We begin a new series to introduce our membership to someone we feel
has distinguished themselves in some way shape or form at the Montauk
Club. After all, community is why you joined, let’s all get to know
each other!
This month we spoke with MC President Tim Thompson
When did you join the club?
1990
Have a favorite memory from the club?
Back when Allen Kramer was President, we had a wonderful waiter named
James. Allen, Betty and I dined regularly at the club, usually just
the three of us, usually alone in the dining room. Wherever we sat,
James would race to make sure that Allen’s chair was the most rickety
in the room. James went on to be an assistant manager of the club and
then at the Plaza Hotel. Allen still gets a rickety chair.
Can you tell us a bit about the way it used to be?
When we first joined, the club still owned the entire building. The
third floor had the main dining room, the Lincoln Room (over the Board
Room) and the kitchen. Members would meet at the bar and then “go up”
for dinner. It was a beautiful place to dine. The basement, fourth
and fifth floors were no longer in use and were in disrepair. In
fact, it became clear that the entire club house needed much more
restoration than the club could afford – hence the decision to become
part of a condominium. Our trials and tribulations, like having the
condo developer rip our kitchen out of the third floor and dump
everything in piles on the first floor, would fill a small book.
We celebrated our 120th anniversary this year – can you tell us what
other anniversary parties were like?
The 115th was a gala dinner event. Lisa Finstrom, then the
entertainment chair, even managed to persuade the Chief of the Montauk
Indians to be our guest of honor. The 100th was even bigger, a multi
day event harking back to the heyday of the club in the 1800’s.
Who is the most famous person you’ve met at the club?
Probably Gov. Hugh Carey, although he was also a familiar figure since
he was a Park Slope neighbor. Over the years there have been many
well known people at the club.
Who is the most interesting person you’ve met at the club?
An incredible thing about the Montauk Club is that everyone is
interesting – just spend some time at the bar.
If you could change one thing about the club what would you change?
I would double the current membership.
If you could keep one thing exactly the same as it is now what would you keep?
The wonderful sense of community.
