SARA announced back in January, with great fanfare, a move to new location starting in February. After discussing the first experience within the Executive Committee and with a number of members who were present, the overwhelming opinion is the location was not viable. While we had high hopes for that location, it’s clear that for a variety of reasons that location is not going to work for ongoing club meetings.
At this point, the club’s membership and meeting size is just not amenable to a restaurant location without engaging a banquet room and catering services – which would be undesirably expensive to the membership. After discussion and deliberation on the current and future needs of the club from a strategic standpoint, SARA will adopt the model of a standalone meeting with optional dinner social held separately.
Beginning on March 16, 2023, SARA will meet at the Wadsworth Eagles Aerie 2117 located at 9953 Rittman Rd. in Wadsworth. The doors will open to the club at 6:30pm. Club members must enter through the “Banquet Hall” entrance (shown below). Club members may not enter through any other door unless they are separately a member of the Wadsworth Eagles. SARA is responsible for light clean up of the space and we will be closing up the meeting and any after-meeting chat between 9pm and 9:15pm.
The cost to the club for the room is $75 per meeting which is an excellent deal extended to the club for being a non-profit club meeting on a weekday. While this is not a trivial cost to the club’s treasury, the benefit of having a stable, reliable meeting location will greatly aid the club in holding quality meetings in a comfortable environment that can be enjoyed and increase meeting attendance. Establishing a good relationship with the Eagles and – given their level of facilities – may set the stage for potential future arrangements to have a “home base” for SARA and some cross-club synergies. The hall also as Internet and an audio system which offers some interesting opportunities for simulcasting meetings.
To help cover the monthly costs of the room, the club will be setting a goal of a monthly $150 buy-in to the 50/50 raffle. The club half of the money from the raffle will be earmarked to cover the costs of the meeting room. We may consider other funding mechanisms such a food and drink sales to help offset costs while providing benefits to the members in the future. If you’re interested in organizing something as a service to the club, please contact the Executive Committee.
Those wanting to eat dinner with the club will still have that opportunity as well. Members of the club will gather at The Sub Station located at 116 High St. in Wadsworth. It is a 3-5 minute drive from The Sub Station to the Wadsworth Eagles depending on how many lights you hit red. Please arrive at The Sub Station by 5:30 to eat and have time to make it over to the Eagles.
Club members are welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages into the hall to eat before and during the meeting. Outside alcohol is not permitted to be brought into any part of the Eagle’s facility. SARA will not have beverage service of any sort in the hall at this time. Club members who are also Eagles members (or become Eagles members) are able to pass through a door into the Social Club portion of the building and purchase drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – from the bar. The Eagles do not serve food at this location. Membership in the Eagles is $30/yr plus a $25 initiation fee.
Please contact the Executive Committee if you have any questions.
