Bilge Pump: February 2009
1. Commodore's Report
We’ve seen the worst that winter has to offer but now can see some early signs of spring. It won’t be long before we all can enjoy hanging around our boats without being pelted by rain, blown by wind or merely being cold all the time. Can you believe that Opening Day is only a few months away?
My job as Commodore is made infinitely easier by our club’s strong committee structure. It is somewhat overwhelming when I think about all that is accomplished by our Committee Chairman and the members that serve on those committees. As usual, I’d like to thank some of those who have been caring enough to work their tails off for the greater good of our club. First of all, Roger Courson and Kathy Fish have done a wonderful job on the 2009 Annual, with Roger selling the advertising and Kathy going page by page to update the information that changes from year to year. Roger also sells the advertising for The Bilge Pump and what is surprising is that he has been able to increase advertising revenues in these difficult economic times. Those revenues are significant to our budget and we appreciate all that Roger does for the club.
P/C Dick and Donna Graddon and Larry and Lynette Richards hosted the New Year’s Eve Celebration and if you weren’t able to attend, you really missed a great event. Even when the band played the last song at 1:00 AM, members and quests were still rockin’ out on the dance floor. The Graddons, who are veterans at chairing club events, helped the Richards, for which this was their first event. The four of you did a fantastic job.
Chairing the Sweetheart Dinner on February 6th are Brian and Carolyn Barton. This event has special meaning for Susie and me because it was the first event that we chaired. For $20 per person, you get a dinner catered by Willie with dancing to follow. Right after the Fleet Captain’s Mystery Cruise to the Winslow Outstation on Presidents’ Day weekend, some of the club’s wood boat owners are hosting a Friday Night Social on February 20th. We hope to see you at some of these events.
The following day, on Saturday, February 21st, the Membership Committee is hosting an Open House for Prospective Members, which is a follow-up to the recruiting efforts that will have taken place at the boat show. If you know of any fellow boaters who might be interested in joining QCYC, bring them down to the club that day. Chris Benson, our Membership Chairman, should be acknowledged for his diligent efforts in organizing the club’s presence at the Boat Show. Besides purchasing the display cabinet and arranging for the art work, he recruited members to fill all 55 slots needed to fully man the booth during the entire Boat Show run. Great job Chris!
Mark your calendars for March 7th, as this will be date for “Breakfast with the Bridge, Part II.” Starting at 9:30 AM, and lasting for an hour and a half, the Bridge will give an update and listen to members and spouses as they ask questions and express opinions about club affairs. This will be a casual, open forum meeting that is more conducive to exchanging ideas that aren’t easily expressed at the general meetings. This feedback loop helps the Bridge understand what our members are thinking. We’ll also be able to enjoy a complimentary breakfast catered by Willie. We hope you’ll plan to attend.
Hard as it is to believe, Opening Day is fast approaching and our Opening Day Chairman, Bob Stettner, is busy organizing the multi-day event. From start to finish, the event has over 100 volunteer positions to be filled and your help is needed. Please contact either Bob or me about helping.
Dale Roberts
Commodore
2. Vice Commodore's Report
Let’s hope the “Seattle Snow-Fest” is history. While the “Snow-Fest” was in town it made life on the docks interesting. Art Mauldin lost lots of sleep keeping his eye on one of the roofs on Dock 1 which showed some signs of distress due to the weight of the snow and the subsequent rain. As a precautionary measure, Art and I contacted each of the individuals concerned and gave them the option of moving to the “U” or the reciprocal dock. Fortunately, everything turned out fine and, if we don’t get any more heavy snow, the remaining suspect roofs will be replaced this summer and we won’t have this matter hanging over our heads in the future. The unseasonably cold weather, not to mention a few leaks, also necessitated turning off the fresh water on Dock 1. In places where the water had either leaked or burst from the pipes, ice formed, creating a slippery and hazardous situation. We are currently in the process of replacing the water line on Dock 1 in order to prevent this from happening in the future. The cold weather also caused the sump pump in Cummings Hall to break, creating quite a mess. Again, Art stepped forward to correct the problem and replaced the pump. So, the next time you see Art, give him a big “Thank You” – he deserves it.
The weather also created a delay in the start of the Waterfront Construction project on the pile caps. Waterfront’s schedule had to be pushed back so our project will be starting later than we anticipated. However, we still plan on completing the scheduled work for this year.
On January 10th we had a successful docks work party. Projects ranged from re-inspecting some of the pile caps to determine any damage done from the snow, to cleaning out unnecessary material behind Cummings Hall, to checking fire hoses and other miscellaneous repairs. Thanks to all of you who participated. In case you missed out on this work party, the Docks Committee is planning to have similar work parties once a month. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the Club and to work off some of those pounds gained over the holidays.
As you can see from the above, our docks require an enormous amount of on-going maintenance. Added to the “routine” things we have several major projects in the offing. For example, we have the Fire Code Compliance project which includes the fire vents, draft curtains and stand pipes. We have the docks electrical upgrade. We have environmental compliance issues. The Fire Code Compliance and the electrical project alone are huge undertakings costing many thousands of dollars. The amount of coordination required to complete these tasks requires an enormous commitment, not to mention a major responsibility. For many of the items, we don’t have much time to complete them before we face penalties from the Fire Department. In order to make the position of Docks Chair more manageable, I’ve worked with the Docks Committee to develop an organization chart and establish guidelines which outlines the tasks of each of the six major areas of responsibility. These have been shared with the Bridge and the Board of Trustees and supported by them. The organization chart and the guidelines are contained elsewhere in the Bilge Pump for you perusal. We now have a framework in which to attack the tasks at hand – that’s the easy part. What we need now is for people to step up and volunteer to take on one of Vice Chair or Sub-committee Chair positions. By breaking the tasks down into smaller components, we’ve made them more manageable. Please take a moment to review what each position entails and if you have an interest please let Art Mauldin or me know as soon as possible. We have a long, proud history of volunteerism at QCYC -- let’s keep our tradition alive!
House Chair Jim Damery has been busy keeping the House in excellent repair. We’ve installed commercial-grade freezers in the kitchen to replace the old, malfunctioning residential freezers. The old freezers would self-defrost, leading to loss of food and a general mess. Jim has also been researching replacement grills for the patio since our current ones are rusted out. Prior to Opening Day, the burgee on the outside of the building will be re-painted. Please thank Jimmy for all that he does for our Club.
Plans are also moving forward at the Outstation. The permits are, hopefully, in the final stages and we should have a new transverse dock and electrical upgrades by spring. The reason for the delay is that the city reversed itself and is now requiring a permit. In conjunction with the AAC, we are finalizing the lighting upgrades to the Clubhouse and P/C Dick Timmerman is busily constructing new bookshelves and cabinetry to improve the appearance and functionality of the interior to complement the fireplace and flat screen TV being contributed by the Tarettes.
In closing, I’d like to reiterate my request for volunteers for committee chairs during my Commodore year. As you’ve no doubt figured out by now, I need all the help I can get!
There are lots of opportunities (big and small) and they all contribute to make QCYC the special Club it is.
Fair Winds,
Ed Jennerich
Vice Commodore
3. Rear Commodore's Report
Christmas is over and the New Year has sprung. We had a fun Lighted Boat Parade with snow blowing and adult beverages for everyone, then our real snowstorm creating chaos in Seattle. Thanks to the dock crew for keeping an eye on everything, I checked our boat a couple of times and tried to get some snow off before the next round but it was coming down faster than I could get it off. I saw a few tops and biminis that needed to be cleared. The covered boat slip roofs held with some concern that with the snow on them and if it were to rain then we may have had a problem (make sure your insurance is up to date).
On Jan 10th Steve Weiss, John Strong and I helped Art and his dock crew do some cleanup behind Cummings Hall. There were many years’ accumulation of wood, steel, plastic and concrete of all types and we filled the big dumpster. There is more to be disposed of so if you have a favorite item stored behind any of the buildings you need to contact Art about it ASAP. The Boat Show will have passed by the time you get this, so if you have a prospective member it will be time to have them come to the open house (see Chris Benson’s article).
Grounds – February 7th 2009 (already) we have our next grounds cleanup from 9:00 to 12:00 am. Bring your rubber boots, pants, gloves, rain hat and weed bucket. Schedule April 25th for the next Pride of Queen City cleanup and planting, we have a great turnout for this and new plantings and spring weather make this a popular event. Linda Roehl will be looking for commitments (email her at lroehl58@hotmail.com) so she can divide up the work. Our club looks terrific after all this work and by then we’re just a week away from Opening Day.
Security – P/C Grimm has been our security chief this fall and has been working with Rod Hilden for a change of watch. This occurred when Rod received the keys to the keys on Friday Jan. 9th. Rod has lots of new ideas, so make sure and talk to him about any concerns.
Membership – We have openings for 25 new members and the boat show will done by now and we will have an open house on Feb 21 for prospective members. Remember there is the yearend raffle for $1,000.00 for those who bring in new members. Remember our Vice Commodore’s famous saying, “the number one reason people don’t join an organization is that they aren’t asked;” so ask the prospects to join. Our outstation at Ganges is still in negotiation, The average cost per night is pretty high (it would help if all the boats who stay there would sign in, more nights logged means less cost per night, making the cost more palatable) and we need to have Winslow, Deer Harbor and Ganges to attract new members, give current members places to go and meet prospective new members. We are a first class organization. Be proud to fly your burgee and have fun boating.
George Austin
Rear Commodore
Board Report
At the December Board meeting there were rules and policies assigned to review and clarify, as required. Specifically, these were QCYC’s e-mail Privacy Policy and late fee penalty. After receiving input to reflect the procedures that have been followed for the past few years from Kyle Bixby (QCYC Website Chairman) and Commodore Dale Roberts, the policy was updated and approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Board also approved a rule documenting the late fee of $50 that has been applied to moorage and the application of the late fee for locker rentals, dues and other expenses. It was also brought to the Board’s attention that the guidelines for posting delinquent accounts were not defined. Therefore, it has not been done consistently over the past few years. The Board of Trustees appreciates that times may be difficult with the current economy. Unfortunately, it is also true that the club has expenses that we have to meet. Our Treasurer, the Office and Board have spent countless hours monitoring and following up with members concerning their outstanding payments to the club. Therefore the Board of Trustees also approved reinstituting the practice of posting delinquent accounts, including names and amounts outside the office. This practice will begin with the January 1, 2009, billing on accounts that are 45 days or more past due. This could result in the first posting in the latter part of February. Your prompt payment is really appreciated. The specific details of the meeting minutes, policy and rule updates can be found on the Board Reports section of the website.
The Board has also been working with the Planning and Finance Committee to review the budget, primarily concentrating on capital improvement requirements over the next five years, together with a plan for funding these items.
I also want to acknowledge the ongoing work of Gary Stone and the entire 520 committee. They have been doing a great job and have spent countless hours working to keep the Board and Bridge informed, while looking out for the best interests of QCYC as a member of the community during the 520 project implementation.
Thank you,
Mark Weiss
Board Chairman
Breakfast With The Bridge Part II
When: 9:30 AM, Saturday March 7th
Where: Mainstation Clubhouse/3rd Deck
Cost: Complimentary "Touchdown" breakfast for those who attend the meeting.
Why: The Bridge will give an update on comments and ideas from BWTB Part 1. Members and spouses can ask questions and express opinions in a casual, open forum meeting while enjoying breakfast prepared by Willie.
Costal Explorer Class - March 26th
Another Coastal Explorer class will be held on Thursday, March 26th, on the upper deck of the Clubhouse at 6:00 PM. It will again be taught by Jeff Hummel and will include all the info on the new upgraded program, Coastal Explorer 2009. You can check it out yourself at http://www.coastalexplorer.net/.
Docks Committee Guidelines
- Docks Electrical;
- Docks Safety;
- Docks Maintenance;
- Fire Code Compliance;
- Docks Maintenance;
- Docks Fire Marshall;
- Environment Compliance
Approved 1/12/09
Docks Committee Report
We held a first of the year work party on January 10 with 11 persons attending. Our collective thanks have to go to: John Strong, Allan Bender, Steve Weiss, Ray Huggins, P/C Larrie Chmela, Gary Johnson, Jim McFadden, R/C George Austin, Commodore Roberts, Docks Chair Arthur Mauldin, and Vice Chair Dave Svendsen. That’s eleven Free Lunch Opportunists! Let’s eat up even more free lunches when Dave hosts the next work party on Saturday, February 14. A big thanks goes to Willie for taking such good care of us. Our work parties on the second Saturday of every month can begin with breakfast by Willie at 8:30 am when we’ll hold a small meeting to set the day’s goals. Work parties should end by about 3:00pm with a lunch break in the middle. The committee needs persons to head up the many tasks that can be done simultaneously, if there is a person who knows what needs doing for each task. Almost all of those tasks require several persons to perform them, so please don’t feel you are required to manage them.
The club used to benefit from a weekday component to the work party concept. With time, lets bring back the Tuesday morning docks work idea. Contact us if you are interested. The Vice Commodore has addressed a considerable amount of the committee’s business in this issue. We ask that you read it and ponder the possibilities. It’s these efforts that will keep your spending less than it otherwise might be. We own some very substantial holdings on prime property and it’s our main station docks that make our yacht club sustainable. They are our major holding, our appeal, and our future. They deserve nothing less than our greatest devotion and care, but we must also understand that they are very demanding and require a lot from us as they have now done so many years service. Times do change and with those changes, updates also come due.
The Docks Chairman and committee members would like to answer your further questions and share real understanding of where we go. Please do feel free with the questions and given time, we’ll participate more in the web site where more people can gain that understanding.
Arthur Mauldin
Docks Committee Chair
Fleet Captain's Weekend!
Friday Night Social: Woodies
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