NEW LUNCHEON VENUE IN JULY

After almost 10 years, we will be returning to the Legends restaurant at Bennett Valley Golf Club in Santa Rosa for a luncheon on July 14. From the banquet room, there are beautiful views of the golf course and surrounding homes. When you arrive, look for our “sandwich sign” to the west of the main entrance, where we will have our check-in folks to greet you.

We will be trying a buffet-style luncheon at Legends. There will be extra people available to help those who may have balance or mobility issues and would prefer to have someone bring them their food, or if someone needs help in line. Dessert will be brought to the tables just before our speaker program begins. Beer, wine, and sodas will be available for purchase from 11:30 to 12:30 in an area near our entrance.

We are excited about our return to this beautiful spot, and we hope that you will enjoy this new venue.

MEAL RESERVATIONS AND CANCELLATIONS

When we announce a forthcoming WAC luncheon program, we request that you mail your reservation form and check to arrive no later than one week before the event. Most venues require this amount of time in order to be properly staffed and for the chef to order the right quantity of food for our event. Also note that we will take reservations through that week-prior date, or until we reach capacity. It is always a good idea to send your reservation as soon as you can so as not to be disappointed.

If your reservation arrives after the deadline date or capacity has been reached, you will receive a notification and your check will be returned. You may request to be added to a wait list for cancellations by leaving a message at the WACSC phone number, 707-573-6014.

We accept cancellations and provide refunds up to 72 hours before the event. For example, if there is a luncheon on Friday, we can accept your cancellation and send you a refund if you have called the above mentioned phone number to cancel before noon on the preceding Tuesday. After that time, we cannot provide a refund, since we are obligated to pay the venue for the reservation, even if you do not come.

WHY MOST VENUES DON’T LET YOU TAKE FOOD HOME

Many of us just can’t eat all the food that we are often served at our WAC luncheons. Wishing not to waste food, we may have asked for a “doggie bag.” Depending on where you were and whom you asked, you may have been told that the venue does not allow food to be taken away. How can that be? There is enough here for another meal!

Save the Date: WACA National Conference

Thanks to the work of our Program Committee volunteers, WACSC members do not have to travel far to hear leading thinkers on a wide range of issues. However, for those of you looking for a reason to escape the rain and chill of Sonoma County in late November for the…rainier and chillier…clime of our nation’s capital in late November, the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) national office has just announced one: the National Conference, which will be held at the Capital Hilton from November 15-17. (For those members not already familiar, our Sonoma County council is one of more than 90 councils across the country, joined together by WACA.) The keynote speakers for this year’s National Conference have not yet been announced, but presenters at the Conference are drawn from the upper echelons of political and academic leadership. Local members who have attended in the past speak highly of the National Conference. If you are interested in learning more about this event, you can find more details at www.worldaffairscouncils.org.