The Faculty Club Newsletter

April 06

           Dear Members! Let us hope that with the departure of March we can finally start to enjoy some real spring weather. Enough rain! But the wet weather has not dampened the enthusiasm of our members for the various events put on for their entertainment over the past couple of months. It delights the management and the Board to see so many attending. Now look ahead to April and May. The wine Tasting on the Glade and the Mother’s Day brunch are two of our most popular events. Reservation forms for the brunch are included with this newsletter. Be sure to reserve early for the time you wish to attend. The Spring Wine Tasting also fills up early, so reserve soon. As always, you should feel free to contact me or ask for help in any club related matter.

       On April 27th [note the change] enjoy another of the Club’s famous winemaker’s dinner when David Graves of Sainstbury Winery from Santa Cruz presents an evening of fine wines paired with the inspired food matches dreamed up by our chef, Carl, working with Felix. As usual, members will have the opportunity to purchase the wineries products at a highly advantageous price. Reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7. Cost: $60 per person, all inclusive.

       Everyone in the Bay Area seems to be earthquake aware this month, so we have decided to dedicate part of our next lunch, on April 19th to a presentation of some material on emergency preparedness for people who live alone. Come with your own ideas and contributions, and we’ll also look at some of the materials distributed by the Berkeley Fire Department. A serious topic, but we’ll still have time for good talk! All surviving spouses of Club members are eligible to join this welcoming group. Lunch costs $17, with and extra $5 charge for wine. Current members will receive notification by mail. Others should not hesitate to call for more information: Jeanne Pimentel at 510-843-3171, or (until April 8th) Phyllis Schafer at 510-704-9951

       Come any weekday evening before 6:30 and enjoy a three-course dinner for the remarkable price of $13.99, including a choice of soup or salad, and dessert. Reservations at 540-5678 ext. 0.

       Our artist for the month will be retired professor Tom Conkle, also with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who has shown his oil paintings at the Club before. He has recently traveled to China and Tibet and his current exhibition, “The Great Wall beside the Great Hall,” is made up of paintings of scenes from that area of Asia.

       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.

       Results of elections to the Board of Directors will be announced at the annual meeting, to be held at noon on April 5th. At this time the Board and Management will report on the running of the Club and share financial information on the past year. Come and learn more about the overall operation of the Club you own.

       Come to the Club on April 20th for what we hope will be both an in formative and lighthearted look at the 100th anniversary of the Big One. Teresa Salazar of the Bancroft Library will be presenting some of the contemporary materials from the Bancroft’s collections. We are hoping to resurrect a few witnesses from the time, including the Mayor of San Francisco. Join your friends at 6 p.m. for drinks, to be followed by dinner and the program. The cost will be $25 per person, all inclusive.

       Last month we told how Professor Andrew Lawson, who was living at the Club in its early years, established the Club as headquarters for the State Earthquake Investigation Commission. This Commission’s work and the resulting 1908 Lawson Report are regarded as the beginnings of modern seismology in the United States. The group met for the first time on April 24th, 1906, just a few days after the earthquake. The powers that be tried to play down the damage that the earthquake did, putting emphasis on the ensuing fire, because they did not want to scare investors away from the rebuilding of San Francisco! Another titbit of information about the Club in the 1906 earthquake. Our president, Professor Stringham (Mathematics) was also serving as Acting President of the University at that time. Going through the Bancroft’s earthquake website, your editor found this notice, sent out over Stringham’s name, canceling classes on campus during the time of the emergency:

       Come to the Club on May 4th for another of our popular lecture evenings, this time dedicated to the art of political prediction. Philip Tetlock is Professor of Political Science here at Berkeley and author most recently of “Expert Political Judgment: How Good is it? How Can We Know?” (2005), Princeton University Press. We have heard in the past from people like Mervin Field of the Field Poll, but there is a chance to learn about the accuracy or inaccuracy of the prognosticators and their methods. Reception at 6 p.m., followed by lecture and dinner at 7 p.m. Cost: $25 per person.

       The day of wine and roses approaches. Corsages and champagne. A delicious buffet. Delightful decorations. A strolling violinist. What better can you do for your mother (or the mother of your children, or your best friend’s mother, or your best friend who’s like a mother to you – or even- the ultimate guilt trip-for your children)? On May 14th the Club once again offers its celebration of maternity. There’s no place in town that offers the relaxed charm of this event. Reservation forms are included with this newsletter. Get your reservations in early – some popular hours fill up fast! Price: $40 per person.

       The Vintners of northern California are again ready to get your attention with their latest releases and old favorites. Gather a group of friends, repay all those social obligations, and enjoy the tasting on May 12th. The usual pattern: tasting from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., and dinner and dancing from 7 to 9. If you’ve never experienced a wine tasting evening on the glade, you owe it to yourself to try one. You will get hooked, as so many members have before you. Cost: $42 per person, all inclusive.

       The Club continues to serve a generous breakfast in the dining room every weekday. For $2.99 you can enjoy juice, coffee or tea, eggs, and toast. After the grim commute, unwind with your newspaper and get ready to fact the day. We don’t discriminate. You can eat the same breakfast even if you walk to campus!