What now, Commodore?

[Danny Jo]

You are at the bar at an historic club, and there is only one other person present (the Club Steward). He presents you with the week's mail, which includes a letter from a neighbour pointing out that another chunk of masonry has fallen from your club's battlements onto his roof. The furnishings are getting distinctly dowdy, the loos leave a lot to be desired and the building is a listed historic monument, or some such impediment to cheap and cheerful facelifts. Plans on the wall show what a magnificent club it could be for a mere 600K. The premises might fetch 250K on the open market. Subscription income is less than a tenth of that. The bar is making a loss, but being without the Club Steward would be like being without an means of propulsion off a rocky lee shore.

On the bright side, grants might cover a substantial part of the redevelopment cost, if only you can demonstrate a public benefit.

What do you do now?

I should add that this is a purely hypothetical scenario, to provide our dedicated forumites an opportunity to demonstrate their collective and individual brainstorming prowess.

 

[mandlmaunder]

????????
How can a bar make a loss???
If the building is A- that old, B- that decrepit,C- voluntarily falling down either raffle or Ebay the debris for large sums of wonga.
Reduce beer price and advertise this fact in local yachty hangouts (call it Happy Time) , it's amazing what a true yachty will do for cheap beer .Including joining a club where the price of liquid punishment is offset by being able to state that the hangover is in a good cause I-E saving a valuable monument

 

[st599]

[ QUOTE ]
????????
How can a bar make a loss???


[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on the amount of ullage and spillage.

But if you open a cask expecting a heavy week, and you only use say 40 pints - it means you've bought 72 from the brewery and lost a bit of money.

 

[Danny Jo]

[ QUOTE ]
How can a bar make a loss???

[/ QUOTE ] Sorry, I'll rephrase that part of the hypothetical scenario. Imagine that the bar profit on the sale of beers, wines, spirits and assorted nibbles does not cover the Steward's wages.

Also imagine that the main club room is of great historical interest, has spectacular views across a mile of water to an island in the West, a view down a mediaeval street, a garderobe, and a spiral staircase in the thickness of the stone wall onto the roof. But it's a bit cramped - there's barely room to feed 40 seated.

Edit: bloody apostrophies!

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Although most clubs are not crammed into the walls of a distinguished fortress, you draw attention to a problem facing a Club I belong to and, I suspect, many others. Peoples lifestyles have changed and the cost of drinking out, the drink driving laws and alternative "cool" attractions like "going to the gym" and posing rather than competing are driving down not only profits from the bar but membership and subscription income too. Most clubs have an ageing population with a huge dearth of members between 23 (end of university) and say 50 (the remnants from the boom times of the 70's!). I fear your Commodore has to take drastic action to enable the Club to survive. Either make the steward redundant, introduce a rota for the bar, restrict opening hours but make it more viable when open and build a cooperative club spirit to redecorate and when financially possible, refurnish the lounge: or make the steward a self employed frachisee and allow him to use the Club as a business at all times except when wanted for yacht club purposes. The real need is for new members but very difficult to achieve in the present climate. Good Luck-Be Bold.

 

[graham]

[ QUOTE ]
Depends on the amount of ullage and spillage.


[/ QUOTE ]
More to do with the amount of usage I think.

 

[Athene V30]

Arson - but make it look like a fitting out accident.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]
Most clubs have an ageing population with a huge dearth of members between 23 (end of university) and say 50 (the remnants from the boom times of the 70's!).

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly - and it's this kind of attitude that's put me off joining a club.

You enter the bar for the very first time and you get these odd looks - possibly because you're under dressed -> no zimmer frame. "I remember during the war... "

At the other end of the spectrum: the younger Yahoo Henrys. Often city types up for a quick burst around the cans before they disappear till the next race. If you don't sport the latest kevlar sails or can't see the benefit of the canting keel, forget it...

 

[michael_w]

Your story sounds just like my London, primarily dinghy, based club. The turnaround involved some pretty drastic action.

The steward was replaced by a manager. A change of brewer with a better deal on sales. Room hire was actively marketed, seminars, weddings and the like; and the revenue went up well. An offshore section was started and is now flourishing, primarily sailing in chartered boats. Get the men in and the tottie will follow, or vice versa.

With the aid of lottery funding we bought our premises off the local council. We now share our clubhouse with a rowing club, who where being made homeless by the same council. Long term future is looking better when compared to 10 years ago when I was Rear Commodore.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Apply for notorious bar status.

 

[Danny Jo]

These and the other suggestions provide some useful food for thought - thank you.

The options seem clear. Faff around and slide messily towards bankruptcy or "be bold". I guess that having a manager would make it easier to develop activities that are deemed to have "community benefit".

Apropos something completely different, or "working out in the gym", if anyone fancing rowing a skiff, the Royal Welsh has two lovely new skiffs (and a few even more lovely rowers), and participation is free to members of the club. The first boat managed a 7th in the Castle to Castle race this year. Club membership also makes you part owner of a 13th (or is it 14th century) building, and an economical way of getting a permit to fly a defaced ensign. There is a very active Southern Squadron which arranges activities centred on Lymington. Royal Welsh Yacht Club

I can see myself getting into hot water for linking this exciting club with the drab one outlined in the hypothetical scenario. But what the hell - death or glory.