March 2018
Dear members,
Summer is a few short months away, and we are planning another great season of sailing, tennis, watersports, camp, and special events at the Brome Lake Boating Club.
Staff news
Staff hiring is nearly complete for the 2018 season. Scott Crawford returns as Club Manager. We welcome Maxime Fecteau from the Royal St-Lawrence Yacht Club as our new Head of Sailing and Race Team Coach. Vincent Tardif from Orize returns as Head Tennis Pro and Timothy Quinn returns as Head of Waterfront. Long-time member, Philippe Miller, takes on the canteen for the first time. Many more staff are returning and we’ll have some new faces, too.
New programs
We plan to issue a 2018 BLBC Members Handbook to explain all that the Club has to offer and to communicate our policies and procedures. Stay tuned for more as we approach the camp opening. Meanwhile, please consult www.clublacbrome.com. Below are a few highlights of what’s new.
By popular request, we will pilot a canoe program and paddleboarding this summer. Private lessons will be available to all members and guests, and we will introduce canoeing in the day camp program on a trial basis.
The Club will purchase new canoes, paddles, and stand-up paddleboards for the upcoming season. Now is your chance to stamp your name on the Club. Name your canoe for $500, paddle board for $250, or paddle for $30. To make your contribution, please notify us at info@clublacbrome.com. We will circle back when it is time to choose how you want to name the equipment.
The Knowlton Golf Club is generously extending certain privileges to BLBC members this summer. Our younger members can enjoy beginner golf instruction for free on Thursdays and Semi-private lessons for $20 per session on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 5:30 pm from July 10 to August 16. The Golf Club will open their dining room to all BLBC members for dinner on June 14, July 12 and August 9. See the full details on the Knowlton Golf Club announcement.
Camp and CIT Registration
Camp registrations are growing from year to year, hitting capacity for some age groups in the second half of July. Members are encouraged to register for camp as early as possible, starting March 6, and before guest registration begins May 1. Every effort will be made to accommodate demand, but we must respect the staff/camper ratio and the capacity on the courts and on the boats to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
The CIT program continues to build momentum. Last summer, seventeen young members volunteered 758 hours to help supervise campers and gain valuable job training and experience. Once again, Junior CITs aged 13 and 14 will help supervise campers in the morning and participate in organized activities in the afternoon, including tennis, sailing, canoeing, paddle boarding, and water skiing. Register on the Camp Registration form. A weekly fee applies and optional extras may be charged for water skiing. CITs aged 15 and 16 help supervise campers full days. To apply for a CIT position, please complete the CIT Registration form on the website.
Junior Club will offer evening activities for teens. Past events have included movies in Cowansville or at the Club, water sliding in Bromont, and dinner at the Knowlton Marina. Please contact Emily Ritchie if you have ideas or would like to assist in organizing Junior Club activities.
Membership, Fees, and Volunteering
Participation rates have grown while membership has remained steady. The number of members’ boats moored at the Club grew by 50% last year, and some camps reached capacity in July. The time has come to raise the entrance fees for new members and begin a waiting list for some membership categories to ensure the quality and availability of our programs and facilities to all members.
After several years with no fee increases, a nominal increase of roughly 3% will be applied to all dues and fees for the 2018 season to offset inflation and a rising minimum wage.
We run a lean Club to keep fees affordable, which is made possible by the spirit of our members who generously donate their time and money to create the BLBC community. Many members volunteer countless hours to develop programs, organize events, maintain facilities, procure and repair equipment, install and remove docks, design and order merchandise, plant and weed the garden and grounds, clean the club on a daily basis, oversee the staff, organize insurance, update the website, maintain relations with other clubs and the local community, and govern our Club.
This year we will launch a Volunteer program to recognize members’ efforts and to provide opportunities for more members to get involved. A list of volunteering opportunities will be posted and you are welcome to suggest your own ideas to our Club Manager. The annual Volunteer Day in May will multiply to a series of volunteer days through the summer, though you are welcome to get involved whenever your schedule permits.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch with us at the mailboxes below.
Looking forward to sharing another great summer with all of you at the Brome Lake Boating Club!
Sincerely,
Shane Velan on behalf of the BLBC Board of Directors
info@clublacbrome.com
Members of the Board of Directors
Kim Alepin, Co-head of Sailing and Communications Committee
Sara Bradeen, Head of Social and Green Committees
Thane Calder, Co-head of Sailing Committee
Gilles Lamarche
Heidi Lange, Head of Tennis and Membership Committees
Emily Ritchie, Head of Day Camp, CIT Program, Swimming, and Staff Committees
Brigitte Roy, Secretary
Stephen Sager, Treasurer and Head of Facilities and Maintenance Committee
Shane Velan, President and Head of Finance and Infrastructure Committee
Donna Zamiska, Co-head of Communications Committee, Head of Community Engagement Committee
March 2017
Dear members,
We are preparing for another great season of sailing, tennis, watersports, camp, and special events. I would like to take this time to thank Heidi Lange for her three years of strong leadership as the Club President. I am looking forward to working with our fabulous and dedicated Board of Directors, who continue to volunteer their time to ensure that the BLBC is a magical place for us all for years to come.
Returning staff leaders
We are pleased to announce that Scott Crawford has been hired as our new Club Manager. Scott is in his second year at McGill studying Economics and has worked at the club as a BLBC day camp counselor, where he has proven himself to be a responsible, enthusiastic leader. Scott will be joined by Antoine Brouillard who is returning as Head Sailing Coach, our seasoned tennis pros Vincent Tardif and Guillaume Jacob as well as many other returning staff.
Get ready for camp registration
Sailing, Tennis, and Day Camp registration starts today for members. Camps (day camp, sailing and/or tennis) will run for up to 9 weeks from June 26 to August 25. Capacity for camps is limited, so please register early. Visit the camp registration form to get started.
Sailing, Tennis, and Day Camp registration schedule:
- Begins March 7 for returning members
- Begins March 17 for new members
- Begins May 2 for guests and non-members
Mark your calendar
Come prepare the grounds on Volunteer Day on May 6. Then kick off the summer at our Opening Potluck BBQ on June 24. Invite your friends to this open house event: a great way to introduce people to the Club at no charge. Visit the calendar for information about Tuesday BBQs and other social events, sailing races, tennis tournaments, the annual regatta, and more.
You can subscribe to the BLBC calendar feed by clicking on the button below the calendar to receive the latest info on your mobile device or digital calendar.
Services back by popular demand
Our many popular offerings introduced last year in the Sailing, Tennis, Day Camp and Junior Club/CIT programs will continue this year.
The revamped Sailing Youth program and Junior Race program realized more than 40% growth in participation year-over-year. Our reputation is growing as a fun and competitive sailing program with 2016 nominations from the Fédération de voile du Québec placing BLBC in the top 4 sailing clubs/schools, Antoine Brouillard as instructor of the year, and Howsen Cup as event of the year! Several of our sailors went on to compete nationally and internationally since last summer.
The Tennis program will expand with lessons on demand in the shoulder seasons before the Opening BBQ and after Labour Day weekend.
The Junior Club carves out activities for teens. The CIT program will continue to provide a role for teen members to participate in camps while gaining valuable work experience that prepares them for future summer jobs.
We are also happy to have Zack Shine’s Snack Shack return for a second year.
Our Club is what we make of it
The BLBC community relies on countless member volunteers to create the programs, manage and maintain facilities, plan events, and bring new ideas to improve the Club for all of our enjoyment. We are introducing committees led by Board members to provide contact points for all members to get involved. If you have ideas and want to lend a hand in shaping the BLBC, refer to the committee descriptions and get in touch with the committee heads through Scott Crawford at manager@cublacbrome.com.
Looking for your help with facility and equipment improvements
This year’s improvement priorities are docks, sailboats, safety boats, equipment storage, fleet repairs, and updating the canteen appliances. Collecting used equipment from our community is a first step in our Green initiatives and allows us to spend on other improvements. We are looking for contributions toward equipment improvements:
- Stove, fridge and/or freezer in good working condition for the canteen
- Sailboats, canoes, paddleboards, paddles
If you are interested to donate any of the above, please get in touch with Scott Crawford at manager@clublacbrome.com.
Policy updates
The Intermediate membership category will be lowered from 13 to 12 years of age to allow more campers to enjoy full membership privileges.
The non-member and guest policy is revised to limit participation to one week per summer. Non-members and guests have been permitted in the Sailing camps and Tennis camps over the past few summers to raise participation rates. All non-member and guest participants in sailing and tennis over the two previous summers will be invited personally to join as members to enjoy the Club all summer long.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch with me. Looking forward to sharing another great summer with all of you at the BLBC!
Sincerely,
Shane Velan on behalf of the BLBC Board of Directors
info@clublacbrome.com
Members of the Board of Directors
Kim Alepin, Co-head of Sailing and Communications Committees
Sara Bradeen, Head of Social and Green Committees
Thane Calder, Co-head of Sailing Committee
Gilles Lamarche
Heidi Lange, Head of Tennis and Staff Committees
Emily Ritchie, Head of Day Camp, Swimming, and Staff Committees
Brigitte Roy, Secretary
Stephen Sager, Treasurer and Head of Facilities and Maintenance Committee
Shane Velan, President and Head of Finance and Infrastructure Committee
Donna Zamiska, Co-head of Communications Committee, Head of Community Engagement Committee
September 2016
Dear Members,
Our beautiful summer 2016 is already coming to an end. Last Saturday, at our Annual General Meeting, we presented our financial results to the members which turned out to be very positive. We had a true success with the regattas, the sailing as well as with their new programs introduced this season; day camps went very well, our new program for juniors had a good start; again, our tennis pros enabled our children to step up their game, and finally, Zack delighted us with his lunches, snacks and goodies. The weather was beautiful, which allowed members to fully enjoy our Club. As always, our instructors worked relentlessly to ensure the well-being of our children and the smooth running of the Club activities.
This year again, I want to credit our renewed success to the tremendous efforts and dedication of the members. It is due to your unfailing support and your participation to the activities that the Club maintains its stellar reputation, remains a magical site and continues to grow.
I have been President of the Club since 2014 and it has been a real honor and pleasure. It is now time for me to hand over the presidency to someone else. I am therefore very proud to announce the election of Shane Velan as President of the BLBC. Shane has been a member of the Board for the last three years. He is not only an experienced businessman but he also knows the Club very well. As a child, he spent his summers at the Club and his children are now attending the day camps. Shane will certainly be very committed in maintaining the culture and spirit of the Club and will certainly take it to another level of success.
We have many reasons to celebrate our past accomplishments and to envision the future with optimism. We have tremendously improved our infrastructures, through, amongst other things, the relentless efforts of Stephen Sager and other committed believers, our selection of activities and the operation of the Club in general have also improved over the years. Transitions open new opportunities, and I am convinced that Shane will be ready to seize them and meet the new challenges ahead of him with dynamism.
I wish to thank all board members whole heartedly who supported me during my presidency. Without their support, we would not have been able to reach such a level of excellence. Each and every one of them devoted considerable time and effort in planning and preparation of Club activities in order to ensure that all programs ran as smooth as anticipated. It is a constant commitment which is essential to the Club’s development and members’ satisfaction.
Again, I would like to wish Shane all the success in the world as he takes on new promising paths.
Hoping to see you all next year at the Club and that the rest of the year is enjoyable for you.
Heidi Lange
Retiring BLBC President
March 2016
To all members,
Summer is approaching very fast and we are looking forward to seeing you all at the Brome Lake Boating Club, as well as greeting new members with a range of new activities. Last summer, all programs including swimming, sailing and tennis activities along with day camps were a true success and member participation to events was remarkable.
Our intention is to offer you another great summer with a variety of activities and events. The sailing committee is also very excited to present you with their new sailing programs and activities.
You will find the details, schedules as well as fees for all programs on the web site. Once again, we have recruited a great team of experienced staff members who are very excited and look forward to sharing fun moments with you.
Full session Day Camps will be running from Monday, June 20th, 2016 until Friday, July 29th , 2016 for all age groups. In addition, we will be offering half-day camp services for children of seven (7) years and older from Monday, August 1st, 2016 to Friday, August 12th.
Sailing Camps will also be offered to members and non-members throughout the summer from the week of June 20th, 2016 to August 12th, 2016. As mentioned above, our sailing committee has worked very hard to introduce to the sailors a variety of new programs and activities. In the Youth Sailing Program, you will find a camp for young sailors between the ages of 5 to 7, Wet Feet is designed to help young sailors feel comfortable on the water and to experience the sport of sailing in the most positive way. For fun and adventure, there is the Adventure Sailing camp in which teens will sail away for three days and two nights. Our Racing Program has been revamped and a Learn to Race class added for those who would like learn dinghy racing. It is also possible to register for the Race Team for the whole summer. We have added two new weekend classes, Family Sailing and Adult Sailing, which are designed specifically for families and adults. Finally, we continue to offer Private Lessons to accommodate your schedule, reservations required. Please take a look at our events calendar for news on weekly Saturday Races, Catamaran Race, Howson and Fisher Cups. These activities will be organized by our professional sailing instructors with the support of the sailing committee members.
In addition to the tennis activities and programs offered during the summer, we will also offer Tennis Camps to members and non-members that will run from Monday, August 1st, 2016 until Friday, August 26th, 2016. Our tennis pros, Ricky Twynam, Vincent Tardif and Guillaume Jacob from Orize will be returning and are looking forward to this summer. In fact, this summer Ricky will be organizing in August a two (2) week competitive camps and Ricky will be recruiting competitive tennis players to take part in these camps.
This summer, Caroline Des Rosiers will be assuming the role of BLBC Manager, therefore overseeing the management of all day camps, sailing camps and tennis camps.
It is our pleasure to welcome Zack Shine who will take over the management of the Snack Shack this summer.
Our famous Tuesday evening BBQs with La Ferme à la Table will begin June 28th , 2016 and will continue until August 9th, 2016.
With regards to initiation fees and annual dues, we made the decision to freeze these fees for 2016. The small contribution to capital fund will remain the same as last year.
The objectives for the Brome Lake Boating Club this summer are:
- To ensure members live a great experience during their summer at the BLBC
- To ensure the sustainability of the Club while reinforcing its image within the Knowlton community.
- To help contribute to the Knowlton community as a whole and to the Club members’ wellbeing so as to ensure that as many families, tennis fans and sailing lovers, continue to enjoy and discover this exceptional environment – a true gem.
- To ensure sound management of operations in order to maintain the financial health of the Club.
- To continue to invest in maintaining the quality of the equipment and the facilities.
The input and participation of members are important to the Board. I invite members who wish to bring specific subjects to the Board’s attention or to make suggestions to contact me.
We have the privilege to be surrounded by a dynamic and enthusiastic Board without which, the pursuit of the existing objectives and the launch of future projects for the Brome Lake Boating Club would not be possible. I have listed the Members of our team below. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Marc Trudel and Sandrine Duffar who contributed immensely in the enhancement of the sailing programs and activities.
Members of the Board of Directors
Kim Alepin
Sara Bradeen
Thane Calder
Gilles Lamarche
Heidi Lange, President
Emily Ritchie
Brigitte Roy, Secretary
Stephen Sager, Treasurer
Shane Velan
Donna Zamiska
Looking forward to sharing another great summer with all of you at the Brome Lake Boating Club,
Heidi Lange
President
Brome Lake Boating Club
info@clublacbrome.com
