Upstate Clubland with Binghamton Club's Bernard Marchuska
Even the friendliest club president has secrets
Bernard Marchuska is a dear friend to Clubland USA –– not only as a frequent reader (and emailer), but also as a sounding board for whether these two club cats might be going too far.
Thankfully, he’s never said yes to that question. If anything, he’s always said and done the opposite: encouraged us to do even more to spread the good news of club life. And yet even the friendliest club presidents have secrets.
As president of the Binghamton Club in Binghamton, New York, Bernie’s love for his home Club shines through every conversation that we’ve ever had. These have ranged from how bowling –– rather than squash –– is the sport of choice at his Club, why young(er) people should give Clubland a chance and, moreover, how does someone probably survive an upstate New York winter.
The current temperature in Binghamton at press time is 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s our privilege to bring a recent transcribed conversation with Bernie as our first Q&A of the new year.
This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What’s the first thing that someone would notice upon entering the Binghamton Club?
Our sense of community. We have a 101-year-old clubhouse that’s undergone some renovations in over the years, including a formal private dining room that was built somewhere around the late 1960s or early 1970s, and an elevator. We have a fitness facility complete with locker rooms that was built around the 2000s and we had a squash court. Nonetheless, our members know that we’ve got something special here and are eager to share with their friends and family along with reciprocal partners that visit.
What happened to the squash court?
It was removed due to not being regulation size. We do, however, have a six-lane bowling alley and offer competitive men’s, women’s and mixed bowling leagues that run from Spring to Fall.
If someone under the age of 40 entered the Binghamton Club, how would they be received?
I was 29 when I joined the Club, about 8-10 years younger than most of our members. We have a fair number of members around that age for a club of our size. Their attraction to this Club is twofold: They like to participate in our bowling league during the wintertime and our golf league in the summer that plays at an off-site course. A large part of what keeps our younger members engaged is the camaraderie that comes from both of these leagues.
We’ve found the biggest challenge with attracting younger members is for us to explain to them the value in face-to-face interactions with other members who could include a prospective client. Let’s face it, that’s where things get done and problems get solved, usually very quickly.
What do reciprocal relationships look like at the Binghamton Club?
Reciprocity is the best part of belonging to any Club, in my opinion. (Clubland USA concurs!) Our process is pretty straightforward: members approach us with a Club that they’d like to visit and we reach out and see if there’s a possibility of a reciprocity agreement. Our size and lack of lodging sometimes gets us a denial, but it doesn’t happen too often. We have a fairly lengthy reciprocal list for our size.
The best green flag for me with a prospective reciprocal club is when the Club’s president calls me to get a sense of who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish. Our red flags are mostly financial, such as a Club that can’t fulfill its monetary obligations, lacks the ability to take electronic payment or has a reputation of members not paying their bills when they’re away.
What’s something that you’re working to improve about the Binghamton Club?
An increase in member usage at the Club, especially because there’s several nights per week that I feel the Club is underutilized. There’s probably a few reasons, most notably that it’s a private club and while I’d like us to be on all of our members’ best places to go list, they don’t have to pick up the tab of their guests elsewhere.
Like other clubs, we run promotions, dinner specials and special events. Our bowling league meets on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays so that certainly helps spur traffic but there can always be more.
Tell us about how you were introduced to the world of clubs.
While a student at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, I attended several events at country clubs like the Country Club of Scranton and Glenmaura National and initially thought to myself, “These places aren’t so bad”. Upon graduating in 1993, I decided to move to upstate New York and was invited as a guest to Binghamton Country Club (BCC) which was a true member’s club in every sense of the word and designed by the extremely talented A.W. Tillinghast. It was the only the beginning then after I was admitted as a member in 2000.
What was your first impression of BCC and how did that led you to the Binghamton Club?
What first struck me was the friendliness of the members and how it was truly a special place that also had better service, amenities, delicious food and beverages. It was just something special. In 2005, I joined the Binghamton Club but actually left in 2012, because like many people with kids, I wasn’t using the Club as much and BCC had a swimming pool.
And they didn’t hold that against you considering that you’re now the president.
They did not and, in fact, I returned in 2018 and by 2021, I was appointed to the Board of Governors and became president in 2022. My term is set to expire in 2027.
Let’s say money isn’t an object. What are you bringing to the Binghamton Club tomorrow?
A cigar smoking room similar to the one at the Union League of Philadelphia with a full bar and excellent ventilation. New York State smoking laws would make this virtually impossible to put into practice, but it would be a tremendous draw for membership. This is especiall
y seen for the two nights per year that we’re allowed to hold a cigar night by the county and our membership.
There are certainly members who stay away for a week after those events, but we have a member in the fire restoration business who gives us access to industrial air filtration equipment and deodorizers which makes the event possible.
Speaking of what sounds like a fun evening at the Club, would you want to share the story of your favorite night at the Club?
There are several, but as a gentleman, those would be better suited as a private conversation over a dry martini.