Contents:

 

1.     Minutes of the 85th  Annual Shareholders Meeting

2.     The 2009 Committee Reports

3.     Due Structure  for the 2010 year

 

MINUTES OF THE 2009 ANNUAL MEETING

 

The 85^th Annual meeting of the Kenora Golf & Country Club Ltd. was held at the Kenora Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, May 6th, 2009 at 7:15 p.m.  A quorum of 82 was present by person or proxy and the meeting was called to order by President Rob Worsnop.

The meeting commenced with the reading of the Notice of Meeting and proof of notice being mailed.

Rob called for a moment of silence for those members who had passed away during the year. The membership was asked to remember Brad Holmes, Sharon Roberts, Lewis Goss, James Stockham, Pat Sundmark, William Lecain, Don Sweeney and David Ross.

 

Rob explained to the membership that we would no longer be mailing out reports and full financial statements to the shareholders in order that we cut costs for our club. Full financials and printed copies of the report were available at the Pro shop if any persons would like to receive them.

 

Minutes of the 2008 Meeting

The minutes of the 2008 minutes were made available on the Kenora Golf and Country Club website and at the Pro Shop.

 

Motion 2009-01

As there were no errors or omissions, it was moved by Les Apland and seconded by Marybelle Johnson that the minutes of the 2008 General Meeting be adopted as presented.  Motion carried.

 

President, Rob Worsnop thanked Jennifer Ross, Kristie Roussin, and Paul Henry and all their staff for a great job. Rob thanked Tara Savage and Marilyn Strain for all their work and support to the Board. Rob expressed his thanks to all the Clubs for their help, many volunteer hours and contributions. It is very much appreciated and helps make our club the success that it is.

A special thank you was issued to Charlie and Joan Strachan for their contribution of new chairs to the smoking deck.

Rob welcomed Robert Hollins to the club as our new Assistant Pro. He announced that Ben and Rae Lynn will be back again this year to manage the kitchen facilities.

 

John indicated that the written report was in the booklet. John reported that 2008 was a turnaround year with a significant change. We had a $39,500.00 profit, which was a 122,000.00 improvement from the previous year.. There was a notable change to the upstairs facilities with a profit of $31,000.00. John noted that we needed to reduce our short-term indebtedness. In 2006 and 2007 our short-term indebtedness was excessive. The Board looked at refinancing and concluded we needed to refinance to improve our situation. A loan from Copperfin was secured for 650,000.00 to remove the operating loan. The loan is guaranteed by the City of Kenora. 

Dennis Zrum moved that the financial statement for the year 2008 be adopted as presented. 

Motion seconded by Al Warner.  Motion Carried .

           

Dave Paton moved that the accounting firm of BDO Dunwoody be appointed as the accountants of Record for the KG &CC for the year 2009.

Nora Paton seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

           

Bob Mitchell moved whereas the Kenora Golf & Country Club Limited has now and in the past carried on its affairs and activities as a non-profit organization as defined

by section 149(1)(l) of the Income Tax Act, therefore be it resolved that the Kenora Golf and Country Club Limited will continue to operate in such a manner and further that upon any future cessation of activities and winding-up any and all assets, after settlement of debts, will be transferred to a similar non-profit organization or the City of Kenora. 

Fred Betton seconded the motion.  Motion Carried.

 

Green Committee-Brian Apland & Paul Henry

Brian reported that the creek on holes#13,14 and 18 have been cleaned out and paid through and by an agreement with the City of Kenora. Brian commented on the steps on 9 and 10 that were done by the Senior Men’s club and the Bruce Sisson.  Paul has done the landscaping on hole #5. Peter Fox on behalf of the golf course has applied to take water from the lake, which is required by the Ministry of Natural Resources.  It was also mentioned that we would need to become certified for pesticide management under new government regulations.

Paul commented that we had a tough winter. Greens 14 and 18 did not come through that well but he felt they would recover. There are no specific plans for this year. Questions from the floor were addressed.

 

Evie reported that the upstairs had been a success. We have purchased a new bar cart with higher capabilities and will keep the second cart as a backup. The tournaments have increased and the mixed league was a success. The Labour Day tournament will continue in its present format. A special thanks was given to all the volunteers who have lent their time to make sure all the tournaments run smoothly.

 

Other Business

Rod Shewchuk spoke to City and legal initiatives with the following report:

“City initiatives” is not new to our Board. The unfortunate passing of our long standing Club member David Ross reminded me of his involvement as Chair of our Club Expansion committee formed 30 years ago and our attendance at a Council meeting in the spring of 1979. Armed with the Town’s approval we proceeded to obtain Northern Affairs involvement and ultimately Wintario funding. The club benefited greatly from David’s organizational skills and enthusiasm and by September 1987 we had 18 holes.

There are 4 areas to relate to you as Shareholders:

1.     The club increased its authorized capital from 800 to 2000 common shares to accommodate our more flexible entry for new members as shareholders of our Club. Our quorum requirement of 10% should be looked at by the Board given our close call on this requirement at the 2008 annual meeting on May 6, 2009.

2.     The Club and the City formally exchanged properties recently as earlier promised in previous years so that all matters are formalized at this time concerning title issues. The City owns our golf course and its facilities as a trustee as the property is designated for use as a golf course only. Dealing with ownership in this manner allowed our Club to obtain Wintario funding to expand and has allowed the Club to obtain financing at the prime rate with the City guarantee to financial institutions over the years.

3.     The Club decided to refinance this spring. Copperfin lent us $650,000.00 at the prime rate and the City agreed to guarantee our loan. A few short meetings with the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer set the wheels in motion and our two board members, John and Tim answered any financial questions from the City accountant and Copperfin’s Commercial Loans Officer.

4.     The Club is in the process of finalizing a memorandum of understanding with the City whereby the Club would identify a few areas where capital expenditures are required. The City would issue charitable receipts similar to previous practice during and after the expansion to 18 holes. The City (Mayor and Council) has throughout our expansion and presently has been very supportive and accommodating to our Club. Any legal work required as outlined above has been done by our firm without fee.

In 1999 the City purchased 81 acres of land adjacent to the golf course for $160,000.00 and designated title for “parkland or golf club purposes”. This is an area that could be developed as a new nine hole area.

The City has been contributing to the ditch cleaning on a yearly basis and in 2008 provided the Club with $5,000.00 for this expense.

We may be asking the City to co-operate in posting this as a snow machine free area in lighr of the serious damage to the course this past winter.

In the early 1980’s our Club requested the City’s assistance in executing applications for grants from the government including Wintario funding. At the time the municipal taxes were approximately $5,000.00 and we indicated we would not ask for municipal tax relief so their involvement would be tax neutral. Our taxes are now approximately $35,000.00 and we should at least discuss the possibility of requesting some tax relief. Our previous promise does get in the way of making this request and the tax saved if agreed to by the City would be carried over on the tax roll. The tax would not have to be repaid providing the property is used as a golf course and ownership does not change.

Respectively submitted:

Rod Shewchuk

 

Other Reports

 

Senior Men’s Club- Fred Betton

Fred reported that they have a very active group of 79 members. The spring meeting held this morning had an attendance of over 40 men. Fred stated that anyone over 50 is welcome. The senior men donated finances for the 9 and 10 tee off boxes. The senior men traveled to Falcon twice and to Beauty Bay once. The senior men’s tournament was a success with full capacity and with entrees from Dryden, Winnipeg and Fort Frances.  The senior club is looking for an active year as well as looking forward to continuing to support the club.

 

Despite some inclement weather our 2008 season was a great success in part to our pro shop with our pro Jennifer Ross doing our draws, helping in a great way with our Ladies Open and always having everything ready for our meetings. They are awesome.

Thanks to Paul Henry and staff for doing a wonderful job on the course again.

2008 was a wonderfully smooth and successful year.

Respectively submitted, Ginger Corbett, President of Ladies TNT League.

 

Business Girl’s Club-Audrey Watterson

The 2008 golf season saw a slight decrease in our club membership to 43 total including over 30 paying green fees. Despite the cool weather to start the season, we had a lot of fun and had great participation in our match Play and Championship competitions.

Many thanks go to Jennifer, Darryl and all the pro-shop staff for their always courteous and friendly assistance both in the pro-shop and upstairs. The opportunity to have some back-nine starts was once again much appreciated and enjoyed.

The golf course was in great shape all summer and we would like to acknowledge Paul Henry, Doug Novak and the whole grounds crew for their dedication and hard work.

Respectively submitted, Audrey Watterson

 

 

Election of Officers

Rob Worsnop called upon Randy Seller to host the Election of Officers. There are 4 vacancies on the Board. Brian Apland has agreed to let his name stand. The following names were put forth to fill the remaining vacancies: Paul Schotroff, Susan McCoy and Don Cameron.

Further nominations were asked for from the floor three times. No other names were put forward. Nominations were closed.

The new board members for the Board of the Kenora Golf and Country club are Brian Apland, Susan McCoy, Paul Schotroff and Don Cameron.

 

Standard Motions

It was moved by Nora Paton that all acts of business carried out by the

Board of Directors in administering the operations of the club during      

2008 are hereby ratified.  Seconded by Dave Paton.  Motion Carried.

 

Motion by Ginger Corbett that a sincere vote of thanks be extended to retiring Director(s) Larry Karaim, Louis Roussin, Tony Zuschtok and Don Myles for their contributions during their term on the Board of the Kenora Golf and Country Club.  Motion seconded by Candy Cameron. Motion carried.

 

General questions from the floor were asked for.

Nora Paton questioned about stairs on the West Side of the building. Rob explained that we were currently looking into seeing to that project and hope to have it completed this summer.

Fred Betton congratulated the board on the reversal of the financial situation from the last several years. Fred wanted to know if the Boards future intention was to see the club reinvest in the facility or to pay down the existing loans, if there was an excess in the year. It was noted that the board would examine those issues.

Doug Johnson commented that he missed having the booklet and asked about the present year budget.

 

As there were no other questions, Rob thanked everyone for coming and adjourned the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

2009 In Review

 

 

 

 

 

President’s Report 2009

 Rob Worsnop

 

 

 

With the weather being unpredictable last year with cooler than average temperatures and the rainfall we received, the teams managed by Jennifer Hollins and Paul Henry did an outstanding job providing us with fantastic customer service and a commitment to a job well done. On behalf of my fellow board members I would like to thank Jennifer and Paul for their tireless work ethic to give us a successful 2009 season.  To Marilyn Strain and Tara Savage I would like to thank you both for your continued support to the board and your dedication to your duties that help us on a monthly basis. Jennifer and Paul worked hard to maintain their budgets. Although our budgets were not met, (having a profit of $5297.00) in the economy we had and some weather issues we went through, it is a testament to them and their teams hard work. Budgets for 2010 will be flat, as this is the last minimum wage increase. With the dedication that Jennifer and Paul’s teams work with, our budgets will be met in 2010.

 

Jennifer had to replace her assistant pro this season as Darryl Spence moved on. Robert Hollins was hired as our new assistant pro. With his wealth of knowledge in the golf business he was an excellent choice. Not only did he bring in lots of experience and knowledge to our club but it also freed up Jennifer to complete her duties in amore timely fashion and allowed her to manage the business more efficiently.

Having Ben Shewfelt provide the club with his food service, Jennifer in the facility manager role and Paul looking after the course for the second year in a row, made the business run that much more smoothly. Continuity helped them operate the day to day operations well as they had a year working together. This will only improve for them as they are all back for our golf season of 2010. Louis Rouissin and Larry Karaim left the board last year. I would like to thank them for their time they put towards their dealings they had on the board. We need people like Louis and Larry to dedicate their time so that our club can be successful.

 

 

Respectively submitted

Rob Worsnop, President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance Committee Report 2009

Chair: John Brose

 

Operating Results

 

For 2009, the Club recorded a profit of $5,297.  After recording a profit of nearly $40,000 in the previous year, and budgeting for a profit of $25,000, this was somewhat disappointing.   However, in light of the general economic conditions in 2009, perhaps we should be satisfied with a small profit.

 

Our results were negatively impacted by a decrease in revenue from course operations of $22,527, or 4% - primarily due to lower revenue from annual dues and green fees.  Related expenses increased by $4,145, resulting in a decline in operating results of $26,672 as compared to previous year.

 

The results in the Bar/Restaurant continued to improve.  Looking back, we had incurred substantial losses in both 2006 and 2007.  After restructuring and leasing out the restaurant, we achieved a profit of $28,467 in 2008.  In 2009, the results improved by an additional $5,566 to a profit of $34,033.

 

Unfortunately, we did not fair so well in the Pro Shop.  The 2009 loss was $11,706 – a decrease in operating results of $15,626 from 2008.  The loss was primarily due to increased operating expenses.

 

Refinancing

 

Due to the significant losses incurred in 2006 and 2007, the Club’s short-term bank borrowing had become excessive.  As a result, in 2008 the Board commenced negotiations with two financial institutions, and early in 2009, concluded negotiations and obtained new financing at Copperfin Credit Union.  Proceeds from a new term loan of $650,000 were used to pay off a line of credit and term loans totaling $524,858.  The balance was used for working capital.

 

Financial Position

 

As a result of our refinancing, the Club is now in a much stronger working capital position, with $84,819 of cash in the bank at year-end, and no short-term bank debt.  The $650,000 term loan has been paid down to $606,668 by year-end, and will be retired in 14 years, assuming that we continue to pay off principal at the scheduled rate of $43,332 per year.

 

In conclusion, we finished the year with a modest profit, but in a stronger financial position due to our refinancing.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

John Brose, Chair

 

 

Golf Operations & Facility Report 2009

Jennifer Ross - CPGA Head Professional/ Facility Manager/

Evie O’Flaherty – Facility Chair

 

Congratulations to our Club Members, Executive and the Kenora Golf & Country Club staff for making 2009 a successful year.

The weather of 2009 proved to be a challenge with a late start into early May.  Rain forced the closure of the back nine for 12 days, and affected both retail sales and the number of rounds played.   Paul and his staff did a fabulous job in getting the course into great condition.

2009 was a successful year with regard to the upstairs.  Leasing out the kitchen and maintaining the bar revenue proved to be a successful combination.  Ben Shewfelt will continue to lease the kitchen for another season.

On the golf side, Rob and I were busy teaching golf lessons.  Our group and private lesson programs continue to evolve.  Also, the club focused on the promotion of outside events and was able to attract a few new tournament groups and events, assisting with the bottom line.  The weather and the economy had a huge impact on retail sales in the Pro Shop and hopefully with the support of the membership and better weather, sales will be back where they were in the past.  The focus of the 2010 season will be to maximize the utilization of the golf course.  We are asking for the membership to let the Pro Shop know when they are not filling or using their tee times.  We had 287 member booked tee times unused last season during peak playing time, which translates into over $45,000 of potential revenue that could be generated by green fee play.

Once again, the mixed league continued to be a popular event with the support of a large cross section of our membership.  The continuation, addition and modification of events will once again be the focus of 2010.   Thank you to Meyers Norris Penny for the sponsorship of our Junior Member League and we look forward to your support this coming season.

 

Congratulations to all the Tournament winners.  Our club was represented well in Manitoba with the Interclub teams.  Our 2009 Club Champions were as follows:

Juvenile Boys – Ryan Landon

Men’s Champion – Jack Thompson

Ladies’ Champion – Harriett Blake

Senior Men’s Champion – Jack Thompson

Senior Ladies’ Champion – Harriett Blake

 

A special thank you is extended to all the volunteers and members who came out to make each event a success and to the Men’s, Senior Men’s, Ladies’ and Business Girls’ clubs for their support throughout the season.   To the scorers and spotters, thank you for your time.

Finally, to the Bar, Golf and Back Shop staff thank you for your hard work and commitment to our members.  It was greatly appreciated.

I look forward to the upcoming season.  My door will always be open for ideas and suggestions.  Let’s make 2010 a success!

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jennifer Ross :         CPGA Head Professional/Facility Manager      

Evie O’Flaherty        Facility Chair

 

 

 

 

Paul Henry: Golf Superintendent &

Greens committee: Brian Apland and Paul Schottroff

 

In 2009 our course wintered fairly well.  There was some winter kill on the 18^th green and the snow boarders caused some damage to the 9^th green.  There was also some damage caused by snow machines on greens #2, #4, #5 and #8.

It was a trying year for our maintenance staff due to the extremely wet weather.

They did a good job keeping the course open and playable.

 

Some projects that were completed in 2009.

The culvert across the middle of #4 fairway was repaired.

The Senior Men’s club built an observation deck beside the men’s tee box on the 14^th hole.

The Senior Men’s club also gave the Golf Club $1,000.00 to build a concrete wash stand for the maintenance equipment.  This stand is also available for the members to wash their golf carts.

The bridge on #11 has been straightened out and rebuilt.

The creek in front of hole #11 and #14 has been cleaned up.

Rock and stump removal is an ongoing project.

                                                                                                                                                           

Capital equipment – replaced the 2002 sidewinder mower with a 2009 sidewinder.  We also purchased a used 2002 greens mower to replace the 1999 greens mower.

 

We would like to thank all our volunteers who helped out and a special thanks to the Senior Men’s Club for their generous cash donation and for building the stand on the tee on #14.

 

We would also like to thank Paul Henry, Doug Novak and all the maintenance staff for their hard work in 2009.

 

 

Respectively submitted,

 

Brian Apland: Greens Chairman                          Paul Henry: Course Superintendent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOMINATION COMMITTEE REPORT

 

Each year the Board of Directors appoints a Nominating Committee, whose purpose is to ensure that there are enough nominees to fill all positions available on the Board.  Nominations are always accepted from the floor.  This year there are three vacancies on the Board.

Paul Schotroff, Evie O’Flaherty and Rod Shewchuk have agreed to let their names stand for re-election.

The Board of Directors respectfully solicits your support for these nominations.  If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting, we request that you return the your proxy assigned to our President in the pre-addressed envelope enclosed.

 

 

Respectively

Tim Gauthier

Vice - President

 

 

 

2010 Dues

 

 

Adult Non-Restricted                                                                 $   1060.00

Super Senior                                                                                $     865.00

Family                                                                                             $   2335.00

Intermediate Adult (19-26)                                                         $     710.00

Student (full time to 24)                                                              $     510.00

Junior (17-18)                                                                               $     335.00

Juvenile (14-16)                                                                           $     285.00

Young Juvenile (11-13)                                                              $     210.00

Youth (7-10)                                                                                  $     135.00

Trial Membership (2^nd year)                                                      $     935.00

2009 Trial Membership (year 1)                                               $     875.00

Trail Fee                                                                                         $     210.00

Adult Club Storage                                                                     $     130.00

Junior Club Storage                                                                   $      80.00