The way we do refreshments ar my local club is each month we have 2 people signed up to bring whatever they want. Some bring just cookies and doughnuts while others will bring finger sandwiches, taco dip and chips, homemade cakes, etc. They also bring the drinks, cup, ice, plates, etc.
At the Mobile club everyone brings a snack each month. Depending on what time your meeting will be, some clubs have actual food since it's during lunch or dinner.
We also do a Christmas dinner/meeting. The past 2 years we voted on a restaurant to go to, but I think this year we are going to have it at a club members home and do a potluck. The Mobile club does a picnic in June/July which is potluck. The club buys the main meat (chicken) and everyone else brings sides/desserts.
Not all clubs meet year round. The Pensacola club meets Sept-June. The Mobile club is Jan-June (maybe July with the picnic).
We do have an in club auction for our members. We have a club awards program and members earn club dollars by participating in certain things like the daylily show, plant sales, being an AHS member and so on. It accumulates from Sept - June and then the following Sept we tally it all up adn have the auction in Oct. since we can still plant in Oct. We buy a new collection each year and a member grows them and then they get divided before the auction. Usually most hybridizers will double the amount you spend with them when paid with a club check, others not so much. This may not work in colder climates if you don't get good increase in a season. You want enough plants for club members to use their club dollars on and then hopefully spend some of their own money as well to recoup some of the cost the club spent.
Of course with the club being new it would be a bit before you had enough money to do so.
