Joe Reynolds Comments to Golf Governors
Transcribed from video

Interesting meeting. I heard, at least I think I heard anyway, Art Carmine say, I think his words were, "We're $116,000 in the hole." (Menton  - president of Golf Governors - responds that he thinks that was for last year. Then there is a period where the GM and others look at the numbers provided to the Golf Governors without really reaching any conclusion.)

The only reason I ask is that last year the loss was somewhere around 150 but anywhere from a month to two or three months prior to the end of the fiscal year the projection of losses was from 100 to 110, but then when the final numbers came out it was 40 or 50 thousand dollars more. (Actual operations loss last fiscal year was $162,303.)

I'd also like to address what Mr. Witt talked about. I was there at the meeting and listened to what he had to say. Maybe I'm mis-characterizing what I heard here today but I kinda feel that Mr. Witt and the concerns he expressed were more or less dismissed by this group. As you (Ralph Menton) put it, a difference of opinion. I thought he expressed some valid concerns. As an association member I agree with him that the Board of Directors should take back control of the Golf Advisory Committee. I think the membership should be appointed by the Board of Directors, you guys could make suggestions, but anybody could run. I'd also like to support Mr. Witt's suggestion that one or two people on the committee be non-golfers.
You (Ralph Menton) made the comment that you would not want to be on the boating committee as a non-boater.

There is a difference though. This is a big operation in Ocean Pines, one of our biggest. It is supported to a large extent by all members. Big dollars. Hundreds of thousands. We'll be spending millions that all members will be paying. Now I've heard Marty Clarke, a man I've disagreed with on numerous occasions, but I have to agree with him on this -- this place needs to be managed in the best interests of 8000+ lot owners not in the interest of 300 or 395 or whatever the number is of golf members. It should be managed in the interest of 8000+ people. I don't have confidence as an association member that this has been the case.

I've been here 19 years. I'd be willing to say that everything I heard at this table today, I heard 19 years ago. The same issues, year after year after year. They don't seem to be addressed; they just sort of drift along. Almost like a zombie-like state has encapsulated Ocean Pines somehow. I don't know how we get out of it, and I'll be the first to admit -- maybe there is no solution, maybe we just have to face it that we're going to lose money. But you know what, if you take that approach as a starting point and say we can't do any better, we won't.

Something needs to be done. I'm not sure what it is. I'm not so sure the problems originate with the Board of Directors. I think Mr. Olson's the guy on the spot here. I sincerely hope Mr. Olson, and he can't solve everything overnight, I realize that.... He's a good man, but he's been dealt a deck of cards, a hand that's difficult to play. He knows that. But I just hope we don't take the attitude we can't do better, because I think we can do better.

That's all I have to say.