Sixty-five Members attended the Club’s Annual General Meeting last Friday evening in the Member’s Lounge. The proposed changes to the Club’s constitution were passed, with a few abstentions by Members who made valid observations about whether the number of elected directors should be increased above five, whether the Captains should also be Directors.
In the notice of meeting the Board presented its view on this topic, saying consideration had been given to whether the number of elected Directors should be increased in consequence of the termination of the office of the Directors appointed by the former Manager, and that the Board had decided not to recommend a change, for these reasons: that termination made no difference to the operation of the Board, as the Manager’s nominee Directors made little or no contribution to the management of the Club’s affairs, so that there was no gap in the functioning of the Board that needed to be filled; that Board meetings are attended not only by Directors (including the Hotel Director, when in office) but also by the two Captains and the Club’s General Manager, Secretary and Course Superintendent, all of whom contribute to the management of the Club; and that in the view of the Board adding more Directors to Board meetings and activities would at best achieve no improvement to the efficiency and effectiveness of Board meetings and decisions. A Board of five elected Directors appears to be the “sweet spot” in terms of numbers, so the Board did not recommend a change. The Board also took the view that the role of the Captains in the affairs of the Club was onerous enough and did not need to be augmented by visiting on them the responsibilities of the office of director.
There was, on the other hand, ready acceptance of the changes which saw the conclusion of the relationship with the former Manager.
In the elections that ensued, Peter Gaydon was re-elected as a Director and John Wylie was returned to office as Men’s Captain. We thanked Andrew Gardiner and Glen Kershaw for their willingness to commit to supporting the Club by standing for those two positions.
The minutes of the AGM are in the course of preparation and will be placed on the website in due course.
The entire fleet of new golf carts arrived on Monday while the course was closed for monthly renovations, and they are resplendent in their blue onyx paintwork and camello seating. From all reports the carts are performing well and all have upgraded features over the outgoing carts. The new lease is over 4 years.
During October we were pleased to welcome the following new Members:
Individual – Leesa Christian, Antoine Christian; Intermediate – Kyra Nelson, Bailey Brandtman, Nicholas Duarte, Tyler Adam, Shae Jarvis; 9-hole – Flora Yeoum; Junior – Holly Jennings; Lifestyle – Lawrence Day, Scott Worgan, Ann Baker (returning Member), James Bullock, Mark Jennings, Jonathan Bell, Ian Winn, Mark Evans; and Mentored Juniors – Billy, Teddy and Archer Davenport. We welcome all new Members.
During the AGM there was discussion on the topic of membership, Member rights (including voting) and numbers of Members. The Board had resolved at its October meeting to instigate a review which would consider all these issues, being mindful of the needs of current Members while ensuring that, as senior Members stop playing golf, there is a strong cohort of younger Members coming through to secure the future of the Club. The Board will also be reviewing the balance to be struck between the number of visitors (hotel guests, Member guests and Affiliated (GA holder) visitors) and the Club’s need for revenue from green fees (which contribute annually an amount in the order of $1 million to meeting club expenses).
In last month’s Board Update we noted the resignation of Paul Riley in September and that his last day in the office was 30 September, Paul having agreed to leave his position a little ahead of his final contracted day to give him more flexibility in the move to Sydney. The Board also announced that Matt Shannon would become the interim GM through March 2026 while the Board considers going to market to find a permanent replacement.
During the month we learned of the resignation of two of our great staff – Lee Akers and Hannah Boyd. Lee will take a new position closer to home, 90 minutes from Magenta, and so resume a more normal life with his young family. We wish him well: Lee had quickly become a very popular leader of our golf shop team.
Hannah Boyd will leave in December, returning to her former employer. Hannah has been instrumental in building the Club’s membership and more recently taking on major events. She will be missed not just for her dedication and results but her vibrant personality within the Club. Our best wishes to Hannah.
We announced at the AGM that a new agreement has been reached with Gavin Sutherland who is now the Head Professional at Magenta Shores and is managing the golf shop and all activities dealing with coaching and merchandising. Gavin’s long international history places him ideally for this role.
