GENERAL MANAGER

from Smooth Sailing Newsletter ~ December 2021

by St. Petersburg Yacht Club

CULINARY CORNER

General Manager’s Log

by: Rhett J. Robicheaux, CCM

55

Dear Members,

The weather outside is delightful with cooler days and nights, you can feel holiday cheer all around our facilities. You will notice a lot more activities around the Club this month with the Club decked out for the holidays. We will be very busy with holiday parties and Club events. Remember our Sunday Brunch is now being served upstairs in the ballroom. It’s hard to believe its December and we are closing in on yet another year. How time flies when you’re having fun! I would like to wish each of you Happy Holidays while spending time with family and friends during this wonderful time of year.

When at the Club you may notice tables with burgees (flags) on it and wonder, what do those mean? – This is a tradition in Yacht Clubs across the world signifying: Officers of the Club, Past Commodores, visitors from other Yacht Clubs, New Members, and members who have a personal family burgee. Here at SPYC we try to acknowledge our Past Commodores and Flag Officers, including the Treasurer and Secretary. In addition, you may notice a "Pineapple Burgee" on a table - this burgee signifies "welcoming hospitality" particularly with our new members. This aids in the introduction from tendered members to reach out and welcome those new members to the Club. If you are a new member, making a reservation will help us to know when you are coming so we can have a Pineapple Burgee on your table ahead of time.

Reservations Please! It’s that time of year where we are seeing more and more of our membership utilizing the Club’s facilities Downtown and at the Beach Club. With that said, we strongly encourage reservations at all meal periods. I cannot stress the importance of reservations here at the Club. As we close out 2021 with usage in the Club rising, despite the unprecedented times we are in, 2022 is showing early signs that this trend will continue. It is very helpful that you try and honor your reservation time. So many times, members are enjoying the camaraderie of their friends, which is what a Club is about, and time slips away and then everyone decides to sit and order all at once. This is when it becomes more difficult to serve you in the manner that is expected of us. Reservations help us plan accordingly in making sure we have the appropriate staff on the floor and product on hand. Even if you decide you are coming to the Club for lunch or dinner last minute give us a call for a heads up.

Membership is a privilege and with that privilege comes responsibilities as a member. One is to share the Club with friends and family and proposing new members. Another is utilizing the Club and supporting Club events. Your attendance is what employs our staff and allows them to make a decent living while wanting to continue their employment here at SPYC. Of equal importance, abiding to the House Rules and Regulations to continue our image as a fine Club.

To that end, your House and Grounds committee has been reviewing some of the House Rules and one that stood out was the Dress Code throughout the Club’s facilities. It seems as if this had been extremely relaxed over the years and most lately due to COVID. The committee reviewed several of our neighboring club rules and have come up with what they feel is appropriate for the SPYC. The plan is to roll out the new Dress Code sometime after the beginning of 2022. Once adopted, enforcement will be the key.

In closing, it has been an unprecedented couple years for all of us. The good news is that the Club will survive and has survived. Due to the great leadership of past and present Boards, the Club has sound financial processes in place to get us through this storm. The Club has a strong balance sheet and our capital is looking good. The health of a Club is through its capital not the operating ledger and for years your Club has done it right to weather us through this pandemic. I look forward to meeting everyone in the coming months as I make myself visible around our various facilities.