January 9, 2004

Dear friends:

On these cold days and dark, last season's tennis is a fading memory and this coming season's a shimmering hope at best. But the hope is there. Let's plan for it.

Save the date of Monday, March 1, for the Annual Meeting. The meeting will be at the clubhouse at 6:00 pm. (Please note that the date has been changed to Monday, March 8.)

Dues are due....Please complete the form, paying particular attention to any requested change of status and noting any changes in your contact information. Please return the form and your dues to the Club as soon as you can. The dues deadline is March 1, 2004. Dues received after March 1, 2004 attract a late fee of $50.

I am pleased to report that the Club will be able to pay the cost of the improvements to the deck and entrance and the cost of the increased rent (which reflects increased real estate taxes and increased staff health insurance costs) without assessment and with dues increases that are no greater on average than the increases of last year. Holding this line was not easy, and we owe great thanks not only to Ann Wyman, our Treasurer, and her predecessors, Don Forté and Neil Olken, but also to Lucy Fowler and Bill Crusco and the rest of the staff for good fiscal management and impressive containment of controllable costs.

A number of us have rented the clubhouse for parties, parties for ourselves or for our children. We encourage this. As the Governors have become more strict about rental to groups where the possibility of underage drinking might occur, our revenue from facility rental has decreased. But we want the clubhouse to be used, and with the rebuilt deck it is more functional than ever.

Let's come back to our hope. This coming season's tennis will come. And with the hard work of our staff, it will come as early in May as weather permits.

Sincerely,

Dick Harter