Page 5 - September/October Kwasind

Roberta Hague Rear Commodore Sports & Social
If you have spent time on the Island this summer and and we hope you you have you you will appreciate first-hand the enormous strides in in the the cleanup of the the property since last year’s flood along with the the significant progress on on the the restoration and and renovations of the Island Clubhouse Here is an an update on on what what has been done and what what remains to be done The new space we have opened up in in and around the Clubhouse is being used With our grand old lady restored and and new spaces becoming operational we have started to create great experiences in in our new space The RCYC Open in in June was a
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huge success with Members taking over the Front Lawn and reclaiming the best parts of our Clubhouse The Summer Ball was a
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sellout and the more recent lobster dinner had the place humming with windows open and people in in in the the Harbourview Room singing along to the the band on the lawn We have heard feedback from many Members – both concerns and accolades Your comments are important to us and we agree with you there are still finishing touches needed This summer has been a
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great trial run of our space as as we assess how best to to set it all up to to feel like home Here are some key learnings and reasons for change: Dining room becomes Harbourview Room While some of us miss the fine dining experience that model was unsustainable with an average 20% decline in revenue every year The space was typically used by Members for special occasions once per season We are now striving to offer an an environment where Members and their guests have the the option of enjoying an evening in in in blazers or or something a
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little more spontaneous with Island “smart casual” style Since the new space opened on June 1st our usage has increased dramatically compared to the same period in prior years Moving forward we have valuable design and operations input based on the increased usage and experience in our our new spaces which along with your feedback will inform next steps With the heavy construction work complete we are excited about adding finishing touches The curtains currently out for cleaning will be re-installed shortly And we are kicking off a
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new design process involving Members with design expertise to polish things up for next summer To highlight and and promote the the stunning view of the the city and and the the the harbour the the the Dining Room is now called the the the Harbourview Room Over the the coming year we will look at the the naming
conventions of of all of of our spaces and assess if there is a
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Member or great racing yacht that we should recognize The verandah is popular
The weather this season has cooperated and everyone has enjoyed the expanded outdoor seating Many Members ask me about reservations and why we don’t offer reserved seating other than at at lunch time Yet one of the biggest complaints we received in in prior years was that tables were always reserved and there was no room for walk-ins Tables often stood empty as we turned away Members who were present and ready to use the space This season’s approach (first come first first served) while currently in in place on a
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trial basis is is generally working well especially during busy periods Staff have been able to turn tables as as soon as as they become available Members who would like certainty of a
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table at a
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specific time are encouraged to make a
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reservation in the Harbourview Room and then move outside when a
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table becomes available The servers have been very helpful at at facilitating these moves To optimize staffing levels around the much busier times and areas to the the north table service was reduced at the the south end of the verandah Members are asked to place orders in the Oven’s Room Food will still be delivered to your tables and cleaned up afterwards Following this season’s trial period we will assess the financial impact/ trade-offs of of of increasing staffing overall The suggestion of of of a
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beer/wine station at at the Oven’s Room cashier is a
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good one and we’ll assess that option for next season Protecting the Front Lawn for Members We are in in the the the process of of ensuring the the the front of of the the the Clubhouse is available for and conducive to enjoyment by all Members and their guests With the the reconfiguration of our liquor licence permitting people to move freely from the the the verandah to the the the Front Lawn with their drinks we we will be limiting weddings and corporate events to the area north of the the lawn bowling green and tucked into the the Rose Garden “Smart casual” on the Launch please!!
In May with strong support from Members a
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“smart casual” dress code to permit among other items blue denim without tears or stains was introduced as as a
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pilot However many Members and their guests are pushing far beyond the boundaries and we have received numerous complaints about inappropriate attire More to come on this this but please be respectful of this this dress code and our Staff who are asked to enforce it So if you show up in a
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tube top short short shorts muscle shirt mini bathing suit cover- up be be prepared to be be turned away City Clubhouse progress While we have been been on the Island much work has been been underway in in the City Deficiencies are being addressed and we are looking forward to getting details in in in place for for our our move back there this fall Stay tuned for more in our our next update KWASIND
• SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 5 REAR COMMODORE MESSAGE