On behalf of the Branches Club member-families: Welcome to The Branches Club<\/strong>!\u00a0 <\/p>\n As you learn your way around the Club, we offer this unofficial guide to help you navigate the Club and our amenities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Please note that this document does NOT cover official rules of the Club. For the official by-laws please visit www.thebranches.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n We hope you find it helpful & welcome to The Branches Club<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Website<\/strong> (www.thebranches.org<\/a>):\u00a0 Our website contains information, including contact info for all Branches Club members, a posting board for open-forum among members and a schedule of Club activities \u2013 from parties to swim meets to team tennis matches.<\/p>\n Facebook:<\/strong> Be sure to like The Branches Club on Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have any questions, please contact social@thebranches.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Club Mascot:<\/strong> Gators<\/p>\n Entrance and Parking: <\/strong>\u00a0The Branches Club entrance is located at 1318 Winding Branch Circle.\u00a0 On most days, there is ample parking, but on certain occasions (swim meets, Club parties), parking can be a challenge.\u00a0 Best advice is to go with the flow, and park where others park (unless they are doing something overtly illegal or un-neighborly).\u00a0 Please note that during swim meets, we try to allow guest teams to park in the lot while we fend for ourselves along Winding Branch Circle.\u00a0 One more note about the parking lot \u2013 please observe the no-parking zone in front of the dumpster<\/em>.\u00a0 If the garbage men come and can\u2019t get to the dumpster, they leave it until the next week (or longer).<\/p>\n Gate and Driveway to the Clubhouse: <\/strong>\u00a0Normally the gate between the parking area and the drive to the clubhouse is (or should be) closed.\u00a0 The drive and the circle area are meant primarily for loading and unloading at the clubhouse (or in some cases the pool, playground or tennis courts), or for anyone with official business at the club (e.g., board meetings or repairs at the club).\u00a0<\/p>\n Tennis Court Parking: <\/strong>On the opposite side of the Club grounds (halfway around Winding Branch Circle), there are a handful of legal parking areas where one can park along the street for Club activities.\u00a0 It\u2019s best to use the Parking Lot when at all possible, but let\u2019s face it \u2013 these parking areas are here, and people use them.\u00a0 Just make sure you follow the street signs and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/em><\/p>\n Clubhouse:<\/strong>\u00a0 Our clubhouse is brand new and beautiful! It is available to reserve (for a set usage fee) for private events, parties and meetings.\u00a0 Please visit The Branches website under the Social tab for information on booking. The clubhouse also is the site for most of the Branches Club\u2019s official social events (typically a spring party, two-three summer parties and a fall party), as well as the official business of the club (e.g., Board meetings, membership meetings, etc.).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Playground:<\/strong> The playground \u2013 consisting of relatively new play structures and relatively old swings \u2013 is available for the enjoyment of our members and their families.\u00a0 We ask that you use your best judgment regarding the supervision of your children in this area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pool:<\/strong> Along with the tennis courts, the pool is the centerpiece of the Club Grounds, and in the summer it is the Club\u2019s social center.\u00a0 The pool officially opens in Mid-May and stays open through Labor Day Weekend.\u00a0 Hours change almost daily (depending on swim team, school schedules, etc.), so it\u2019s best to check the Branches Club website for web postings.\u00a0 The pool closes in the early afternoon for swim and dive meets during the month of June.\u00a0 Guest fees (for non-Branches-resident guests) are $1 per guest, payable to the head lifeguard on duty.\u00a0 If the member sign-in sheet is out at the table by the entrance, please sign in, as it helps us keep track of numbers of pool visitors each day.<\/p>\n Branches Wildlife:<\/strong>\u00a0 Situated as it is in a wooded area between two creeks, the Branches gets its fair share of wildlife. We are able to coexist peacefully with most of these creatures, with a few exceptions of note:<\/p>\n The Creek:<\/strong> The creek is a popular area with the kids, but a potentially dangerous area for the reasons mentioned above.\u00a0 In addition, the creek bed surrounding the Branches Club grounds is also subject to erosion issues brought on by long-term stress created from torrents of water running through them during and after large storms.\u00a0 Please inform your kids not to disturb these stones<\/em><\/span>, as they perform a much-needed service by keeping our banks relatively intact. \u00a0<\/p>\n General Upkeep of the Grounds<\/strong>:\u00a0 General upkeep of the grounds is managed by the Grounds Committee but the responsibility for keeping the Branches Club looking its best falls on ALL of the members.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trash Pick-up: \u00a0<\/strong>The Branches Club has weekly dumpster pick-up service, as well as weekly service to take the rolling trashcans to the curb for pick-up.\u00a0 Please remember to pick up and dispose of your trash when you are at the club.\u00a0The dumpster is for clubhouse use only, please do not dump your unwanted items in the dumpster.<\/p>\n Swim & Dive Team: <\/strong>\u00a0If you have kids between the ages of 5 and 18 who have an interest in swimming or diving, come join the Gators!\u00a0 The Branches Club Gators swim\/dive team has practices start in mid-May (morning and afternoon options to accommodate all school schedules).\u00a0 We have 5 meets in June (with 2-3 home meets each season) and an optional all-city meet at Georgia Tech in early July. For more information, visit the website and\/or contact\u00a0Virginia Lane – valane@bellsouth.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pool Parties<\/strong>: If you have a larger organized party (10 or more) \u2013 particularly if you have several non-members or if you want to reserve the clubhouse, pool and\/or pavilion (please note that the picnic tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis and we cannot reserve them)\u00a0\u2013 coordinate with our party scheduler to work out usage fees (for the clubhouse\/pavilion, as well as for your guest fees). Please visit The Branches website under the Social tab for information on booking.<\/p>\n As mentioned above, the Club typically sponsors a few parties each summer. If these parties require an additional cover charge (to cover food\/beverage and entertainment), the Membership will be alerted well in advance via web postings.<\/p>\n Tennis Courts:<\/strong> The tennis courts are open year-round (weather permitting) and are solely for the recreation of (and organized competition among) the members.\u00a0 Courts must be reserved using the online reservation system located on the website.\u00a0 Note the lights on the courts are on Monday-Saturday until 9pm during the \u201coff season\u201d (Sept-May) and until 10pm during the summer (Memorial Day Weekend-Labor Day Weekend).\u00a0 Lights are available on Sundays until 8pm year-round.\u00a0 <\/em>If you have problems reserving a court online, or if you have questions related to scheduled events, please contact tennis@thebranches.org<\/a> for help.<\/p>\n Tennis Teams<\/strong>:\u00a0 The Branches Club fields men\u2019s, women\u2019s, mixed-doubles and (occasionally) junior tennis teams year-round and at various levels of play (from serious to social players).\u00a0 We have ALTA, K-Swiss and USTA teams, among others.\u00a0 If you are interested in joining a team, contact tennis@thebranches.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tennis Lessons<\/strong>:\u00a0 If you see someone with a large bucket of balls feeding them to another player, they are likely a teacher (or a parent).\u00a0 If they look like they know what they\u2019re doing, don\u2019t be afraid to ask them about lessons!\u00a0 Or contact tennis@thebranches.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tennis Pavilions:<\/strong> \u2013 Flanking the tennis courts are two pavilions: aptly named \u201cLittle Pavilion\u201d and \u201cBig Pavilion.\u201d\u00a0 These structures provide shade and seating during team matches, organized lessons, or simply to watch tennis being played.\u00a0 The Big Pavilion can be reserved (for a set usage fee) for events and organized activities. Please visit The Branches website under the Social tab for information on booking. The Pavilion bathrooms can be accessed during daylight hours (before 9) by using the key code (Key Code:\u00a01-5-7).<\/p>\n Club Events\/Parties\/Social Events:\u00a0<\/strong> Periodically throughout the year we have social events for The Branches adult members (spring, summer, fall, & holiday).\u00a0 There are also family movie nights, egg hunts & fall festivals for the whole family.\u00a0 As a new member you\u2019re email will be added to the Evite contact list so watch your inbox for the next party invitation! Please contact social@thebranches.org<\/a> with any questions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your Initiation is Complete!<\/strong><\/p>\n Sorry, no secret knocks or handshakes here!\u00a0 We hope this document has provided you with some valuable tips and pointers to help you get acclimated to the Branches Club.\u00a0 If you have further questions, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact our president (president@thebranches.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to the Neighborhood! On behalf of the Branches Club member-families: Welcome to The Branches Club!\u00a0 As you learn your way around the Club, we offer this unofficial guide to help you navigate the Club and our amenities.\u00a0 Please note that this document does NOT cover official rules of the Club. For the official by-laws<\/p>\nCommunication & Information<\/h3>\n
The Clubhouse, Pool, Tennis Courts & Grounds<\/h3>\n
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Activities<\/h3>\n