Hot on the heels of its 2017 Air Force Club Member Appreciation Program, the Air Force Services Activity is launching a drive to attract new members.
Like the membership appreciation event, the new-member drive offers a grand prize of $10,000.
“First, we showed appreciation to our members and encouraged them to convert their membership to our new, app-based system,” said Jonathan Boyd, AFSVA chief of nonappropriated fund food and beverage operations, of the August appreciation event. “Now, we want to continue to build on our Air Force club tradition and attract new members.”
The new system, called the Club Member Portal, offers club members the opportunity to interact with the club, by direct messages about club events, email and text messaging.
“Members can opt in to receive messages with the MemberPlanet app and keep up with events at their installation’s club,” Boyd said.
Membership is open to active-duty military, Defense Department appropriated fund and NAF civilians, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, military and civilian retirees and military widows/widowers. The membership drive began Sept. 18 — the Air Force’s 70th birthday — and ends Oct. 31. Those who join during that time are eligible for the grand prize.
Air Force clubs offer members free or discounted entertainment, such as live shows, sports-watching parties such as Football Frenzy, with its weekly prizes and grand prize of two tickets to the Super Bowl and Mixed Martial Arts Fight Nights, which feature visits by fighters at four clubs. Each club also provides food discounts, programming and entertainment tailored to members at that installation.
“Clubs offer members the ability to spend time with people who share similar life experiences as a member of the Air Force family,” Boyd said.
Steve Bedford, AFSVA’s chief of operations for Food 2.0, has been a club member for 40 years. “It’s part of my heritage,” he said. “The clubs offer many discounts, including discounts to other force support squadron activities. I also like the great programs they offer,” he said.
“Those everyday discounts include $1 or $2 off breakfast or lunch, 10 percent off catering and a food-service equipment and supply lending program,” said Tony C. Flowers, manager of the Nellis Club on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Club managers have the option to bring Air Force Central Programs, which include the Frenzy events and the Air Force Club Scholarship program, to their club.
“However, it’s up to each club to provide programs to meet specific needs of single Airmen and families, and continue the heritage of official and non-official functions,” Flowers said. “We at Nellis (AFB) have gone the extra mile to ensure membership counts. We offer monthly programs such as a free haircut, one free lunch, First Friday, Boss-N-Buddy, to name a few. We also offer weekly programs like a free drive-through concession with a Starbucks coffee and breakfast burrito every Friday, and up to 50 percent off of selected lunch items each day of the week. Just last month we gave away a trip for four to Disneyland that included a three-night hotel stay, $500 cash, $100 fuel card and four two-day hopper tickets.”
Membership fees on average range from $3 to $25 per month, depending on the member’s pay grade and installation.
To find out more about Air Force Clubs, or to join or renew your club membership, go to www.MyAirForceLife.com/Clubs.