Club Business
President Mary Thomas Gilbert brought the meeting to order. Susan Watson led us in prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the US flag. Mary Thomas shared a riddle and quotes from David Sedaris and Dr. Seuss. Bret Burke, a member of the Mebane Rotary Club, visited today. Saturday Brad Moser and Sang Ho Lee will share a birthday. Next week Randy Perkins will visit as our District Governor.
Click here to see all scheduled program dates and responsibilities.
September Birthdays and Anniversaries
8 | Francois Masuka | 5 | Deva and Nancy Reece |
12 | Philip Brown | ||
21 | Sang Ho Lee | ||
21 | Brad Moser |
Sang Ho Lee Day
Brooke Carpenter reminded the club that Grand Master Sang Ho Lee will be honored on Saturday, September 21 at 10 am at Williams High School Auditorium. Brooke Carpenter has free tickets if you wish to attend.
Rotary Golf Tournament Champions
Betty Andrews, Pete Beck, Jim Cartner, and Micah Fox managed to win the golf tournament in Asheboro last Thursday. Congrats!
Happy Dollar Announcements
- Pete Beck paid a dollar to express his amazement that his team managed to win the golf tournament. He commented that each player contributed at the perfect moment. Micah Fox made some incredible 3 wood approach shots on par 5s that set the team up for eagle tries.
- Betty Andrews said she was the “D” player on the team, but said she had a lot of fun. She failed to mention that on one hole she smoked her drive ahead of everyone. She also made some key putts.
- Joseph Williams is leaving for the Bahamas soon to help with disaster relief with his organization, Feed the Hunger. Food is being cooked in Fort Lauderdale and flown in hot to serve to those in need. Joseph plans to accompany the food, if possible.
- Mary Thomas Gilbert asked for prayer to be strong tomorrow when her youngest son signs a deferred commitment to enlist in the Army.
Program: Micah Fox – We’re Moving to Burlington Beer Works!
Micah Fox announced that our club will soon begin to meet at Burlington Beer Works. Next Tuesday will be our last meeting at 40 West Grille and Bar. The following week, October 1, will be our initial foray into our new digs. No program is scheduled for that day as we get used to our new surroundings. Micah used a slide show to communicate with us and talked through the following:
Why Move?
Micah said that we have been meeting for over 38 years, since our club’s inception, at our present location. It has served us well and we have a lot of good memories, but over the past two years the board has been considering making a move. It has been a slow and deliberate process in order to make a sound decision. Evidence has mounted that a move to a new location is necessary. While a number of reasons were mentioned, the primary factor is a trend over several years of a decreasing membership. We are down to 47 members now, a decrease of 10 over the past three years.
Why Choose Burlington Beer Works?
The board talked through many options, some of which would have required catering. We decided that we did not want to go that route; so, we limited ourselves to restaurants that had the capacity to accommodate our group and meet the stipulations in our Request for Quote, which Carolyn Rhode prepared and submitted to several venues. We sent an RFQ to 40 West, Davinci’s, BBW, Golden Corral, Company Shops, the Cutting Board, and 584. The final two did not respond to the request. We asked that meal prices would remain as they are at $11 per person, that the space would be provided for free, that we could have other events, such as board meeting on the premises, that we would be billed monthly, and there would be adequate parking. One location stood out – Burlington Beer Works.
What We Like about BBW
The board believes BBW will be an attractive venue for new prospects. It has a more up-to-date atmosphere or vibe. BBW is excited to partner with us and very positive about making it work. Since the upstairs does not have access for the handicapped, they offered to reserve the entire downstairs for our meetings. They will provide a limited menu that will vary on a regular basis. It remains to be seen whether ordering when we arrive or having a buffet will be the best option for us, but either way, Tracy Schmidt, the GM at BBW has promised to make it work for us. We believe being downtown should make membership more attractive for downtown businesses. BBW is not a perfect space, but we believe it is the best fit for us at this time. We committed to a six-month trial period. If it does not work out, we will move elsewhere. We are trying to move the club forward, not maintain the status quo. We ask for your support going forward to make this a success.
Answering Your Questions
- What about parking? Parking at BBW is adequate. Some spaces are usually available on the street at lunch time, and a generous parking lot is located across the street next to the depot. It’s a short walk to BBW.
- Will there be enough space? The restaurant seats 40 on the floor and another 15 at the bar. If more tables are added, it can comfortably seat 55 to 60. It will probably be awhile until we max it out, but we can try!
- Is there a wheelchair accessible entrance? Yes
- Will the move hurt our club’s growth? We believe it will help us grow. Time will tell.
- What if I don’t feel comfortable with the beer affiliation? Beer will not be part of our negotiated menu; although, it can be ordered extra. At youth events, we can set policy regarding restricting alcohol. BBW is not unique in this regard. Other venues also offer a bar.
- Are we specifically targeting millennials? No. We think this location will be attractive to a wide age range.
- What about fried chicken? Sorry, it will not be available. But there are 20 other meals per week for you to visit 40 West to enjoy that.
Q & A Period
- David Moore wondered why we could not negotiate a beer onto the menu. After the laughing subsided, he told us that he would miss 40 West, but that he thinks moving to BBW is the right move and worth giving it a try.
- Joseph Williams said, “Forget the beer. I’m excited about Dr. Pepper!” Soda will be offered in addition to coffee, tea, and water.
- Cliff Parker asked for some details regarding menu options, which Micah said have not been finalized. He wanted to make sure that late arrivers would have time to eat. Micah said that BBW promises to make it happen for us.
- Mary Thomas reminded us that having a buffet is also an option, if ordering from the menu doesn’t work out as well as needed.
- Ed Woodall asked if there will be a minimum charge and whether we will be billed only for those who eat. The minimum will be 22, which we always meet. After that, we will only be billed for those who eat.
- Pete Beck said that we also need to consider what will happen if we don’t make a move. Our trajectory has been downward. We need to make a change.
- Mary Thomas agreed, saying that we need to think in terms of growing the club and moving it forward.
- Cliff Parker asked if we will have a flag on hand for the pledge. BBW does not have a flag; so, we will supply one. They have agreed to store it and other materials we use.
- Dick O’Donnell reminded us to mark our calendars for October 1, the first time we meet at BBW.
- Carolyn Rhode said that we have no program slated for October 1 to allow us to work out the kinks with meeting at a new venue. She also said that if anyone knows of a great space that we did not think of, please let us know.
Conclusion
Rodney Councilman did the unthinkable today, pulling the Ace of Clubs out of a deck containing 51 cards!!! We have a winner. Mary Thomas adjourned the meeting by leading us in a recitation of Rotary’s four-way test.