members a special assessment fee drew fire from an outraged visitor yesterday.

St. George's Club timeshare owner Brackett Clark blasted the decision -- announced on Monday by Tourism Minister David Dodwell -- as "a terrible slap in the face for members of the club who have been so supportive of Bermuda, St. George's and the St. George's Club for a number of years''.

And Mr. Clark said the Island might see timeshare owners at the East End club pulling out and never returning to Bermuda.

He also warned that he would be writing to several major newspapers across the US about the overall scenario involving the club and the Island.

"I love Bermuda, the Island, the culture, but this is too much.'' Mr. Dodwell revealed on Monday that he had seen a financial report of Real Estate Development Co. -- which owns the St. George's Club -- and had approved the special assessment fee.

The audit was called for when timeshare owners objected to the fee proposed by the club's developing owner Alistair Woolf to help him meet mounting losses.

Mr. Clark said: "I think this is abominable. I think it is a real travesty of justice and I think you will see the economy suffer a real blow. I think you will see a lot of members give up their units.'' The money Mr. Woolf had invested in the club and the Island was "minuscule'' compared to the amount the members had put in, he added.

"I don't think Government thought real hard about what the fall out from this decision was going to be.'' He revealed that he had been a member of the club for 11 years and felt that Government had never supported the club members during this time.

Other members felt the same way, he claimed.

"I have spoken to quite a few members while all this has been going on and they feel disheartened and upset. Many of them have said, `That's it for Bermuda'.'' Mr. Clark said he owned six weeks worth of timeshare at the club and vowed to sell the units for a dollar apiece if necessary to prevent Mr. Woolf from claiming them.

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