Bilge Pump: September 2009

It is with delight and a slight feeling of ambivalence that I submit this last article as your Commodore. At times I found it difficult to write these articles. After three years and thirty-three of these, I will miss the monthly challenge and regret that I will no longer have the opportunity to communicate in this forum. I hope the information presented here has been helpful in staying current with the club activities and events. For me, the articles have been an opportunity to give thanks to those who have helped me during my Commodore tenure. This final communication will be no different.

First of all, I want to thank the members of Queen City Yacht Club for allowing me to serve as your leader this year. It’s been an honor to serve as your Commodore. The guiding principle that I’ve followed is to do what is paramount for the club, not merely for the near term, but to ensure the long term viability of our fine club. Knowing that not every member is going to agree on what has been accomplished, I’m hopeful that we can agree that through our collective efforts, the club is continuing to head in the right direction. One of the great aspects of leadership that rotates annually is that fresh ideas are continually brought forward; and with this is mind, I am excited that later this month, I’ll be relinquishing my post and turn the reins over to our ninety-fifth Commodore, Ed Jennerich.

There are so many people who helped with this collaborative effort and at the top of the list are my two Junior Officers, Ed Jennerich and George Austin. Credit must also be given to their dutiful wives, Elaine and Nancy. Much of the workload falls onto the shoulders of the Junior Officers, and I want to thank them for their extraordinary efforts. I think this year’s Bridge made a pretty good team. Next, I want to acknowledge our Treasurer, John Rogers and our Secretary, Eric Wood. Their diligent efforts in fulfilling their duties should never be underestimated. My commodore year was also set apart by a great Board of Trustees, led by its Chairman, Mark Weiss. I could not have asked for a better group than was assembled this past year. The same can be said for the Planning and Finance Committee, whose charter is to oversee our long range planning. Also, a superb effort was done this year by our Fleet Captain, Don Wilson and his wife Judy. They organized an incredible list of activities that seemed to please even the most diverse interests of our members. As you probably know, Don will be our Rear Commodore next year and I am certain he will be a fine addition to next year’s Bridge.

One of the more gratifying elements of being Commodore is to witness the astonishing work of our Committee system. These would include the Standing Committees, Special Committees, event Chair people and our Bar Committee. Without a doubt, our club couldn’t function the way it does without their extraordinary efforts. Three members in particular spend an inordinate amount of time on club affairs, and they are Art Mauldin, Jess Hill and Jim Damery. I will always be indebted to their service. Another resource I learned to depend on was our Past Commodores. When asked, they were always helpful with astute advice, or simply to provide a sympathetic ear.

My principal advisor and confidant during my commodore year was my wife and best friend, Susie. To me, it is painfully obvious that I could have not done this without her help. There we times that I felt frozen by tenuous situations, and she was my guiding light. One thing is certain: we had an absolutely delightful time representing Queen City at the Grand Fourteen events and we will never forget the good times we had!

It would be easy to go on forever about how wonderful the experience of being your Commodore has been, but I won’t. When I was approached about going through the chairs, I worried about how difficult the task would be. The uncertainty of such an undertaking was overwhelming. It reminds me of a strategy I employed this summer when Susie and I rode our bicycles cross-state from Redmond to Spokane to raise money for a charity (many of you donated in our behalf). When looking at the entire ride, it seemed nearly insurmountable. Yet, taken one crank at a time, then one mile at a time, then one day at a time, with perseverance and determination, the task was over in no time and we arrived at our destination. We had a wonderful time on that ride and I shall never forget it. I feel the same about the last three years. Yes, it was challenging; but I enjoyed being the ninety-forth Commodore of Queen City Yacht Club. Thank you for giving me the opportunity!

Please don’t forget to RSVP early to attend the Commodore’s Ball on Saturday October 3rd in honor of Ed and Elaine Jennerich. Dance to the music of the Craig Lawrence Band. Call the QCYC office to reserve your table. Finally, thank you to the chairs of this month’s activities; Labor Day Cruise, Gordon and Debbie Foote, Fishing Derby, P/C Lynn Montgomery and Entertainment Night, Mark and Lupe Weiss.

Dale Roberts
Commodore

As you read this issue of The Bilge Pump summer 2009 will be history. Elaine and I hope you had the opportunity to spend some time on the water enjoying our local waters, outstations, reciprocals, familiar cruising spots and perhaps a new anchorage or two. We certainly couldn’t have asked for a sunnier summer!

Nancy and I stepped off the boat yesterday (yes, it actually runs) from a successful (no boat units spent) trip to the San Juans, where we saw numerous club members enjoying our unique boating waters. We’re sorry we missed the Club Cruise but we missed them by a day at the start and never got in sync with the progress they were making. The log book at Deer Harbor is getting full and I hear that Ganges is getting well used also.

It’s hard to believe summer is almost gone - seems too short now that the 100 degree days have passed. The hot weather warmed Andrews Bay early this year and there were lots of Queen City boats anchored there all summer. Fourth of July found us at Winslow where Dave and Luanne Armstrong headed the weekend; thank you, we appreciate your effort.

This Bilge Pump has Commodore Dale’s last report, and Ed and I both would like to thank him for being easy to work with and having a smile even when there were tough tasks to be undertaken. Your new Commodore, Ed Jennerich, is a proven task master with a quick sense of humor but a clear vision of his expectations and his Vice Commodore year has been filled with accomplishments. I am moving into the busiest year of the bridge progression and will strive to keep projects moving and being involved with the member efforts. Let’s have a fun year.

Grounds – Linda Roehl will be stepping away from the Grounds Chairman role and we are looking for a volunteer, please contact any of the bridge members. Linda has spent many hours shopping for plants for events, organizing the Pride and Fall yard cleanups, the lawn mowing, trimming and just keeping our club looking sharp. Thank you for the effort.

The big holiday weekends create a parking problem for our club. I have been in contact with a towing company and the Bridge and Board will have discussions about implementation, get your input in early about this.

Security – The main clubhouse door has been having some problems and not always locking or opening - it can’t decide. Keep an eye out for opportunities while we get this fixed (or any other time also).

Membership – Chris Benson has some prospective members that will be coming to the club in September. Introduce yourself, and talk to them about what they would like to help out with. Lots of hands make light work, so get them involved early and often (if they volunteer for a function where they are servers at a meal, they meet 100 other members).

Welcome Aboard to all our new members. If I don’t remember your name (I usually remember faces pretty well) come and say hi and I will introduce you to whoever is around. Don’t forget the $1,000 raffle, paid out in October for those who sponsor a new member this year and remember our new Commodore’s (Ed Jennerich) famous saying, “The number one reason people don’t join an organization is that they aren’t asked,” so ask.

We are a first class organization. Our fellow Grand 14 clubs think we’re great, so be proud to fly your burgee and have fun cruising.

George Austin
Rear Commodore