My Farewell Report
It was hard for me to say no when Phil Dunham asked me to join the BOC Board in the fall of 2002. Phil was the current president and had been involved with the BOC for nearly 80 years at that time. I joined in 2002 and became president in 2004. With the support of a hard-working board, we faced many challenges and growing pains while making some significant improvements along the way.
We renovated the men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, replaced the porch, and made numerous repairs on the clay courts at the tennis facility. We secured an agreement with the Brattleboro Country Club to utilize their facilities for our cross-country skiers. Generous grants totaling $21,000 from the Brattleboro Outing Club Education Fund (BOCEF) helped us purchase much needed equipment for our cross-country program and provided tennis scholarships for children. We launched the Row-BOC program in 2007; and finally, the BOC website was improved. Members can now register for our programs online.
The Harris Hill Ski Jump Committee (HHSJ) spun off from the BOC so that it could become a non-profit organization to raise money to renovate the ski jump facility; the annual jumping event had been the BOC’s main fundraiser from 1922-2005. It was great to see the jump restored and open again in 2009. We have maintained a great affiliation with the HHSJ and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial one for many years to come.
I urge all of you and your families to take advantage of the many wonderful programs BOC has to offer: tennis, paddling, and sculling in the spring, summer, and fall; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to each and every BOC volunteer. I wish I could personally shake your hands to acknowledge all you’ve done. You are the genuine spirit and backbone of our club, which would not exist without your dedication, time, and hard work. Thanks to you, we have been able to keep membership rates incredibly low.
I am stepping down as president in November, but will remain an active member of the board. Andrew MacFarland is our new BOC president. I urge you to support Andrew, the board, and program committees to continue the BOC tradition: “For Good Sports.”
The BOC will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2012. I encourage you and your family to become more involved in the BOC to make it the most vibrant outdoor club in New England.
In closing, I would like to thank our current board members for all they do behind the scenes. It has been my privilege and honor to serve as you president over these many years.
Respectfully submitted,
Dave Twombly
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