May 31, 2022 Message to the Membership
Posted on May 31, 2022 in Message to the Membership
They say two words to avoid using are always and never. (Who exactly are ‘they’ anyway? They sure seem to know a lot.) Anyways, back to the usage of always and never; it’s likely best to avoid them because they are absolutes. In other words, they leave very little room for variables.
Those that have attended outdoor NSBA events, such as the annual Golf Classic, for instance, may have heard me say that ‘The sun always shines on the NSBA’. Which is almost always true, but, as we found out last week at our sold-out Golf Classic, indeed not always.
We had a mixed bag of weather, including glorious sunshine in the early part of the day, followed by some overcast skies mixed in with the odd shower and some crazy wind gusts.
The reason I’ve said that ‘The sun always shines on the NSBA is, well, because it certainly seems that way. The start of the legend began back in 2010, my first year in this role. That spring was an unusually wet one. In fact, we had some amount of rain in 20 days of a 21-day stretch. Guess which one of them was dry? Yep, you guessed it, the last Wednesday in May, which is the date of our Classic.
Since then, and including last week’s less-than-arid round, we’ve only had one other Golf Classic that was marred by wet weather. That was in 2018, when a downpour absolutely took over Moon Lake Golf Course and sent golfers scurrying for cover. Several of the golfers left, but more than half waited it out in the hospitality tent (the bar service undoubtedly helped), and after about an hour’s time, we were able to go back and finish the round-off.
But what I really wanted to talk about regarding last week’s tournament, was just how incredibly happy and grateful people are just to be back together again. I’ve said it before, at other events that we’ve held, but this time it was even more accentuated. People are excited to be networking again.
Those who have been there know why our Golf Classic is so popular. It’s why members of Riverside and Saskatoon Golf and Country Clubs grab their bags out of storage and haul them to Moon Lake. Those of you who don’t know, bear with me as I try to explain some of its appeal. You might want to experience it first-hand come next year (remember that when I say that it sells out every year!)
Following your registration, where you’re given a goodie bag with a sleeve of balls and tees, gift certificates and a snack, it starts off with a burger and a beer (for those inclined). Or if you’re a purist, you can go to the driving range or putting green, which are free and available to anyone interested.
Then it’s onto the tournament itself, which is a Texas scramble, par-golf tournament. This format helps with the speed of play, making it possible to play the round in five hours or less.
Whether you register as a team, a partial team or an individual, our golf committee puts extra attention into the draw to ensure that networking is optimal. Our hole sponsors do everything they can to appeal to the masses. There are holes where goodies such as chips, chocolate bars, granola bars, water and Gatorade are available.
There are others where the options are a little more of the adult-beverage variety, and then there’s the Ambassador Tour undertaken by myself and our Board Chair, Tracy Arno, where more liquid courage is available. There’s also a beverage token given to each golfer as well. Suffice it to say, you won’t be dehydrated.
Following the round, every team is given a prize that has been donated by our amazing membership. Prize packages range in value from approximately $200 to $600, (with $200-$250 being a common value) and it’s just by luck of the draw which of the prizes your team wins.
Then there’s the food, and the networking. It’s what brings people who didn’t even golf, including elected officials, out for the conclusion of the day.
We typically have so many prizes that we sell raffle tickets to disperse of the extras. Some people walk out with literally hundreds of dollars of goodies. And because many of our members have embellished their good time with a few adult beverages, we have a free ride home made available to them thanks to our friends at Riide.
So, when we open up registrations for next year, please bear this week’s message in mind, when contemplating whether or not you’d like one of the coveted 200 spots.
And if that’s not enough of an enticement, just remember that The Sun Always Shines on the NSBA. Well almost always, anyway.
Until next time, be safe, be smart, be considerate, be well, but most of all, be kind.
Keith Moen
Executive Director