A Home at Last
During the long period of construction, board meetings were held on site (at first on the first deck and then on the second deck). Usually the board table consisted of a couple of planks set on saw-horses. Chairs were nail kegs or boxes. Hiring had to begin long before the building was ready for occupancy, and that put a further strain on finances. A payroll had to be met without income. So as soon as the lower deck was complete, and while construction was still in progress on the upper one, the staff took over in August 1961. Upon completion of the upper deck, the dining room was opened and quickly gained a reputation for serving outstanding gourmet food - by far the best food in Corpus Christi. Unfortunately, Amiel Jaguet's reputation traveled afar and he was attracted away from the Club after only a short stay.
Shortly after moving into the new Clubhouse, it became evident that facilities for young people were badly needed. With the membership now doubled to 250, a survey revealed that there were 420 children (considerably more than originally anticipated). Although the $60,000 cost required borrowing from the bank, with some of the members as guarantors of the loan, a snack bar, youth room, plus a structure around the pool for outdoor recreation was added. The loan was retired through increased dues plus a Building Fund assessment. Later, further modifications were made to the building as membership increased and the need for additional space became evident. Originally, a spiral staircase in the bar led upward outside the building to an outside observation deck on the second level. This area was enclosed to gain additional space in both the bar and the Dining Room.
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