The Importance of Being Current
In Defense of Shaming Clubland’s silent villain: debtors
There exists a rather informal and silent agreement among the writers of Clubland USA that some of the country’s best clubs are in substantial financial turmoil — or at the near brink of it.
You might ask, “How are some of the best clubs in dire straits if they’re indeed the best?”
It’s rather simple. An exceptional club prioritizes maintaining a happy roster of members above all else, and yes, at times that includes profitability. These clubs will take on debt to fund a much-needed upgrade to their facilities, bark at the idea of charging members for non-alcholic beverages, and would dare to throw anything less than top-tier events that suits the taste of their membership.
All of these things, meanwhile, blow fiscal prudence and concern for the “bottom line” to the window. Plainly speaking, they don’t produce much of a profit and often are done at a loss.
Members, in turn, receive an unparalleled experience and community that enriches their life in exchange for a generous initiation fee, annual dues and assessments, and in some instances, a preservation and capital improvement fee (unless your clubhouse is not landmarked, then you make sure that someone justifies this to your satisfaction!)
Seems like a fair trade. Except to the nefarious Clubland villain: the debtor, or that special club rat who runs up a tab and then cancels their credit card on file. Or worse, just never pays the bill. Or even worse, the mythical one that simply disappears off the face of the earth. Sure, some of the blame for the latter belongs to the admissions committee for poor vetting. Nonetheless, the consequences of the debtor spread far beyond the club office to the rest of the clubhouse. As a result, Clubland USA calls for publicly listing the names of debtors and the amount of money owed to the club on a sheet of paper inside of every clubhouse in America, ideally near a restroom.
This is not a novel idea, but is practiced among several clubs of note including Manhattan’s The Players. Near the entry for the restroom, on a billboard, the club announces the debtors alongside candidates for membership and those who have been recently accepted for membership.
Shame, while it can be prone to abuse, is a powerful tool for remedying human behavior and reminding us of our obligations to ourselves and society writ large.
Failure to shame the debtors signals to club rats that rules aren’t applied evenly, especially if the club policy doesn’t automatically suspend members who are indebted to the club.
It has not failed to reach our purview that economic uncertainty can affect anyone, including the best of club rats. Club rats should take advantage of the flexibility that clubs often provide to members that have hit hard times. And clubs, as a result, should use utmost discretion towards those who seek this support.
Clubland simply cannot afford to go soft here. Debtors skipping out on club bills attacks jeopardizes the financial state of the club and its staff and also means that resources will be wasted on less-than-fruitful efforts to recoup losses. Read: collection agencies.
Club life is needed now more than ever. Let’s all do our part to ensure that it remains by ordering the club’s best entree, a beverage of our choice and paying the bill as promptly as possible.