Cossie Club denies closing rumours

Getting back in the black is a slow grind for Masterton Cosmopolitan Club but talk around town that the club is planning to close its doors by Christmas is all froth and no beer.
Chartered accountant Alan Stewart, who was appointed the club's administrator at a special meeting of members earlier this year, said closing the club by the year's end had not been "thought of, suggested or mentioned" by those charged with managing the club.
He said it was true that about 200 members have failed to pay a special $25 levy imposed on each member as a way of turning the finances of the club around "and that's disappointing".
"I don't know why some are holding out when the majority have been happy to pay."
Mr Stewart said while it is "not helpful" to have 200 reneging on paying the levy, the total amount involved was $4500, and that was unlikely to lead to massive problems in its own right.
He said one member had been honest enough to declare to the committee that he could not afford to pay the levy and an arrangement had been made in his case.
"If there are others among the 200 who are suffering genuine hardship they should approach myself or the committee, and we can take it from there."
The levy was expected to raise roughly $35,000 and was one of four steps put to members by club president Ian Galyer as a bailout package.
Along with the levy, members at the special meeting were asked to approve the appointment of Mr Stewart as administrator until August 31, to forego loyal points for six months and to agree to cancel sports grants to the adjuncts for the same six months stand-down.
In the three months the club has been under Mr Stewart's administration the turnover greatly improved in March, remained stagnant in April and the jury is still out on the May figures.
Mr Stewart said while the May turnover is still being awaited he is hopeful it will be a good month as the club had some good events during the month that should have helped the coffers.
The 200 non-payers have lost the privilege of having their names entered in the club's weekly cash draw and should they contune to fail to pay beyond the end of this financial year they could be declared unfinancial and have their membership struck off.
Mr Stewart said whereas talk of closure by Christmas was "completely out of left field" it could be that the club would need to make further cuts in services to deal with the financial situation.
Since the special meeting the club cafe has been closed.
The cafe had struggled financially and had been running at a loss.
Likewise, the bar is now opening at 1pm instead of 11am, as sales in the first two hours had not justified paying a barman's wages.
Mr Stewart said the change to bar hours had brought "the odd complaint" but there was flexibility.
"If three or four members get together and want a drink before 1pm then the manager can open the bar and serve them, it's just not worth having bar staff on."