Yay! The first
official SWGA event of the year: The
Annual Meeting and Luncheon. It’s a time
for saying goodbye to 2018, rewarding the achievements, and welcoming the new
year of adventure, friendship, and of course, golf!
Thirty-six ladies attended the meeting hosted by Northwood
Hills Golf Club on January 25th.
Yes, it was a low turnout, with only about half of the membership
attending, but the half that was there had a great time! A number of our ladies were ill, are
caretaking for loved ones, or were out of town.
The timing just wasn’t good, but next year we’ll try to get at least 50%
more. Lunch was tasty and there was
plenty of it. Thanks to Northwood for
all the usual hospitality.
One of the first reports of the meeting was the Treasurer’s
Report by Phyllis Ryan, and we are still financially sound, but our balance was
down from the beginning of the year. The
$5 increase in dues will help get us in a position to do some helpful,
charitable things this year.
Events Chairman Jane Smith started her report with a
gesture of appreciation for Daneita Adams who volunteered at the beginning of
2018 to help Jane with her paperwork for the most taxing position in the
SWGA. Her report includes the End of Year
Awards,
The first presentation was to those who had accomplished
the very difficult task of 100% participation, which takes a lot of planning
and dedication to the association. This
year we had ten ladies who got this award: Daneita Adams (BWGA), Cathy Buckley
(BWGA), Gayle Gansfuss (NLGA), Kyong Lee (BWGA), Debbie Magee (WGAS), Nancy
Young (BWGA), Hui Bordelon (BLGA), Audrey Northcutt (BWGA), Phyllis Ryan
(ERWGA), and Jane Smith (WGAS).
Congratulations ladies!
To qualify for one of the low gross/low net/low putts
awards, a lady must have participated in at least five stroke-play SWGA events during
the year. If she has more than five, the
lowest five are used to calculate the average.
First Low Gross went to Mary Lynn Stuart (ERWGA) with an average
low gross score of 77.2. Now THAT’S some
playing! Second Low Gross went to Cathy
Buckley with a not-too-shabby average of 84.8.
Coming in close behind the two “paying” awards were Honorable Mention
awards of a 100 Grand candy bar to Debbie Magee with 85.2 and Joyce Middleton
(ERWGA) with 85.8. Good golfing ladies!
The First Low Net average score of 65.4 went to Jane
Smith. Second low net of 68.8 was a tie
between Joyce Middleton and Kyong Lee, and Fourth low net was 70.2 to Gayle
Gansfuss. Honorable Mention candy bars
went to Cathy Buckley with 68 and Grace (Miss Gracie) Ireland (NLGA) with a
70.6.
The Low Putts awards can go to a lady who won low gross or
low net awards. First place low putts
was a really nice 30.8 by Debbie Magee, followed really closely with a 31 by
Cathy Buckley. Honorable Mention candy
bars went for 31.4 putts to Gina O’Neal (WGAS) and 31.6 to Jill Litton
(NLGA). It was a close competition for
low putts!
Probably the most impressive award is the Most Improved
golfer. This year was perhaps the
biggest improvement we’ve seen…….at least in the last 10-11 years. Daneita Adams went from 26.8 index, worrying
about not qualifying for SWGA events, to a really nice 18.5…..a reduction of
8.3 index strokes! Honorable Mention
candies went to Debbie Magee (4.7 decrease), Vien Wheeler (4.5 decrease), and
Myra Corby (4.4 decrease). We’re really
proud of all you ladies!
In the matter of old business, there was a vote by ballot
that included absentee voting for the issue of flighting before play (using
handicap) or flighting after play. It was
a very close vote, but this year we will go back to flighting before play. Since this isn’t a constitutional or by-laws
issue, the membership can decide to change it whenever it is bought to the
meeting for a vote. So if you voted for
flighting after play, don’t be discouraged, it could change again next year.
Another vote that was a change in our constitution was the “You
pay, you play” issue. If you join SWGA
with the required 30 or less handicap and during the year your handicap
increases above 30, you can complete the year playing with the group and will simply
have to requalify for NEXT year.
Outgoing President Pam Crews introduced the slate of officers
for 2019:
President: Brenda Graves:
Bomber Bayou
1st VP (SWGA
Championship): Moise Allen, Southern Trace CC
2nd VP (Team
Matches): Daneita Adams, Broadmoor WGA
Secretary: Phyllis Ryan, East
Ridge CC
Treasurer: Jane Smith,
Stonebridge GC
Events Chairman: Jill Litton,
Northwood Hills GC
The Club Reps for 2019 are:
Gayle Gansfuss, Northwood Hiills GC
Susan Wright, East Ridge CC
Donna Ihle, Stonebridge GC
Kathleen McCoy, Broadmoor (Huntington Park)
Vien Wheeler, Southern Trace CC
Mary Gallagher, Bomber Bayou GC
Incoming President Brenda Graves presented 2018 President
Pam Crews with a beautiful crystal trophy as a token of appreciation for her
work during the year.
President Graves presented her platform for the year which
includes trying to increase our involvement in charity work and increasing our
membership which has fallen painfully in the last few years. She wants to promote fun, food and golf…..and
caring for one another’s needs.
It was a fruitful meeting and everyone received a list of
all SWGA, SSWGA, State, local and popular tournament dates for the year. So mark your calendar and plan to HAVE FUN, FRIENDSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY and PLAY GOLF OFTEN AND WITH NEW PEOPLE!!!
