The Faculty Club Newsletter

November 2005

           Here we are again, drawing to the end of the year and preparing for another round of Christmas parties. At this time, I want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. The holiday season comes around so fast: Jewish High Holy Days, Ramadan, and then the rush of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year. Remember to call me if I can be of help to you here at the Club during this busy time of year. Our festivities around the football games are being well attended and great fun for everyone. We also plan to serve dinners before basketball games. Meanwhile, enjoy our November events. I hope you all have a great holiday season. I look forward to serving you in the coming year. As always feel free to contact me if I can assist you with any Club related business Thank you.

       Invitations are now being sent to members for the parties on December 7th, 8th, and 9th. 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 (and one squiress) have brushed up tuxedos and evening wear. Let the happy throng to assemble. Let the trumpets sound, let 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 let’s once again prove that the best start to the holiday season is right here in the Club.

       Our November 18th winemaker’s dinner will feature Geyser Peak winery. The owners have some special selections from their products for us to enjoy. As usual, their staff will plan with our chef to produce a fine, coordinated meal. Our picture shows their winemaker, Mick Schroeter, with just a couple of the trophies this distinguished winery has in its collection. Come to see why they are such winners! The evening starts with a reception at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7. Take advantage of the opportunity to order Geyser Peak wines at a special Club rate. The cost will be $60 per person, all inclusive. Seating is limited, so please make your reservations early, at 540-5678, ext. 224.

       Stanley Brandes, Professor of Anthropology, has exhibited at the Club before. He has designed courses on the social role of photographic images. He has exhibited his own nature and documentary photographs both here and in New York. The current show, “The Natural World,” displays work done over the past decade.

       When the California Republic adopted a flag, the grizzly bear was its main feature, and it remains on the Stage flag today. But over the past 150 years the bear has been hunted and slaughtered as much as it has been admired. Susan Snyder of the Bancroft Library has written a book on the subject, drawing on the rich pictorial resources of the Library. On November 10th she’ll be making a presentation of some of these images at the Club, along with a talk on the fate of California bears. Come at 5:30 p.m. for the reception, to be followed by her talk at 6 and dinner at 7. Cost for the evening will be $25. Susan suggests you come armed with your own tales. She says that everyone seems to have a bear story. Our illustration dates from 1849 and shows a miner fighting a bear for a 16 ˝ pound gold nugget. Don’t ask about the monkey!

       Through the Club, John Hancock is offering a Long Term Care Insurance Policy on a group basis. Allen Vivell, the company’s registered representative, is available at 925-681-4445 to answer questions on the program.

       As the concert and theater season starts to heat up, it is time to start enjoying the bargain dinners in the Kerr Room, especially before events at Zellerbach Hall and Cal basketball games. This is the biggest dining bargain in Berkeley. And now you can enjoy our new evening look in the Kerr Room. Come any weekday evening before 6:30 and enjoy a three-course dinner for the remarkable price of $13.95, including a choice of soup or salad, and dessert. A pleasant summer evening spot. Reservations at 540-5678, extension 0.

       The next luncheon meeting of this group will be on December 1st. Members will get announcements by mid-November. This group is open to all surviving spouses of Club members – a friendly and lively assembly of people. For more information, call Phyllis Schafer at 510-704-9951.

       Your editor was very rushed one morning and dropped in to the Kerr Dining room for Breakfast Special. The service was prompt and gracious, the eggs were done just as I like them, the potatoes were not the usual frozen hash browns – what a deal! Too much food for me – next time I’ll ask for just one egg. All for $2.99. I’ve added this to my list of things to do at the Club – which also includes the Bargain Dinners before events on campus. From 5 to 6:30, eat a great meal for only $13.99. And then there are the Football Day Lunches. The one time I’ve been there the atmosphere was festive and the service great. Next I’m going to try the short orders in the Bar in the evening. Watch for a report.

       From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, you can join your friends in the Bar for a gin and tonic, a beer, a glass of good wine, or a mineral water. There’s a bonus now in the Bar. For people who want a quick snack before going back to the lab, or off to a concert, there’s now a Bar menu of sandwiches and the like. Try them soon.

       This year we launched both a new dinner menu and a complete new look to the Kerr Dining Room after 5 p.m. The wait staff enjoy their new maroon shirts and the color scheme provides an elegant setting for a quiet dinner. Why not come in soon and enjoy the new look and the new dishes. With all dinners other than the early bird special, you will get a free glass of wine during October.

       We are continuing the Club’s bargain breakfast special. From 7:30 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.