Dear Stowe Tennis Club Members,

Once again, it's that time of year to start dreaming of warm summer days, stepping out onto our beloved clay courts, and reconnecting with the members old and new over the game of tennis.

Finances – Our club continues to be in excellent financial health. Last year our expenses exceeded our income, but the difference was only 0.4% of our total budget! Thank you to everyone who worked hard to set an accurate budget and keep our spending under control.

Dues - The 2024 dues will increase by only 1% over last year. However, the Vermont state sales tax has increased 1% due to the passage of the local options tax, so your net payment will increase a total of 2%. The dues renewal period begins March 1st. There is a $100 late fee for payments made after April 1st. The deadline for dues payments is May 1st. You will receive an email with instructions for paying your dues.

Capital Projects – Thank you to all who completed the Capital Improvement Survey a month ago. The Strategic Planning Committee is using your input to prioritize improvements and will be announcing a plan at the Annual Membership Meeting on June 1st. To fund this initiative, the Board of Directors will be asking the membership to vote on a change to the club’s Bylaws at the meeting that will increase the number of membership certificates from 220 to 230, with the provision that the additional initiation fees will go toward capital projects. To further fund the initiative, the Board has raised the initiation fees for new members to $3,000 plus tax with no refund value.

Staff – I am pleased to report that Club Manager Elle Anderson, Head Pro Mike Tasi, Maintenance Manager Jude Sminkey, and Office Staff Lilli Biedermann, Deb Schoepke, and Patti Cignoli will be returning this year. We have also hired Michele Whitmore as our new Junior Program Coordinator.

Guest Policy Changes – Several changes were made to our guest policy last year:

• Members 16 or older may invite guests to use the club’s facilities. All guests must be checked in by staff upon arrival. The hosting member must remain on-site while the guest is using the facilities.
• If a Volunteer Credit is redeemed for a free guest visit, the visit does not count towards the guest’s total number of visits for the season - see Volunteering in the Member Handbook for more information.
• Applicants on our waitlist may play tennis up to eight (8) times per season.

The full guest policy is here.

Ladder – Participation in our Ladder has been lagging and we need a volunteer to help run the program. Please contact Elle if you are interested in helping out.

End of Term – It has been a pleasure serving as your President. However, it is time for my reign of taking credit for others’ accomplishments and blaming others for my mistakes to come to an end. I will be stepping down at the Annual Meeting in June and am pleased to announce that Erika Furey will be our new President. Thank you Erika for agreeing to take over this role!

I look forward to another great season at the club!

Steven McLafferty,

President, Stowe Tennis Club

2024 Calendar of Events

Spring Volunteer Workday - May 18, 2024 10:00 AM

Early Bird Round Robin & Annual Membership Meeting - June 01, 2024 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM

Core Junior Program - Begins June 17, 2024

Future Stars Program - Begins June 25, 2024

All Member Round Robin - June 29, 2024 10:00 AM

Junior & Family Round Robin - July 27, 2024 10:00 AM

Club Championships, Singles Tournament - August 17, 2024 9:00 AM

Club Championships, Doubles Tournament - August 24, 2024 9:00 AM

Club Championships, Mixed Doubles Tournament - August 31, 2024 9:00 AM

End of Season Party - September 14, 2024 5:00 PM

Fall Volunteer Workday - October 19, 2024 1:00 PM