HISC 500 Club . . . what it's about and how to join

The 500 Club has been operating at HISC since 2006 for the purpose of generating funds for projects and causes which will benefit HISC members.

The aim of the 500 Club is to provide for the club some of those “nice to have” items which make our life at HISC that much more pleasurable but which don’t quite make the cut when it comes to mainstream club spending.  It is specifically not to fund core club activities, such as buying a replacement RIB or maintenance of the club house.  However, you can see around the club some of the ways in which the money is spent.  The benches in front of the training rooms and the individual wooden chairs on the balcony were funded by the 500 Club, as was the automatic door for disabled access and the circular booth seating in the main bar.  In recent years the 500 Club has also funded the HISC lettering on the clubhouse external wall, the information display screen in the main bar, a pair of binoculars for the balcony, display cabinets for the archives displays, a mirror and hand driers for the Ladies loo, a pair of binoculars for the Race Box, and so on.

Each month half of the income is allocated to a draw for 4 prizes, the top one of which is currently around £150. The remaining income adds to the fund for future projects.

Some projects are large, some small but the more people who belong to the 500 Club the more the prize fund increases and the more future projects we can fund for the benefit of all members.

Tickets for the draw, usually held on the last Thursday of the month, are only £1 with a minimum entry of £5 and maximum entry £30 per member per month.  Payments for tickets are via standing order and prizes are paid by bank transfer.

Ideas for new projects are always welcome.  But mostly we need to keep the 500 Club membership growing so we can improve the experience for all members into the future.

Present 500 club committee: Tim Hancock (promoter), Pam Marrs, Sarah Muir, Peter Wareham and Greg Lamb.  Feel free to talk to us if you have any questions.

To join complete the attached form . . .

Some of the items that have been purchased in the recent past:

• TV in the Main Bar
• Teak chairs for the balcony
• Concrete walkways
• Signage on the pontoon
• External signage on the clubhouse
• External seating for the snack bar
• Binoculars for the balcony & race box

Projects currently under consideration include some additional handrails to the external stair ways, provision of an automatic external opening door to the clubhouse and a book of the Centenary celebration flags.