Rye Golf Club has launched a survey to its membership designed to influence an RFP being written for Whitby Castle.
Comically, question number eight asks members "What do you feel is an appropriate minimum level food charge per year?" vs. if a minimum is even appropriate. A $300 food minimum specific to Whitby (not the snack bar) was added in 2012 to the consternation of many:
excerpt: RYE GOLF CLUB SURVEY
Your feedback will be an integral part of the Request for Proposal (RFP) that is being created for Whitby by a select committee. Please take the time to complete this brief survey. We need to hear from you.
8. What do you feel is an appropriate minimum level food charge per year?
What do you feel is an appropriate minimum level food charge per year?
a. $100
b. $200
c. $300
d. $400
e. $500
Glad someone else picked up on this inane question. Clearly, the folks putting together the survey see no problem with the “minimum” at the Castle. An honest survey would have either provided a $0 option OR asked the simple question of “Should there be a minimum for the Castle?”
Bob I’m glad you’re on this issue. It has real merit.
And while you’re at it, maybe someone should ask if Rye can afford to rent helicopters for aerial glamour shots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Pd_HktB2A&feature=plcp
Tedc:
Here the text of the invoice for the video you posted is below. The cost was $4,500.
Be careful with the whole aerial photography thing, yes we were billed for that, but if you look at the video at 1:16 in, you will notice the wake behind the boat at the bottom of the screen doesn’t move. RGC has gigantic beautiful aerial photographs on the premises, I’ve shot them myself with my camera.
And at 1:00 in, I don’t know any holes at RGC that have a pond with a red barn. That shot is actually of Westchester Country Club’s South Course 9th Hole. The ole chopper musta got blown off course. Check Google Earth if one must.
Madeo Multimedia is owned by the husband of Suzanne Ruggiero-Madeo, the owner of RM Staffing.
________The Invoice___________
MADEO MUTIMEDIA
Rye Golf Club
330 Boston Post Road Rye, NY 10580
Scott Yandrasevich November 21, 2011
RGC Promo Production
Services Rendered:
Project – Create a comprehensive promotional piece for the acquisition of new membership.
► Create script/storyboard
► Location shoot; aerial videography, ground shots w/ jib crane shots – multiple days
► Post-production; record VO, create graphics, conceive music bed, assembly/mastering,
Total…………..$4,500
Deposit……….$0
Balance Due…$4,500
Thank you for your business.
Please make check payable to Madeo Multimedia, Inc. Payment due upon receipt of invoice
I learned today that when our City Manager is out of town on vacation or out sick we have an acting City Manager…..I will give you all 3 guesses who that is – first 2 guesses don’t count?
Come on, this shouldn’t be all too difficult…hint hint….he is no brighter or worthier than the man he subsitutes for???
We need to join with Joe. He is the only council member that has advocated for due process and transparency time and time again.
December 19 is the next council meeting. Let’s get our a**es down to city hall and empower Joe in his quest for full disclosure at Rye Golf Club.
Simply put, it’s time Rye grows a Sack.
Before joining this lynch mob and in the interests of “full disclosure and transparency” WHO is FUNDING this guerilla marketing “ad” campaign? WHO is it that hired EllyOwen Advertising? (aka Leon, Laus Deo 10580,RGC, RM, et al). Answer me this before tying the knot please.
The survey is to determine what the members think. How they feel about access to a clubhouse, in this case Whitby. It’s not to influence any RFP. The only way to get the proper RFP is to have an idea of what your looking for. Don’t you think the members should have a say in the future of their clubhouse. It wouldn’t surprise me if the survey results show the members would like to have a clubhouse they have access to. They may also support a minimum. I’m a member and have no problem with a minimum and certainly think a clubhouse with access is needed. Food and service could improve. Lets see what type of RFP comes back. Is someone willing to pay the amount needed.
Could not agree with you more D!
Finally someone rational and with an un-clouded head on their shoulders. Not biased because of city politics.
$30 a month at 10 months to eat & DRINK at whitby. Not a bad deal. What’s the minimum at coveliegh, at apawamis, at westchester? What are the initiation fees & dues & assessments?
@ Louse, D,
Shake the numbers any which you they go….WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT MONEY IS GOING???
As a member, whether you agree or disagree with the $300 fee…considering the corruption would you put this $300 forward?
@D and Louse – the question is not whether or not there should be a survey, but rather whether or not the survey should be even handed. This one, by omitting the $0 Castle minimum option is clearly biased in favor of a minimum.
Further, should RGC really be trying to make the Castle the center of life for BOTH golfers and swimmers? Swimmers use the place for 3 months a year, typically with kids. They already are spending money on food/drinks at the snack bar. How many of them also want to be forced to spend an addition $300 at the Castle? Yes, some do. And yes, some use both the course and the pool (different membership class, though). But many don’t. Witness the number of pool-only members who have repeatedly asked to have the minimum apply to the snack bar.
An example of another club’s food minimum is AYC…$600/yr. that is built into your $600 + monthly membership. That’s correct, a monthly payment not the all or nothing $1,500 (pool) or $5,000 + (pool and golf) and by March 1 when it’s months away from swim season and the greens and tees are yet to open.
We had dinner at the Castle tonight and the cheeseburger platter is quite good but we almost broke teeth on the French fries. Had to get change of a $10 in the bar to tip in cash so it doesn’t disappear into Yandrasevich’s “black hole.” Time to clean house and I mean everyone.
My personal loss un the tip black hole is about $2,500 over the past 8 years, which includes 2 big parties…I have asked them to apply it to the 2013-2014, or in the alternative, if Councilman Felipe is on this blog, he can answer for me. Before I forget, I wonder how the father of a bride might feel spending $50,000 + …that’s a nice tip take…
PStephenLamont – Greetings from Texas. You have the AYC food minimum described slightly wrong. I’ve given Leon guidance on It and another local private golf club food minimum program so that he can speak authoritatively about them with your commissioners. Everyone I’ve spoken with in the Rye private club world feels awful about what’s happened to Rye Golf and you have friends and resources to draw on locally. You will have a great club again soon.
Jim,
I would hope that the money is no longer getting pocketed by rm, the gm or his wife. I also hope that it gets put to a better use then paying for a high priced investigation (whether it goes to a law firm or an advertising company).
PStephenLamont,
Speaking of high priced lawyers how is your lawsuit going? Look’s crazy: http://iviewit.tv/
Someone that can pay $800 an hour lawyers like P.R. shouldn’t be worried about food minimums!
Robert Zahm,
It’s a food & beverage minimum to be used at the castle not the snack bar. Bottom line is it’s a club. If you are not happy then don’t join the club! Join AYC with PStephenLamont and toast to the money that you are both saving (as soon as they re-build).
Louse,
I hear we are about to spend another 106,000 on top of the already 30,000 we coughed up to the lawyers handling the RGC Investigation…..WHERE IS ALL THIS MONEY COMING FROM???
According to Councilman Jovanovich we are “STRUGGLING”!!!