Members in WonderlandThe Goal: Find an ongoing way to have the event calendar more closely mirror the mission and culture of the club. The Plan: Bring together multiple departments (Member Relations, Recreation/Fitness, Natural Resources, and Golf Maintenance) to create and offer a year-long “Adventure Series” of special weekly events that would be free for members. The Payoff: Members quickly showed that they were looking forward to each new event every week. The Audubon Snowshoe Walk, in particular, was an overwhelming overnight success. Overall, members expressed appreciation for having new opportunities to try new sports and experience the surrounding Sierra Mountains environment in an organized, structured fashion, without having to do additional research or pay extra costs. |
As the white snow retreats and green meadows, wild rivers, and vibrant wildflowers return to signal another seasonal change, members of all ages at the Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, Calif., are making their own transitions, packing away their snowshoes and tuning up their bikes.
Every day truly is an adventure for members of this club, who are, as the club Web site says, “as comfortable on a mountain bike as they are on a fairway”and “want to be rooted in the true Tahoe lifestyle.”
To help provide more of a permanent fit with this unique culture and mission, the Tahoe Mountain Club wanted to find a way to “offer our members an opportunity to experience the rich natural surroundings of our club on an ongoing basis,” says Jocelyn Rossi, Assistant Manager of Member Relations.
“We wanted to create events that would be of value and interest, but at the same time we needed them to be convenient and worthwhile,” Rossi adds.
As so it was that the Tahoe Mountain Club’s Adventure Series was born. Designed to be a true four-season experience, the Adventure Series is actually comprised of distinct recreational clubs—walking, hiking, mountain biking, and snowshoeing—that each share the objective of helping to foster greater appreciation and understanding of the surrounding Sierra Mountains environment. Members are free to just focus on one particular club activity, or try to participate in all four.
For a sense of continuity throughout the series, each club was designed to have these common characteristics:
• An expert guide.
• A variety of trails, terrain and levels of difficulty.
• The opportunity to experience many of the outdoor adventures to be found in the area.
• A regular (weekly) schedule that would allow members to participate in a club activity whenever they were in residence.
• A networking opportunity to meet fellow members with common interests.
• Free of charge to members.
The four Adventure Series clubs share something else, too—they each gave Tahoe Mountain staff members a chance to pursue their own interests that might not otherwise be known, or shared, with members.
“We utilize the hobbies and expertise of our staff outside their normal scope of duties,” says Rossi. “Staff members from multiple departments now have the opportunity to share their knowledge with club members in ways that showcase our club and the variety of amenities we have here and in the community.”
The Adventure Series utilized the hobbies and expertise of Tahoe’s staff, outside their normal scope of duties. |
So now, participants in the Adventure Series Walking Club navigate the on-property trail system with the club’s Natural Resources Manager, who educates members along the way on the club’s Audubon International program. During winter, this same manager also leads groups over the trail system on snowshoes, discussing winter migration patterns and wildlife.
Those in the Mountain Biking Club, meanwhile, are led over the many trails by one of the club’s fitness experts. “Interestingly, through the contacts she made while leading these rides, she was able to attract a number of new members into her spinning classes,” Rossi notes.
All of the Adventure Series events, Rossi says, are conducted with “minimal cost” to the club. Routes, levels of difficulty, directions and maps were devised and posted by the Member Relations Department. The full schedule of events and activities is posted on the member Website and in other club communications pieces.
“After each club event, we send out surveys to participating members, so they can share their experience with us,” says Rossi. “The survey results on the Adventure Series made it clear that members loved having something that was so organized, was easily accessible and would get them outdoors.”
More Great Ideas :
Getting the Tigers by the Tail
Cooking Up Camaraderie
Saying Goodbye to "Auld Lang Sigh"
A Starring Role
Scaling New Heights
Star-Studded Event
Doing Away with Déjà Vu
Changing the Rules
Waste Not
Going Deep
Staying Power
Members in Wonderland
Totally Tubular
Smart Signs
One Giant Leap
Expert Advice
Out-of-the-Tee-Box Thinking
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.