House Committee

January 27, 2017

Dear Fellow Rotarians,

Last November 2016, the Board in consideration of the urgency to ensure a regular venue for the weekly Thursday general membership meeting, signed the new contract with Manila Polo Club, for the club's weekly meetings and provide adequate parking spaces for the membership and guests attending the weekly luncheon meetings.

The House Committee continued to explore other options and met with hotel operators, for a venue of the club's weekly meeting. However, the hotel operators cannot commit a permanent venue for the weekly Thursday meetings. In the event that the hotel management needs to use the function room booked for our Club, we will be moved to an alternative venue in the hotel, which may not be suitable for the club meeting requirements, or worst, we may have to find another venue.

Manila Polo Club agreed to consolidate all the extra costs related to the use of the venue, which is inclusive of electrical and installation cost total of Php 7,450 every week. Under the new contract, we agreed to split the increase in two steps, in January 2017 and June 2017. With the consolidation of all extra costs, inclusive of consumable cost, the minimum cost for the use of the McKinley Room every Thursday of the week is Php 47,500.00 for a minimum guarantee of 50 pax or Php 950.00 per pax. For your information, consumable charge of McKinley Room is Php 140,000.00. The Club pays the shortage of Php 150.00/pax for 50 persons (or Php 7,500.00) every week since November 2016.

The Board noted the continuing deficit for the weekly luncheon meeting caused by subsidizing the increased consumable Meeting Cost, and realized that the Club cannot continue to fund the deficit from the approved budget of the current year caused by absences of members at the weekly Thursday luncheon meetings. Only members with confirmed severe health reasons are excused from the payment of Meeting Fee.

Please understand that we are paying primarily for the venue. The lunch is secondary. The lunch served by Manila Polo Club is below their cost but they have assured us to improve their food service based on the price we are paying.

In order to adequately fund the weekly luncheon meeting, the Board unanimously approved the following during its regular monthly meeting last January 19, 2017 - Effective February 16, 2017, Meeting fee to be adjusted from Php 800.00 to Php 1,200 (inclusive of the projected increase for June 2017);

Thank you for your understanding and consideration.