Finance: Randy presented the current state of our finances as we start the year and we have a balance of over $2,500 on hand. 

We are in the process of changing banks to Access National at the request of one of our members, Andy Kalin, who is a VP at the bank.  This is an indication of how we would like us all to interact, by using fellow member's services.  For example, if you want to sell a house or obtain financing talk to Liam (anyone else?), redo your basement talk to Stevie or Trevor (anyone else?), get investment advice talk to Ed Skelly (anyone else?) or purchase bomb proof trash cans talk to Jack (NO ONE else!).  Seriously though, this is a part of the reason for such a society.

Our forms for our 501C 7 corporation have been updated.  Thanks again to Ed Skelly for assisting us with this.

We received a nice thank you letter from The Fisher House for our $1,000 donation which will be placed on the wall at Ned's along with the other letters.

Renewals are going up to $130 to adjust for the raise in the VSGA handicap fee and they include the 4 raffle tickets as usual. We would appreciate immediate payment but by 4/1 at the latest or you will be removed from the membership list.  Thanks!

January/February tournaments:  It was decided that we will not have formal events in these next two months.  If the weather surprises us please look out for short notice of informal events.

March trip:  Stay tuned later today for final details but we are now planning on Orange National in Orlando the first weekend in March (3/1, 3/2 and 3/3).  The cost for flights, 2 nights villa style accommodation, transportation, 3 rounds of golf, breakfast each day will be less than $700.  We will be booking this week on Jet Blue and need names immediately.  If you feel strongly that you can go but can definitely commit let us know anyway.  We don't have to firm the names up until the end of January.

2008 courses:  We are looking at new courses this year and the current list is Herndon, Locust Hill (Charlestown), Old Hickory, Raspberry Falls, Pleasant Valley, South Riding (we are committed to 4 events in return for home course status), Virginia Oaks, Shenandoah Valley and Rock Harbor (Winchester).  A calendar will be published within a month after approval at the next committee meeting.

Separate tees, flighting and handicap adjustments: All of these options were discussed and it was discussed that we will continue to use the same tees for everyone (except red for the ladies) but that we would adjust handicaps to the slope and tees of the course we are playing.  This will make it fairer for everyone.

As for flighting we decided against that as the prize money will be diluted.  However, before the first event we will divide the membership into 2 equal flights (you will stay in your flight for the year).  We will be charging $80 per event and by the end of the year we will have approximately $2,000 to be divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for each flight.  The winners will be based on 4 best net scores throughout the year.

Event pairing draws: Each event we will break the committed players into A,B,C and D categories based on handicap and the pairings will consist of one player from each category.  The strokeplay will be an exception where we will continue to pair from low handicap to high.

There will be a MAXIMUM of 48 for each event except the strokeplay so sign up early or you will miss out.

Strokeplay:  We are returning to Shenandoah for a 27 hole strokeplay event similar to earlier years. We will rent a luxury coach and leave Ned's after breakfast to go to the course.  Lunch will be provided at the course.  This has been a great event in previous years and has been largely sponsored by the society.

Event formats:  For many reasons we are again going to use the stableford system as the basis for most events: to speed up play, to standardize for the flight and Ryder Cup qualifications and  for ease of calculation of results.  The exception is that we will start the year with a fun scramble event, probably in Herndon.

Matchplay rules:  We are changing several rules this year:

1.  In the first round the top player chooses the course and the bottom player chooses the tees and in the second round the opposite applies.  This continues to change through the tournament

2.  No country clubs are eligible unless the opponent agrees.

3.  Only courses that the society has played an event on are eligible.

4   We will be offering prize money to everyone that achieves the round of 16 as follows: $100 for last 16, $200 for last 8, $500 for last 4, $1500 for 2nd and $3,000 for first.  Remember that 1st and 2nd would pick up the other round prize money along the way.

Prizes: The majority of events (not the scramble or strokeplay) will be paid as follows $250 for first, $125 for second and $80 for third with two free rounds for each of two closest to the pins.  Depending on arrangements the prizes may be paid in golf store vouchers.

Raffle: Please realize the importance of this event as the major fund raiser for the year.  We have 600 tickets only for sale with a first prize of 4 round trip airfares to Ireland with car and accommodation (or SSH! $4,000 cash) and 5 $100 consolation prizes.  With the 4 tickets in the renewal fee we will have about 250 to sell.  The last two years we were left with over 100 tickets leaving us over $2000 in our fund raising.  To spur sales each of the committee has committed to selling 10 more.  We are also offering 5 free tickets to the person who sells the most.  We must sell 600 this year so please help.  the tickets will be available in two weeks and the draw will be held after the April event.  If each of you sold 1 or two more tickets in 4 months we would be home free!

Charity for 2008:  We decided to stick with the Fisher House for this year given that our country is still at war and this charity builds housing near hospitals so wounded heroes' families can stay with them as they recuperate.  A great cause!  www.fisherhouse.org

Ryder Cup:  Wayne and Stevie will again be Captains for this years event.  We will have 20 a side and qualification will be made from the low three net scores through the year.  There will be 16 automatic qualifiers and 4 Captain's picks.

Sponsorship:  We have not done a good job with this in the past other than a few members being generous such as Liam, Wayne, Pat, Jack and a few others.  Jack has agreed to take on the role of attracting local retailers to give us even a few hundred for a tournament.  This will have a huge beneficial impact on the things we can do for the society.  Andre and I are going after the bigger fish such as Dicks or Washington Golf.  To assist us it is critical that we have demographics that we can explain to potential large contributors.  With this in mind i will be sending a questionnaire with some basic demographic questions.  PLEASE return those questionnaires and help us raise some more money.  We are also looking to get an auto dealer to sponsor some holes in one competition with a new car.  Sponsors will get access to our email address list and the ability to pitch their services to the membership.

Golf instruction and golf retail partners:  This year again the John O'Leary Golf Academy will be offering substantial discounts to our membership.  Stay tuned for details.  thanks again to our fellow member, John O'Leary and Butch, his trusty sidekick.

Handicaps: We continue to struggle with handicaps although we believe we are getting close.  Jim Gormley has been volunteered to act as handicap chairperson and will be responsible for entering every score from each tournament.  It is everyone else's responsibility to keep entering scores on line or at Pleasant Valley for each round you play through the year.  Country club members must email us at the start of each month with an updated printed out of your handicap.  Stay tuned for details that will surface after I pick Jim up off the floor!

Thanks and here's to a great year.  REMEMBER SIGN UP EARLY OR YOU WILL MISS OUT.

Dave