A note on electronic door access cards for members

Some of you have asked about electronic door access cards.

The system we have, supplied by Tensor, is quite "expensive" to maintain for the club.  We need to:

• Keep the locks in working order
• Make and issue cards
• Deactivate lost cards and members who've left
• Pay for cards (approx £5 each)
• Recognise your membership payment, issue you with a discount card for local discounts and then locate your tensor card (if you have one) on the system and activate it.

All of this is either costly in terms of money or in terms of someone's time to do it.  

So...

The committee decided in August not to issue Tensor cards as standard, but only to issue them to people who ask for them.  Instead a paper laminated membership card will be issued bearing the membership type and expiry date.  The theory is that anyone wanting a tensor electronic door access card will be able to show their paper laminated card at the bar.  Then a bar duty manager will be able to to make electronic door cards instantly with access that matches the expiry date on the paper laminated membership card.  This is the theory, but in practice not everyone knows how to do this yet.

In view of the fact that the door is generally open, or the door is willingly opened for people who do not have cards, and some of our members live away, it was decided to continue to issue Tensor door access cards for free, but only to those who specifically ask for or specifically need them.

Although our clubhouse is completely secure with the roller shutters when we are closed, when we are open we felt we needed a degree of protection at the back door for the benefit of bar staff, so the tensor lock has now been refitted to the back door.  We have also entered into a maintenance contract to help us keep it in working order. It is not designed for heavy usage, SO the back door is now ONLY to be used by committee and suppliers.  We would also appreciate the cooperation of general members in not using the back door to leave the club.  

Members who already have tensor door access cards will find over the coming weeks that their cards begin to work again on the main door (providing their membership is paid and current).... but this won't happen until "someone".... probably one of your long suffering committee members.... actually takes the time to do it.  The validity will be set to the same date as your 12 month club membership.... or for life, for life members.  The database has been neglected during the period the system has been out of use, so it will take us a little time to train people and bring the records up to date.

Kind regards

Andrew

Secretary