will attract the next generation of members allows
the Club to justify:
Continued from page 12
Over the years gas subsidies to the Operating and Capital
funds have helped keep members’ dues burden very low
while the Club continued to offer a wide range of high-
quality amenities and member experiences, and our capital
assets were kept in good repair.
According to our Bylaws, 60% of each year’s gas revenues
are awarded to the Capital Fund, with another 20% going to
Operations. That means in 2014, the Capital Fund received
$60,000 from gas royalties. But in 2018, the Capital Fund
received only $16,000. Unfortunately, this dramatic decline
in gas revenues hasn’t been accompanied by a decline in
necessary expenses from the Capital Fund. Each year we
need to spend on average $340,000 from that Fund to repair
or replace our existing capital assets. The Capital Assessment
portion of our annual dues brings in $140,000 each year –
leaving the Board to make up the $200,000 difference without
the help of the gas royalties. And that is just the year-to-
year challenge facing our Capital Fund. As we consider
eventually replacing our largest and most expensive capital
assets, the current structure of the Capital Fund simply won’t
be able to supply the money.
The Plan itself is only 14 pages long. It is designed to be an
easy document to read and understand. It is the blueprint
the Board will follow as it decides what to focus on. And, it
provides a perpetual process for future Boards to use to keep
the Plan fresh and relevant. You are encouraged to read it on
our website and ask questions about any parts of it that you’d
like to know more about.
Let’s conclude this message on an upbeat note of optimism
and opportunity. You may be familiar with the old saying,
“Nothing is good or bad, except by comparison.”
An Effective and Skilled Governing Board.
Individuals whose sense of duty to the Club calls
them to serve in a fiduciary capacity on behalf of the
membership. One of the most important duties of
the Board is to select and train:
Good Management. An individual who can manage
the complexities of a Club like CCR, from member-
relations to hotel management. From restauranteur
to roads and equipment repair. And one of the
Manager’s most important duties is to insist upon:
4. Excellent Financial Stewardship. Using scare money
wisely and with a clear understanding of the right
priorities enables the Club to provide:
5. The Right Programs and Services. Providing
programs and services aimed at satisfying current
members’ wants and needs as well as those which
Continuous Research and Communication is an
absolute requirement for staying “ahead of the curve”
of member expectations and providing the
intelligence for good decision-making.
The themes developed in those workshops became the basis
for a comprehensive survey which was made available to all
CCR members online. Over 540 members responded to this
survey with both statistical feedback and specific written
comments. This member-generated information formed the
basis for the vision and specific Goals and Objectives
contained in this Plan. It is available on our website under
the Documents section of the Member page.
The foundation of every successful Club is a Strong
and Vibrant Membership, consisting of people who
are active, involved, and interested in making the
Club stronger. Such a membership is able to attract:
3. 7.
We also added lots of information and feedback from our
current members in devising this Plan. Two day-long
workshops were held in the Bickley Room last May and June.
These workshops explored the Ranch’s internal Strengths and
Weaknesses. They also identified Opportunities and Threats
from outside the Association that the Board needed to
consider in its Strategic Planning.
The Plan is rooted in the aspirations expressed in our Mission
Statement. But aspirations alone aren’t sufficient to actually
produce a Club that is truly stronger and more sustainable
into the future. The Plan had to be systematically designed
to identify Key Areas of Focus that would assure every major
element necessary to success was included. The design of
this Plan describes Seven Key Areas of Focus that are critical
to the success of any private club. These Areas of Focus are
linked and dependent on one another.
2.
Superior Facilities. Keeping our facilities in first-class
repair and always ready for member use and
enjoyment is critical to maintaining current members
and attracting new ones. Finally,
The research that went into this Strategic Plan built on prior
planning efforts undertaken by past CCR members and
Boards. Like these previous efforts, this Plan’s purpose is to
ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the Ranch.
The Capital Fund challenge was one important driver the
Board considered as it defined a Strategic Plan. Over the past
year or so the Plan took shape and is now approved and is
being implemented.
1.
6.
When we compare Canada Creek Ranch to other private clubs
on the question of value received for dollar spent, our
members can boast one of the very best value propositions
across the entire private club industry.
Take, for example, our total dues burden. In 2018, a CCR
member with a single membership certificate paid a total of
$683.69. Comparing that number to the dues paid by
members in other non-golf private clubs we found that over
99% of those other clubs charge more than Canada Creek
Ranch. And the members of most of these clubs pay
significantly more than us. We’re not talking about fancy
“Country Clubs” or special “Hunt Clubs”, either. For example,
Lost Lake Woods, our closest competitor just south of Alpena,
often referred to as “our sister club” and founded in 1926 by
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