September 1, 2020
Dear River Hills Member:
Welcome to renewal season! Our hope is that this will find you safe and well. I would like to start by saying thank you for all of your help and understanding over these past months as we all deal with the challenges of a Covid world. River Hills is a magical place, it is our place… as members of the River Hills family, it is more important than ever that we come together to protect the family and ensure the long-term vitality of this wonderful relationship.
The board has been very focused on how we ensure a safe and enjoyable environment at the lodge while we also look to ensure the financial viability of the club longer term. In this message, we will cover many topics that I think you will find important. (so please take the time to read to the bottom). We will discuss this information in detail at our next membership meeting on September 8th.
- Membership Renewal – Renewal Dues and Lodge Usage Fees will remain at 2019-20 season rates. Please submit your renewal asap, this will help in our planning process. Please click on the following URL link and submit your renewal -> RIVER HILLS 2020/21 RENEWAL LINK Renewals submitted after October 15 will be assessed a late fee.
- Lodge Safety – We will continue the Lodge sanitization procedures that are posted on the reservation page. It is critical to everyone’s safety and comfort that everyone follow these simple procedures. We will continue to evaluate additional measures that may be needed to ensure safe and comfortable operation of the lodge.
- Reservation Process – Reservations will be limited for the coming season to align with a Covid aware world. This will specifically mean reducing the number of people allowed in the lodge for any individual weekend/weekday. Because of this temporary reduction in capacity, we will temporarily change the reservation policy allowing advanced reservations for only 2 weekends per month, advanced reservation for only one of the 3-day holiday weekends (which would count towards your 2 weekends per month) and advanced reservations for not more than 4 days during the Christmas/New Year’s week. This change in reservations is intended to ensure that all members will have the opportunity to utilize the lodge. Please note, in the case that any period (traditional weekend, holiday weekend or Christmas/New Year) still has openings at 21 days prior, members/guests will then be able to book reservations for the desired night. (i.e. after everyone had that advanced reservation opportunity). Reservations cannot be made until annual dues are received.
- Room Assignments – Room assignment will also change, doubles will only be assigned based on attendees coming together, all singles will be assigned to individual rooms (starting with bunk rooms). The individual room assignments will also have a focus on minimizing bathroom crowding. This will result in club utilization being roughly 50% based on mix of reservations.
- Food – RHSC will continue to provide breakfast and weekend dinner, however, based on significant utilization reduction, we will not hire a dedicated chef. We will leverage the contingency plan from last season. We know that this is not ideal, but, based on expected revenue/utilization reduction it is the best option. In addition, based on hygiene and table crowding, we will be eliminating club provided appetizers. We will continue to provide dishwashing service for both weekend breakfasts and dinner.
- Work Weekends – Work weekend will move forward, the membership survey showed that 60% of respondents still expect to participate, this is in line with the actual participation from the last two years. The weekends are scheduled for the 1st two weekends of Oct. In addition, John Ridgeway is offering independent activities that require pre-approval and completion confirmation. This is a nice option for those that want to participate, but, cannot make those dates. The “Opt-out” option will remain for those that want to take advantage.
- Club Liability – We will be attending a CSC meeting on September 8th, the member clubs will be discussing the best methodology for the member clubs. Based on that input, RHSC will be sending additional information, likely in the form of a member and guest waiver form.
It is especially important, in this year of Covid challenge, that the entire RHSC family renew as quickly as possible. We need everyone’s support. Renewals are due no later than October 15, 2020, and per by-laws, there will be a $15 penalty assessed for renewals received after that date.
If you wish to discuss your membership status and/or need to make alternate arrangements, please contact Jenn Freeda at jennfreeda@gmail.com, (203) 952-3296. If you have any other questions or if you wish to discuss anything live, feel free to contact me at (914) 805-9066, email mmyers27@outlook.com or any of the members of your board.
Thank You, Be Safe, Be Well and Enjoy!
Mark Myers
p.s. September 8th will be our next RHSC Member meeting, This will be a virtual meeting. Brian Pear will coordinate and forward the invitation shortly.