The Faculty Club Newsletter

November 06

          Dear Members!
The cold weather is almost here – you can feel it in the air, and the fireplaces in our lounges attract more and more people to sit there and read or catch up on e-mail. Plans for the Christmas dinner parties are under way, and the reservations are coming in. I hope you’ve all received your invitations by now. There are two more home games to go in our football season. Make note of the special dinner planned for Big Game Day! We are working on our events calendar for 200 – watch for it in the next Newsletter. If you have an idea for a special event, please let me know and the Event Committee and I will see whether it will fit into our plans. The latest upgrade to the Club is the refinishing of all the chairs in the Great Hall – a part of our ongoing efforts to keep the Club looking good. Once again I want to thank our staff for doing such a great job serving our members and guests. As always, you should feel free to contact me or ask for help in any club related matter.

       The Wine Committee will host a wine and spirits evening on November 9th with St. George Spirits and Edmunds St. John winery. Jorg Rupf, founder of St. George and Hangar One, will be on hand for an evening featuring cocktails made with Hangar One vodka and St. George eaux de vie and liqueurs towards the end of the evening. The dinner will showcase wines by Steve Edmunds of Edmunds St. John, a local winemaker and musician who last came to the Club in 2003. We expect to present an Edmunds St. John wine in two incarnations: first with dinner as it was bottled by the winery, and then as transformed by St. George’s distillation. Steve is a great guitarist! Will there be music in the air? We’ll see! Meanwhile, reserve now at extension 224. Reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Cost: $65 per person, all-inclusive.

       The Board of Directors would like to remind all members that this is the time of year when we reward our hardworking staff for their good service to us. We are fortunate to have a dedicated staff – from cooks to cleaners, from office staff to furniture movers. Most of these people are not in positions where they receive tips in the course of their duties, and the Club takes this annual occasion to express our appreciation to them. Members received a form last month asking for contributions to this fund. We are still not at our hoped-for goal, and ask that you think about donating if you have not already done so. You can do it easily by sending an e-mail or letter asking that a certain amount for this purpose be charged to your account. Or you can drop off an envelope with a check at the front desk. - Board of Directors

       This group continues to meet bimonthly throughout the academic year. At the November 30th meeting – once again a change of schedule – we’ll hear from a specialist in the writing and production of personal memoirs, Trena Cleland. Trena has already worked with some of our members in the compilation of materials that can make a precious resource fro our children – or even our future biographers! Don’t end up like the poor man in Herb’s cartoon this month! All widows of Club members are eligible to join this welcoming group. Lunch costs $16, with an extra $5 charge for wine. Current members will receive notification of the meeting by mail. Others should not hesitate to call for more information: Phyllis Schafer at 510-704-9951.

       Our artist for November is Kathy Burden. A graduate of Mills College, she also studied in the graduate Art Department here at Berkley. All the paintings being shown are scenes from California and England. She has made a special study of plein air painting. We have enjoyed Kathy’s paintings here at the Club before, and she has exhibited elsewhere around the Bay Area. All paintings are for sale and can be delivered after the Show. Please call 510-547-3255 if you wish to make a purchase or ask any questions about the paintings.

       Members are starting to discover the great International Buffet Dinners. Each Friday visit a different country – coming up: Scotland! For $16.50 enjoy our chef’s creative travels around the world.

       Two more home games in the football season! Whether we get to the Rose Bowl or not, it’s been a great ride so far. As usual the Club will be open for pre-game lunches and drinks for both games. For the Big Game on December 2nd, avoid the post-game traffic and come to the Club for a prime rib dinner: salad, prime rib carved to order, fresh seasonal vegetables, and more – all for $15 per person. (Even if you’re not going to the game, you may enjoy coming by to celebrate a great season.) Pre-dinner drinks will be available as soon as you arrive, and dinner service will begin at 5:00pm.

       Invitations have now been sent to members for the parties on December 6th, 7th, and 8th. Please remember that seating is on a first come, first served basis, and no phone or e-mail reservations can be accepted. Get your requests in early for the best choice of dates. The boar’s head is being shampooed, Moose is learning the words to all the songs in the entertainment, the staff is putting together the plans for decorations and dining, and the squires have brushed up their evening wear. Let the happy throng to assemble. Let the trumpets sound, le the Monks process, let the voices of members join in old melodies to waken the bears at the beam ends in the Great Hall, and prove once again that the best start to the holiday season is right here in the Club.

       Prepare to brighten the dark season with yet another of the Club’s fine winemaker’s dinners. See the December Newsletter for details of the January 26th presentation to be made by Sean Thackrey’s boutique winery in Bolinas.

       The last day of service before the holiday closing of the Club will be December 20th. From the 21st until January 2nd the Club will be open for private events, and hotel rooms will be available for your out-of-town guest. There will be no regular dining service.

       We’re continuing our early-bird Bargain Dinners: from 5 to 6:30 – a great pre-show meal for only $13.99. Reservations at 540-5678, extension 0. We now also have revised lunchtime menus in place in the dining room, with exciting new choices, as well as new wine-by-the-glass selections in the bar. We are now offering the opportunity for informal, light meals in the Bar on weekday evenings. If you need a quick snack before returning to your department for an early evening meeting, you can now do it in the peace of the Club Bar. The new Bar menu is already in place – check it out. Our kitchen can also provide Take Out Lunches that may be ordered by phone or fax. With notice, we can arrange delivery on campus.

       We are continuing the Club’s bargain breakfast special. From 7 to 10 a.m. you can come by the Kerr Room and for $2.99 enjoy juice, eggs, coffee, and toast. Pick up a newspaper on the way to the campus and relax after that commute or uphill bike ride. And tell your friends! You do not have to be a member to take advantage of this special.