October 2017 NSW Masonic Club 3 October 2017 NSWMC Magazine 3 GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT Greetings from the Club and welcome to warmer weather ! Mahatma Gandhi once said: “The future depends on what we do in the present”. I have no doubt that he was talking about broader humanitarian issues but I think the same can be said about the shaping of the Club for the future. Since my appointment in late August 2015, my main priority has been to build Hotel occupancy and room revenue now so that we have the means to support the Club’s operations in the immediate future. Adding to this, we have invested heavily into capital and maintenance programs which the Club has not been able to do in recent years. In fact, we spent over $570,000 on capital expenditure and maintenance items this financial year. We have also accumulated a further $1.2 million in cash term deposits to be allocated to future projects. I thank the Board for supporting these initiatives to re-invest into the Club. Details of the Club’s operations are as follows: Castlereagh Boutique Hotel Occupancy has increased 20% in the last two years to a yearly average of 84%. This is now more in line with Sydney’s overall average. We are seeing a very positive demand for the Hotel’s rooms whilst still offering good value for money compared to other 3.5 – 4 star hotels in our CBD location. Infrastructure This additional revenue generated has enabled the Club to invest in a range of capital and maintenance items for the first time in years including: A full refurbishment of the kitchen (the heart of the Club’s operation) to bring it up to current standards, new non- slip treatments in the Adam Room, Cellos and Lounge bars, new uniforms for the team, planning out a total laundry refurbishment in the basement, refurbishing the roof top water tanks, new audio visual equipment for Cellos and the various meeting rooms and painting the majority of accommodation rooms. This is only the start of a long list of Maintenance items for this heritage building. Sydney Metro The building to our immediate south, 175 Castlereagh Street, is being demolished at a fast rate. As reported monthly in “Club Chat”, this demolition process has not been without its operational impacts. Through the hard work of our staff on the front line and behind the scenes, and the understanding of our Members and Guests, the end of this disruptive stage is in sight. The neighbouring building will be demolished by the end of this year and the surrounding buildings by May 2018. We continue to work daily on the double glazing project for the long term benefit of Members and Guests. You will soon be able to enjoy the views from the south-side windows for the first time in 90 years ! Enhanced Food and Beverage Looking back to my first meal in the Club, things needed to change – and they have ! Through a concerted effort by our caterers, the Asteri Group, with continual daily improvement and acting on feedback, we know that we are on the right track. Food and beverage is a constantly evolving product and service, therefore we will continue to strive for better. Watch this space for further enhancements. You really must try a new cocktail (or two) in the Reagh Bar, a meal in the Castlereagh Lounge or lunch in Cellos Grand Dining Room. Please let me know what you think. More for Members As highlighted in recent editions of Club Chat, we are fine tuning our new Member Benefits program and looking at ways to build our Membership. You will soon see new types of Membership categories established. We are also keeping in mind the evolving needs of our Members and Guests, within the rooms and public areas, as part of the refurbishment process. Celebration Time We celebrated an important milestone on Tuesday 12th September when our building turned 90 years of age. We were delighted to see so many Members come along to help us celebrate. The cake was nice too! The NSW Masonic Club itself turns 125 next year, having been established in 1893. We look forward to letting you know about our plans for this major celebration. I sincerely thank my hardworking team for their dedication to the success of the Club. I also thank all the people you don’t see who work hard to support your Club: our external Contractors including our Graphic Designer, Marketing Consultant, IT Consultant, Digital Media company, many suppliers and the various Maintenance Contractors. My final thanks goes to the Board for their tremendous support of my role and their daily hard work and commitment to achieve more for the Club. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them as a harmonious Board and can only hope that our journey continues. Above all, your Club is performing well financially, with an after tax profit of $514,787 for the past year. This is a massive $242,313 improvement on the previous year. We have solid plans in place for the next year, and look forward to a very positive and sustainable future. Until next time, take care, Paul Brasch General Manager NSW Masonic Club and Castlereagh Boutique Hotel Please complete this section and return with payment. Your number and membership type can be found on your card. Full Name: Due Date Member Number Member Type Amount Due 31/12/17 Masonic (lodge member) Type 1 $40.00 Masonic (unattached) Type 2 $50.00 Associate Type 3 $50.00 CREDIT CARD PAYMENT DETAILS Cardholder Name: Please charge my credit card the sum of: $ Visa Mastercard American Express Card No. Expiry Date: / Signature: Date: Membership Renewal 2018 IMPORTANT: if your card has a due date of 2018 or beyond, your membership for 2017 has already been paid and is not due for renewal. Return this form or the form on the front of your Club Magazine address label, plus your payment to: PO Box A1160, Sydney South NSW 1235 Ph 02 9284 1000 Fax 02 9284 1999 Online renewals can be completed at www.nswmasonicclub.com.au M E M B ER REWARD POIN T S M E M B ER REWA W RD POIN T S R E N E W YOUR MEM B E R S H I P W BY 31/12/17 TO RECIEVE: N H 7 7 R EVE R H B R R R M M M PO B E B B B DETAILS PAGE 9 R R M B E E R R S S H H