Carmel Country Club

Page 1
From
Carmeline
the President
Jack Morgan
President
Pardon the cliché, but . . . “Time flies
when you’re having a good time.”
Well, it’s already time for me to
move on and yes I have had a great time.
As I look back, there is much to be proud
of and thankful for. Accolades abound
-- to past leadership, your 2011 Board of
Directors, committees, Carmel staff and
employees, and to you the membership, for
your widespread support of Carmel. It has
truly been an honor to be your president.
Before going further, there are several
people I want to recognize and thank.
First, of course, is my wife Judy for her enduring
support over the past 5 years. She
has been a real trooper, particularly during
this final year. Thanks also to the Board
of Directors, especially Ed Hastings and
Mark McEwen for their 4 years of dedicated
service. And none-the-least, sincere
gratitude to my fellow Carmel members
for your encouragement over the past 12
months, particularly those that attended
the 1st Wednesday of each month.
Finally, 2011’s exceptionally high marks
would not have occurred without the
unwavering commitment of staff and
employees, whether behind-the-scenes or
front-and-center. I had the opportunity to
attend the Employee Recognition Party at
Carmel on November 28th. The enthusiasm
runneth over. Carmel employees
thoroughly enjoy camaraderie with both
colleagues and members. Believe me, high
employee morale is synonymous with exceptional
membership satisfaction. Thanks
to General Manager John Schultz and his
entire team.
Forgive me for reminiscing a moment, but
in 2011, the opening of the South Course
(spearheaded by Ted Barnes), the planning
and implementation of the new Tennis
Complex (Rick Menze-- torch-bearer),
our impressive financial strength (Finance
Committee headed by Ed Hastings) and
89 new members are all cause to celebrate.
And for me, the Fireside Chats were a
hoot. I will always enjoy these memories.
Yet those events are now history and so we
look forward to the opportunities and challenges
ahead.
Congratulations to Mark Anderson, your
2012 president. Having worked with Mark
for 4 years, I know he holds the entire
membership’s best interest at the highest
level and will seek to continue the positive
trend of member satisfaction. I would
encourage your participation in committees
to assist Mark and Carmel’s continued
positive progression.
As for a little unfinished business, you may
recall that several of my previous Carmeline
letters addressed “Courtesies & Tradition,”
“Membership Respect” and a host of
other terms of goodwill. Those topics were
driven, in my opinion, by the absence of a
fraternal atmosphere. (Please know that
I use the terms member(s) and fraternity
as all-encompassing.) Yes, we have terrific
facilities. Yes, we have devoted staff and
employees. And yes, we have a membership
that is the envy of a thousand other
clubs. But somewhere along the line, we, as
a community of members, tend to lose our
sense of ownership in Carmel’s fortune.
Everything that goes on at Carmel, and
I mean everything, affects us all. We are
in this together and, from inside the gate,
it is not about “us versus them.” Carmel’s
pervasive culture often appears to focus on
the preverbal “me.” I believe that to instead
pursue a culture of “us” will strengthen
Carmel as a club, and relieve much of the
tension and frustration that surfaces from
time to time, tension that we actually come
to Carmel hoping to escape.
Moving toward a culture of “us” here at
Carmel requires trust. To gain the trust
of all may be insurmountable, but there is
nothing wrong with having positive goals.
My Fireside Chats were directed at gaining
the trust of anyone wishing to participate.