-- January 2010 --

Annual Membership Meeting Summary - The annual meeting was held on Wednesday,

Oct. 14, 2009, at the Bowie Knights of Columbus from 7-8:30 PM.  Forty-three (43) member families were represented.  In an effort to speed up the meeting and allow more time for discussion and feedback, a PowerPoint briefing was presented that covered the financial report, membership and maintenance status, and each of the three program committee reports – swimming, tennis, and social.  The discussion after the briefing primarily centered on the performance of our management company (CPI) in 2009.  Food and refreshments were offered after the meeting and were enjoyed by many who attended.  A copy of the annual financial report will be sent to anyone who requests it by sending an e-mail to the treasurer. 

The raffle for 50% off the 2010 maintenance dues was won by Jeanne Calderon.  

There were four open positions for the Board, and five candidates running for those positions. The openings included the normal three (3) year terms and one vacancy.  Kevin Kylus, Lisa Martin and Kathy Levins were each elected to three (3) year terms on the board.  Katie Tyeryar received the 4^th highest vote total and will fill the remainder of the vacated term. 

The BSR Board of Director positions for 2010 were finalized at the November Board meeting and are listed below.  Thinking about some good family-oriented community service?  Then consider running for the board to fill one of the three positions that will be opening up in September 2010.

Over the winter months the BSR board has been working hard to make the upcoming swim and tennis season another enjoyable experience for you and your families.  The social, swim, and tennis programs will build on the successes of the past and each of the committee chairs welcome your comments and feedback and help with their committee responsibilities.  Please feel free to contact them directly at the e-mail addresses listed above. 

Pool Management Contract - We heard your concerns throughout the year and at the annual meeting regarding the management company.  We received many contract proposals, and have selected Benchmark Pool Management Inc. to run our club for the 2010 season.  They are a small local company that will understand the needs of a community pool like ours.  The board expects that Benchmark will give BSR and its members the attention and service we expect.  We will meet with Benchmark regularly before the season and will form a task force to meet with them to review pool rules and procedures.  More information on our new management company can be found on our website.
 

Membership Drive 2010 – We are happy to announce that for the 3rd year in a row, our membership fee will remain the same. No increase again this year!  And also this year, there will be a Paypal option on our website, offering you an easy way to pay your annual maintenance fee. (A small convenience fee will apply if this option is used).  Kathy Levins appreciates your thoughts and help with membership this year.  We are interested in different and innovative advertising approaches.  Please contact Kathy with suggestions or contact information.  Please let Kathy or any board member know if you have a neighbor or friend who might be interested in joining the club.

Swim Team - Abbie (Thompson) Greer will be back as Head Coach for BSR in 2010.  She, along with her assistant coaches, did an outstanding job last year and we are looking forward to more of the same this summer.  We cannot thank those parents enough whose dedication makes this team possible each season.  Please remember, we will again need parents to support the team through volunteering to make this summer a success.  The first PMSL dual meet is Saturday, June 19^th and BSR will remain in the ‘B’ Division.  If you are interested in donating your time or talents to support the swim team please contact swim chair Kevin Kylus or any board member. Please look for information soon regarding fundraisers and the calendar of events.

Tennis Program - The tennis courts remain in good shape, and we will be ready for a great year of tennis lessons and tennis team.  If you have any suggestions on the overall tennis program, Mike Schumacher will gladly receive your comments.  

Social Committee - Sam Graham is putting together the social calendar for next season and he welcomes your input and support with his committee functions.  We will again have eight late Saturday night closings, and will have family activities on most of these nights. We plan to have more movie nights this year since they were very popular last year.  An adult party is also being considered.  Based on the success of our horseshoe tournament held on July 4^th, we are considering developing a horseshoe league.  Although no details have been discussed, we would like to get an idea of the interest level among our members for this and similar activities.  We have also discussed the possibility of holding a regular volleyball night, or even gathering a BSR volleyball team and contacting the other Bowie pools to have some “competitive” games. Neither activity would require previous skill, but may have age restrictions.  See our website (www.BSRbarracudas.com) for details, or contact Sam.

 Maintenance Committee - We have several projects that we will be working on throughout the off-season including replacement and/or repair of the water damaged walls in the men’s shower area and furniture repair and/or replacement.  In addition, we will be compiling and prioritizing a list of needed repairs throughout the property. We are hoping to capitalize on the expertise of our membership to help complete the various repairs required each year to prepare the facility for opening after the long fall and winter break.  Each year we have to contend with broken water pipes, various electrical issues, broken fences as well as trash pickup and painting to remediate the vandalism that occurs throughout the school year.  We will be sending the usual emails as reminders regarding the Spring Volunteer Days on April 24^th and May 1st (rain date May 8^th). We would also ask that any members who are unable to make it to the volunteer days who are interested and capable of assisting with the repairs listed above to contact us.  We will try to accommodate anyone’s schedule.  Remember that working at BSR can count for community service for teenagers.  Helping to maintain our aging facility can be a good workout, fun, and always saves the membership thousands of dollars.  Your help will be remembered and rewarded with an invitation to the 2010 Volunteer Night Party.  Mike Farina, Mike Schumacher and the Maintenance Committee would appreciate your help.  We will provide lunch for each Volunteer Day.

Grounds Committee – Although our grounds are arguably the best in Bowie, there is always room for improvement.  The board has discussed some potential improvements to our grounds for the 2010 season.  First and foremost, our efforts will focus on safety concerns; but can also include aesthetic and logistical improvements.  First, we do plan on installing permanent grill stations in addition to keeping a few mobile grills.  There has been some discussion on a need to repair the horseshoe area, including the spectator “seats” built into the hill and protective netting around the small playground.  Some members have expressed a desire to improve the condition of the volleyball court/area so we will be looking into those improvements.  As board members have done in past years, we will be conducting a walk-through to assess needs and will soon be developing a list of priorities.  Please send any recommendations for repairs/improvements to Lisa Martin or any other board member.  In addition, we would like to request that anyone with the skill, time, equipment, and/or materials to consider volunteering.  Although weather will continue to be a barrier, we can be available most weekends should anyone have the time to volunteer.

Snack Bar – Our snack bar is open for the sole purpose of providing a service and convenience to our members, so we aim to provide the largest variety and best quality food and service. In the past, we have had a great group of members with interest in working in the snack bar, which we anticipate will continue this year.  If you or your child (legal working age only – work permit is required) is interested in summer employment in the snack bar, please contact Lisa Martin or any other board member.  Looking toward the 2010 season, we will work with previous employees and members to discuss improvements and potential menu changes, etc.  Please feel free to send us your suggestions. 

Greeting from our Management Company – Greetings to all Belair Swim and Racquet Club members.  Benchmark Pool Management, Inc. is very excited to be at BSR for the summer season of 2010.  We are looking forward to getting to know all of you and providing you with excellent service throughout the summer.  Once again we are very excited to be here and cannot wait for the summer to arrive.  See you all at the pool!
Matt & Brian
Benchmark Pool Management, Inc.

Survey Says - Those members who have not already filled out a BSR Member Survey may still download it from the web site at http://www.bsrbarracudas.com/Member_Survey.html and either e-mail it to us or mail it to BSR, PO Box 499, Bowie, MD 20718.   

Pool Hours - The pool hours will remain the same as last year and will be posted on the website.  We will again stay open until 10:00 or 11:00 P.M. on eight Saturday nights in the middle of the summer, and will have special events on all Saturday nights we are open late.

Please send the webmaster a note with your current e-mail address and we’ll make sure to add you to the membership distribution list. webmaster@BSRbarracudas.com

Important Dates for 2010:

Ø     Saturday, April 24^th, 2010 – Volunteer Day #1                                  9AM – 3PM

Ø     Saturday, May 1^st, 2010 – Volunteer Day #2                                     9AM – 3PM

Ø     Saturday, May 8^th, 2010 – Volunteer Day (Rain Date)                      9AM – 3PM

Ø     Saturday & Sunday – May 22^nd & 23^rd, 2010 – Open House             1PM – 5PM

Ø     Saturday May 29^th, 2010 – Opening Day

Best Wishes in 2010.

 BSR Board of Directors

www.BSRbarracudas.com