Cheers to the Years: Member Celebration

Description

n recent years, we have offered an incentive to prospective members in an effort to not only grow our club, but grow our club with younger families – the idea being that they will enjoy the greatest benefits, translating into the most utilization, providing the financial stability for generations to come.

And while new members are certainly important, we didn’t want to lose sight of those who have dedicated their time and resources to the ultimate success of this club over the years, and wanted to recognize and celebrate those long-time members in a way that was meaningful to them.

Many of these members have been here for decades, and the benefits of a traditional country club have become limited for them as they only use the dining facilities anymore. This event helped remind them of and reconnect them with the reasons the Country Club of Lincoln remains an important part of their lives.

Implementation

We invite all those who have been with us over 50 years, and those celebrating milestone anniversaries over 20 years (25, 30, 35, etc.) for a “Lunch and Learn” on a weekday in the fall. A customized invitation is created and mailed, inviting them as our guests to the “Cheers to the Years” event. A different speaker is featured each year, and has included a historian on country club neighborhood history, local television personalities sharing stories from around the state, and representatives from the Lincoln Children’s Zoo (with critters!) – a favorite. A program at each place setting lists all honorees, along with their years of membership. During the luncheon, their names are read, a toast is made, and pins are presented. Years of membership are signified by decade in a gemstone sequence.

We received tremendous positive feedback from the moment the invitations hit their mailboxes. Even if they were calling with regrets for the event, we heard countless times what a thoughtful gesture the invitation and luncheon was, how unexpected and nice it was to be recognized, and how special that made them feel. By the end of the luncheon, members were already wearing their pins and comparing theirs with their friends to see who had more gemstones. For those unable to attend, we mail their pin along with the event program.