Cullasaja Club Membership Sponsor and Approval Process Guidebook

Process to Propose and Consider New Cullasaja Club Members

CULLASAJA CLUB

1371 Cullasaja Club Drive

Highlands, NC 28741

THE NATURE OF CULLASAJA CLUB

Established in 1987, Cullasaja Club is an intimate private club in a storybook setting high in the Carolina Mountains that is dedicated to creating memorable and remarkable experiences for its members and their guests. The membership is genuine and friendly and the amenities and activities are exceptional. The club is managed by an extraordinary and long-tenured staff that is known for delivering highly personalized services. Cullasaja Club is a refuge - a place where members escape to enjoy their mountain retreat while enjoying athletic and social activities among their friends and family including other Members. We encourage our Members to enjoy exemplary service in a warm and gracious setting where longstanding friendships are rekindled at the start of each season. Our Vision states we are an ‘intimate’ Club with genuine and friendly Members , and it is embodied by the renewal of shared activities with other Members each year. As we strive to remain a premier private Club in the Carolina Mountains recognized for exceptional quality, synergy and congeniality of its Members, services, staff and facilities; we must ensure the future member supports and embodies this desire and adds to, not takes away from, our remarkable Culture. It is important to note a few observations regarding the qualities we seek in members of Cullasaja Club. Since we are currently at our Membership Cap, we are looking for quality over quantity when it comes to new members. It is important that our Culture remains steadfast and that those invited to join are people that will enhance the Culture, not take from it. We must make sure that all egos are left “outside the gate” and our invitees are warm, gracious, and the type of people we would like to be around. Friendliness without pretense makes the perfect candidate. THE PEOPLE ON WHOM WE RELY

QUALITY OF MEMBERS

We welcome candidates with interests and backgrounds compatible with the diverse backgrounds and interests of the individuals who make up our club membership. We seek compatibility in the sense that we welcome people whose character, manner and demeanor will ensure social compatibility within the Club.

With these thoughts in mind, it is clear that to sponsor and invite a new member is a very personal process in which all involved are called upon to make personal judgments relating to character, cultural fit and personality.

“WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW FRIENDS WHO WILL BECOME FAMILY .”

In making personal evaluations and judgments to extend membership invitations, we rely on four groups:

SPONSORS

Any Club member may propose a prospect and there is no waiting period before a new member may sponsor a friend. Our vetting process, as displayed by the steps that follow, is performed before we issue an invitation to a new member, not after.

We ask sponsors to make a conscientious personal judgment before

initiating the membership process. Members should sponsor candidates they

are confident will enjoy our unique Culture. Cullasaja Club may not be for

everyone, and everyone may not be for Cullasaja Club. We are a Club of warm,

friendly, outgoing, people who leave our egos outside the gate and enjoy our

seasonal friendships in the wonderful Highlands climate.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

We publish new candidates to the membership so that any member possessing relevant information may step forward to help us in our deliberations. A 15-day posting period is required to give ample time for member input on all candidates.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

As information is gathered, it is carefully reviewed by the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee will interview each candidate and meet to review each candidate and make a recommendation to the Board of Governors.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board reviews the recommendations of the Membership Committee and makes the final decision on each candidate. Ultimately, it is the Board’s decision whether to extend an invitation to a candidate. Ideally, a current Club member will invite a close friend for membership in the Club; however, often times due to the sale of homes in the community, new member candidates arrive without knowing another member. One of the roles of the Membership Committee and Membership Director is to guide new Cullasaja residents down the path of acceptance. Set forth below are the basic steps in the membership process to become an Accepted Candidate:

1. CANDIDATE PRELIMINARY DATA FORM

Member candidates will be asked to complete a standard data form that contains personal information such as their contact information, education, business background, philanthropic endeavors, personal interests, other clubs, etc. The form must be completed by the Candidate and their spouse or significant other.

2 . MEMBER SPONSORS

Once the Preliminary Data Form is completed and received, the next step is to secure two sponsors who are current members in good standing. Again, ideally the new member prospect will already know a current member; but in cases where this is not possible, the Membership Committee and Membership Director will step in to help secure the sponsors.

3. INTRODUCTION OF CANDIDATE TO SPONSORS

If the candidates are not known by a current member, the Membership Director will contact current members based on locale, profession, alma mater or other means to match with the candidate. Once sponsors have been secured, the Membership Director will arrange for the candidates to meet their sponsors so that an assessment of their character can begin. A great way to get to know candidates is by inviting them to play in Twilight Golf or Mallets & Martinis; or simply invite them to lunch or dinner with friends. After the two sponsors have engaged with the candidate, each is required to submit a letter of recommendation which should contain adequate information detailing the circumstances in which the new member prospects are known to the member sponsor, and other information relating to the qualifications of the new Member prospect that may assist the Membership Committee in determining whether the new member prospect would be a good fit and desirable member of Cullasaja Club. This letter should be sent/emailed to the Membership Director and the Membership Committee Chair. 4. LETTER FROM THE TWO SPONSORS

THE PROCESS (CONTINUED)

5. PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH MEMBERS OF THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Representatives of the Membership Committee will then interview the candidate and vet them to make sure they will fit into the Culture of Cullasaja Club. If the interviewers believe the candidate would be a nice addition to the Club, they will write a review of the interview with their recommendation to the Membership Committee for further consideration. Following the successful completion of steps 1-5, candidates arepublished to the membership so that current Members may express their views to the Membership Committee. This list is commonly referred to as the "Posting Letter." The "Posting Period" is a 15-day period in which the Membership Committee receives comments from the general membership. Depending on feedback, the Membership Committee may review previous steps to ensure all input is received. 6. PUBLICATION TO MEMBERSHIP

7. DECISION BY MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

The Membership Committee, using the forms noted above and other information sources, will decide via a vote whether to recommend the Board of Governors invites the candidate to join the Club. The Committee may also recommend more information on the candidate, ask for further interviews, or decide via a vote not to recommend the Board to make an invitation.

8. BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING

A specific recommendation from the Membership Committee is reviewed by the Board of Governors and an invitation to membership is considered.

ROLE OF THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

The role of the Membership Committee is not an easy one. The core of its work lies in the personal evaluations and judgments that are fundamental to the long-range success of the Club. In the final analysis, a club is no better than its members. Accordingly, we exercise great care in the selection of the people who lead and serve on this committee. At all times, discretion, mutual respect and maximum confidentiality are exercised. All communications between sponsors and the Committee are handled through the Membership Director or Membership Committee Chair. The Board of Governors and the Membership Committee will not list specific reasons when candidates are not extended an invitation. We depend on the good faith judgment of these seasoned members to determine who will be a mutual fit for Cullasaja Club membership. The responsibility of the Member Sponsors does not end when the Board invites the candidate to become a member. Thoughtful Sponsors play an important role in welcoming new Members...encouraging and helping them participate in upcoming social and athletic events, continuing to introduce them to new friends, and finding various other ways to provide a warm and friendly welcome to the Cullasaja Club family. Nothing is more important for the future of Cullasaja Club than the identification and sponsorship of new members, which is why we are most grateful to those who dedicate the time and effort to advance the names of worthy candidates or vet those recently joining our community. THE CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SPONSOR

ROLE OF THE MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

Amy Fine is a year-round employee who has the competence to streamline our membership process swiftly. She has the ability to distribute member invitation packets, provide personalized tours, field phone calls and help with distributing and collecting necessary membership process forms. She also assists with assimilating new members into the Club along with the Sponsors. Her direct line is (828) 482-0154 and her email address is amyfine@cullasaja-club.com.

ROLE OF THE MEMBERSHIP

As members of Cullasaja Club, it is incumbent among all of us to reach out to new members and help them acclimate to our wonderful Club. We are known for our caring and outgoing membership, and simply introducing yourself to someone you do not recognize can go a long way to helping new members feel welcomed. Each of us felt this love when we joined and we need to do what we can to show the same to our newest, and potentially, remarkable new friends.

THANK YOU

Thank you sincerely for the time and effort you expend in the pursuit of perpetuating our Culture at Cullasaja Club. While it is our individual good fortune to be associated with the Club, the continued momentum this Club enjoys is no accident. Since 1987, a perpetual effort has been in place to ensure our Club's future by extending select invitations each year to those who are enjoyable to be around and add to our Culture, not take from it! We all remember, much like our wonderful educational memories, the "Class" with whom we all arrived and the feeling of excitement that we still carry to this day. We encourage you to share the Cullasaja experience with friends that you believe will make great additions to our family.