, even to inflexible older male
swimmers • Our summer swim programme had record
participation rates
……and many more.
• Most important of all, our members, ourlifeguards and our safety system kicked in to save Gerald Saltman’s life (again!)
PRESIDENT’S REPORT I Robert Johnson 2015 - 2016Page 4.
Each of these milestones go to our values, as we makethe BBC active, friendly, open to new activities, part ofour community , and also more professional in ouroperations.
Our annual trophy presentation highlight this year wasthe announcement of Jon Attwater as our ClubMember of the Year. A worthy and popular choice, Jonhas made great contributions to life at the BBC. Jon’sappointment was kept under wraps, and he was ‘jawdropping’ surprised on the night - great to see.Congratulations Jon.
I mentioned Balmoral Beach Club Events above. Thisentity was created to lead Nippers and the Swim forCancer. These activities involve members of the public,and it is important that we have a transparent andindependent entity to oversee these events . Boardmembers here are Mark Dawson (Chair), Greg Mackay(Treasurer), Lisa-Anne Parker (Secretary), Tom Fry, JohnBagnall, Charlie Davey and Julie Coates. Thank you tothis group for putting this plan in place.
Speaking of Nippers, another successful year washad - its amazing how organised the Nippers are inmanaging so many children. Charlie Davey and histeam do a great job, and they deserve gratitude for afantastic community service , and providing it safely.BBC Events is designed to support this great communityservice.
On the financial front, we recently reviewed ourfinances in some detail, which resulted in a 10%increase in fees this year. David Hosking has done agreat job here, with the help of our ever reliable helprunning our administration, Graham Brown. Thank
you both. This increase puts us back to our break-evenpoint for operations, as new services, the refurbishments,IT systems and cost increases in recent years had tippedus into a deficit situation. Our sinking fund has done wellagain, and we must pay tribute to the significant workKieran Kelly has done over 9 years establishing and thenmanaging the BBC’s funds very successfully. Kieran hasnow sold his business, and the Finance Committee willmake recommendations in early 2017 for managementof the BBC’s funds going forward. Thank you to DickMorath and the Finance Committee for your work in thissphere.
Your Board is continuing its ongoing transition andsuccession with our Secretary Jackie Bourn, Jan Daviesand our Patron Tim Anderson stepping down this year,which our constitutional 7 year term requires.
Jackie has done a wonderful job as secretary, with amajor contribution to most areas of the the club. Shehas helped to organise the club into a professionalorganisation, and it is hard to pick the area to which shehas contributed the most. Apart from her role as Secre-tary, she has transformed our archives, played a majorpart in our administration system development, theswim for Cancer, membership, and participated innumerous club activities. A very generous round ofapplause for Jackie please!
Jan Davies has managed our social scene as chief of our“Use of Club’ committee for 8 years now. This role can bedifficult to manage, as we try to increase memberparticipation with new activities for members. Impor-tantly, Jan has kept her mind open to new ideas, andsupported a range of new events for members to enjoy.Thank you Jan, a great contribution.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT I Robert Johnson 2015 - 2016
Tim Anderson has been our Patron since 2004,following long service to the Club over most ofhis life. A separate tribute to Tim is includedelsewhere in the Annual Report. Thank youTim for your major contribution to the BBC.
Tim’s last job as Patron has been to proposehis successor, John Bagnall, as Patron elect. Iwas privileged to second the proposal. I’m sureeveryone will welcome John in this role, as a verylong term BBC member with such a welcoming manner,and being very active as a member of the BBCEvents Board, and a key player in the Swim for Cancerorganisation and at the club every day. Congratulationsand welcome John.
Our sporting functions continue to be managed verywell by Martin Quinn and the Sports Committee. Thisgroup is a major source of action, fitness, humour andcommunity at the BBC, and they keep us safe in theswims. We all benefit from the activities and fun theygenerate.
In the background Duncan Adams in his effectivelow key manner, works on our risk management andcommunications. Cathy McKay and the MembershipCommittee have been diligently organising andmanaging their roles and our 2300 long membership listcompetently and without fuss. Their inputs arewelcomed , and we need and value your input.
I also note Mark Simkins Annual Report design andcompilation this year - thank you Mark.
We also welcome Garry O’Sullivan and Karen Panarettoas members elect to the Board , both of whom are very
regular participants and contributors at the Club.We look forward to their input, and thank themboth for volunteering.
Speaking of volunteers, the BBC cannotoperate without the help of our volunteers.We see them everyday - Terry Gilchrist
checking the water temperature, Jon Attwaterputting up the flag, Chris Webb organising the
next rugby night, John Mather working on insurancewith Graham Brown, Tony Moore checking the front lawnprogress, Jane Barnes negotiating next weeks starterroster, Andy Bremner entering results in to the system,Jenny Hole working on the ‘White Night’ function orTerry Carrol planning handicaps for next Saturdaysswim. Just a few examples of around some 75 volunteersrunning our sporting events, bridge, A cappella, bookclub, walks, dinners, rugby nights, our IT, archives, ourrisk assessment, our gardens, yoga, music evenings andmany other activities. The BBC is becoming more vitaland active because of our volunteers. We are in yourdebt, and your contributions are greatly appreciated!
I hope you enjoy this Annual Report which has been puttogether by Mark Simkins and Duncan Adams. Its a greatsummary of the highlights of the year, and gives you anidea of what we can look forward to.
I hope you all enjoy our ‘little club’ as much as I do.
Robert JohnsonClub President
Page 5.
As Captain of the BalmoralBeach Club my main focushas been to promote thevitality and friendship ofmembers through swim-ming and athletics. Giventhat the Balmoral BeachClub is located in the
world’s most beautiful sea-side location it is not too difficult
to attract members down to the beach to participate inour sporting activities.
We organise 289 swimming and athletics racesthroughout the year, through both the summer andwinter months.
The swimming activities are made up of Saturday mainraces, Saturday 500m ‘Charm’ races, Sunday mainraces, Sunday Masters races and Sunday Junior races.We have races on every public holiday, every day overEaster and for 10 days over the Christmas/New Yearperiod with the very popular Summer of Fun carnival.
There are also a number of athletics events throughoutthe year with the premium event being the FrankiBiathalon which is a 1600m swim followed by a 10kmrun. The other major race is the Peter McCormickIronman with its unique swim, run, swim legs.
All sporting events have become increasingly populardue to the hard work that previous Captains andSports Committees have put into making our eventsfun, competitive and safe.
The Juniors events are alive and well with 25 regularswimmers. The Juniors is so important for the future ofthe club as many of them will go on to remain as activemembers well into their post 40 twilight years.
The Masters swimming races continue to be an aweinspiring swimming series with the combined age of
CAPTAIN’S REPORT I Martin Quinn 2015 - 2016
the Gold Opal Card carrying participants exceeding1,875 years. They are also a hardy and proud bunch ofin the Masters races, I was standing up at the end of arace. I asked ’George’ if he wanted a helping hand, towhich he affectionately replied “Get stuffed, I can do itby myself”.
I would like to thank my Vice Captain, the alarminglypopular Traicha Jandera, the extremely athletic ChrisWebb and the ever present Mr Saturday, Mr publicholiday and Mr Summer of Fun, Terry Carroll. Traicha,Webby and Terry make up my lean, mean sportingmachine committee.
We are supported by a long list of dedicated volunteerswho help make participating in these events anenjoyable experience. All of them do it to givesomething back to the Club. None of them do it forrecognition or praise. Therefore I’m going to take thisopportunity to recognise and praise all of them. In themain races on Saturday and Public Holidays thereis Dick Thompson, Mike Munro and Gerry Elkan.On Sunday there is Gerry again, our outstanding hand-icapper Tony Smuts, Roger and Yvonne Fitzsimmons,the timers Rhonda Johnson, Greta Davis, Jane Barnes,Mary Wilson and inputting the results is Marg Carney,Andy Bremner and Barry Feyder in support. TheMasters is run by Ros Skinner and supported by TimAnderson, Denise Elder and Jack Stening. TheJuniors races are run by Traicha and Amelia Loneragan.And finally Terry Carrol has many, many helpers overthe summer of fun.
One person I would like to highlight for dedication andinitiative is Charm Frend. Charm and Martin Drewcame to me with the idea to start a race series toattract all those members who would like to competein a smaller less congested group. We successfullytrialled the concept and now have a new swimmingrace series affectionately called the ‘Charm 500’. This
Page 6.
CAPTAIN’S REPORT I Martin Quinn 2015 - 2016
series has attracted up to 30 swimmers who swimevery Saturday at 8am after the main race. To see thecamaraderie and smiles on the faces of this new groupof swimmers is really heart-warming.
However, as Chris Webb often reminds me, it’s not allabout swimming because humans were also born withtwo legs. I thought this was very insightful of Webby.Chris now has a large contingent of dedicated finelytuned athletes participating in a variety of athleticsevents which range from soft sand runs, to longdistance biathlons to ironman events. These membersare extremely dedicated as they start at around6:15am before the main race and most of them thendust themselves off and also participate in the mainswimming race immediately after the run.
Given the large number of competitors and races,safety is one of the key areas of focus for the SportsCommittee. As a result a number of years ago the Clubintroduced a series of safety measures whichcomprised lifeguards and a range of safety equipmentincluding a defibrillator. The key safety measure wasthe introduction of the professional lifeguards many ofwhom are navy divers. Their role is to look out forus during all of our races and to remind us of what todo in an emergency. There have been a number ofoccasions where their actions have saved the life ofmembers and on one occasion where they were ableto evacuate the swimmers from the water during arace due to a shark sighting. The best thing that thelifeguards have been able to achieve is to conducttheir duties of safety without intruding on theenjoyment of members.
This year the Sports and IT committees were taskedwith evaluating the Clubs current and future Sport ITrequirements to meet the needs of competitors andthe club administrators. The Sports IT study was
conducted by IT specialists Garry O’Sullivan and BarryFeyder who are both active members of the club. Theaim of the study was to improve the participationexperience for all stakeholders, be consistent with theClub’s culture and tackle known “points of pain”. Thisstudy included evaluating the possible introduction ofa timer tagging system for each swimmer similar towhat is used in some of Sydney’s ocean swims. Afterconducting research groups with members and sportsadministrators the strong and recurring view from bothgroups was that the current Sports IT system andprocesses are not broken and that looking at ways toreduce swimming race congestion, through racedesign, should be the first priority. On-course congestionis a function of the number of swimmers, the availableswim area and the type of race – handicap start orscratch start. We therefore modelled the raceenvironment and developed several new startingarrangements to address the on-course congestionissue. One of these is wave starts in scratch raceswhich we have implemented. This variation has beenwell received by swimmers. Only very minor changesto the existing system have been made to supportwave starts.
Following the Focus Groups and the race designexperiments we have concluded that the currentsystem adequately meets the current Club needs andthat, with modest modifications, it can meet near-termfuture requirements. Only the post-race “names onboard” system would benefit from new technologyand this would still not address the main issue of racecongestion. We therefore concluded that there is nocompelling business case for the replacement of theexisting Sports IT system or the introduction of atag-based timing system. Introduction of a new systemwould be complex and costly, for little identifiablebenefit. Into the future the IT Committee will maintain
Page 7.
CAPTAIN’S REPORT I Martin Quinn 2015 - 2016
a watching brief for changes in Club requirements andemerging technologies which may warrant a re-assess-ment of the business case.
The year’s Sports season concluded with the runningof the Jack Cox swimming race in April followed bythe Annual Prize giving which attracted around 130members and friends followed by a celebration BBQ dinner.
This year’s sports winners are listed below
Anzac Handicap
Tony Bostock
SATURDAY WINTER PROGRAM
Greg Ross-Jones Shield
1st Martin Quinn2nd Doug Sturrock3rd Noel Wilton
SUNDAY WINTER PROGRAM
Weight for Age swim 1000m
Overall Brian DavidsonMale Brian DavidsonFemale Denise Elder
Bruce Beale Memorial 900m
Dominic Dwyer
Brian Rudd Memorial 900m
Andrew Horsley
Joe Guss Memorial 900m
Kristina Brandon-Cooper
John Tremain Memorial 1200m
John Gillespie
Winters Masters Points Score
Sandy Longworth
Patrons Winter Points Score
1st Tim Anderson 2nd Martin Quinn3rd Noel Wilton
SUNDAY SUMMER ATHLETICS TROPHIES
Jack Valder Memorial Zoo Gate Run 6.4km
Margaret Carney
Peter Edmonds Memorial Baths Run 1.6km
Richard Jagger
Ted Neale Memorial Cross Country Run 3km
Richard Jagger
George Franki Biathalon 1600m swim, 9.5k run
(Scratch) Shann Warner (Handicap) Alison Maunder
Peter MacCormick Iron Man Trophy
Jack McPhee
Athletics Champion
President’s trophyJustin RooneyMale Richard JaggerFemale Cassie Price- McCoy
SUNDAY SUMMER PROGRAM
Doug Brodie Memorial 900m
Adam Thompson
Jack Merritt Memorial 900M Swim
Gail Kennedy
Page 8.
CAPTAIN’S REPORT I Martin Quinn 2015 - 2016
Tom Billerwell Memorial 900M Swim
Karen Panaretto
Chris Bolger Memorial 1200M Swim
Max McCoy
Doug Crammond Memorial 900m swim
James Barrett-Lennard
Rex Hayhow Memorial 900m Swim
Brian Davidson
Tim Anderson Trophy 1200m swim
Dermot O’Gorman
McRobert Trophy Palm Beach to Whale Beach swim
Rob Fitzpatrick
Ben Remfry Memorial 2400M Swim
Michael Garrett
J R Wallace Ex-Servicemans’ Trophy 150M swim
John O’Neill
Stewart & Maisie McNaughtan Memorial 900m
John Bagnall
Captains Trophy 900M swim
Cliff McCoy
Higgins-Sanderson Memorial 1200M Swim
Dominic Dwyer
Barry Rutter Memorial
Moira Williams
Page 9.
Jim Lindsay Trophy Long Distance Handicap
Kristina Brandon-Cooper
Masters Summer Point Score
1st Moira Williams2nd Therese Burnett3rd Samantha Spencer
Most consistent swimmer - 900m swim
Simon Price
Paul Blake Memorial - Most Improved Swimmer
Rachel Orpin
Vin Morath Memorial Senior Point Score
1st Tom Fry2nd Justin Rooney3rd Helen Gundry
President’s Trophy - Champion of Athletics & Swimming
Justin Rooney
Jack Cox Memorial 1500M swim
1st Damon Pal2nd Duncan Adams3rd Phillip Thomas
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Men’s Swimming champion
1st Damon Pal2nd Antony Green 3rd Dave Lovelace
Jenny Becket Woman Swimming champion
1st Catherine Mackay2nd Kristina Brandon-Cooper3rd Karen Panaretto
CAPTAIN’S REPORT I Martin Quinn 2015 - 2016
SATURDAY PROGRAM
Des Kearney Shield Saturday Summer Point Score
1st Andrew Foster2nd Jackie Bourn3rd Tom Fry
Jack Dempsey Memorial 1500M Swim
Pauline Nolan
Lou Morath Memorial
Andy Bremner
Greg Ross-Jones Memorial 1200 m swim
Howard Wood
Nora & Edgar Berry Memorial 1200 m swim
James Arnold
Dallas Dyson Trophy 1200 m swim
David Sumner
Summer of Fun Team
The Grinners
Summer of Fun Skins
Tony Crosby
Summer of Fun Trophy
John Bagnall
Golf
Male Nick ArmitageFemale Jan Murray
JUNIOR PROGRAM
Most Improved Junior (Clem Morath Memorial)
Byron Shaw
G.H Watson Memorial swim
Girl Zahra TaylorBoy Ambrose Hennessy
Henri Gilet Memorial Trophy
Daniel Rudd
Cedric Cullen Memorial Trophy
Jasper English
E. O Morath Memorial
Heidi Ferguson
Mayor’s Youth award
Maeve Boakes
Page 10.
In keeping with previous years,the financial objective of theClub is for the revenuefrom annual membershipfees being sufficient tocover the operational costsof the Club. Income receivedfrom new memberships, or
any other surplus generated,is transferred to our building
fund. This strategy enables us to maintain our memberservices, and to save for the future needs of the Club.
For the year ended 30 April, 2016, the Club did not meetthis objective. Whilst the Club reported a consolidatednet profit of $137k the actual surplus attributed tomembers’ subscription was a deficit of $40k:
• Income of $1,097k includes revenue that is notpart of existing members’ subscriptions (joining fees, BBC Events Income andinvestment income totalling $455k). Excludingthese revenues that are not part of existingmembers’ subscriptions, the Members Incomeis $642k.• Expenses of $960k includes expenses that arenot part of maintaining services to existingmembers (BBC Events, Loss on Financial Assetstotalling $278k). Excluding these expenses thatare not part of maintaining services to existingmembers, the Members Expenses are $682k.
This means that the running costs of the Club are notbeing covered by the members’ subscriptions.This has
FINANCE REPORT I Finance Committee 2015 - 2016
been developing over the last couple of years. Whilst wedo keep tight control over expenses, we are seeing anincrease in certain expenses above the “CPI plus 1%”that we have historically set the members’ subscriptionrate. Of note are the amounts the Club spends on Safety,general maintenance and an increase in depreciationon upgrading the premises (including the upstairs area)and upgrading our IT platform. This deficit has beenaddressed by increasing members’ subscription forFY2017 by 10%.
Last year, we reported that there was a cash balance asat 30 April 2015 in excess of $300,000. As reported, thiswas to be used to contribute to the upgrade of theClub’s kitchen and upstairs’ facilities, upgrading the ITsystems and also establishing BBC Events. During theyear, these activities were all undertaken. Whilst theseoutflows were in line with expectation, we did claw-back$150,000 from the Sinking Fund.
I can also report that as at 30 April 2016, the Club issolvent.
Finally, I would like to thank Graham Brown for hisvaluable contribution this year – he has been an enormoussupport to the Club – especially in establishing BBCEvents.
David HoskingTreasurer
Page 11.
Market value 30 April 2015: $2,706,579Cash contributions: $40,000Cash withdrawals: -$150,000Investment return: $43,472Market value 30 April 2016: $2,640,051
The investment return includes realised and unrealisedcapital gains and income on investments.
The Investment Committee has adopted a growthinvestment strategy and the return on the portfoliocompares to a total return on the Australian sharemarket of -4.93% for the year to 30 April 2016 and 0% forthe Vanguard Growth Index Fund (Wholesale).
The strategy has been to build a portfolio with along-term target asset allocation of 70% to growthassets and 30% to defensive assets.
Our growth investments are in Australian andinternational shares whilst our defensive investments arein fixed interest and cash. The portfolio has amanageable 16 investments. Sirius Funds Management assisted the Committee in themanagement of the portfolio over many years. HoweverKieran Kelly has sold Sirius Funds Management to APTWealth Partners effective 30 April 2016. The FinanceCommittee will work with Apt and others over the next6 months or so to determine the appropriate futureinvestment advisory relationship to recommend to theBoard.I would like to thank the management and staff ofSirius for their performance and dedication and also tothank members of the Finance Committee who havemade valuable contributions to the successfulmanagement of these funds.
Dick MorathFinance Committee Convenor
Page 12.
INVESTMENT REPORT
The Club continues toaccumulate and investfunds to finance majorrefurbishments and topossibly rebuild of our
premises at some time inthe future. We have just
finished:
• a significant upgrade of the Club’s kitchen and upstairs’ facilities;
• upgrading the IT systems; and • establishing BBC Events.
As outlined in the Finance Report, we did withdraw$150,000 from the Sinking Fund and these outflows werein line with expectations. However, during the year theSinking Fund benefited by receiving a contribution of$40,000 from the annual membership renewal wheremembers elected to contribute to the Sinking Fund.
As outlined in the Facilities and Maintenance Report,the Club will shortly be commencing a refurbishment ofthe women’s change room. This project may preventfurther contributions to the Sinking Fund in the shortterm.
The Investment portfolio has provided another year ofpositive performance. The portfolio value increased by$43,472 (after fees) over the 12 months ended 30 April2016, which equates to a return of 1.6%. The portfolio hasoutperformed both the stockmarket, as represented bythe S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index, and comparablemarket benchmarks. However, it has underperformedthe Club’s target return of the cash rate plus 3%.
INVESTMENT REPORT I Finance Committee 2015 - 2016
Thanks go to Peter Brown forthe smooth handover andbeing available with histime over the last 12months and also specialthanks to Peter Ellis whoarchived everyone’s prideand joy, the “old shower
heads’, in his garage foryears. Lovingly cleaned with a
tooth brush and polished like Aladdin’slamp they have been reinstated to the applause ofBBC long distance shower participants.
Tony Moore has also been busy laying new turf. Whowould have thought that a swimming club needed somany green keepers? Thanks for the effort Tony and weunderstand those extended French holidays nowpracticing up on Boules.
It should be noted that Alex or Ben are usually madeaware of these problems first and before I know about it,Andy the handy man, David our electrician or Brad theplumber are called and the problem disappears. Thanksto Alex and Ben their personal interest in the well-beingof the Club make the facilities role considerably easier. This year major works will occur in the next four to sixweeks, include:
• Surfboard, bell and archive cabinet in the Club (orBreakfast) Room;• Trophy cabinets/ electric roller shutter upgrade toCaptains Room; and• Louvres replacement – Club Room, Captains Roomand the back deck area.
The big project for 2016/17 is the refurbishment of theLadies Change Room. Late last year a design brief wascompiled with input from Jackie Bourn, Eve Bagnall and
Rachel Orpin. The aim of the brief was to provide ladieschange room facilities for current and future needs withkey priorities being:
• Resolving the major issues with lighting, ventilationand dampness in the change room;• Allowing for the continuing growth in the numbers(better configuration of showers, adequate bench andchanging space and locker availability); and• Replacing the hot water system
Importantly the current state of the Ladies Change Roomis now at a point where the “do nothing” option has ex-pired. My recent visits with consultants over the last sixmonths has made real the issues highlighted in the brief.
A conversation with Dick Morath in which he recalledseveral years ago the men using the Ladies ChangeRoom during the upgrade of the Men’s facilities. So intrue reciprocity the men will be happy to hear that I amproposing to cut the men’s change room in half withaccess for the ladies through the west wall from the courtyard. This will allow hot showers all winter for the ladieswhilst their change rooms are being upgraded.
We will be meeting with the ladies subcommittee overthe coming weeks to complete the detailed design. Thearchitect has been asked to start preparing a finishingboard with tiles flooring etc., to facilitate this designelement.
We are aiming to commence work on the LadiesChange Room refurbishment at the end of the 2017summer season. However this is dependent on completingthe relevant design detail.
I would like to thank the Committee for their support
Ross BoakesFacilities & Maintenance Convenor
FACILITIES & MAINTENANCE I Committee 2015 - 2016 Page 13.
It has been another busy andrewarding year for manymembers, involved in adiverse range of socialactivities and functionsoffered by the BBC.
The Special Interest groupsof A Capella singers, Book
Club, Bridge, Story Tellers, Yoga allhum along very smoothly due to the expertise anddedication of the conveners involved. We are all verygrateful for your contribution to our Club.
In an addition to these, a musical entertainmentafternoon was held with a Classical Guitarist playing acombination of Spanish and Latin music. The intentionis for more soiree’s in the future.
Ben Carden (Function 8) Catering and staff continueto provide good food and service. From feedinghungry swimmers who arrive en mass on weekendmornings to Club lunches - award presentations anddinners.
Private functions need to be booked well in advancefor special celebrations. The Top Room, as is The Club,is in an uniquely beautiful location which makes anygathering held there, quite special.
This is my last year in this role and I would like tosincerely thank my subcommittee for their commit-ment and involvement over the past 7 years.
Jan DaviesUse of Club and Social Activities Convenor
USE OF CLUB COMMITTEE I 2015 - 2016
BRIDGEWednesday duplicate bridge at the Beach Club con-tinues its popularity with regular Wednesday eveningplay and monthly lessons together with our popularquarterly Sunday bridge lunches provided by Ben.
Once again this year we committed to raise money forthe Swim for Cancer with funds raised by the Tuesdayand Wednesday bridge groups totalling $2,553.
The summer trophy was decided in February and wasnarrowly won by Fiona Carroll and Vivienne Amblerwith Merille McAllan and Fay Cochran worthyrunners up. Fiona and Vivienne were also runners upin the June to August winter trophy won by Pip andKen Pritchett.Our new director Helen Canaris started with us late lastyear. Helen has taken on her duties effortlessly andcontinues to ensure that Wednesday duplicate bridgeis a pleasant evening amongst friends.
In the early days of Wednesday bridge red wine wasvery much in evidence but it seems that tea andbiscuits have taken over as players appreciate thebenefits of playing with a clear head (Sunday lunchesexcepted)!
All members of the club who have a basic bridgeknowledge are invited to come on any Wednesday at6.45 pm to play in our very friendly group. Intermediatelessons continue on the last Wednesday evening ofeach month for the rest of the year. If you need a partneror require any other information please contact theTuesday and Wednesday Bridge coordinators [email protected] . If you have neverplayed bridge please feel free to contact us so that wecan get you started.
John MatherWednesday Bridge Convenor
Page 14.
TUESDAY BRIDGE
Tuesday afternoon Bridge continues to flourish at theClub with a full house each week. The sessions aresupervised by a teacher from Trumps Bridge Centre in arelaxed and friendly, non-competitive environment.Some Tuesday players also join the Wednesday eveninggroup and apply their Tuesday- honed skills to thosecompetitive sessions.Tuesday sessions are open to all members who havesome Bridge knowledge – at least past beginner level.
Jenny BrayTuesday Bridge Convenor
STORYTELLERS GROUP
Storytellers took a break for a few months whilst the toproom was refurbished then resumed in August 2015.
Now in our ninth year, members and guests continue tobe very generous in preparing and delivering some mostinteresting presentations.
Whilst only the hardy members swim in the racesthroughout the year, it is the same with those whosupport the Storyteller evenings in winter. Summer is noproblem but leaving a warm home to listen to presenterswhen its dark and cold can test the best of us, overcoatsnot wetsuits being de rigueur! As such we endeavour tohave interesting storytellers spread throughout the year.
In the last year presentations have ranged on allmanner of subjects; escaping from communist Romaniato start a new life in Ghana, cycling in Japan’s northIsland Hokkaido, touring Alaska, researching the life andachievements of Jane Dieulafoy in Persia 1881-1886 andhow that material became ‘Sweet Boy Dear Wife’, Manly
Surf Club volunteers doing their part in improving watersafety in Vietnam, a European holiday with a youngfamily, another Brush with Fame session, award winningbook ‘Secrets, Spies and Spotted Dogs’, World War 1stories - DNA identification of a relative killed atFromelles, the battle of Jutland, the raid on Zeebrugge,Belgium, on St George’s Day 23 April 1918, 'Strength &muscle - who needs it?' and finally getting to know oneof the three wise men better - an interview with clubidentity Hamid Rihani. Certainly an eclectic mix!!
It is pleasing to note that that the evenings still attracta good cross section of BBC members, those whovolunteer to present and those just happy to listen. A bigthanks to all the presenters and indeed the BBC’s ownA Cappella Choir who join us from time to time.
Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month(7:30 pm start) generally following a BYO BBQ. It is agreat opportunity to meet and mix with club members.Just turn up (friends most welcome), sit back and beentertained. Always keep an eye out for the agenda andpresentation information on the club’s website.
Please contact convenor Clive Mancey if you have astory ‘up your sleeve’.
Clive ManceyStoryteller’s Convenor
Page 15.USE OF CLUB COMMITTEE I 2015 - 2016
ARCHIVES COMMITTEE I 2015 - 2016
Last year we reported that thenext key goal was to makethe archives material moreaccessible to members sothis year that has beenour focus. With the rollout of theMembers Portal we now
have a platform that we canprovide archive material to
members. If you are one of the 1000 or so membersthat have already logged onto the portal you may haveseen the archive material that has been loaded.
So far we have loaded: • Photos from this year’s events• Films in the archives, the oldest being the 1948
Jack Cox• Short videos we put together taken from interviews
in the lead up to the centenary celebrations• Storyteller items we filmed• All the 130 odd Report cards starting with the
initial ones that Erik Mather edited, all the manythat George Franki edited to today’s version called “The Franki report” edited by Mark Simkins
We will continue to load material onto the portaland also look at how we can use the portal to publishinteresting stories or research areas that we are lookinginto. So, do log on and tell us what you think.
The Club room has been fitted with picture frames thatallow rotational displays of the photographs. Over timewe will add photos to the items displayed. Another areaworked on is to solve the problem of not havinganywhere to securely show artefacts. We are well on our
way to resolving this with the approval by the Boardto construct a display cabinet in the top room and toimprove the trophies display. The artefacts that were inthe top room (Lou Morath’s surfboard, brass bell etc.) willalso be going back on display. We had our first showingof artefacts at Storytellers with items from the WWI era solook out for more in the top room once the displaycabinet is in place. It may well be in place by the time youreceive this report.
Last year I also mentioned we were reviewing howwe could ensure that with this computerised age,information is added to the archives. For example, earlyrace results were written in season result books. Thoseitems in the archives provide interesting informationabout that time. Nowadays the results are held on ourwebsite so we are now making sure we take thisinformation into the archives in a way that will beaccessible in future years.The task of reviewing material for scanning continueswith another lot of historical documents being scannedand catalogued in detail. This task is ongoing as wecontinue to review all items to see if they should bedigitised. The goal is to have the majority of the datascanned so it is available in another form.
My thanks to all members who continue to providematerial for the archives; my photographers (Noel Wilton,Fay Cochran) and to my sub-committee (Jon Attwater,Meredith Aveling, Tim Burnett, Mary Farquhar, GailKennedy ) who continue to support the archives in thetasks we do.
Jackie BournArchives Convenor
Page 16.
The 2016 Balmoral Swim forCancer held on Sunday March13. A quote from a competitorsummed it up “Great dayand great event. Cracker ofan autumn day”. The overallfeel was more of a carnivalthan an open-water swimming
event. Even being a spectatorlistening to the Jazz was fun.
Thanks to the efforts of our committee and the numerousvolunteers, all the events; Junior Swim, Schools Challenge,HMAS Penguin Shield, 1 km main event and Dashes forGlory were conducted smoothly and safely. I want torecognise for their particular contribution:• Tony Arena with his funds-raising skills and family ACESteam who continue to enthusiastically lead the fundraising efforts. • Jackie Bourn, Jan Davies, John Bagnall & Phillip Thomasexcelled in their organisation of the registration, start,venues, logistics and documentation. • Our website managed by Jackie Bourn.• Mark Simkins for the artwork and arranging the banners.• Karen Panaretto sought the support of local press and ex-panded the swim’s publicity through social media.• Nathan McCallum who with Life Saving Services Australiaand Marine Rescue-Middle Harbour controlled the swimsafety.• Rob Angus with the support of Cathy Mackay havecontinued to grow the School’s Challenge. Participatingschools were Riverwood, Wenona, Shore, Queenwoodand Mosman High. • Tom Fry and Rob Angus for their enthusiasm to developthe Corporate Challenge. Many teams have corporatesupport in matching all funds raised. In its first year, it washighly successful.• David Hosking, our treasurer looked after the finances,
assisted on the day by our cashier Libby Manual. • Ron Crause for organising and briefing a team of collectors• Vittoria Hall for procuring the T-Shirts with artwork by MarkSimkins. It gave the volunteers recognition and identity. • Garry O’Sullivan and his BBQ Snaggers, stepped up to thehot-plate with sausages donated by Penny’s of Mosman.Much appreciated.• Michael Clifford & Swim coach Charm Frend were againfantastic providing an on going commentary together withswimmer and celebrity interviews. • HMAS Penguin for setting the course and laying the buoys. • The Detachment of the RAN Band who played Jazz. •A special thanks to WO John O’Brien, of HMAS Penguinwho initiated and provided on going assistance with thesupport of HMAS Penguin. We wish him well in retirement.• The Children’s Cancer Institute team for their assistance.
The spirit and support of the Balmoral Beach Club, ourmembers, the Mosman Community and competitors isfantastic. To mention just a few supporters:
• Hamid Rihani ran a wonderful lunch with an auction ofholidays in Noosa, clothing and other items. • The Bridge Club have a special event raising funds.• The Nippers for their attendance and entries.
The fundraising exceeded all previous years and expectations.Our Sponsors Platinum -’Allianz’, Gold - ‘Audi Mosman Centre’and ‘URM’ and other sponsors covered the operatingexpenses, so all monies raised and entry fees arecontributed to the Children’s Cancer Institute. The totalraised and donated by the event was just over $153,000, aremarkable figure for a local community run event. This hasbeen put towards the personalised medicine program inpursuit of the elimination of childhood cancer. In 2017 the swim will be held on Sunday April 2. We startorganising in September, new committee members arealways welcome as are new ideas.
Peter EllisSwim Convenor
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES I swim for cancer I 2016 Page 17.
The 2015/16 year was a verysuccessful season for theNippers Programme again.We run age groups from4 to 11 years with a furtherseason of surf life savingeducation for 12 year oldsand above, which qualifies
those children to be eligiblefor the Royal Life Saving Bronze
Star/Medallion.
Our programme continues to be enthusiastically supportedby the community and engenders tremendous goodwillacross the broader Mosman and lower north shorecommunity. For most Sundays we enjoyed good weather, apart from theday in February when a thunder and lightning storm rolledpast and caused us to evacuate the water on safety grounds(1st time in memory!) – and leaving us with no option butto cancel the Championship Swim.The season runs for 15 weeks from the end of October untilmid-March and involves an hour of organised beach andwater activities – depending on age – and is followed by“Championships” – which is a different competitive lifesavingdiscipline each week for those keen to participate. Thisyear again saw a fantastic group of our energetic athletesparticipating in the Championships, week in/week out,giving it their best - which was very pleasing for all of us tosee. Ultimately the nippers are competing for a place in thecoveted top ten and it was wonderful to see the skills andsportsmanship on offer this year.
OUR CHAMPION ATHLETES FOR 2015/16Seniors: Toby Willington led the way on 102 points, MillyHewlett second with 63 points and Evan Watson in thirdwith 53 Points.
Intermediates: Finn Bethell on 95 points, Hugo Willingtonsecond on 88 points and Zoe Banks on a close third with 82Points.
Juniors: Sebastian Luke on 97 points; Oliver Stokeldsecond on 91 points and Hayden Van Hooven on 87 points.
Ironkid:We have two Ironkid Champs over the season (Run,Board, Swim) which really tests the Nippers – and is a greatevent to watch. A big congratulation to the following youngStars who came into the Top 3 Ironkids for their
Gender Groups :
Seniors: Toby Willington, Evan Watson, Joshua Banks, MillyHewlett, Brooke Bethell, Heidi Ferguson.
Intermediates: Finn Bethell, Hugo Willington, AndertonStock, Zoe Banks, Lauren Gibson, Lucinda Wlossak
Juniors: Oliver Stokeld, Sebastian Luke, Hayden VanHooven, Bridget Wiles, Annabelle Ford, Archie Hannan
Congratulations to those nippers as well as all others whotried their hardest in the Championship events during theseason.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES / nippers I 2015 - 16Page 18.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES / nippers I 2015 - 16
The pleasing thing from our perspective continues to be thedevelopment of the nippers skills across the lifesavingdisciplines and also the development of their desire tocompete. We held again some additional board trainingsessions, supported by Hamish Fitzsimons, for the olderNippers during our traditional summer break and will buildon this session next season – introducing some Ocean Swimtuition for the younger nippers.
Our Nippers programme provides families the opportunityto get directly involved with their children. We greatlyencourage all parents “to don a Red Rashie and get wetwith their kids”! Their assistance as age managers andhelpers remains a key to our success and we duly thank allin our community for their assistance to ensure this happens.
In addition to our Red Rashies we have an amazing coreCrew – known as a “Green Rashie”. These are the Parentswho make Nippers happen. The Green Rashie team workthroughout the year – planning, plotting, organising andco-ordinating. These are the Parents who are on the beachat 7am helping set up and leave the beach at 11am onceall the equipment is packed up. In name ... a big thank youto Craig, Martine, David, Fiona, Peter, Wazza, Ed, Chris,Louise, Phil, Emily, Janet and Charlie.
This year we upgraded all of our boards and most of thebeach equipment. The older yellow boards were donatedto Broulee Surf Club – who were very grateful for thesupport. Next year we will be investing in an upgrade of theIT engine room for Nippers – making the enrolmentsmoother and helping take the programme a step further.In addition to that we will be focusing on giving extra
support and training to the Age Mangers – in the form of aFirst Aid course and Board Skills.We must thank the following people for their continuedsupport of our programme:
• The Beach Club, Rob, The Board, the many members for their ongoing support and genuine love of Nippers.
• Peter Matthews and his team at Ray White Lower North Shore, for their ongoing considerable commitment and financial support.
• Shivaun Bromley and the team at Crust Pizza Neutral Bay/Mosman.
• Tim Fallon and the Buena Vista Team who joinedus for the first time this season acting as an awardsponsor .
• To Bunnings Artarmon and Brookvale for their kind donation of Beach Equipment.
Charlie Davey Nippers Convenor
Page 19.
Page 20.
The past year has seen themembership numbers ofthe club maintained at2292. The membershipcommittee has workeddiligently to ensure thatour numbers remain underthe 2300 ceiling set by the
Board, in line with theconstitution.
Honorary 14Junior 203Senior 2,014Sporting 1Young Adult 57
2,922The Club’s waitlist, re-introduced last year for the first timein many years, has continued to grow which highlightsthat the Club has strong support and is providing greatfacilities, activities and camaraderie for all members. Welook forward to being able to admit some new membersfrom the waitlist in the next intake in August 2016.
In respect of the new members I would like to highlightthe procedure we follow once people have been invitedto join the Club. Many of you who have proposed friendsto become members of the BBC will know that the Clubrequires new members along with their proposers toattend an ‘Induction Event’ prior to their Membershipsbeing accepted and activated. The Membership Committeeruns 2 of these informal occasions a year. New membersfind them very informative as it provides them with aperfect opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Clubfacilities, rules and values along with meeting some of thefaces they may encounter at the Club in their first weeks asmembers and beyond.At the other end of the spectrum…what’s been going on
with some of our longer standing members? This year weinvited 3 members of the Club to join the ranks of LifeMembers. Life Memberships are carefully considerednominations and are given to individuals who need tobe recognised for their outstanding contribution to theBBC. The three new Life Members are Brian Davidson(member since 1985), Christopher Deane (member since1991) and Peter Ellis (member since 1985).
Brian has been the club’s honorary Solicitor since 1995 andrewrote the Club’s Constitution in 1998 and he fulfils therole of oldest competitor in the weekend swimming races.Christopher has served as Club Captain, Vice Presidentand President of the Club and was integral in setting upproper investment management for the Club’s funds.Peter Ellis endured the difficult role of ‘Facilities andMaintenance co-ordinator’ for 7 years and he managed todo so with patience, humour and a lot of chatting. Healso introduced the club to the ‘Swim for Cancer’ andhas coordinated that event since 2005. All three areworthy recipients of this honour and were endorsedwhole-heartedly by the Board.
My first year as the Convenor for the MembershipCommittee has given me the opportunity to betterunderstand how the Club runs and be amazed at howmuch can be achieved with some generous volunteers.I would like to thank my predecessor, Kieran Kelly forgetting me involved and for all the assistance continuallyoffered to me by Jackie Bourn, Club Secretary andGraham Brown, Club Administrator. Finally I would like toapplaud my supportive committee members, SharnaHinchliff, Meredith Aveling, Clive Mancey, Tim Andersonand Duncan Adams for their assistance in adjudicating onmembership issues that the committee has dealt with inthe past year.
Cathy MackayMembership Convenor
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE I 2015 - 2016
The Club Member of the Yearis chosen by the BBC Boardon the recommendation ofthe Membership Committee.This year, the Boarddecided to announce therecipient of this award atthe Annual Presentation
Night at the end of April. TheClub Member of the Year for 2016
is Jon “Swampy” Attwater. The nomination was widelysupported and in typical fashion, the only person whoseemed surprised on the night, was the award winnerhimself.
Jon Attwater joined the Club in the year 2000 and hasbeen a quietly, omnipresent member of the BalmoralBeach Club for the last 16 years. We thank Colin McGilvrayas his proposer and Ian Meakin as his seconder along withreferee, Tony Crosby for introducing such a generous manto the membership ranks of our Club.
Jon has shown outstanding commitment to sick andinjured members of the BBC with visits and chauffeur ridesoffered generously and repeatedly over many years. PhilDe Baun, Peter Ridout, John Gibson, Kieran Kelly andmany others benefitting from his kindness.
Jon has been a dedicated volunteer and supporter of theBalmoral Swim for Cancer during his years at the Club. Hehas taken on any task offered to him, from working on theregistration tables to putting up tents and moving tablesand chairs. He is notorious for being among the last toleave when the packing up is done.
When his compatriot Phil De Baun passed away, Jonstepped in to fill his very large boots. Not only did Jon
take over the allocating of lockers in the men’s changerooms but he also became the new custodian of theflagpole. He makes sure the flag is up, down or litdepending on the required tradition.
Every Sunday Jon assists with the Masters Swim, walkingalong the beach to ensure the water safety for the oldermembers of the club. He never misses this job if he is inSydney and he regularly assists with the Club’s monthlyathletics events.
His helping hand is evident in many other areas ofthe club too. He has been an active and interestingcontributor to the “Storytellers” evenings. He hasprovided knowledge and expertise in the framing andarrangement of the Archival materials displayed by theClub. He was also integral in establishing the inauguralAfternoon tea and Morning tea for Life Members andSeniors. In fact, without his “delivery and collection”service, many of the participants would have missed out.
And let’s not forget his massive organisational role in somany of the local and overseas trips Jon has arrangedfor the enjoyment of many members of the Club. Hisinvitations have been open to all and at times he hashad more than 35 people on tour in parts of the world asdiverse as Lake Tahoe, Malta, Santorini, Sicily,Sardinia and the Kimberleys.
Regardless of whether you know Jon as the dedicatedvolunteer, the storyteller, the chauffeur, the kindly visitor,the travel agent, the framer, the flag-raiser or the selfless,quiet achiever with the odd nickname, you will havebenefitted from his generous spirit and unassuming,happy personality.
Cathy MackayMembership Committee Convenor
CLUB MEMBER OF THE YEAR I 2015 - 2016Page 21.
Our goal has been to keep all2300 members informed andupdated about the manysporting and social activi-ties that the BBC has tooffer by using a range ofplatforms such email, web,traditional mail, newsletter
and recently the new memberportal.
The new member’s portal has provided a wonderfuldirect and immediate line of communication between theClub and its members. Combined with the website, theweekly “Whats On” emails and the quarterly official BBC‘newsletter’ we are ensuring all members are aware ofactivities and functions at the Club.
Key events, such as the Swim For Cancer, The Erik Mather2, 4, 6km Swim, the Captain’s Dinner and the Annual Prizegiving, are also promoted through a series of Club posters.The tradition of the ‘Franki Report’ continued throughoutthe year, having just published the 131st edition. Thisartfully crafted prose, worthy of the Booker prize,attempts to capture the news, views and amusingbanter between our friends at the Club.
The last task of the year for the Communications team is topublish the Annual Report for the Club which you arereading now. The collation of all of the information frommany people shows the extent to which the Club relieson so many volunteers to keep the Club operatingsmoothly. I hope you enjoy the annual report.
I would like to thank Mark Simkins for continuing to bethe heart and soul of the Communications Committee.I would also like to thank Alan Bolton for being theongoing driving force behind the email updates and theClub website.
Duncan AdamsCommunications Convenor
COMMUNICATIONS I 2015 - 2016Page 22.
The IT Committee’s purposeis to provide informationtechnology and computersystems to support theClubs goals.
This has been another verybusy year where we’ve
established a Club MembersPortal, and finalised the Swim-
ming System plan.
Members Portal
We introduced the Members Portal in August last year. Weare very pleased with progress and as of May this year, over1000 members (nearly half the club’s membership) haveregistered on the Portal, with 60% of members choosing topay their fees by credit card through the Portal. A big thankyou to members for getting on board with the Portal.
The Portal allows you as members to view and change yourdetails online, view details of your invoice and pay on-lineby credit card. You are also able to view BBC videos,photos and other BBC archive material.
If you are having issues in registering and using the Portal,please email us at [email protected] are keen to address your issues and help you use thePortal.
Swimming System
Martin Quinn (Club Captain) and Garry O’Sullivan (IT Com-mittee) undertook a detailed review of suitability of theClub’s Swimming System to meet current and foreseeablefuture needs. After a review of the existing technology andwide consultation with competitors, convenors and other
stakeholders, it has been decided that no major changesto the existing system are needed at present. Minorchanges have been made to allow a wider variety of racestarts to be included in the swimming program.
Pursuant to this review the key message from stakeholderswas the need to address the congestion, specifically aroundthe buoys. It is worth noting that the Club’s existing or anyother Swim System will not address the issue of congestion.This issue is more a function of the numbers of people inthe event, the physical limits of the area we swim in andcourse design and not an IT System related issue.
IT Modernisation Program
We have now completed the Club’s IT Modernisationthat started three years ago. The Club now has a moderneasy-to-use website packed with useful information formembers. There is a new Administration System that meetsour current and long term needs and the Club also has theMembers Portal described above.
There will be some enhancements made to these systemsas well as the Swimming System – you will hear about theseduring the year.
Many thanks to the IT Committee – Jackie Bourn, GarryO’Sullivan, Tony Smuts and Al Bolton.
Barry FeyderIT Convenor
IT REPORT I 2015 - 2016 Page 23.
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE I OUTGOING PATRON Tim Anderson
It is difficult to encapsulateTim Anderson’s contributionto the Balmoral Beach Club.He has been a memberfor 71 years, joining agedjust three. He first sat onthe committee at age 19and would go on to serve
for 50 years, 35 of thoseconsecutively. During this period
he was club captain (1970 – 72) andPresident twice (1973 – 75 and 1978 – 80). Capping offthis stellar record, Tim has been the club patron from2004 until this year, when he will stand down.
The job of patron is not an easy one, but Tim has risen tothe challenge. At new members’ inductions he is alwaysthere to welcome the new faces and share his knowledgeof the history and culture of the place. Tim's desire tosee the best traditions of the BBC perpetuated amongnew members is evident on these days. At prize-giving’s,he inevitably turns up to explain the significance of thetrophies being presented. As a child, he knew manyreturned servicemen who were friends of the men forwhom these same trophies are named.
Tim has achieved much. He swam in his first Jack Coxat the age of nine and has competed in the event 66times. In 2000 he capped off a long-held dream andwon the Cox at his 50th attempt, surely a record thatwill remain unbroken. Tim spent his childhood at theBBC, his adult years and the years of his retirement.The club has nurtured him through all ages and seasons.He, in turn, has given back in a generous manner thatleaves no member in doubt, young or old, of the greatregard and affection he holds for the building onBalmoral Beach and the vast array of personalities itshelters. Tim is a supporter of the Masters race, donatinga bottle of wine for the winner each weekend. Henever misses helping with the event and has done so
since its inception. He is also Santa at the end-of-yearNippers’ day.
Tim is one of the most regular swimmers at BBC and witha strong preference for high tides, hence his nicknameHigh Tide Tim. But even Tim was not able to achieveeverything he had hoped in his time as patron. Evenhe would admit that his dream to have a reservedpatron’s shower in the men's change room did notmeet with universal acclaim. Possibly that was becauseTim chose to launch this initiative in the middle ofwinter, when members were less inclined to begracious. Tim, however has an annual Sunday 1200trophy race named in his honour. On a less seriousnote, a Tuesday morning, winter Patron’s Plate swim isorganised by his great friends Peter MaCormick andPeter Nettheim. This event has provided plenty oflaughs, on many a chilly morning. Tim has an endlesssupply of jokes that he shares around the men'schange room and there is no doubt that there hasnever been a BBC patron who makes better marmaladethan him. He is our guru of the Seville orange.
Tim's dedication to our club is just one facet of a lifetimeof service to others. This dedication starts with his wifeVivienne, and their children and now grandchildren,who Tim brings to the BBC whenever he can. Hissupport also extends to places as diverse as the RealEstate Institute of New South Wales, the Wakehurstgolf club, and Rotary where he has been a senior andactive member for most of his adult life. Tim is alsoa long term member of the Manly Surf Club and oftenenjoys a Wednesday swim at Manly with BBCmembers.
And now Tim steps aside as patron. He will inevitablycontinue to be a constant presence at the club andtake an avid interest in its affairs and its people. Wethank him for the care he has shown the club and hiswillingness to contribute in such a selfless manner.
Kieran Kelly
Page 24.
A CLUB MAN TO THE CORE I INCOMING PATRON John Bagnall
John Bagnall can’t remembera time when he did nothave an association withthe Balmoral Beach Club.The Club features inmany of his earliestchildhood memories. Hewas taught to swim in the
famous Clem Morath Schoolon the Club lawn, and graduated
to the rock pool with one of UncleClem’s assistants, John Butterworth
Always a very keen competitor, John was good atswimming and athletics. He was overall club championseven times in the 1970s and 1980s, and athleticschampion ten times during this period. He served asClub Captain from 1980 to 1985. In those days, athleticswas not confined to running. Standing and runningjumps were also part of the championships. Despite allthese triumphs, when asked to recall his favouriteevent at the Club in an interview for the Archives, heinstantly replied that it was Eve’s and his weddingreception.
Secret training was alive and well in those days. Forbeach running, competitors would be able to get anidea of their rivals’ training plans by observing theextent of their tracks in the sand. However, the smartercompetitors would go to the trouble of rubbing outtheir tracks after a session to avoid this scrutiny. Johnhas not been able to deny such practice.
Since his earlier success in championships, John hasbeen a relatively quiet achiever. He sustained a shoulderinjury a long time ago which completely changed hisswimming stroke to the unique style it is today. Thisgives him an advantage in rough conditions, and alsoaround the buoys. He is still a keen participant in manyevents, and together with Peter Nettheim, accidentally
founded the 7.30 group of swimmers after theyhabitually arrived too late to swim with the earlierswimmers. This is now the dominant group of weekday swimmers who also contest the Fortitude Plateand the Patron’s Plate.
John now arrives late for even the 7.30 group, and hasdevised his own course for the Fortitude Plate whichplays to his strengths of beach running and shortercourse swimming. This course has become known asthe Bagnall Ramble, because the swim leg follows adifferent course each week, depending on how latehe is and how well he runs.
Always the optimist, John is a glass half full person. Itwould be a huge understatement to say there is atwinkle in his eye. He is also extremely popular withmembers. Earlier this year, when he won the Stewart &Maisie MacNaughton trophy, there was the biggestcheer ever on the beach, and also later at PresentationNight.
A feature of John’s long membership is his continualservice to the Club. He is a member of the BBC EventsBoard and volunteers wherever he can. In the Swimfor Cancer he is one of the first to arrive for beachsetup. He starts all the races, and then is always onhand to help with packing up. He is also a tunefulbaritone and anchors the lower range of the A CapellaChoir, which does recitals at old age homes in whichsome Club members reside, and at the Club’sChristmas Carols.
The BBC runs in his veins, and in the air he breathes.John takes a great deal of interest in Club competitionsand visits the Club every day. He is welcoming to newmembers and generous with his time, respectful ofClub history and has such a positive outlook on life.He is perfectly qualified to become our next patron.
Tony Smuts
Page 25.
Andrew DaviesAndrew Davies passed away on 20 Jan 2016, aged 77.Andrew was a regular early morning swimmer overmany years and was a member until 2004.
Basil FernsBasil Ferns passed away 30 November 2015, aged 88.Basil was captain of the Club (1956-56) and won theJack Cox Memorial handicap in the 1949/50 season.To his wife, Jennifer, and his children Carl, Julie andMichelle, the Beach Club extends condolences.
John Gray John Gray a former Saturday race handicapper of theClub, passed away on 10 December 2015, aged 91.Margaret Gray, also a Beach Club member, passedaway on 6 October 2015. To their children, Michael,Peter, Robert, Marianne, David and John, the BeachClub extends condolences.
Peter William HudsonPeter William Hudson passed away suddenly on 18February 2016, aged 61. He was member of the clubsince 1995. Condolences to his wife Bernadette (amember of the club) and children Matt and Danni.
Michael Leader FosterJustice Michael Leader Foster passed away on 28March 2016, aged 87. He joined the club in September1991. He is survived by his wife Ruth, family Guy andSusan; Joanna; Prudence and David and grandchil-dren Cameron, David and Matthew.
VALE I 2015 - 2016
Sally Anne ProudSally Anne Proud passed away 4 March 2016, aged 62.Sally joined the club in May 1994. She will be sadlymissed by her husband Steven, family Guy and Susan;Joanna; Prudence and David, grandchildrenCameron, David and Matthew and many friends.
Kathleen RaperKathleen Raper passed away in June 2015 aged 103.Kath, as she was known in the club, joined in 1967when her husband Sid died and she moved back toMosman. Sid and his two brothers, Tony and Laurie,were foundation members of the club. Kath led a fulland active life and used to walk down to the beacheach day. She was an avid bridge player right until herdeath.
Terence RichTerence Rich passed away in April 2016. He joined theclub in April 1991. Condolences to his wife Diana (amember of the club) and his family.
Brian ScanlanBrian Scanlan passed away on Saturday 6 June aged87. Condolences to his wife Joy who is a member ofthe club.
Scott SmilesScott Smiles passed away on 18 April 2016 at age 67. Tohis wife Julie, children Emily Sarah and William theBeach Club extends condolences.
Santa visits the Nipper kids The ‘Charm 500’ group Jack Cox winner Damon Pal, 2nd and 3rdplace getters Duncan Adams & Phil Thomas
Sunday Summer Pointscore winners TomFry (1st) and Justin Rooney (2nd).
Tony Arena, Sharna Hinchliffe and RachelOrpin
Masters pointscore winners Sam Spencer(3rd) Moira Williams (1st) Therese Burnett
Swimmers in the Masters race, HilaryCotman, Rob Ferguson and John Murray
Rosslyn Skinner getting Masters raceorganised
Peter MacCormick Ironman - Pip Livingstone(3rd) Jack McPhee (1st) Richard Jagger(2nd)
GALLERY I 2015 - 2016
Peter Thiel (2nd) and Damon Pal (1st) in theFranki swim leg
Dominic Dwyer winner of Bruce Beale Ex Serviceman race
Ted Neale Trophy - The field Ted Neale - Max McCoy (3rd) RichardJagger (2nd) Pip Livinstone (2nd)
Helen Gundry, Theresa Crause, Jan Daviesand Marg Carney ready to start Weight forAge race
Brian Davidson, winner of the Weight forAge race
Dominic Dwyer winner of Bruce Bealewith Martin Quinn and Marg Carney
GALLERY I 2015 - 2016
A Cappella group visit Bill and Peter
Tina Brandon-Cooper winner of Joe Guss Adam Thompson winner of Doug Brodiewith serial ‘photo-bomber’ Martin Quinn
Cliff McCoy winner of Captains trophywith Captain ‘photo-bomber’ Quinn
New Life members Christopher Deane,Brian Davidson & Peter Ellis
Andy Bremner winner of Lou Morath withDick Morath
GALLERY I 2015 - 2016
Photographs from the Balmoral Beach Club’s archives contributed by: Tim Anderson, Jackie Bourn, Fay Cochran, Tony Arena, Tony Smuts, and Noel Wilton.
George Franki and Mike Guina watchingthe Jack Cox
Juniors giving it a real go!
BALMORAL BEACH CLUB I 2015/16 Annual Report
THE BALMORAL BEACH CLUB LIMITED - ABN 79 000 016 633Established 12 February 1914and Incorporated on 2 June 1926