Volunteer award for chipping in
Brian Chapman recognised at National Golf Awards
Helping save a golf club from near financial ruin and turning it into a sustainable commercial entity — including attending some 150 consecutive committee and board meetings in the process over the space of 17 years — has earned Brian Chapman the title of Volunteer of the Year Award winner at the National Golf Awards.
The award recognises a golfing sector volunteer who is not only inspirational in their commitment to their organisation, club, or local golfing community, but also contributes tirelessly to the game as a whole.
Chapman, a company secretary and accountant by profession, has been an active member of Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club since 2001.
He initially became involved in voluntary work through organising national events at the club, which transitioned into running regular competition days, alongside a huge involvement in veterans’ golfing activities.
In 2006 the club reached a low ebb in its history with mounting debt levels, and cashflow issues at a critical point. The club went through a massive restructuring process, in which Chapman played a significant role.
Assisting the interim general manager of the time, Chapman was instrumental in handling the detail regarding accounting and financial
matters. He oversaw preparation of the club’s accounts, assisted with financial planning and modelling
scenarios, fact checked income and expenditure items, and acted as an independent guardian of large member loans. Flowing on from the initial rescue, Chapman has subsequently voluntarily assisted with accounting processes at the golf club — formulating and resolving constitutional matters, managing annual general meetings, overseeing payroll protocols and providing independent financial advice.
At the same time, Chapman offered his services voluntarily as board secretary — a position he has been appointed to every year since 2006.
His duties have seen him assist with the preparation of agendas, financial reports, any matters requiring additional research or papers, as well as minute-taking and board support.
Chapman has not missed any of the club’s 150 executive meetings during this tenure.
During this period, he has sat on the finance subcommittee as a board appointment.
As a signatory, he checks the accounts each month and coauthorises their payment.
Working alongside both the club’s general manager and administration manager three times a week, Chapman also reviews all staff timesheets and co-authorises payroll — never missing a deadline since taking on the voluntary role, and saving the club in the region of a six-figure staff position.
In the direct sporting context, Chapman has assisted with the organisation of major events such as New Zealand National Club Championship and the New Zealand Amateur Championship which Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club hosted in 2006 and 2008 respectively, and the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in 2007.
He now performs the starting/registration and financial management duties each year for the club’s annual pro am event — a tournament he has attended every year since 2007.
Shunning publicity and acknowledgement, Chapman is also highly active among the region’s veteran golfing scene — serving on the Kāpiti Vets organising committee for eight years, and instigating regular golfing activities for retired players on the coast.
For the past 14 years working purely for the love of the sport, Chapman has been the convener and organiser of the Kāpiti Coast Classic — a weeklong event hosted over the four courses of the Kāpiti district — arranging sponsorship, marketing, player registrations, making the draw, handling scoring, and sourcing and presenting prizes.
For a nine-year period between 2007 and 2016, Chapman was the convener of the club’s midweek men’s group of between 50 to 60 regulars.
This involved leading a small committee to develop and deliver a programme of events each year, fronting the weekly prizegiving, recording the winners, and presenting them with prizes, and organisation of the annual prizegiving dinner.
During his tenure, the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club celebrated 50 years of organised Wednesday golf with a competition and luncheon.
Growing the sport, he developed and managed a Monday ‘disc draw’ competition format where those wishing to play are randomly placed into playing groups with an emphasis on camaraderie, gender inclusion, casual formats, and fellowship.
He has shouldered this responsibility since 2006.
In 2012, Chapman’s significant voluntary efforts were recognised with membership to the Eagles Golfing Society.