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October 2008 COMMODORE'S REPORT Greetings from the Commodore! The weather is changing and the fall winds have started to blow. It seems like yesterday we launched our boats. It was an enjoyable boating season, and Lady Jan and I had a great time meeting a lot of great people! It’s going to be tough to put the Second Love into the barn. But looking on the bright side, there are plenty of activities at MBC, like football and NASCAR on the big screen in the bar! There will be big goings-on around the grounds and docks. With the dock dredging and seawall replacement, the place will be jumping. Just bear with us, the yard and parking lot will be a mess for a while. These projects will begin late fall or early winter. Members and dock holders will be asked to remove for safekeeping, any items from the ground and/or old wall that should be saved and/or re-installed. The seawall steel is in the parking lot, paid for, and ready for installation. Please be careful around the barricaded area! For updates and further information about these and other projects, attend the monthly meetings, especially the Annual Meeting this month! Also be sure to vote for the candidate of your choice. It’s your club! The Annual Members Meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 24th at 7pm. Voting will be held prior to the meeting as per the bylaws. Some good news from Washington; the President signed the Clean Boating Act of 2008...it seems our letters and emails may have helped this cause. Thank you to everyone that wrote our Senators and Representatives! On a sad note, I must inform you of the passing of another member. On Sept. 9, Dave Stemen passed unexpectedly. Dave lived his life to the max, and his infectious smile and HOT boat will be missed. He and others who have gone on before us will always be in our prayers. See you around the club! Commodore --------------------------------------------------- VICE COMMODORE'S REPORT
Wow, one year already! It's hard to believe my term as your Vice Commodore is up. It has been, without a doubt, truly interesting. As you all know, one person a Board does not make, but I hope that everyone is satisfied with the results of this Board and our Commodore. I believe that much has been accomplished! Although all my objectives were not entirely met, the one that was is the seawall repair is now definitely taking shape as the steel has been delivered. We are also in the process of pricing out a replacement front door to the club as well as two new rear doors to the bar and back bar that are in need of replacement, too. I would like to take this time to thank the Board, the House and Finance Committees, and all of you that have helped in pushing Monroe Boat Club forward. I would also like to thank my wife Trish for all her support and understanding with the challenges that were set forth for me in my term. As a team, much can be accomplished. As the saying goes, “united we stand; divided we fall!” By this time, the nominations for officers will have been posted. I wish the best to all that are running for office. If there was one change that I could make, that would be to allow the officers responsible for the articles in the Harbor Light the additional time to report more accurately the events of the month. Like maybe after the general meetings as it seems like these reports get turned around in rather quick fashion. In closing, thank you once again for allowing me the opportunity to serve you the membership. I hope that it may continue for at least one more year. Some important dates for your calendars are as follows: · Auxiliary Dinner - Friday, October 17th · Sail Fleet Awards - Saturday, Oct. 18th · Annual Membership Meeting - Friday, October 24th Change of Watch - Sunday, Nov. 2nd C-U-at the club! --------------------------------------------------- REAR COMMODORE'S REPORT
As Summer ends and Fall rolls upon us, the boats will soon be leaving the docks for winter storage. Our Club is open year ‘round so don't let the blues get you down. There are always activities going on around the Club with lots of wonderful people to visit with. Recently the wooden stools that were at the side bar area have been replaced with heavy duty cushioned stools. Members that have used these stools are happy with them, unlike the old wooden stools that were uncomfortable and falling apart. A joint effort between the Pool League and the Bar has made it possible for our pool table to be recovered. Our pool table is the property of MBC; it is not a rented table like is used in many establishments. No one less than14 years old is permitted to play pool unless they are supervised by their sponsor who is responsible for any damage that may occur. House Rule #3 “Members are liable for damage to club property caused by their negligent acts or the negligent acts of their guest.” The Tuesday night Pool League season has started for the year. I would like to encourage our members to come out and watch our team shoot. Our team did very well last year and is looking forward to shooting on our table with the new cover, which will make it faster. Members of the MBC Pool League include Captain Kevin Angove, Fritz Peterson, Dave Amer, Russ Kenyon, Ed Frantzen, Gary Kranz, John Peterson, and Clyde Morgan. Good Luck for a wonderful season. I would like to remind everyone that this is a family club and a place for our members and guest to enjoy. House Rule #2 Children (under the age of 21 years) in the company of members shall not be permitted in the bar area after 9:00 pm unless seated and supervised. No person under the age of 21 years shall be permitted to sit at the bar. House Rule #11 There shall be no persistent use of profanity, acts of vulgarity, conduct, or excessive noise which results in disturbing the peaceful use of the clubhouse facility by others. Reminder: The Blue Coupon Book that each member purchased in their dues structure expires October31st. These coupons can be exchanged for any saleable merchandise the club offers. Cherish Live Dream Yesterday Today Tomorrow
See Ya at the Club! --------------------------------------------------------------- POWER FLEET CAPTAIN’S REPORT
See you at the club! --------------------------------------------------------------- SAIL FLEET CAPTAIN'S REPORT Captains Commendation: Chase boat skippers Dave Grassley and Casey Fillion, with their crews Sue Grassley, Jackie Heil, Diane Heil, Don Fillion and Penny Naber for saving the life of a competitor in the Solo Challenge. The 3rd Annual MBC Solo Challenge was finally held under sunny skies this year. Our solo race began at the same time as the Buffalo single-handed race, and about 3 miles offshore the two fleets intersected giving the competitors from each event a chance to acknowledge each other. Good sailing breezes began to taper off with the rising temperatures, and the racers needed all their skills to work their boats downwind from the Toledo Harbor Light to the finish line. During the first leg of the race, sailor Keith Sims of NCYC suffered a heart attack onboard his solo yacht. In addition to the typical Race Committee Boat, the race organizes two ‘chase’ boats for safety purposes, and Dave Grassley’s Little Lightning and Casey Fillion’s Hellz Yes were quick to arrive alongside, remove the victim and transport him at great speed to shore to be treated by professional medical teams. After bringing him to shore, both skippers returned to the lake to watch over the remaining racers. A letter from Mr. Sims is included in this newsletter. Excellent photos of the event can be seen at www.floralcityimages.com. Click on the ‘Solo’ link at the bottom of the front page. 2008 Solo Challenge JAM-A: 1-Tim Branson, Jagen JAM-B: 1-Jim Jacobs, Zena The 2008 Tuesday Night Series is now in the history books, with the racing fleet completing 3 series of 5 races each. Good Autumn weather this year allowed for a bonus 3-race series following the formal event, with 10 boats racing for a coveted bottle of rum to share with their crew and competitors. Tuesday Night Fall Series PHRF-B: 1-Rodger Dutton, White Star PHRF-C 1-Matt Notario, Red Pearl JAM 1-Mel & Ann Russel, Melan All MBC racing and cruising sailors, crews, families and Jr. Scholarship winners are hereby invited to the Sailors Annual Dinner on Saturday October 18. This is a special night to recognize activities, accomplishments and contributions throughout the year, renew friendships and make new ones. A fantastic dinner and entertainment will be provided; please RSVP by Oct 10 to Martie Reed, 419-537-8802 or martiereed@hotmail.com Upcoming Events: Sail Fleet Captain --------------------------------------------------------------- DOCK MASTER'S REPORT The dredging permit is finally approved by the DEQ and the plan is to dredge in late fall. The dredging will take about 2 weeks to complete, and coincide with the seawall repair. The dredging will be for the common areas of our harbor. If you as a dock holder would like your dock dredged please contact me. The dock holder will be responsible for this cost. A new proposal for dock billing has been approved by the board for the 2009 season. It greatly reduces the work and cost in the billing process, eliminates the need and cost for electric meters and eliminates tracking and paying for electricity in the previous year. The new process will institute a flat fee per dock for the upcoming season, which will include the water and electrical usage in the fee. This will allow the overall revenue generated from the docks to remain basically the same while still keeping your dock fees well below commercial rates and lower then most if not all clubs in the area. I will post further info on the dock bulletin board. Feel free to contact a member of the dock committee or myself if you have any questions. The 2009 dock bill you receive in January will include the changes. All other aspects of the dock rules remain the same. Note the water will be shut off Oct 25th and you have until Nov 14th this year to remove your dock posts. It has been a great year for me serving as your dock master. I again thank my Dock Committee for all the help throughout the year. I also want to thank the members that helped at my work parties through the spring and summer, and Regatta weekend. We successfully docked 130 boats over the Regatta weekend. We were a busy crew, fitting and accommodating all in our harbor. It is somewhat like a giant jigsaw puzzle to sort out. I received many thanks from our weekend visitors from all over western Lake Erie for the help and accommodations they received while at MBC and pass that along to those that helped. Next work party will be Nov 15th to prep the docks for winter. Come on out, contribute and enjoy the many events on the calendar this fall. See you at YOUR Club!
--------------------------------------------------------------- From The Auxiliary
Enjoy your summer!! Auxiliary President ----------------------------------------------------------------- Education Committee Report
Great Events Coming October and November · October 11…3-5 pm, Boat/Environmental/Craft Flea Market, MBC banquet room · October 26…4-5 pm, Q&A boating forum with Carl Swanson and panel · November 16…4-5 pm, Financial Planning Seminar · Coming 2009: Computer Literacy classes, Travelogues, and Friday Family Movie Nights Boat/Environmental Flea Market, October 11, 3-5 pm, Banquet Room Clean out your boat, your garage, and your house. Do you have “stuff” you haven’t used and someone else might find useful? Are you are willing to donate it to the Education Committee for sale? Bring it to the club on October 11 between noon and 2:00pm. Put a price on it or let us price it. The Education Committee will try to sell it, with proceeds going towards a projector screen or white board. OR… You may have some items you would like to sell yourself. Or you may have a craft that you would like to exhibit or sell…Rent a table for $15 by either sending an e-mail to cneuhauser@mbcboard.com or calling Charlotte at 248.615.4575 or 248.982.8199 by October 10. Bring a check with you for $15, made out to Monroe Boat Club, on October 11. There will be a table for you; arrange it anyway you wish. Sell or exhibit your items and clean up your table at 5:00. OR… Bring one of your favorite desserts for the Bake Sale. All proceeds will go towards the events to be offered by the Education Committee this year. AND… There will be ongoing demonstrations of the AED and CPR. Be prepared for an emergency! What do we do with the funds we raise? The Education Committee is purchasing equipment that may be used by all groups and individuals in the club, but are not the focus of other MBC groups. In the last two years, we have purchased the AED (defibrillator) and the media projector. We also use the funds to help defray costs for the Kids Fishing Derby and the Regatta Kids Korner. Funds have been used to purchase reference books for the Commodores’ Library. This year our plans include additional workshops and seminars, computer classes, travelogues, and Friday night family movie nights. We currently use a sheet for projecting travelogues, thus we could use a good mounted projector screen for the banquet room. If any of you have tried to use the green board recently, you know it is in terrible shape. A good white board is on our list. We’re trying to find different ways to raise funds this year. Steak roasts are great, but those are covered quite well by other groups. If you have ideas on how we can raise funds, please let us know. Great Workshops Coming Up! October 26, 4-5 pm, Boating Problem Q&A Forum…We have an excellent team of experts, led by Carl Swanson, ready to answer any question that you may have on boats (wood, sail, power, etc.). One forum was held in July, and great information on heads and electrical parts was shared. There are no dumb questions…if you have a question about your boat, you can bet someone else has the same question. Join us for an informal session in the Commodores’ Room. We appreciate the time these people are willing to give to share their knowledge and experiences. Please take advantage of this opportunity! November 16, 4-5 pm, Financial Planning…Vera Johnson, a certified financial planner, will hold a seminar on how to make your money work for you and your survivors. She will continue the discussion begun by Art Butler on September 28, on Wills, Trusts, and Probate, but she will focus entirely on the financial perspective. Come, bring your questions! Don’t forget! MBC’s 63rd birthday is November 8. If we count from our initial beginnings as Monroe Yacht Club in 1868, MBC is 140 years old. This is a time when we not only celebrate Monroe Boat Club, but recognize those members who have been a part of MBC for 30 years or more. Those of you who fit that category, watch for a letter from us.
Education Committee, ---------------------------------------------------------------- TO: MONROE BOAT CLUB OFFICERS and MEMBERS Saturday, August 23rd, started out like any other “race day.” I was looking forward to Monroe Boat Club’s single-handed race known as the “Solo Challenge.” However, shortly after the start, I realized something was terribly wrong and that I was having a heart attack. Things rapidly began to fade and I was only able to muster the strength to do two things; first, I furled the head sail (thank God for “roller furling”) and the second thing I did was call for help on channel 71 to the Race Committee. I have thanked God more than once for the action that followed beginning with the Committee Boat receiving my call; the chase boat getting to me so quickly without hesitation, and taking me to the parking area where I was quickly transported to the Monroe Hospital. Later I was “life-flighted” to Toledo Hospital. Without those actions I was assured, I wouldn’t be writing this letter. I consider these actions to be “life saving,” and for this I am deeply grateful to Dave & Sue Grassley, Jackie & Diane Heil, and Casey Fillion, Don Fillion, and Penny Dorcey-Naber on the chase boats. Thank you also to Michelle & John Glanville and Rick Campbell who were on the Race Committee and made the safety provisions to “expect the unexpected.” Thank you Monroe Boat Club members who brought my boat, “Top Cat” back to safe harbor, securing it at the MBC docks, and to Roger Dutton for moving the boat to my dock at McGowan’s. It is my understanding these people covered the mainsail, and buttoned the boat up. This took time and “care” and for this I thank you.
Keith Sims, Skipper Catalina 30 “Top Cat” Member NCYC
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