May 2016 Message from the President
Press Releases

May Presidential Message

Chapter Meetings and ICG Growth

I'm happy to announce some exciting ICG BOD (Board of Directors) initiatives that will help support our chapters, fuel professional development, and add professionalism to our communications.

1) The ICG BOD has voted to fund the expense of the conference facilities (1,500 British Pounds) for our Europe Chapter Meeting this September at the Fairmont Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland. The Meeting will open with optional golf (tee offs between noon and two) on Friday, September 9th, opening meeting (with dinner) that evening, a full day of meetings on Saturday including coffees, lunch, and dinner, and a half day of meetings on Sunday, concluding with optional golf Sunday afternoon.  Our meeting hall has room for up to 100 participants as well as tables for participating sponsors. ICG Europe VP Gerald Friz has created an ICG European Chapter 2016 (Paypal-Version) / (Authorize.net-Version) meeting registration form. Registration will be $60 for members, and $90 for non-members.  Golf will run 50 pounds each round, while meals approximately cost $125 which registrants will pay directly to the hotel; those staying at the Fairmont will get a group room rate, but attendees are free to arrange other lodging.

After the success of the Chapter's first meeting in Mallorca (38 attendees) last November, we hope that our meeting held at the birth place of golf will attract even more attendees as well as gain new members.

Can't make the meeting?  The ICG is sending ICG Distinguished Service Award Winner Ed Weber to video all workshops and other events.  Ed will also be teaching some European members the ins and outs of how to shoot and edit great video, as well as leaving a camcorder and tripod with them. Not only will we get great workshop videos added to our Resource Library for all members to enjoy, but the Europe chapter will gain proficiency in making their own moving forward.

2) The Great Lakes Chapter of the ICG will be having their Spring meeting this Sunday (May 22nd) at Golfer's Advantage in Fenton, Michigan.  3 workshops are planned, and the ICG will be paying for the catering of the 15-20 attendees; more importantly, we'll be offering a membership/certification special similar to our PGA Show Special to all attendees.  This special will be good for the day of the meeting. ICG BOD member and 2016 North America Clubmaker of the Year, Greg Courtnay, will video the workshops, which will soon be in the ICG Resource Library.

3) ICG VP for Spain and Spanish Speaking countries, Agustin Sanchez, is finalizing plans for the Spain Chapter to meet in Madrid on July 9th and 10th. He's expecting 30 attendees. By the time of the meeting, the ICG certification test bank should be fully translated into Spanish and the Spain Chapter will be offered a membership/certification special identical to that offered to the Great Lakes and Europe Chapters.

4) ICG VP Asia Eric Ng is working on organizing an Asia Chapter meeting in Thailand (hopefully by the year's end).

5) As many of you who have attended certification courses for the major launch monitors know, the courses are geared towards the instructor/teacher. The BOD has created a task force to create an online Launch Monitor course geared towards the Clubfitter.  Gerald Friz, who has professional experience in IT, Project Management, and has both a Flightscope and Foresight, will be leading the task force.  Eric Ng (who distributes FlightScope in Southeast Asia), Don Irving, and myself will be on the task force, and we'll be looking for more volunteers, as well as a healthy supply of case studies and video from our members.

6) The BOD is in talks with a professional who will write our press releases, and social media and other communications. 

Outsourcing necessary functions that are not being performed by our members will keep our organization on a sustained course.  The BOD is in the process of creating another budget and will continue to responsibly invest in the above mentioned and future initiatives. 

If you have an idea that you'd like to see implemented, and are willing to contribute to the hard work to make it a reality, please contact me.

We are the ICG,

Jacques Intriere

ICG President

[email protected]