[PVRCNC] alternate meeting location for NC East

[Guy Olinger, K2AV]

Over time, some have complained about the menu. At other times 
spending too much money. We do need the room, because meetings have 
varied from four to twenty something. Probably not a single solution 
that would please/serve everyone. We're too diverse. HOWEVER...

The manager at Golden Corral seems to be a kind of procedural dinkhead 
overobsessed with his function. Like calling out numbered codes to his 
staff over the PA at volumes we can't talk over. Not my business 
unless he starts causing us problems. But now he is.

I've only seen another group there at our time ONCE. It's not as if 
we're blocking a much needed resource.

I have NO problem with moving, other than the place really needs to 
meet several conditions for us.

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1) A room where we aren't expected to vacate as soon as we're done 
eating,

2) A room without a fixed room fee.

3) Management is OK with separate tickets off the regular menu (or 
individual check-ins ala Golden Corral) with a standard tip or "room 
fee" (percentage or lump sum) that is added to each check in the 
group, regardless of numbers.

4) Moderate to inexpensive prices.

5) Individuals can arrive and be served at staggered times without 
prior notification of numbers.

6) Small or large numbers are not a problem with the management. 
Historically 4 to 20, with rare instances of over 20. Patrons are 
willing to crowd tables on heavy nights with no complaints.

7) Would be nice if we could occasionally set up a screen for a 
PowerPoint presentation.

8) Would be nice if beer/wine was served. It's also a money maker and 
the restaurant is friendlier with larger checks.

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If someone has a suggestion for a meeting spot, they need to check out 
1) through 8) above (best with the spot's management, NOT the wait 
staff) and have the answers before suggesting a place, because it just 
won't work out unless we can swing at least 1) through 6). (Print this 
out and take it with you.)

I'm OK with North Raleigh, even permanently, but the farther away it 
gets from SAS, the later I get there. 5:30 is really early for most. 
6:00 or 6:15 seems a better start time.

Also the "rooms" in restaurants are a lot busier as the week goes on. 
Tuesday is a light night when most restaurants are doing anything to 
run up numbers.

Not too worried about notification for the regulars. Almost everybody 
is on the reflector, one or the other. But a permanent switch is 
easier to manage than sudden changes, particularly considering the 
management at the regular site who will not like surprises.

Some have suggested not combining the meal and meeting. Some number of 
PVRC chapters have a separate meeting, and those that want to eat do 
so early and then leave the restaurant in time to get to the meeting. 
Those chapters have meetings at 7:30 or 8, making for a longer night 
which might inconvenience some. The restaurant becomes something the 
members work out on their own. But then the chapter has to find a 
regular meeting place, usually incurring a fixed room fee.

All in all we seem to have done well enough with our existing method. 
IMHO the single largest factor in reduced attendance at chapter 
meetings is the elimination of the annual ARRL double meeting 
requirement for submitting club scores.

Beyond that, I'm having excruciating problems leaving work on time 
Thursdays at SAS. For those of you who know software house lingo, it's 
a regular "port" processing day. Has increasingly caused long 
Thursdays when without any prior notice I don't get done until six or 
six-thirty or even seven PM. If we keep to Thursdays, we need to get a 
new chairman who can be there. That's not a threat, just common sense.

Comments?

73, Guy.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <NX9T at aol.com>


>I like the idea of moving the meeting location from time to time. 
>Kinda like having a "special" meeting on a regularly scheduled night. 
>Yes...there is the chance (remote?) that someone might not hear about 
>the special location and show up at the wrong place.  However, that 
>might be offset by the inclusion of some who would not normally make 
>the trip to Cary/S. Raleigh (assuming the special meeting was held in 
>a northern location).  A good many of the regular attenders do indeed 
>hale from "the north."
>
> Inlight of recent issues brought up my management at our current 
> location, a casual "look around" the neighborhood can't hurt for 
> future possibilities.
>
> 73,
> jeff nx9t