Levin RSA and why it is broke

The Levin RSA in the Horowhenua has for sometime now been going downhill and its not surprising why. With poor management and a lack of decisive actions with the old school mentality has lead to its decline with overpriced food & terrible hospitality skills. The incoming Chef Dave Price can change the cooking with a better menu and value for money meals or has time run out as we see below as without an exec/staff change the placed is doomed. The building space is too large for the amount of people that frequent the Club. The worse thing is that they, the Executive Committee want to sell the Bowling Club premises to pay their debts and not lose face & its this Executive that is to blame for the slowdown and bad hospitality services not the members. This is wrong as that land was gifted for a reason by the Clarke family & stiplified as such so should not the Clarke family have a right to get their land back instead of idiots selling to pay bills and try to keep the executive management on the pay roll?.

There is no reason why any RSA in NZ cannot make ends meet if they use their brains and have committee members who have skills in the hospitality arena, and not by popular demand. The problem facing some of the RSA's is management as we see with Palmerston North closing & hair brain schemes that failed. Very easy to see why people go to Cobb and Co, or Raywyns by the Railway Station for lovely roast meals daily or the Cossie Club where the meals are value for money. Well this has been the norm for well over the last 2 years and this committee hasn't done a thing about rectifying the situation when for years they were over $200,00 in arrears. The sad part is that alcohol is not the bread winner any more nor is the cost of going out so more people stay away. Its hard to get these RSA premises into profit mode due to their size.

The Paraparaumu RSA is sharing with the Kapiti Club now due to a $180,000 debt after a failed expansion a few years back. Both will share premises at the Kapiti Club on Marine Parade, Paraparaumu Beach now. Both clubs voted in favour as it was either that or the RSA would close. Levin could do the same instead of wasting more money by selling land & not getting rid of Management which will be there demise.

2 years ago my wife and I went for the first time to have a Friday Kiwi roast dinner. Having frequented many family restaurants in NZ and overseas and family ones at that, we were taken aback by the food. Yes it was a roast and you had the choice of 2 slices of beef or 2 slices of pork--- could they spare it?. No lamb but no matter.

Veges and a salad bar were average nothing exciting and one could have as much as they liked of frozen mixed veges and baked spuds, pumpkin but the down side was the white sauce. Having worked in Hotels the sauce was dilated milk and the gravy was just as bad with no flavour or taste at all. The whole affair we thought was not to our liking for the price of $23 we paid for this meal. Sadly the gravy and white sauce was disgusting.

Even the female manager B. Coombes was eating that night yet we have been told still has her job and still does nothing. Ok she is an ex Bank teller we were told which means she doesn't have to keep an eye on the food dept ? We wonder why she never cottoned on to what was happening with the food? let alone walking around asking those attendees their thoughts on the food? But it gets worse. It turned out the chef was the dish washer who had upgraded himself to be the RSA chef. The food was not what we thought worth the $23 we paid as we were shocked. Now as I say that was over 2 years ago & little changed up to 2015.

Now not wanting to say anything we asked an ex RSA member chef who is a qualified chef what we experienced and he said we weren't the only ones complaining? It got even worse as talked to another ex Chef? But for the next 2 years the same management staff still work there and nothing changed yet we heard various stories from other RSA members themselves. Then a bombshell------- Xmas time 2014 when they didn't have a chef we were told and quite a number of Xmas party folk eg. Andersons Outdoor & others --- got food poison at their end of year function on food they had brought in. Now that has to be the icing on the cake. As we say 2 years this occurred so what happened in between yet they talk about a debt they have had all this time as well and did nothing??

SO WHY HAS LEVIN RSA GOT SO FAR INTO THE RED.

THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED HOSPITALITY COURSES WILL KNOW

1/. No veting of food, chefs, asking feedback from members. No PR by Bronwyn Coombes? it seems

2/. The Club President not putting his foot down to rectify matters --leave it to the members to deal with is easier!!

3/. Meals @ $23 as against Cobb& Co seniors $11-14? & Raewyns Roast specials so as more people keep away they tell more? it compounds in 5s

4/. Management disregarding the reaction of how bad food given to members can bring about a decline in patronage. It got worse as the 2014 Xmas party got food poisoning?

5/. Not seeing the warning signs earlier --over 2 years nothing done and now trying to campaign to get more people yet more are going to the Cossie Club instead or elsewhere like Foxton RSA? & the premises need to be scaled down

6/. Keeping the same staff -- no hospitality skills; yet they are not responsible & should be. Start again. A Bank teller is not a hospitality RSA candidate just a pretty face.

7/. No set work roles and accountability of the staff nor performance checks by the executive as they are voted on...?

8/. Alcohol is no longer the bread winner & never will be? .Why haven't they looked at amalgamation before this time?

9/. They lacked communication with members on what they thought might be appropriate to change?

Not facing reality to liase with the wishes of those like the Clarke family who gifted the land for a reason. Give it back? If the RSA needed to revamp the staff. It is they who did nothing & they who are to blame.

Bad food can break a restaurant, business. Lowering the barriers which has nothing whatever to do with Levin RSA going downhill. As VETS pass on membership declines. New incentive to get better is a must but how to do?

The Levin RSA Executive committee cannot see the causes then no wonder it is doomed to fail and it will. Selling part of the buildings won't help as you have root causes. Sale of liquour has dropped and its too dear for pensioners. Sunday sessions from 100 people 2 years ago to 20 today shows what interest members have gone thru. Anzac days they are given $2000 Council assistance. Now everyone has to pay so whats happened to the $2000 grant? & the thought of supplementing fees by members will cause its demise even further. The Bowling club should stay.

This has always been a problem with Levin RSA. Palmerston North RSA went into receivership as it went into the motel business and lost $64,000 in the first 11 months. Again business. The role of RSA's is to look after war veterans but that focus has been lost in other business ventures that were not profitable as they found out and as numbers dwindle.

Now Levin RSA thinks by selling up its property it will get better but they need to realize get rid of some of the Management staff first thats contributed nothing? & take on staff who have international experience and know the hospitality industry not part of.

Sell the Bowling club that does not run at a loss but they forget that this land was gifted for a purpose

& if not used for that purpose [not pay debts] then should be returned.

They had the opportunity to rectify some years back and did nothing? They should give the land back to the Clark family who donated it if they sell as the same management will still be there & how can they realize by selling the Bowling club that runs at a profit is the way to go.

Read MORE [ writeups ] in the Levin Chronicle

& RSA closure Sept 2015 & then go to this website for more...................................

Check out more about Levin RSA NZ on this website: