Page 3 - May 2020

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT From Dan Beio

I hope this edition of the BriarWord finds you all healthy and safe. I know a few our of seasonal/non-resident Members
have left for the summer, however a few others have chosen to wait a little longer this year before leaving. We hope you
take advantage of our reduced rate offer and use our Club for those extra days you will be spending here. We love having
you around!
To say things have been operating normally would be huge exaggeration! We have had to endure closing our dining
facilities to Members and outside catered events. All concerts, parties, card games, Trivia, Mahjong, our pool and dances
are cancelled for the foreseeable future. Our Food & Beverage area is operating as take-out only. No chairs or benches are
allowed anywhere outside to keep Member gatherings to a minimum. Everything we LOVE about our Club has been
dialed back to ensure the health and safety of our Members and Staff. Our Membership has been FANTASTIC in
supporting the few things we do have available; golf and food/beverage take-out. We have been working hard to make
those things that are available great Briarwood experiences and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your
support! We look forward to the day when the ALL CLEAR has been announced and it is SAFE to re-open Briarwood
Country Club!
I would like to remind all of our Members of the New Year’s Resolutions and the oath we all took back in January.
Number One – Be kinder to our friends and Staff here at Briarwood I have sensed that some of us may be getting a
little tired of staying at home and not able to enjoy the company of your friends as much as did a few months ago. I have
personally witnessed a few short fuses around the Club and out on the golf course. Please, be mindful that we are all in
this together and when it is over, we will all be happily enjoying each other’s company once again. Be kind to one another
and especially, to our Staff! Number Two – No more rumors I have heard that the Club is in deep financial trouble.
That is just not true! As I’ve said in the past, and I won’t sugar coat it, this catastrophic event did hurt our business.
We did not make as much revenue in our high season of November through April as we had planned. However, our Staff
has reacted quickly to contain our spending as best we can while still providing a level of service to our Membership
within the guidelines established by our Governor to help protect our beloved Members, Staff and Club! We do have
money in our Capital Reserve Fund (which we hold for unexpected ‘projects’ like our latest work on our well). We also
have money available through Federal SBA Loans, and we have a line of credit we can draw from to provide operating
cash flow. We, and by “we” I mean Nate, September, and our Board, and the finest financial minds our Membership has
to offer, are carefully evaluating all of our options on an almost daily basis. We are also using this time as an
opportunity to reinvent our businesses; i.e. Food & Beverage, Catering and Outside Events. When we come out of this, we
will be STRONGER and BETTER than ever! So, my message to you is the next time somebody mentions we are in deep
financial trouble, I want every one of you to say with confidence “that is NOT TRUE”!
Finally, in the months to come with this hopefully behind us, I’m sure we will be sitting around the Club talking about the
events of 2020. It may be hard to imagine at the moment because those stories are currently being written and we will all
be a part of those stories. How do you want to be remembered during this crisis? Would you rather your part in this story
be one of sitting around worrying about what might happen and spreading rumors of gloom and doom, or, will you be one
of the many who took responsibility for our BELOVED Briarwood! I know this Club and I know this Membership! No
one is standing around. No one is waiting around for someone else to get things done, and no one is giving up! Join us as

RESPECT
Courtesy
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