It’s official. Despite lowering initiation fees for non-Japanese potential members, the TAC board is again talking about raising monthly dues on the long term members. What are your thoughts on this?
The Next Round Of TAC Elections
We’re big on participation if you want to change something to the positive. If you think things need fixed, it might be time to run for a position on the Board of Governors. Even if you think things are fine, what a great opportunity to help the TAC that we all enjoy. Please see letter below.
Invitation to Participate in the Tokyo American Club
Board of Governors Election 2012
From the TAC Nominating Committee
Dear Fellow TAC Members:
The TAC Board of Governors works with Management to ensure that the club is managed in the best interest of its members and in accordance with its Articles of Association and all applicable laws. The Board insures we continue to enjoy many excellent and unique benefits as members of the Tokyo American Club.
Each year the Nominating Committee presents a slate of candidates. After Board approval, the slate is placed before the membership for election at the regularly scheduled Annual General Meeting, held in November.
This Notice is to ask if you or someone you know is interested in standing for election to the Board. If you are interested, and you meet the minimum qualifications set forth below, please reply to this email (completing the section at the bottom of this email) no later than July 24. It is your chance to contribute to the continued well-being of the entire TAC community and to make a difference! Someone from the Nominating Committee will be in touch with you in due course.
Minimum Qualifications:
In this first election to be held under the new Articles of Association (effective Oct. 1, 2012), Members must still conform to Article 25 of the current Articles of Association, which requires the following qualifications to serve on the Board of Governors: Minimum membership: “at the time of election have been Resident Regular Members or Resident Regular Company Members for more than one year.”
Refer to the new General Rules, Section 30 Nominations for Governor, 1.4. This outlines the factors that shall be considered in the selection of nominees by the Nominating Committee.
Thank you very much for considering this request.
Nominating Committee
Taxi Area In Disarray
I have sent a message to Tell Tac but I never get a response so I am posting the following:
What has happened to the old system for taxi service that we had at the club in Takanawa? It was efficient and simple. You made a request at the member’s desk and they phoned a taxi for you. They took your name so that you would keep your place in line. A parking attendant would notify you as you sat waiting inside the entrance.
This system no longer exists.
I stood waiting for a taxi on Thursday evening with my sensei for over 30 minutes. It was embarrassing and it reflected badly upon the club. There is no designated queue. People stood around in a chaotic fashion (it was extremely busy that evening). It is hard to discern who is next in line.
I had made a request for a taxi at the member’s desk next to the Trader’s Bar. Two ladies assured my sensei and I that they had phoned for taxis. However, eight taxis pulled up and parked. They were reserved for other guests. The majority of people waiting were forced to retrieve taxis elsewhere.
I returned back to the member’s service desk but the two ladies had left the desk unmanned. I returned to the trader’s bar and asked the manager on duty to phone for more taxis. To be honest, he did not seem concerned nor was he helpful. He called for the parking attendant who was extremely courteous and apologetic. He quickly retrieved a taxi for us.
What has happened? I am embarrassed to entertain my sensei at the club if such poor service continues.
Election Results
Well, we hoped our suggestions helped you with the elections. We will post the results here on the MABT site as soon as they are announced.
Coming soon..
People Love The Tokyo American Club!
Great to see everyone coming to the website. We’re looking for more constructive comments!
Yesterday we had 142 visitors visit www.abetteramericanclub.com. Not the top day, but a good showing.
Please give ideas on
1) How to better govern the club and keep our board engaged with members requests
2) Have a meaningful committee system or maybe throw that out all together and do something new
3) Better service our membership
If you have a good idea, post it as a comment below here and we’ll make the comment into a post so others can see it.
We’re also working on adding some survey features to the website. All the work being done by a number of your fellow members. What’s the cost to the club? NOTHING!
We are investing in having not only a great building, but a great club which isn’t the building, it’s the people!
Following the Smoke: Slide from 2006 Town Hall
See here the slide from the 2006 Town Hall meeting as a summary of the prospectus document signed by Messrs Bumgardner, Thomas, and Brown:
Score: None for Four!
An Inside Job? TAC Members Speak Out
Dear TAC Member,
There is a new movie called “Inside Job” that is a must see It details the root causes of the global financial crisis; the heist by Wall Street with the compliance of government.
An analogy can be seen at TAC where over the past 25 years, members have seen a devaluation of their memberships as management and the BOG orchestrated a reversal of roles whereby members now serve the interests of management. This has resulted in the top 10 executive staff`s (staggering) average compensation p.a. at Y28 million ( $350 thousand) and the average full time staff salary over Y8 million ($100+thousand). Over staffing and not outsourcing have added to the debacle.
New TAC is the final countdown as to whether the greed, bad decisions, the heisting (TAC-jack) will survive. A complacent/transient membership has provided the culture for these excesses. The enemy does lie within. It is an Inside Job. It is us.
TAC`s budget for 2011 shows little change in payroll — Y1.8 bn.($22+million) that is 77% of operating revenue ( industry norm between 40% to 50%). At TAC in 1983 it was 52%.
TAC`s F&B Cost of Goods (COGs) is budgeted at 27% next year, an unscrupulous mark-up of just under 4 times cost ( marketplace norm about 33% to 35%). TAC in 1983 was 41% a 2.5 times mark-up. And sales were higher in 1983 than the 2011 budget and with 2600 members versus a plan of 3600. 1983 per member sales Y488 thousand; 2011 plan about Y280,000, a 41% decline without adjusting for inflationary price increases. Over the past 15 years TAC has experienced plummeting F&B sales per member. Perhaps the COGs data tell why.
TAC is a simple business to run. A captive membership pays entrance fees and dues accounting for 60% of its revenue. In 1983 it was 45% when it delivered value to members. Entrance fees are not part of operating revenue and are meant to be reserved for renovation and rebuilding. In the past 25 years these amounted to over Y200 oku ($250 million) most of which went to payroll. Voila.
A recent announcement by TAC is to charge members a 3% service charge from January if they pay by cash or credit card. No charge for bank debit. TAC should have a credit card(s) rate of about 1% (maybe less) but has one of about 3% due to lack of common business sense. This is another shining example of how members are not getting value for their money by a management focused on its own perks to the detriment of members who are its employers. Members should reject any service charge.
The Y11bn. ($130+ million) 4% interest loan is a dead weight around the neck of TAC. After paying the 25 year loan to term there is still a principal of almost Y9bn. (over $100 million) to pay. The 1% amortization makes it almost an interest only loan. Extremely imprudent and potentially fatal. Members should demand that all of the entrance fees be used to accelerate the principal repayment which would be 4% annual amortization, not the 1% planned. This would force payroll cuts and encourage outsourcing.
The “Inside Job” movie shows Wall Street hasn`t changed that much. What about TAC? Will the Inside Job, TAC-jack, muddle through and carry on regardless? Or will the invisable hand of the marketplace win in 2011 and render it the equivalent of the Tokyo Banana Republic Club? A hint — to date your BOG battling average is just about zero.
Members voted down the dues levy in June and are outraged by the executive salaries, F&B prices, and the enormous (coup de TAC) loan. In a show of defiance, your tax and spend BOG renewed the GMs contract in September and passed a 2011 budget with no significant cuts. The financial accounts show that the Club has negative equity. You should Vote against the 2011 Budget and the BOG that approved it. God save the member.
Signed: Greg Carley (TAC President 1994-1998) Geoffrey Walker, Paulo Maques
TAC Elections: Other Nationalities: Recommendation
Actually, Other Nationalities is a no-brainer. Feels like voting for the Queen. But in the interests of fairness and saran-esque transparency, here’s the dirt on Per. Bear with us as we figure out how to insert a poll in here to get feedback – in the meantime, hit us with your comments!
[Naturally, all the opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of TAC or (obviously) the candidates! There is no intent to offend.]
| Nominee: | Per Knudsen |
| Recommendation |
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| Principal says … | Per tries hard in all subjects. |
| Wagtail Comment: | Per has been working hard on TWG2. That means he supports all the recommendations, and is focused on bringing change to TAC. He deserves another term. And there’s no other candidate! |
| One-Liner: | Per’s no-nonsense approach is awesome when he channels his inner Viking! |
TAC Elections: President: Recommendations
Here at MABT, we’ve been poring over the candidate data trying to figure who deserves your vote this time around. We’re still trying to figure out how to insert a poll in here to get your feedback – in the meantime, hit us with your comments!
We will be asking all candidates to respond to a survey on their views on the key issues. Stay tuned!
[Naturally, all the opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of TAC or (obviously) the candidates!.]
Here’s our quick take on El Presidente:
| Nominee: | Lance Lee | Rod Nussbaum |
| Recommendation |
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| Principal says … | Doesn’t play well with other boys. | New to the school. Still making friends. |
| Wagtail Comment: | Sorry, Lance, but you signed the new GM contract. That’s got people angry. And if you sup with The Devil, you have to accept that sometimes the chalice is poisoned.And that 3% charge on cash payments … Say goodnight, Dick!. | The gossip says Rod is closely connected tied to the status quo. Even so, his policy statement hits the right buttons in terms of the key issues: strategy, governance, and transparency.Still, the proof will be in the pudding! |
| One-Liner: | Problem with Lance is it’s always someone else’s fault. | A vote for Rod at least gives the Club a chance. |
Board Of Governors Candidate Scorecard
About 25 of us are currently in the process of putting together our recommendations for the board of governors. We should have something up in the next day or so.
Making A Better TAC (MABT)