Category Archives: news

News ~ April 7, 2020

Posted on April 7, 2020 by elise

Hope everyone is staying well and happy during social distancing. The beautiful weather makes it difficult not to use our Club and local beaches. Hopefully we will see the curve flatten and the number of new cases start to decline over the next couple of weeks. It is impossible at this point to determine when we will be able to reopen. My advice is to watch the website, check your e-mails, and visit our Facebook private group to stay in touch with what is happening. As soon as we know, you will know.

ROOM RESERVATIONS: Room reservations for the summer season will be mailed today or tomorrow. While we do not know exactly when we will reopen, our hope is that our season can begin Memorial Day weekend. Some say that is overly optimistic, but we will choose optimism over pessimism every day! However, we suggest you NOT pay for your rooms yet. The statements show a due date of May 8. The Board will discuss postponing the payment date until later in May at our next meeting. We prefer not to increase bookkeeping by providing refunds if we are not able to open. We will keep you informed. .

CLUB MANAGER: We are actively searching for a new Club Manager. You can see the Ad for the manager’s position here. Please pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested. We will be placing the Ad on Indeed and LinkedIn. If you are active on either site, please share.

CLUB FACILITIES: The Club remains closed, but parking lots are open. We have downsized our staff, so if you choose to come sit on the porch, you might want to bring a cloth to clean off pollen and wipes to disinfect chair arms. There are no bathrooms available. Please follow social distancing guidelines if you decide to visit the Club.

Here’s a little something to look forward to!

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Posted on March 30, 2020 by elise

MANAGER POSITION: In an effort to improve member experience and the overall culture of the Club, on March 24 the Board unanimously approved the termination of our current Club Manager. As of Monday, March 30, Victor Brown is no longer an employee of the Hanover Seaside Club. Specific personnel matters are handled in closed session and will not be disclosed to members. The Operations Committee will begin searching for a new manager immediately. If you know of anyone in the hospitality industry who you feel would be a good fit for this position, have them send a resume to Jan Sheppard, Hanover Seaside Club, PO Box 434, Wrightsville Beach, NC, 28480.

COVID19 UPDATE: To meet state and local guidelines, the Hanover Seaside Club will be closed for at least 30 days. The building will remain locked; therefore, there will be no access to bathrooms or the front office. Staff hours are being reduced, so there may not be anyone available to answer the phones during normal business hours. If you have questions, you may leave a message on the answering machine and your call will be returned as quickly as possible. Our hope is still to open in time for Mother’s Day, but we will not know until late April if that will be the case. We will keep you updated on plans as we make them.

SUMMER ROOM RESERVATIONS: Statements for summer room reservations should be e-mailed in the next few days. In order to confirm your reservation, you must pay the fee by Friday May 1. You may pay online using the payment portal at hanoverseaside.com or mail a check to the PO Box. If you would like to pay over the phone, leave a message on the answering machine and someone will call you back to get credit card information. Please do not leave credit card information on the answering machine. A list of available rooms will be posted in the near future.

OFF SEASON ROOM RENTALS: According to the Room Rental Policy, room rentals for off season must be paid within 30 days of making the reservation However, this policy has never been adhered to. There has been a problem with members reserving rooms and canceling at the last minute, or not canceling at all and not showing up. This has happened on high demands weekends during the Fall and Spring. The Board has approved the following revision to the Room Rental Policy:

Bills for off season room rentals must be paid at the time of reservation. Methods of payment are the same as for summer season bills. Rooms will be held for no more than 1 week after the reservation is made without payment.
A full refund will be provided for cancelations made at least 14 days prior to move-in date. In emergency situations, the refund policy for off-season rentals may be changed by the Board.

The revised Room Rental Policy is located on the Quick Links page of the website. Statements will be sent/calls made to those who have rented rooms for the Fall season.

ON SEASON ROOM RENTALS: Beginning this summer, check out time for room rentals is 11:00am instead of noon. This will give more time for thorough cleaning of rooms. Check in time will remain 4:00pm.

MEAL PRICING: As approved in the 2020 budget, evening meals and Sunday lunch prices have been increased 15%. The Operations Committee is working hard to improve meal satisfaction and reduce losses in the dining room. We found that 2019 breakfast pricing more than covered the cost of food, supplies, and staff; therefore, prices for breakfast prices will not increase this year.

605 SOUTH LUMINA COMMITTEE: Our designer has provided a revised plan that meets Wrightsville Beach code. The Committee is moving forward with engineering reports, selecting a builder, and securing financing. A called meeting of Regular Members will be scheduled for early summer to approve plans to begin work on the duplex. The goal is to complete construction and furnishing/decorating in time to rent the building for the 2021 summer season.

BOARD MEETINGS: Until Social Distancing requirements are removed, the Board will be meeting via teleconferencing. The platform we are using will allow for a limited number of users. If you would like to conference in, you must contact the President, Jan Sheppard, to receive the link. You will not be able to speak unless you request prior approval from the President. All microphones for guests will be muted. All guests will be required to log out for any closed session business. The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 14 at 6:00pm. This will be a short meeting to discuss personnel issues. The regular April meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00pm.

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News – March 23, 2020

Posted on March 23, 2020 by elise

News – March 23, 2020

Spring arrived last Thursday and brought Coronavirus with it!

Club staff and volunteers have been working hard to get the Club ready for this season’s opening. Unfortunately, we don’t know when that will be. Due to Coronavirus, all activities scheduled and all rooms reserved through April have been cancelled.

The Town of Wrightsville Beach has closed the Strand and soundside beaches. While the bridge is open and you can get on the island, you cannot walk on the beach, swim, surf, or sunbathe.

How long will this last? Of course, no one knows. New information comes out daily. As of today, public schools will be off-campus until at least May 15 and all gyms, salons, spas, etc. must close by Wednesday at 5:00. Restaurants are closed except for take-out business. With these restrictions in mind, these are the actions taken thus far.

1) Postponed the Sunday, Tuesday and Friday meals until May 12, which is Mother’s Day. We hope to celebrate Mother’s Day with a wonderful buffet. More information will be forthcoming.

2) Cancelled all events and parties through the end of April. Some parties in May have already canceled

3) Cancelled the workday scheduled for March 28..

4) Closed the Club through April. There is a Club workday scheduled for April 18 which we hope to have. We are looking at alternate dates in case we are forced to postpone the workday.

We are reducing staff hours; therefore, normal office hours are no longer being covered. There may be staff available to answer the phone between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM while we are closed. However, the staff will be doing some needed maintenance, so they may have to return your calls. Please leave a message if you need assistance. If you come to the Club to sit on the porch, please keep distance between your group and others. The chairs have been hosed off to remove pollen, but have not been disinfected. You may want to bring wipes to disinfect chair arms. The first floor will remain locked while the Club is closed. Doors may or may not be unlocked on the 2^nd floor. The gate at the gravel parking lot is locked. Please park in the asphalt lot if you come to the Club.

Our goal is to start our normal summer season Memorial Day weekend. The committee met to assign rooms for the Summer Season on Sunday. The data is being recorded in the computer system and statements will be emailed to you by early next week. Payment must be made by May 8 in order to secure your room(s). If you need us to work with you in this tenuous economy, please call the Club office.

No rooms will be rented on the 3rd floor through the end of April. Once we have more knowledge, a decsion will be made about May. We are not cancelling the May reservations already made at this time. We will not take new reservations until we are sure when we will reopen.

The monthly Board Meeting is scheduled for tomorrow evening. We are taking the request for social distancing very seriously. Because of the State of Emergency, the Board will teleconference the meeting at 6:00 tomorrow evening. We are using a platform that most of the Board is unfamiliar with and that limits the number of members present. We are not trying to keep secrets from the membership, we are trying to keep our Board and their families safe while continuing the business of the Club. If anyone needs to confence into the meeting, please contact Jan Sheppard. The number of spaces is limited. We will try to get minutes to members as quickly as possible so that you will know what is discussed at the meeeting.

We hope you and your families are healthy and safe during this troublesome time.

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News – February 28, 2020

Posted on February 28, 2020 by elise

Celebrations of Life:

Muriel Pearson – Saturday, February 29, 20:00 First Presbyterian Church

Chip McGuire – Saturday, February 29, 11:00 St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church

605 S. Lumina Property: Last night, the town of Wrightsville Beach denied our request for a variance to allow us to build the side-by-side duplex that we chose. We needed a variance to allow us to build closer to the property line on the North side which abuts the gravel parking lot. The Committee will now choose a different plan – probably an over-under duplex plan which meets city codes. The timeline remains the same. The building will be complete in time for the rental season in 2021. A special meeting of Regular Members will be called to approve financing in either late Spring or early Summer.

Room Reservations: Remember, Monday is the first day that members should mail their reservation requests for the summer season. Look back at last month’s blog for more information on room reservations. Room reservations must be mailed to the PO Box – they cannot be dropped off at the Club. And, if you have an outstanding balance, your reservation will not be considered.

Dues: If you have not paid your dues, they are over a month past due. According to our Constitution, any member who fails to pay dues shall be automatically suspended and denied the privileges of membership. Any issues with dues should be reported to the Secretary-Treasurer at secretary.hanoverseaside@gmail.com. If you have decided not to renew your membership, please contact the President at president.hsc.18@gmail.com

Membership Applications: We currently have a tremendous backlog of applications for membership. Very few new members are taken each year; therefore, the stack of applicants has grown significantly through the years. The Board has passed a motion that for the future, only applications for children and grandchildren of members will be accepted. Sons and daughters who apply prior to their 26th birthday or their marriage, whichever comes first, will continue to be accepted as stated in the Constitution. Children and grandchildren who did not apply prior to their 26th birthday or their marriage will be added to the application files and will be accepted only when membership falls below the Constitutional limit. Applications for anyone who is not the child or grandchild of a current member will not be accepted. Also, incomplete applications will not be accepted. A list of documentation required is listed on the application and includes a picture, two letters, and signatures of a sponsor and 2 members. If an application is turned in and not complete, it will be returned. If it is not turned in complete by the 26th birthday or marriage, the applicant will not be offered membership. If you have a son/daughter who will be turning 26 or getting married in the next year, and will be requesting membership, please contact president.hsc.18@gmail.com.

Member Satisfaction: Our goal this year is to improve member satisfactioon. We want our members to come to the Club often and enjoy the dining room, snack bar, and events offered. If you have ideas to improve your Hanover Seaside Club experience, please e-mail help@hanoverseaside.com. Let us know what menus you prefer, events you would like to see offered, and any other hints to improve our Club.

Work Day: Our Spring Work Day will be held on Saturday, April 18 beginning at 9:00AM. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. The Facilities Committee has several projects to complete on this day. We will be advising what tools/supplies you should bring closer to the day. Rain date is April 25.

Parking Stickers: The decision was made last Spring to use our parking stickers through October 2020. If you have a new vehicle that does not have a sticker, please stop by the office to complete a registration form. Stickers will not be mailed in the season opening letter.

Upcoming Events:

March 9, 7:00 – BUNCO! No reservations necessary. Cover fee – $6 which will be split among winners. Bring a snack/drink and join the fun.

March 24, 6:00 – Board Meeting. All members welcome. In order to speak, contact the President in advance.

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News ~ February 3, 2020

Posted on February 3, 2020 by elise

NEWS ~ February 3, 2020

DUES: If you have not paid your dues, they are PAST DUE. In order to keep your membership current, please play your dues immediately. You may pay by mailing a check to the PO Box, calling the Club office on weekdays from 10-4, or by using the online payment portal on the Quick Links Page. You do not have to log in to use the online payment. Please note, there is a section that asks for member name, number, etc., but does not allow you to enter this information. Don’t worry. Your payment will still go through. However, the only information we receive is the name of the credit card holder. If you pay with a card that is different from the member name, please call the Club office and let them know how to credit the payment. The new system will be up and running soon and this will no longer be an issue. If you have decided not to renew your membership, please advise Jan Sheppard by e-mailing president.hsc.18@gmail.com as soon as possible.

LOCKERS/BOAT REGISTRATION: Some, but not all, lockers were billed on the statements that went out just before Christmas. If you were not billed for your locker and want to keep it, please pay in the Club office. All watercraft that tie up or are stored on our sound front property must have a current HSC sticker. You must go to the Club office to register, pay and pick up your sticker. Be sure to bring your registration card. Stickers must be affixed to the watercraft by Memorial Day weekend.

605 S. LUMINA PROPERTY: The Committee continues to work on the permits for building a duplex on our adjacent property. By the end of February, we should know if the town of Wrightsville Beach will grant us the variance we are requesting to allow us to build the side by side duplex that we have chosen. If we are granted the variance, the next step is to put out bids to choose a builder, and to obtain financing. If we are not granted the variance, the committee, with Board approval, will choose an alternate floor plan. Prior to signing a contract for financing, there will be a special called meeting of the Regular Membership to vote on securing the loan. This meeting will occur in late Spring or early Summer. Building will begin in the Fall so that it will be ready for occupancy for the summer of 2021.

ROOM RESERVATIONS: The 2020 Room Reservation Information Letter and Room Reservation Request Form have been posted on the Quick Links page of the website at www.hanoverseaside.com. You do not have to register to view and print documents from this page. Please be sure to read the Room Reservation Policy so you understand the process for requesting rooms prior to completing the form. That is also located on the Quick Links page. WE WILL NOT BE MAILING THESE FORMS TO THE MEMBERSHIP. If you have trouble printing them online, contact help@hanoverseaside.com and I will be glad to assist you. A few things to remember:

Member requests may be mailed beginning March 2, with guest requests to follow on March 9
if you want to request 2 weeks, you must complete 2 forms. Be sure to note if the weeks must be consecutive.
The forms must be mailed to the PO Box – you may NOT drop them by the office – and the postmark is used when assigning rooms
All dues and any other outstanding fees MUST BE PAID in full in order to request a room
If you want to request a room for a guest or you want several rooms the same week for your family/friends, choose a week in early June or later August to have the best chance of getting your request. From mid-June through mid-August, nearly all rooms are needed for members and it is difficult to keep large groups together.
Every year there are several weeks that have WAY more requests than we have rooms. For one week in July last year, there were 25 requests for 14 rooms. It helps tremendously if you can provide an alternate week. The committee who assigns rooms works extremely hard to help all of our members have the vacation they desire. By providing an alternate week, you have a better chance of having your request granted. If you are not able to provide an alternate due to work, school, or family responsibilities, please note that on your form.
You may NOT request a room under your membership, but allow a non-member to occupy the room without you. For example, you cannot rent a room and give it to your adult child who is not a member. They can stay with you, but you must also occupy the room.
Room assignments are made based on the number of people sharing a room and the need for a full bath. There are only 2 large rooms (3 double beds), and 3 rooms with full baths. The room selection committee tries to be fair and meet the needs of all members. Be sure to state the names and ages of all members and guests who will occupy a room to make it easier for us to do our job.
Members ALWAYS receive priority over guests when scheduling rooms
Be sure to pay for your room by the due date or you could lose your reservation
Familiarize yourself with the Room Reservation Policy (I know I already said this, but it bears repeating)

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: The Social Committee is open to new ideas to get more members of various age levels involved. Are you interested in building sandcastles? Teaching line dancing? Cookie decorating? Flower arranging? Send Cher your ideas to cpridgen654@gmail.com.

HSC WEBSITE: The new Club website will be online within the next few weeks. You are going to LOVE it! You will be able to see an ongoing calendar, check your account, make payments that actually get credited to your account immediately, make meal and event reservations, view a member roster, and do it all from your mobile device. Once the site goes live, you will have to register. The member whose name the account is in must register first, then the spouse and dependent children may register. The site will NOT allow duplicate e-mail addresses, so each registrant must have a separate e-mail address. You will need your member number to register – and you must precede the number with 000. We will send out a mailing further explaining what to do when the site is activated.

PRIVATE PARTIES: The Club office is taking reservations for private parties, weddings, meetings, luncheons, dinners, etc., for 2020. We believe we have the best facility on Wrightsville Beach and offer exceptional service and a wide variety of menu options. We will work with you to plan a party to meet your needs. In order to host a party of any sort, you must sign a contract and pay a nonrefundable retainer to book a date. If you have talked to the office about a party but have not signed a contract or paid a retainer, call immediately and make an appointment to do so. We also rent our facility to guests; however, they must be sponsored by a member who will attend the gathering and remain for the entirety. If you have friends looking for an ideal venue, consider the Hanover Seaside Club. The Party Policy is on the Quick Links page and provides all the information you need.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 10 at 7pm – BUNCO! This is a monthly event open to all members and their guests. Don’t know how to play – never fear – they will teach you! No reservations necessary. Bring a drink/snack and $6 and join the fun. The $6 entry fee is split among winners.

February 14 – Valentine’s Dinner. This event is full with a waiting list. Bring your smile, your sweetie, and your camera for our special photo opportunity at the Valentine’s Dinner. If you made reservations but find that you are unable to attend, please call the Club office ASAP so that someone on the wait list can be contacted. If you do not show up and do not cancel with sufficient notice to get an alternate, you will be billed for the event.

February 25 at 6:00pm – Board Meeting. All members, Regular and Sesonal, are welcome to attend. If you would like to speak to the Board, please contact the President in advance to be placed on the agenda.

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