Hello!

I am sure we are all excited about Emma Raducanu reaching the US Open final in New York. Her opponent will be Leylah Fernandez, who she beat in the second round of the Wimbledon Juniors, in 2018. Whatever the result, Emma is the first British woman to reach a US final in 53 years and the first EVER female qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final! 

Before I get cracking with this week’s newsletter information, I’d like to share an important communication from our President on the forthcoming AGM, elections and how we propose to run the process.

From The President

I thought it may be helpful for me to communicate with all of you prior to our AGM which takes place at the Club on Friday 15th October at 7pm.

Please do your best to attend. Of course this is formal business which must be conducted but it is also a show of support and respect for the fantastic efforts of those who have devoted so much of their time navigating our Club through a very difficult period. Once it’s over, a visit to the bar will work well on a Friday evening.

The Club’s Directors are elected for a term of three years. That means that four of the current five members of the Board are due to retire or put themselves up for re-election this year. The Board’s fifth member, our current Treasurer, Clive Allenby has a further year to serve before he has to stand for re-election. 

I have attended most of our Board’s meetings although I have no voting rights so I feel it appropriate for me to communicate with you as to how the process will be run.

The articles of association are set out in a document that was prepared and implemented in 2006, when we changed the structure of the Club to a CASC, Community Amateur Sports Club. This gives us certain taxable benefits and a streamlined set of corporate governance rules, including guidance on the formulation of our Board and Committee.

If anyone wishes to see a copy of that document, they may speak to Kim in the office to review it. 

Much has changed since the summer of 2018 following the formulation and implementation of a strategic business plan resulting in a host of changes both visible and invisible. These will be highlighted during the AGM.

That’s not to say that the Club has completed its turnaround and there is much more to be done. With that in mind, I have spoken with those members of the Board who are up for election and they have confirmed that they wish to oversee a continuation of the plans they’ve set in motion and will be putting themselves up for re-election. 

At our AGM in October, we will see elections for the Board and the Committee.

It’s important to distinguish between the two. The Board comprises the formal Directors of the Club who will stand for a term of three years. They are legally responsible as directors and trustees of the Club. Our Committee comprises individuals who take specific responsibility for certain Club activities and functions, reporting to the Board. These are formal roles and a significant element of responsibility goes along with them. 

Our Board Members standing for re-election are;

James Max (Chairman), Victoria Kunzer (Membership), Richard Noel (House & Grounds) and Nick Gough (non-executive Director). Under our constitution, our Board  determine the roles and they have proposed that we keep the current structure in place, subject to a formal vote.

It is important that any elections are carried out in accordance with the articles of association.

Should anyone wish to stand for the Board,

• They must put their name on the sheet which will be placed on the Notice Board in the Clubhouse from this afternoon.
• Nominations must be proposed and seconded by Members.
• Nominations must be made by close of business on Thursday 23rd September 2021.
• If there are further nominations those with the most votes may be elected to the Board by way of a formal vote in person or by proxy at the AGM (should the voting member be unable to attend in person).

For the Committee, there is no formal voting process required, however the Board hopes that everyone will remain in position. Equally, anyone interested in serving on the Committee should place their nomination on the sheet with a Proposer and Seconder.

They should provide a clear indication of the job they wish to perform on the Committee, notably;

Tennis

Squash

Croquet

Walking Football

Gym

Social events

Bar and catering

We can have more than one representative per area subject to the Board agreeing with the nominations and proposals.

I have been the Club’s President for over a decade now and although previous Presidents have stayed in post until their twilight years, I am mindful that the post should add value! It is for the Board to agree my tenure but for the time being, I am happy to offer support and guidance after some 20 years experience in a senior Club role.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please get in touch with the office.

Thank you for your attention.

Martin Tinsley

Club President

Back to our newsletter… My and the Board’s thanks must go to Martin not only for agreeing to assist with the smooth running of our AGM and election process but for the engagement, effort and time he has devoted to serve you, our Members and or Club. Thank you Martin!

This AGM is an important pivotal moment in our Club’s trajectory. Your input, decisions and votes do count.

So to other business! 

Club Championships

What a day! The sun shone, the tennis was fantastic, the buzz around the  Club was amazing and we had a raft of winners and valiant runners up too! We’ll post a full list of everyone involved on the website whilst also ensuring that the shiny Honours Boards are updated and cups engraved. Thanks must go to Clare Young for finding and looking after the Club’s silverware, to Pete Richmond for organising the events and to all of you who took part. Thank you! Meanwhile we hope to restore our cups and display them where you can see them too!

Tennis

Floodlights/Bubble

On Monday evening 4 players took to the hard courts to play a tie-break under the floodlights.

They reported that the lighting came on instantaneously and that no one was dazzled by the lights during the tie-break. The net on court A was illuminated very well and there was an absence of dark spots.

This has been a large investment to support our winter play inside the bubble. Alongside the contractor who installed the LED lights, we must once again thank Richard Baldwin for completing the replacement of the generator/control shed, now in metal on a concrete base (hidden from view).

And just a note to observe. As we all know, tennis can be a frustrating game. It is important that emotions are controlled and under no circumstances should the bubble be struck with a racket, arm or foot. A replacement is north of £20k and any damage leads to premature failure so we must protect our investment. Culprits will be named, shamed and held financially responsible for any damage caused. 

Meanwhile… Wivenhoe Tennis Club have been in touch!

Wivenhoe Tennis Club has organised a winter league for clubs in the area for about 20 years.  They have contacted us to see if we would like to enter teams into the competition for the 2021-22 winter season.

The matches are held under the floodlights at Wivenhoe and Kirby tennis clubs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7pm — the matches are well spread out: you won’t be playing all the nights in the same week!  There will be separate ladies’, men’s and mixed leagues.  Fees are £5 per person per match.

Setting aside getting in touch if you are interested… if there’s a volunteer to run our involvement – please can you get in touch with Clare Young or the office to discuss! 

The bubble is now up and bookings are now open online!

Very soon we’ll be launching our Winter competition and box league as well as a new adult Members’ coaching programme we’ll keep you posted.

Squash

We are currently moving forward with a complete overhaul of our squash coaching and tournament offer. This has been spearheaded by Gavin Downing and Jack Bruce. They’ve been able to persuade Vickie Prowe to assist and the plans are underway. All the details will be published soon. With this new offer we hope to make squash a more vibrant part of our club and to offer a range of coaching, social and tournament led activities. 

Croquet

Works are eminent! The new croquet lawn is being sown and works are due to commence again on the 15th September with a view to a grand opening next year! 

Gym

There’s a lot of work being done at the moment to bring our gym to life. With our new equipment, exciting offer that Katy and her team have designed and a continual focus on delivery of quality equipment, classes and training – we hope that our gym is the best in the locality! If you’d like more information? Do get in touch.

Sunday Lunch

As we have mentioned, Chef is due to return to work after his successful cancer treatment. What better way to welcome him back than to book Sunday Lunch?! We’ll have two sittings at 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Sunday 3rd October. We’ll let you know as soon as the menu has been finalised and booking online goes live!

Christmas

Our Christmas arrangements are coming together so why not book a party for you, your family, fiends or even work colleagues? The menu looks epic and really delicious! We very much hope you’ll book ASAP! You can book via the website. 

New Year’s Eve

I know it seems like a long way away… but why not book early as we’ll be hosting some delicious fine dining and fun disco dancing to say goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022 at the Club. This will be the first time in a number of years that we’ve been able to host such an event. It will be Black Tie and a wonderful way to celebrate the New Year. Book Now! Again, via the website. 

Cinema on Sea and Frinton Literary Festival

As you know, our friends at Caxton Books and the Summer Theatre have been part of our Club this year. Our partnership continues. With that in mind, we thought you’d like to know that Cinema-on-Sea will reopen on Saturday 18th September at the McGregor Hall.  Nomadland and Let Him Go are the first two movies on offer… do go and have a look at the website or book via Caxton Books if you’re interested.

Meanwhile the Frinton Literary Festival runs from Thursday 21^st – Sunday 24^th October with a range of events both at our Club and at the McGrigor Hall. Details are on www.frintonliteraryfestival.com including a literary lunch, some fantastic authors visiting our town, a children’s event and some crime and wine! Check out the website for more details or pick up a flyer at the Club!

There won’t be a newsletter from me next week but I’ll be back with some musings in a fortnight as we head towards our AGM.

Final day on the grass courts is Sunday 19th September by the way. Enjoy!

Have a lovely week.

James Max

Club Chairman