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bone Lounge, which can be rented out for special occasions,
such as farewells, promotions or other private events.
CATERING
Otherwise, the Patriot Club is a catering-only facility. No
membership is required to utilize the club and its services,
which includes support for events held either on the installa-
tion or off-site in the surrounding Lawton, Okla., community,
which is about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
Among the variety of events hosted at the Historic Pa-
triot Club are weddings, retirements, farewells, balls, picnics,
birthday and Christmas parties, high school proms, and many
special-occasion-type events.
After the Jack Daniel’s Lounge, the club’s other
function rooms are: Artillery Room, Main Ball Room,
Sheridan Room, Quads and Dusters (formerly Fire-
side Room), Caisson Room, Backbone Lounge and
the offsite Polo Club.
“Based on the event type and style, these rooms are
available for the customer to choose, based on their
needs,” he said. “Anything from a large, formal event
to a small conference-style room.”
Adjacent to the club’s outdoor beer garden and pic-
nic areas is a large pool, which is operated through the
MWR Community Recreation Division.
UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS
The Historic Patriot Club fulfills Fort Sill MWR’s
investment strategy that promotes upgrades and improvements
that support increased business opportunities, while protecting
the rich history and integrity of the facilities.
“Our Historic Patriot Club was renovated in winter of 2016
to include new porcelain wood-plank tile, an enhanced buffet
room to include built-in counters, new lighting, ceiling fans
and a more functional full-service bar area,” he said.
Renovations this past year added a 7-foot-high wrought-
iron fence to the outside amphitheater and gates around the
main perimeter to match the existing beer garden fence.
“The old, concrete surface was redone with a stamped
and colored, reinforced-concrete pad,” Borden said. “This
will allow the club to cater and host outdoor events, such as
concerts and weddings.”
FEBRUARY 2017 | MILITARY CLUB & HOSPITALITY
An extensive renovation of the Patriot Club’s kitchen not
only increased functionality, but improved its appearance and
overall flow and efficiency. “The project included work in the
main cook and prep area, tile walls, new fire-rated ceiling tile,
and the floors were finished with modern, easy-to-maintain
materials,” Borden said. “As well, electrical and plumbing to
the kitchen required upgrades.”
A lighting upgrade to the main floor installed new LED light
fixtures to replace a chandelier and sconces. A new chandelier
also installed in the upgrade can be raised and lowered via a
keyed wall switch for maintenance and cleaning.
In the Artillery Room Buffet area, electrical renovations
and installation of a three-compartment sink allowed setup
to move into a side room while increasing available
floor space in the main room. The result is more user
friendly, helping staff to better meet customer needs.
Both of Patriot Club’s main bathrooms were com-
pletely updated. New partitions, lighting and porcelain
tile were installed throughout both bathrooms, along
with Corian counter tops and Americans with Disabili-
ties Act (ADA)-compliant bathroom stalls and ADA
automatic-entry doors. New plumbing, toilets, sinks/
fixtures and wall urinals were included in the renovation.
RECOGNITION
In competition with other club facilities for the Army’s
Best Catered Event, Patriot Club is a two-time winner
— in 2008 and 2010. All Army installations send in
their best catered event for the year with scoring based on
a detailed description, clear objectives of the event and if
they were met, and if it was unique, trendy, innovative and
distinctive. All financials for the event are provided for the
cost of goods, labor and net revenue, along with photos and
two testimonials.
In 2008, the judging panel for the award reviewed 46 Best
Catered Event/Best Special Event packages and selected Fort
Sill’s International Artillery Symposium event as the winner.
“The judges were extremely impressed by complexity and
challenges it required to host the Middle Eastern dignitaries
over four days,” Borden said.
It won again in 2010 for catering a week of events for the
FIRES Conference. —MCH
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