Dear Absent Member,
I hope this message finds you all well, and as happy as one can reasonably expect during these times. The challenges of the past year are readily apparent to all. Many of us, including me, have experienced loss of family and/or friends. Some of us grew quite ill. All of us have lived with restrictions that are at best unpleasant, and at worst, unpalatable. During this time, unlike some clubs around the nation, we were permitted to remain open. It was not smooth sailing. We continued to operate some activities like golf and tennis, with restrictions, but we had no choice but to act quickly and furlough a great number of staff, while other staff suffered pay cuts. To soften the blow, the ANCC Foundation led the way in providing support to the employees. As we faced a grim future, and despite the loss of pay, the remaining staff acted with creativity to create new programs to serve the membership. As outlined in this newsletter, some of these programs are available to you, regardless of where you live, such as Zoom fitness and online fitness content. Thanks to the dedication of the staff and membership, the Club will survive the pandemic in excellent condition. You, as absent members, were not forgotten. Despite the pandemic, we needed to press ahead with the renovation of the Arlington pools complex. We will complete this renovation by May of 2022. As we considered how to finance it, we balanced the scales and decided that we would not ask the absent members to contribute to the construction cost, so long as they are absent members. Thus, we are charging each resident and social member an extra $45/month for the next ten years, but you, the absent members will not pay one penny. If you return to resident membership, you will then pay a fair share of the cost. As for the dues, we elected not to raise dues last year, but this year will see a $27 dues increase. The increase is necessary as all of our costs increase every year, and employee wages are expected to rise faster than inflation. The average starting rate for a Club employee is $11/hour, and under Virginia law, we must increase our pay every year so that we can meet the coming Virginia minimum wage of $15/hour by 1 January 2026. As the pandemic subsides, I would recommend that you make plans to come visit your Club. The golf courses have never looked better, our tennis facilities are second to none, the food quality is better than ever, our new pickleball courts have created a great level of excitement, and we have an array of programs that meet the needs of every member and their families. You are an important part of the Army Navy family and, as we know from the pandemic, we all need each other’s fellowship. With these thoughts in mind, I look forward to seeing you around the Club.
Sincerely,
Raighne C. Delaney Chairman, Board of Governors
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