Meridian Hills Newsetter February 2011

Meridian Hills Country Club

Newsette www.meridianhillscc.org

February 2011

Valentine’s Day Brunch Sunday, February 13, 2011~ 10:00am - 2:00pm

MENU

Assorted Fresh Fruits & Salad Domestic & Imported Cheese Display Smoked Salmon Iced Shrimp Cocktail Scrambled Eggs & Breakfast Potatoes, Apple Smoked Bacon & Sausage Roasted Tenderloin of Beef with Cabernet Sauce Cheese Blintz with Seasonal Berries, Chef’s Selection of Fresh Vegetables Belgian Waffles with Whipped Butter, Warm Syrup, Cut Berries and Chopped Nuts Omelets Made to Order with a selection of ingredients to choose from Assorted Breakfast Breads and Bakeries, Pastry Chef’s Dessert Selection

A La Carte Menu Unavailable Club Closed for Dinner Service

Adults: $21.95 Children 10 and under: $13.95 Children 3 and under are free!

Reservations required

Meridian Hills Country Club - Indianapolis, Indiana

President’s Message

Board of Directors Mark W. Ford President Steve Webster Secretary Janet Griffith Estes Vice President Dan Baker Jeff Cristee Haydon Hapak Chris Seger Ken Stella Bob Zoccola Jim Zoccola Legal Counsel Todd Hillman Treasurer

Management Team Kevin O’Laughlin, CCM Club Manager Ludo Aaron Head Tennis Professional Jack Barber Head Golf Professional Craig Gasaway Banquet Manager Ashley Goldman Communications Coordinator Jim Hess Golf Course Superintendent Kelly Letzler Catering Coordinator Joe Miller Executive Chef Lisa Strachota Director of Membership & Marketing Meridian Hills Country Club 7099 Spring Mill Road Indianapolis, Indiana 46260 317.255.2496

February 2011

Just a quick note as January’s Board meeting left me but a couple of days to pull together this contribution to our newsletter. In any event, our Board meeting was a lively event: Bob Zoccola was elected to complete Dale Duncan’s Board term (Nov. 2012) followed by a dedicated presentation on new member initiatives under consideration by our Membership Committee. Lisa Strachota (Director of Membership and Marketing) and George Farra (Membership Committee Chair) also walked us through the Byzantine details of our membership classification. It is safe to observe that simplifying and streamlining what we have in place makes sense. To the extent that By-Law changes are Mark W. Ford then necessary, stay tuned. But bottom line, the complete Club President satisfaction of present members is our greatest asset in attracting prospective members. That’s a lesson not to be forgotten.

Moving on . . . If this letter was about investor relations and first quarter economic performance, our Club Manager, Kevin O’Laughlin, delivered, with more banquets (thanks Kelly!), special events with strong attendance (thanks Ashley!), great food (thanks Chef Joe!) and great service. It is time now to close for two weeks and deep clean and touch up the clubhouse facility. After all, Spring is just around the corner. Isn’t it?

And, finally, to keep you advised of upcoming matters before the Board, we will be meeting in February with the House Committee (J. Woodside, Chair) and specifically reviewing clubhouse facilities’ usage. This review will focus on the Hearth Room, Library, Bogey’s and Bogey’s Bar. Also, the West entry will soon look and feel substantially different. The intent is to make the entry area more “Member Friendly” and this will be done by establishing a Member Services desk where Lisa Strachota, Director of Membership and Ashley Goldman, Communications Coordinator will be more conveniently located. You can count on them both to roll out the Meridian Hills welcome mat as we continue to strive for improvement in every phase of our Club’s operation.

Hope to see you at the Valentine’s Day brunch!

mark.ford@icemiller.com

Our Newest Additions Dr. Matt and Sheri French welcomed a baby boy, Luke Thomas French on October 28th, 2010. Luke is the grandson of Dr. Richard and Karen French and nephew of Pete French.

Congratulations and Best Wishes!

www.meridianhillscc.org

Trent and Anna Hahn and big brother, Jacob, welcomed a baby girl, Julia Rose Hahn on September 4th, 2010; grandparents are Greg and Libby Hahn.

Message from the Manager

I hope all of you had an enjoyable holiday season and that your New Year is off to a great start. Activity here at the Club has been terrific during the first three months of our fiscal year (Oct., Nov., Dec.). December was a solid month for us with revenues exceeding budget in the food and beverage department and expenses within budget.

We appreciate your continued support both in the Club dining rooms and by utilizing our banquet facilities when you have the need for a special event. Also, keep in mind that sponsored events make up a significant portion of Kevin O’Laughlin, CCM our banquet revenue. So if you have a family member, Club Manager close friend, business associate or organization that you would like to sponsor for an event at the Club, please keep us in mind. This is a win, win opportunity to assist us in generating additional revenue and profit for the Club.

As we reopen from our two week annual closing for maintenance of the clubhouse, one of the most exciting improvements you’ll notice as you arrive to the west entrance, located underneath the porte-cochere, is our new Member Services where Lisa Strachota, the Director of Membership and Ashley Goldman, Communications Coordinator, have been relocated for a more convenient interaction with members. Lisa will continue her role as the Director of Membership and will be easily accessible if you bring a guest to the Club. When you have a guest accompanying you at the club, please stop by Member Services to introduce them to Lisa. Ashley will continue as the Communications Coordinator and will be more readily available to assist you with a locker, get your username and password for the website and to change your contact information in the Club database. Ashley will be available at the Member Services desk from 9:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Thursday. On those days, Ashley will be the voice you hear when you call the main club phone line and she will take your dinner, event or paddle tennis reservations, or answer any questions you may have. Any of the Member Services staff will be able to accommodate all of your needs. After 5:00pm, you will receive an automated answering system to quickly direct your call. To make a dinner or paddle tennis reservation, press 1 and your call will go directly to the hostess station near the Hearth Room.

If a Manager or hostess is unable to personally take your call, please leave a message with your name, member number, date and time of your reservation and any additional instructions, just as you would if you were speaking to an attendant. We will continue to follow Club policy and take priority of preferences in the order with which reservations are made. We can never guarantee your request, but will do everything in our power to ensure your wishes are granted. If the Club is unable to grant your request, a representative of the Club will call you back to inform you. If you do not receive a call back from the Club, then your reservation has been accepted and all the arrangements will be ready for you when you arrive at the Club.

Table of Contents

2 - Presidents Message 3 - Message from the Manager 4 - Membership Update 5 - Fitness Facility 6- Tuesday Night Menu 7 - Club Reminders 8 - Tennis Update 9-10 - Calendars 11 - Club Hours

Ladies’ Duplicate Bridge Ladies Duplicate Bridge is held the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month until golf starts again. It begins at 10:00am in the ladies’ card room. All are welcome, you only need a partner to play, not a table of four.

So come join us!

Thank you for your cooperation during this transition, and please let us know what we can do to make your experience here at the Club the best that it can be.

Kevin

www.meridianhillscc.org

February 2011

Membership Update Meridian Hills has a proud heritage as one of the premier clubs in Midwest, based on enduring relationships and social camaraderie among friends and associates.

Certainly, the severe recession was a challenge.

Your Membership Committee is developing new ideas to increase the pace of new members joining Meridian Hills. These plans are centered on reviewing our current membership classes and also trying to find creative new ways for members to ask friends and colleagues to consider joining Meridian Hills. We want to make the membership recruitment process as fun and stress-free as possible. We will be contacting you soon to introduce these new programs and may be holding a “town meeting� or two to acquaint you with the process. Cocktails will be offered to ensure a healthy turnout!

Please join me in welcoming our newest members. They are making a commitment to the Club and we want everyone to feel welcome and part of the family as soon as possible. If you do have a friend or associate interested in joining the Club, please contact Lisa Strachota, Director of Membership and Marketing, at 317-860-1556

George Farra Membership Committee Chairman

George Farra (317) 269-0225 gfarra@woodleyfarra.com

Welcome New Members Mamon Powers III 2502 Roosevelt Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46218 (317) 269-2550 6597 Reserve Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46220 (317) 650-2558 Junior Clubhouse Sponsors: Tim McGinley, Bob Bowen, Vicky Bailey, Jeff Hagerman

February 2011

Gerald and Claudia Rivero Southern Wine and Spirits of Indiana 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1300 Indianapolis, IN 46240 (317) 810-4949 13003 Chew Street Carmel, IN 46032 Resident Golfing Sponsors: Todd Morris, Jim Morris, Rick Fuson, Jerry Semler, Bill McGowan

www.meridianhillscc.org

Fitness Facility & Fitness by Design

In order to use the Fitness Facility at Meridian Hills we require an orientation to familiarize you with the cardiovascular and strength tools available to you. This one time appointment is scheduled through our partner in fitness, the Fitness by Design Personal Training Staff. In the orientation, the proper use of the equipment will be explained to you, instruction on how to properly set up the equipment, and how to get started. If you would like to receive a sample workout, your trainer can provide this service for an additional nominal fee, however, a workout is not included in the orientation. To schedule your Fitness by Design orientations or Personal Training please contact Larra or Andrew:

Larra Overton

Fitness by Design Personal Trainer Email: LOverton@fbdindy.com Ph: 574-0782 Education: Indiana University, B.A. 2005, M.S. in Kinesiology 2006 Certifications: ACSM, First Aid/CPR, AED Fitness-Related Interests: running (road races and half-marathons), cycling, yoga Achievements: Track and Field All-American, Big Ten All-Conference; 2005, 2006 NCAA 1500 meter qualifier, IU’s “All Time” list in 5 track events

Andrew Sroka

Fitness by Design Personal Trainer Email: andrewS@fbdindy.com or Ph: 574-0782 Education: Ball State University, B.A. 2008 in Exercise Science Certifications: Fitness by Design Personal Training Certification, CPR Andrew’s Personal Training: high intensity strength training, functional training, running Fitness-Related Interests: strength training, running, and team-based sports Achievements: Pursuing my career as a personal trainer at Fitness by Design I like to provide practical, yet challenging workouts that will adapt to each individual’s needs and goals.

With some hard work and dedication on your part, I will help you reach your goals as well as set new ones.

www.meridianhillscc.org

February 2011

Meridian Hills TuesdayMenu Meridian Hills Tuesday Night Menu MHCC Chili Cup 3.5 Bowl 5

Spinach & FrisĂŠe dried cherries, oranges, toasted pecans gorgonzola and port wine vinaigrette 7.5

Vegetable Soup Cup 3.5 Bowl 5

Miller Salad shrimp, sea legs, toasted almonds, herb croutons seasonal greens and creamy garlic dressing 14.5 (substitute jumbo lump crab for sea legs 22)

Soup of the Day Cup 3.5 Bowl 5

House Salad choice of dressing 4

Caesar Salad served in a crisp parmesan basket with marinated tomatoes 5.5

Chop Salad julienne lettuce, bacon, tomato, hearts of palm bleu cheese, crispy shallots and parmesan dressing 6.5

Rockwell Salad char-broiled chicken breast, seasonal greens sliced apples, crumbled bleu cheese, spiced walnuts and port wine vinaigrette 12.5 Southwestern Salad grilled sirloin on field greens with black bean & corn relish, tomato, avocado, jack and cheddar cheese with southwestern ranch dressing 14.5

Traditional Club Sandwich boarshead honey ham, oven roasted turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato on your choice of bread or toast 9

Reuben Sandwich house cooked corned beef with sauerkraut melted baby Swiss and russian dressing on toasted rye 12.5

Chicken Avocado Club grilled chicken breast topped with avocado apple smoked bacon, tomato, swiss cheese and herbal mayonnaise 9.5

Beef Tenderloin Sandwich sliced tenderloin of beef on toasted focaccia with avocado, roasted tomatoes provolone cheese and pesto aioli 16.5

Grilled Black Angus Burger ½ lb black angus ground beef patty served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle 9 - Available: black & bleu or mushroom swiss

Homemade Fried Chicken Sliders three buttermilk chicken breast served golden brown on mini-buns with chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickle 14.5

Slow Roasted Pork Sandwich sliced roasted pork on a toasted kaiser roll topped with smoked gouda caramelized onions and chipotle BBQ sauce 10.5

Vegetable Quesadilla guacamole, sour cream and salsa 10 (Add: grilled chicken or steak 2)

*The Tuesday Night Homestyle Specials will be moved to Thursday Nights*

February 2011

www.meridianhillscc.org

Club Reminders

SUNDAY BREAKFAST BUFFET MENU Every Sunday from 10am - 2pm

Cold Food & Breakfast Pastries Assorted Fresh Fruits & Assorted Breakfast Breads and Pastries

Hot Selections Chef’s Choice of Breakfast Entrée Scrambled Eggs, Breakfast Potatoes, Apple Smoked Bacon & Sausage Links

Omelet & Waffle Station Omelet’s Made to order, a selection of ingredients to choose from Belgian Waffles with whipped butter, warm syrup, cut berries, and chopped nuts

*There is no a la carte service available during the breakfast buffet* Adults - $13.95 ~ Children 11 and under - $6.95 ~ Children under 4 - Free Club Closed

January 24th, 2011 - February 8th, 2011 As has been the case for several years, the Club will be closed for two weeks in late January & early February for our annual Club maintenance projects. The Club will close beginning Monday, January 24, 2011 and will reopen on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. All facilities will be closed except for the Fitness Center and Paddle Tennis courts.

Dining reciprocity has been offered to our members at the Columbia Club, Woodland Country Club and Woodstock Club. Please call each Club for hours of operation and for reservations.

Dining Reciprocity: Columbia Club Woodland Country Club Woodstock Club 767-1361 846-2588 926-3348

February Schedule for the Golf Shop *The Golf Shop will be closed in February. We will re-open March 1, 2011* Emergency Contacts for the Golf Shop In the event that you would need your golf clubs, or any other emergency that may come up in February, please contact us on our cell phones below. Please keep in mind that these are cell phones and should be called for emergencies only. We will still be checking the email contact daily as well.

Jack Barber Michael Bembenick Dave McConnell

317-319-6422 574-274-0057 630-388-9890

As special orders arrive, we will notify you as soon as they come in to make arrangements for pick-up, or to put in lockers.

www.meridianhillscc.org

February 2011

Tennis Update

PADDLE TENNIS NEWS We have 50 players participating in the Paddle Club Championship this year. Matches will begin on February 1st and will continue until March 1st. Come out and support the paddle program and the players, I will also keep the membership posted as to when the big matches are. This year we implemented a Calcutta tournament as part of the championship, this was a fun auction we had on Tuesday, February 25th and we were extremely happy with the turnout.

In other news, Meridian Hills is presently in 2nd place in the Indy Paddle League. Great job to all players involved.

We had a record number of members participating in a National Paddle Tournament in Cincinnati over the weekend of January 15th. Congrats to Dr. Steve Stitle, Ron Mencias, Dr. Johannes Tauscher, & Steve Webster.

We had over 12 participants from Indy this year. I really like to encourage all paddle players to attend at least one away tournament every year. Next year I will organize a road trip for this event.

We had a fun mixed doubles event on Friday, January 28th. This is an extremely social event and it is a great way to introduce women to the sport to help build on the MHCC Ladies program.

Meridian Hills will be hosting a National Paddle Tournament over the weekend of February 18th. All players need to play! This year we are predicting that 10 of the top 20 teams in the nation will be competing in this event.

Sunday

Monday

PADDLE CALENDAR ~ February 1

Tuesday

Men’s Night starts at 5:30pm

6

7

8

13

14

15

Men’s Night starts at 5:30pm

Men’s Night starts at 5:30pm

2

Wednesday

3

Thursday

League Night starts at 5:00pm

Friday

4

Ladies Group starts at 9:00am

21

27

28

National Tournament

22

Men’s Night starts at 5:30pm

Men’s Play Saturday am Starts at 8:00am

10

11

12

16

17

18

19

23

Men’s Events

League Night starts at 5:00pm

League Night starts at 5:00pm

24

League Night starts at 5:00pm

League Night

Women’s Events

February 2011

5

9

Ladies Group starts at 9:00am

Ladies Group starts at 9:00am National Tournament

20

Saturday

www.meridianhillscc.org

25

Ladies Group starts at 9:00am

Men’s Play Saturday am Starts at 8:00am

Men’s Play Saturday am Starts at 8:00am National Tournament

26

Men’s Play Saturday am Starts at 8:00am

February 2011 Sunday

Monday

1

Tuesday

Meridian Hills Country Club Wednesday 2

Thursday 3

Clubhouse Closed

Clubhouse Closed

Clubhouse Closed

Pasta Night: Wild Mushroom Ravioli

Clubhouse Closed

6

Clubhouse Closed

13 Valentine’s Day Brunch 10am - 2pm

7

14

Clubhouse Closed

Clubhouse Closed

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

Friday

5

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

Clubhouse Closed

9

10 Dinner Special: Fried or Oven Roasted Chicken

11 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

12

15

16

17 Dinner Special: Veal Liver & Onions

18 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

19

25 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

26

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Pasta Night: Chicken Picatta

Ladies Duplicate Bridge 10:00am 21

Clubhouse Closed

22

Tuesday Dinner Menu

23

Pasta Night: Shrimp Diablo

24 Dinner Special: Meatloaf

No a la carte available 27

Saturday

8

No a la carte available

20

4

28

Clubhouse Closed

No a la carte available

Visit www.meridianhillscc.org for more information about these events

March 2011 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday 1 Tuesday Dinner Menu

Meridian Hills Country Club Wednesday 2 Pasta Night: Vegetable Lasagna

Thursday 3 Dinner Special: Veal Liver & Onions

4

Friday Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

Saturday 5

Ladies Duplicate Bridge 10:00am 6

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

7

Clubhouse Closed

8

9

15

16

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Pasta Night: Chicken Marsala

10 Dinner Special: Shrimp Basket

11 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

12

17 St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Special: Corn Beef & Cabbage

18 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

19

25 Friday Night Prime Rib Buffet

26

No a la carte available

13

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

14

Clubhouse Closed

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Pasta Night: Shrimp Diablo

No a la carte available

20

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

Ladies Duplicate Bridge 10:00am 21

Clubhouse Closed

22

23

29

30

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Pasta Night: Chicken Parmesan

24 Dinner Special: Veal Liver & Onions

No a la carte available 27

Sunday Breakfast Buffet 10am - 2pm

28

Clubhouse Closed

Tuesday Dinner Menu

Pasta Night: Cheese Manicotti

31 Dinner Special: Fried or Oven Roasted Chicken

No a la carte available

Visit www.meridianhillscc.org for more information about these events

Club Hours of Operation Club Receptionist

Tuesday - Sunday

317.255.2496

Managers Office

Tuesday - Sunday

317.255.2497

Accounting Office

Monday - Friday

317.251.3636

9:00am - 9:00pm

9:00am - 6:00pm

9:00am - 5:00pm

Dining Hours

Lunch Tuesday - Saturday 11:30am - 2:00pm Dinner Tuesday - Saturday 5:30pm - 9:00pm Breakfast Buffet Sunday only 10:00am - 2:00pm *Reservations can be made by calling 255.2496*

Membership

317.860.1556

Catering

317.860.1536

Golf Pro Shop

February Hours Monday - Sunday

Tennis Pro Shop

Kids Club

Friday

Saturday

Fitness Center

317.255.3369 Closed

317.255.1319 317.255.0605

5:00pm - 8:00pm 8:00am - 12:00pm & 5:00pm - 8:00pm *with reservations*

Monday - Sunday 6:00am - 9:30pm *Call Fitness by Design at 574-0782 to schedule your MHCC orientation for unlimited access.*

Lisa Strachota, Director of Membership Kelly Letzler, Catering Coordinator

visit us on the web at www.meridianhillscc.org

www.meridianhillscc.org

11 February 2011