What’s Happy-ning?
From Your President
The University Club has a very full schedule of stellar
programs, events, and activities during the 2009-10 year
with a host of very satisfied participants. But, there are
dark clouds over this sunny scene.
Revenue from room rentals, the club’s largest
source of income, is down because of the economy
but also because new facilities at the Kelley School
of Business and the Athletic Department’s North
End Zone Project are siphoning off many events
that have traditionally been held at the club. Also, businesses and
professionals in the community are not sufficiently familiar with the
club to recognize it as a place that can fill their special event needs. There has not been an increase in the number of club members in any
year in recent memory and renewals this year are slower than expected.
The “critical mass” of members is close to being too small to support
such traditional events as the holiday gala. Investigation has shown that IU faculty and staff think of the club as a place, not an organization where their membership will complement their academic pursuits. Business and
professional leaders also are not sufficiently informed about the club to recognize the personal enrichment the
club offers.
This year, the club leadership has recognized that some new efforts are needed to change the perception of the club
among IU faculty and staff and to broaden the membership reach of the club in all sectors of the community.
The club’s outstanding activities and facilities must be better publicized. Information about the club must reach new people so they will be attracted to involvement.
With these objectives in mind, the plan for Thursday evening Happy-nings was formulated.
Indiana Memorial Union management was sufficiently persuaded that there is a need for a bar on campus
that they sought to convert the Club’s Presidents’ Room to this use. Since the Happy Hours in 2008-09 were
modestly successful, the club decided to try a more regularly scheduled bar operation on the day and time
identified as the most appealing: 4-7 every Thursday. Since publicity about free events is readily available and to add a dimension worthy of attracting attention,
a light, diversified, programmatic theme for these events was selected to appeal to every sector of the club’s
potential constituency—academic achievement, bistro’s best music, commercial connections, and dramatic
developments. To provide a specific incentive for the new faces the club is seeking to attract, it was decided to offer free drink
tickets in addition to information about the Happy-nings and the broad spectrum of club activities. An insert for the newly designed membership brochure has been prepared to succinctly highlight each
semester’s broad array of Club offerings in programs, events, activities, trips, outings, travelogues, and more. Building on the appreciated 2008-09 sponsorships by Meadowood of the opening reception and by Mark Smith
of the Happy Hours, a sponsorship program has been designed to enhance the benefits of club membership and
to provide funds for publicity and membership development efforts.
The programmatic focus of the Happy-nings arranged by Basu, Bob Williams, Dom Spera, Lou and Len Newman, Jim
Alling, Bob Hammel, and Pat Kennedy has been outstanding but two months of experience with the new initiatives
has shown that the cart got in front of the horse. Publicity about these events has not hit the papers or airways,
information about facilities, programs, and sponsorship opportunities has not reached businesses and professionals, and
news about the club and the inducement of free drink tickets has not reached faculty, staff, and community targets.
So, the board decided at their October meeting to sideline the cart full of Happy-nings for the balance of the fall
semester and to take the months of November and December to get the team of horses (publicity and membership
development) racing toward fulfilling the objectives. Happy-nings will resume in the spring semester when the Club’s
cart full of riches will be preceded by effective publicity and membership development initiatives.
Members can help get the club on the winning track in the following ways:
Tell non-member friends about the club and give their contact information to the club office. Membership
information will be sent identifying you as the person who made the recommendation. Tell you doctor, lawyer, and favorite business owner about the club and give contact information to the club
office. Material about membership for the boss and key staff as well as sponsorship opportunities will be sent. Identify publicity opportunities and/or volunteer to provide appropriate material to these targets. Join the several members who have already volunteered to assist with getting club visibility and growth on track.
Please contact the club office to indicate your willingness to be part of the winning team that will complete this lap of
the race at full gallop.
Ronald Kovener
President of the University Club
PLEASE contact me by email at RRkovener@aol.com or by phone at 337-8920 if you have concerns, suggestions or ideas for the board to discuss or consider. Member input is important to us. The next board meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 12 at 11:45 am.
The University Club Officers for 2009-2010
President, Ronald Kovener
Vice-President, Jackie Harding
Secretary, Tim Long
Treasurer, Phil Hathaway
• May 2009 Board Notes • June 2009 Board Notes • September 2009 Board Notes
University Club of Indiana University
“Where Campus and Community Meet.”
The revised By-Laws were approved at the annual meeting. The revised University By-Laws
If you were not able to come to the Annual Meeting on March 23 you may view the "State of the Club Report"
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**REMEMBER to continue to bring cans of food and boxed food for the IMU Hoosier Food Bank drive. The IMU takes food to the food bank 12 months a year so this is an ongoing project. Every contribution is appreciated.
 Do check it out. Some photos of recent activities are posted there. If you have a Facebook account, be sure to become a University Club Fan!!
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IU Faculty