Who's selling beer at the St. John's Regatta? Not the Kinsmen, after dispute with committee

For the first time in almost four decades, the St. John's East Kinsmen volunteer organization will not be running the bustling beer tent at the annual Royal St. John's Regatta, blaming "arrogance" from the regatta committee. 

Kinsmen secretary John Connolly says the committee responsible for organizing the rowing races and carnival-like activities around Quidi Vidi Lake has disrespected his group.

"It was the arrogance of the committee that led us to the decision that we can't deal with those type of people," said Connolly, adding the Kinsmen voted unanimously to cut ties ahead of the 201st annual regatta, set for Aug. 7. 

According to Connolly, the committee told the Kinsmen it has to check everything — including all their invoicing — before any beer sales are made.

What are they doing with all the money?- Tom Badcock

"They want to have our last 37 years' worth of experience that we put into this," he told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show on Tuesday. "They want it now for themselves, and we're not willing to pass that over."

Chris Neary, president of the regatta committee, said this year's fee change is the same 10 per cent increase they're applying to all vendors.

"This is our first increase in close to five years," Neary said in an emailed statement.

"For the Kinsmen we estimate it will be an additional $400 — depending on sales volume."

The committee is meeting Wednesday night to discuss whether there will be a beer garden at this year's St. John's Regatta, Neary said.

Local organization raises questions about money

The Kinsmen aren't alone in their concerns about costs at the regatta.

Tom Badcock, director of the Hub — an organization for people with physical disabilities — said his group hasn't been able to afford a booth there for 10 years.

Prior to that, it had a regular concession stand pondside that raised valuable funds for the organization, but only if the weather was good.

Badcock said he was left scratching his head about why things are so expensive on Regatta Day, when his non-profit group could lose money.

"What are they doing with all the money?" he said. "[It's] $1,100 a team to register, the average concession is spending about 500 bucks for frontage, so where is all the money going? Has anyone ever seen the financial statements of the regatta committee? I haven't."

Badcock wants the financial statements made public. If the papers show a need for more funding, he said people might be more inclined to pay it.

'Driving concessionaires away'

In the meantime, Connolly said the Kinsmen are open to running the beer tent in future, but added, "Things need to change at the regatta committee for us to go back."

It was the arrogance of the committee that led us to the decision that we can't deal with those type of people.- John Connolly

All proceeds of the Kinsmen's beer sales go to local charities, like the Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation, Connolly said.

But that depends on whether sales can make up the $15,000 it costs to run the beer tent, Connolly said.

"If it's a bad day, we lose money," said Connolly. 

All Kinsmen members are "pretty upset" with the latest news from the regatta committee, Connolly said, and "the demands that they made on us."

"It has to do with money, there's no doubt in the world about it. The regatta committee wants more money all the time."

Registration fees for rowers have increased in recent years, and Connolly said fees for concessionaires are rising. He said the Kinsmen paid $2,500 four years ago, and $4,300 last year. 

"They're driving concessionaires away, as far as I'm concerned," he said.

"If the regatta committee needs to make more money to operate what they're doing down there, it's about time that they started thinking outside the box and stopped hitting up the concessionaires."

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