January 2012 Newsletter
Sons of Erin Cape Cod, Inc.
“Promoting Irish Culture, Heritage and Pride”
Club Newsletter January 2012
Seventy Second General Membership Meeting
Our Seventy Second General Membership meeting was held on Sunday, January 8th at 10:30 am. President, Mike Regan, started with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence for our Troops both here and abroad, loved ones, lost ones, a Free and United Ireland and a special prayer for Big Mike to get him through the Treasurer’s Report. Mike welcomed the new Members in attendance and reminded everyone to sign the attendance book.
A motion was made and seconded to accept the Minutes from the previous meeting.
“Big Mike” Nicklaw distributed the Treasurer’s Report for the month of December. As with November, the December report showed a much depleted balance and a loan from the Treasurer himself. Many unexpected repairs to the Septic system, Fence, Kitchen Appliances and the installation of a new Kitchen Hood system, front and back doors and new card readers ate up all of our budget and then some. The report reflected a decrease in sales in both the kitchen (4%) and the bar (23%) compared to December 2010. Year-end totals showed the Kitchen up 20%, the Bar down 2% and Memberships up 44% from last year. Expenses for December included the fourth installment of our Liquor Liability Insurance, the cost of a Health Inspection and repairs to the Ice Machine. A donation was made to the Superbowl Champion D-Y Football Team and donations overall were down 12% from last year in an effort to defray costs.
The January 29th fundraiser will be a very important day for the Club, please come out to show your support. As always, donations can be made via PayPal by credit card on the website. A donation jug is also available behind the bar. With over 1,400 Members, if everyone kicks in $10 we’ll be “back in the black”. For those Members who have a significant other that they sign is as a Guest several times during the year, please use this as an opportunity to join the Club. As a Non-Profit Organization we are only allowed to have 15% of our sales derive from Non-Members. We have thousands of Guests signed in each year and a good chunk of those Guests are the wives/husbands of a Full Member. We will be focusing very closely on Guest Fees in 2012 to defray these costs. A motion was made and seconded to accept the report.
Membership Secretary, John Flaherty advised that we now have 1,411 paid Members after the 13 prospective members were voted
on and accepted at the meeting. As a reminder, Lifetime Memberships are available for $1,000 and can be paid in four installments of $250 either to John Flaherty via check or cash or on the website via credit card and PayPal. A certificate will be presented to each Lifetime Member and a plaque will soon be posted in the Club.
In the absence of Sandy Bagge, Chairwoman of the Events Committee, Mike Regan announced the following Events:
January 15th: “Souper Bowl” Party: Members are encouraged to bring in Soup, Bread, and Appetizers for a Pot Luck Party starting at 4pm.
January 17th: Cooking Class starting at 5 pm. Sign up at the Club.
Topics of discussion:
- Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade: This year’s parade will be held on Saturday, March 10th beginning at 11am. To date 14 bands have been booked and the Parade Committee is looking for sponsors and people to take out Ads. More information on the Parade can be found via the Links portion of our website.
- Fund Raiser- Your Club needs your support!! It's been a few years since we've held a fundraiser for the Club. We've raised funds for our friends, relatives and community and now it's time to focus on ourselves to help offset all the unexpected capital projects from the past year. On Sunday, January 29th our doors will open at Noon and the event will kick off officially at 2PM Anyone who can donate auction and raffle items please contact Ellen Regan, Sue Loughlin or Kathy Lappen. The event will be a ticket only event and tickets are $20. They can be purchased at the Club and will be available on the day of the event. John Quilter will be our emcee and the Brian Boru Pipe Band will be performing from 3:00 to 4PM followed by the Paddy Murphy Quartet at 4PM. All the local musicians are welcome to perform as well. Corned Beef Sandwiches and Hot dogs will be available for sale during the event.
- SOECC Float- As we draw closer to the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade (March 10, 2012) we are seeking a club member to chair the Float Committee. We want to thank Carol Shea for serving as chair for the past 6 years. Also, if any business owner would like to co-sponsor the float, it would be greatly appreciated. This year and forthcoming years we will be hosting the Colleen’s of the Parade on our float.
- Spring Golf Tournament: This year's Spring Tournament will be held on Sunday, April 15th at the Dennis Highlands Golf Course. The tournament will be open to the first 120 players. The format will be best ball, with an 8:30 am shotgun start followed by a buffet and prizes back at the Club. Sponsors, Golfers and Donations are needed for the raffle. Applications will be available shortly at the Club and on the website.
- Thank You!! To Jim Washburn and all of the Kitchen Staff and Volunteers for putting out great meals for both our Christmas Party and New Year’s Eve Party.
- Yarmouth Food Pantry: Dave Bottling from the Yarmouth Food Pantry was in attendance and thanked the Members for their donations. A large white box is available at the front entrance for any further donations.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.
Upcoming Events
Be sure to check our Calendar of Events page on the website as well as the bulletin boards at the Club for updated information on scheduled entertainment.
Congratulations!!
To the MacCormaic and Thornton families on the births of their daughters.
Reminders
Club Merchandise/Cookbooks
New Gear is in!! Raspberry zip up fleeces for the women and Cranberry pullovers for the Men. Get them while they last!! We also have Navy, Green and Black golf shirts for the Men and for the Women we have white. There are emerald green t-shirts for both as well as beautiful zip up sweatshirts all with the Club logo on them. Parade t-shirts, scally caps, baseball hats, coozies, 5-year pint and wine glasses, and cookbooks are all on sale.
Cribbage Night
The Cribbage League meets every Thursday at 6:30 pm. All levels of players are welcome. Bring a $1 for the Skunk Jar!
Dance Classes
Doug & Kim McHugh are offering dance classes on the first, third and fourth Monday of each month. There will be two sessions of different styles of dance from 6-7 pm and 7-8 pm. Cost is $10 per person, per session.
Function Hall Rentals
A Rental Agreement will need to be signed in order to reserve the Function Room. A fee of $50 will be charged for all rentals in addition to a $50 security deposit to be collected upon signing. The security deposit will be returned if the room is left in the same condition it was found.
General Membership Meeting
Our Seventy Third General Membership meeting will be held on Sunday, February 12th at 10:30 a.m. All Members are encouraged to attend. An Irish Breakfast will be served before and after the meeting.
Guests
Please sign in your guests, including family members and acquaint them with the rules and regulations of the Club, including the cash-only policy and clearance of their table before they leave. Please also remind them that we are not a restaurant and patience is needed during busy nights. The Guest Book is located on top of the Club Gear display. Please return the book back to the display case as soon as you’re finished signing your guests in.
Ireland & Cape Cod Photographs
Carol Shea and Maria-McConell Dalton have beautifully decorated the hallway behind the stage with photographs from Ireland and Cape Cod. These photos are available for purchase with a percentage of the sale going to the Community Fund.
Irish Music Classes
Sean Murphy will be conducting Tin Whistle/Irish Music Classes for adults and children. The course will run each Saturday from September 17th through October 29th (7 classes). Cost is $50 per person. Beginner’s class will be from Noon to 1pm; more experienced or quick learners will be from 1pm to 2pm. Sean can be contacted at 508-790-0438.
Kitchen Hours
We have switched back to our off-season schedule of serving dinner from 5:30-8 pm, Wednesday thru Saturday.
Set Dancing
Sean and Bernadette Murphy will be conducting a new beginner’s step dancing class on Tuesday nights starting at 7pm. Couples and singles are welcome and the cost is $8 per class. They will still be conducting their usual class at 6pm on Tuesday night, for the more experienced dancers. Please call Sean or Bernadette at (508) 790-0438 for more information.