The University of Saskatchewan
Faculty Club
Creating New Traditions
g r e y s t o n e h o u s e n e w s • j a n ua ry / f e b r ua ry 2009
“Universities exist for discovery and exchange of ideas. Food, drink and convivial surroundings foster the exchange of ideas, and for this reason a faculty club supports and advances the university mission.” . . . President Peter MacKinnon quoting Stephan Leacock
Happy New Year!
BREAKFAST WITH THE PRESIDENT
Hosted by President MacKinnon and the Faculty Club
Join President MacKinnon for breakfast in the Fireplace Room at the Faculty
Club every Friday morning 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Breakfast will be informal with
an open forum format. Please reserve your spot by calling 966-7777 at least
two days in advance.
BROWN BAG DINNERS
Don’t feel like cooking? Enjoy home cooked meals from the Faculty Club.
Brown Bag Dinners are available for pick-up. Call us at 966-7777 for our fax
information sheet, or email susan.schmidt@usask.ca
LOUNGE
Relaxed and comfortable, that is the feeling evoked in our comfy lounge.
Leather couches and soft lighting make this a great spot for drinks with the
group or a sophisticated space to celebrate your special occasion. Come and
see for yourself!
Manager’s Report to the Membership
University of Saskatchewan Faculty Club
Annual General Meeting (Abridged)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It is my pleasure to present my 20th Manager’s report on the operations of
the Club. As you may have already heard, we have had a very successful year
and it is personally very gratifying to me to be in such a positive position.
We have been through some tough times over the years. Despite the
difficult years, we have always been one of the best financially performing
Clubs in Canada. Our work is always challenging but lately I am feeling
especially positive and confident.
Years ago we set out to build a strong management team. As Trevor so
kindly acknowledged, our reputation for food quality and service has grown
as we have assembled this amazing group of professionals. Our kitchen
team (Kevin, Jeff & Pam) always produces beautiful food and our service
management team (Crystal, Jennifer & Tanya) provides exceptional staff
training and service. Susan juggles the very demanding job of managing all
of the accounting functions as well as overseeing all of the office management
and I can’t imagine what we would do without her always-positive attitude.
Our daytime and nighttime service teams (some of whom have been with us
for years) provide excellent service and they take great pleasure in doing so.
I always maintain we have the most diverse team comprised of “soon to be
employed elsewhere” lawyers, microbiologists and civil engineers to name a
few. We work hard, and we have a lot of fun doing it.
For as long as I have been here, we have continuously struggled to increase
our paying membership base. Each year we do recruit a number of new
members but we also lose a considerable number to attrition and retirement.
In order to address this, and several other issues, Trevor organized a Board
Strategic Planning Session to discuss our options and to review our practices.
It was during this session and a review of the Bylaws that we realized there
was also a need to re-visit the Bylaws. We also took a hard look at all of our
categories of membership. It was also after many discussions and much soul
searching that the Board decided to recommend a minimal charge (less than
$5.00 per month) for active retired members. That is one of the amendments
before you today and one that I support. The Board also re-wrote membership
eligibility to include retired university staff who had not previously been a
member, and we developed two new categories of membership for your
consideration.
The new Life Membership is consistent with many other associations that
allow members to pay a one-time fee at a certain point in life (perhaps when
earning power is at a higher level).
The second new category is that of Friend of the Club. This category allows
retired Club members to access our Club and the other Clubs in our reciprocal
network and to receive electronic information about upcoming events. There
is no fee attached to this category.
A new initiative that we hope to launch soon is the ability for members
to donate to the University, and earmark the money for a Faculty Club
improvement. These improvements must be pre-approved by the University
in order for an income tax receipt to be issued. We have already identified a
project that will also address a health & safety concern. Currently all deliveries
have to be hauled up and down the back door staircase. Assuming this process
is successfully established, we would like to funnel future donations to the
construction of a loading/receiving dock to allow easier and safer loading and
unloading, thus improving the Club and giving our members and friends of
the Club a tax deductible donation receipt.
After many years, we have finally found a Point of Sale system that allows us
to electronically transfer sales information directly to our accounts receivable.
This system will also allow us to email statements directly to members and
that will result in savings on mailing costs and even more importantly, a huge
saving of time and paper. We can also regenerate chits without having to
physically crawl through boxes in the basement, and it will also track staff
hours and generate constructive operational reports.
Continued on back page
Friday, January 16
Winter Jazz &
Wine Bar Evening
Food & Music from 5:00 to 8:00 pm
The Skip Kutz Trio and special guest:
Beat Poet - Shelly Loeffler
. . . doing innovative poetry from Jack Kerouac and
Allen Ginsburg to Lorna Crozier
Join us for a relaxing evening by the fire.
We will be featuring fine wines by the glass and an
appetizer menu will be available.
Admission $10.00 per person
(includes admission and a “welcome” cocktail)
For reservations please call 966-7777
lub!
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A Taste of India
Friday, January 30
Cocktails 6:30 ~ Buffet Dinner to Follow
Members & Guests $26.00 per person
Non-Members $32.00 per person
Reservations 966-7777
MENU
Fresh Naan
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Valentine’s Day
Saturday, February 14
Romantic Spanish Tapas Evening
Cocktails 6:30 - Tapas & Petits Plats Stations
Rodolpho Pino-Robles on acoustic guitar
TAPAS MENU
Kevin is pulling out the stops and creating an authentic Tapas Menu for a
very special Valentine’s Day Treat. A Spanish Wine Menu will be available
and Robyn Schindel of Pacific Wine & Spirits will be telling us about
Spanish Sherrys & Port (also available this evening).
Featuring:
Patatas Bravas with Three Dipping Sauces
Marinated Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, and
Roasted Almonds Marcona • Flatbreads
Spicy Sausage & Cheese Tortilla
Steamed Mussels with Manchego Broth
Serrano Ham wrapped Figs • Rambla Shrimp
Stuffed Squid . . . and more!
Members & Guests $35.00 per person Non-Members $40.00 per person
Reservations 966-7777
Freaky Friday
Friday, February 13 • Lunch Treats!
Make sure to make your reservation and come and see what treats we have in store for you.
(You will have some idea if you joined us for Tropical Friday this past summer)
Saturday, February 21
Progressive Dinner Series
Private Club
3 Premier Private Clubs
Mexican Feast
Saturday, February 27
Cocktails 6:30 • Dinner to follow
Kevin will have just returned from his vacation
in Mexico, so it will be good!
Members & Guests $26.00 per person
Non-Members $32.00 per person
3 of Saskatoon’s Finest Chefs
3 Exclusive Dates
Riverside Country Club,
The Saskatoon Club and
The Faculty Club
have joined forces to bring you three
amazing progressive dinner evenings!
Saturday, February 21
Friday, March 27
Saturday, April 25
Our bus will be pick you up at either the Field House or Circle Park Mall (your choice)
and transport you to each of the three clubs for exquisite wines, and beautiful food
in three of Saskatoon’s most exclusive venues.
Book one or book all three in the Series!
$125.00 per person
Space is extremely limited (maximum 30 people from each club)
So . . . don’t hesitate, call me at 966-7774 to reserve your spot.
MENU
Pozole Bar with All Your Favorite Toppings
Seafood Ceviche
Guacamole and Pico de Gallo
Shrimp Vera Cruz
Mayan Style Pork with Mole Sauce
Enchiladas Rojas de Queso
and to finish . . . Homemade Churros and
Caramel Flan
This summer we also negotiated a renewal of our staff contract with CUPE
1975. CUPE and the Faculty Club agreed to use interest based bargaining,
and we were able to negotiate salary increases that bring our staff closer in
line with the current labour market. We are also able to offer some innovative
options surrounding benefits for our permanent team.
Along with the anticipated increased wage costs and the new Point of
Sale system, the other significant expense this year was our new buffet table
and matching cold line which we use every single day and most nights. So,
after years of not spending very much on capital purchases, this year we spent
$55,000.
The Capital Plan Committee recently met to review the capital plan for
this coming year, and we are planning to spend another considerable amount
replacing the ancient convection oven and kitchen range. As indicated in the
financial report, we have been judiciously accumulating reserves for capital
expenses.
One of the advantages of having additional help in the office this year
is that I have been able to spend more time on member recruitment. The
introduction of our “Six Months Free” campaign and print ads in numerous
magazines and newspapers has had encouraging results. Since July 1st, we
have signed up 56 new members.
Over all it has been a fantastic year, and we are extremely happy with the
results. At the same time, we are bracing ourselves for possible fallout from
the economic turmoil now happening around the world. Despite the dismal
forecasts we are confident we are on the right path and we are sure we have
established a sound foundation for continued success. In spite of a surge
in food costs this year and our increased wages, we have managed to keep
lunch prices reasonable for our members, and we haven’t had to increase
membership fees since July 1, 2003.
The dedication of our staff team and the pride our members demonstrate
in the Club all add up to what Trevor has referred to as the “life” of the Club.
I also like to think of it as the “culture” of our Club and it is that dedication
and pride that has made the Club the success it is today
In closing, I would like to reiterate Trevor’s recognition of the ongoing
contributions of the Board of Directors, and I would especially like to recognize
our President, Trevor Batters, who has tremendous business acumen and my
utmost respect.
Lastly, of course, as Trevor has already mentioned, it is you, the members
of the Club, who support and ultimately shape the Club, who deserve our most
sincere gratitude. Thank you for your encouragement and support. It is our
intention to continue this Club legacy for many, many years to come.
FACULTY CLUB MEMBERSHIP PROMOTION
. . . Contintues!
Growing our Faculty Club Family!
Membership Promo for
FACULTY CLUB MEMBERS ONLY!
Sign up five new members before June 30, 2009 and you will receive a food
credit for $100.00 on your account!
Sign up ten new members* and you will receive:
$200.00 Gift certificate for Truffles Restaurant!
And to make it even easier . . . if you sign up a member who has never, ever
been a Faculty Club member before – they will get six months membership
FREE *!
Membership in the Faculty Club is open to:
• All University Employees & Faculty
• All University Alumni
• All Personnel of associated institutions on Campus
• (Royal University Hospital and all Provincial and Federal Agencies on
Campus)
* minimum one year membership.
Membership in the Faculty Club is just $18.50 per month and can be deducted
directly from your monthly cheque through University payroll. When the
primary use of the Club is related to University business purposes, up to 100%
of your dues may be reimbursable. Contact Financial Services for details.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
March/April 2008
Tuesday, March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day Pub
Friday, March 27 – The last Private Club Progressive Dinner
Sunday, April 12 – Mother’s Day Brunch
Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24 - Staff Appreciation Lunch Week
May/June 2008
Sunday, May 10 – Mother’s Day Brunch
Friday, May 22 - Patio Party
Friday, June 19 – Faculty Club Lobster Dinner
Got a Wedding Coming Up?
Be sure to visit us at our booth at the Bridal Spectacular,
Sunday, January 11 at TCU Place (Centennial Auditorium)
Donna Cram, General Manager
Printing Services Document Solutions • 966-6639 • University of Saskatchewan