Although the Horizons Club at Robins Air Force Base is no longer offering daily lunch and dinner service and is essentially closed, base officials say members will continue to be billed monthly dues unless they cancel their membership.

The historic base institution, formerly known as the officers club, was closed several weeks ago and was recently reopened for meetings only. Base officials said in an Aug. 3 press release that the facility – now being called the Horizons Event Center – will gradually expand to supporting conferences and events catered by on-base sources and eventually off-base vendors.

Col. Roger Johnson, 78th Mission Support Group commander at Robins, said club membership – and the $18 monthly fee – will continue providing patrons access to significant on-base benefits including up to two percent discounts when using Force Support Squadron facilities, a ten percent reduction when making morale, welfare and recreation purchases and complimentary hors d’oeuvres at “First Friday” and “Boss & Buddy” events.

“It is also important to remember that every time you use your membership benefits, you are supporting all morale, welfare and recreation programs at Robins that enrich the lives of our military personnel and their families,” Johnson pointed out in a written response to questions from The Patriot.

“While the overall function of Horizons has changed and lunch and dinner will no longer be served daily, we will be expanding the catering capabilities at the Horizons Event Center until we reach the capability of serving hot, plated meals during events,” Johnson added. “We ask for patience as we transition the facility into a sustainable asset that will ultimately benefit all members of Team Robins.”

In the August press release, base officials said that an assessment of the club confirmed that full restoration of the kitchen would be too costly and impractical.

“Doing so would result in an unfavorable return on investment as well as an unnecessary risk to the installation’s overall morale, welfare and recreation fund,” Col. Mitchel Butikofer, the installation commander, was quoted.

“While a difficult decision,” Butikofer continued, “I believe it to be the best one for our airmen and their families.”

The club currently has two types of cards – a MasterCard and a Proprietary Card. Johnson said MasterCard holders can call the 1-800 number on the back of the card to cancel their club membership.

For Proprietary Card members, cancellation can be accomplished at the Heritage Club’s cashier’s cage Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Heritage Club was formerly known as the non-commissioned officers club on base.