Commodore's Report
Rodger Dutton  

I hope all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The club is off to a great start as we bring in the New Year. There are many activities already planned and being planned for our membership to enjoy the winter months at the club. I am sure you will find many that interest you.

Thank you members for completing the survey that was sent to obtain feedback on our club and all that it provides. Your feedback is important to help guide the club for future improvements, activities and needs. This is YOUR club to participate in and enjoy as many of you do. With the broader range of activi-ties being planned in addition to the annual events, we hope many more will be out to enjoy this winter.

One issue we can all work on is filling our mem-bership and get back to the days of a waiting list. Please act as MBC ambassadors to spread the word of all the great activities our club offers and what a great value it is. I ask you to sponsor just one mem-ber. In addition to your efforts, the Membership Com-mittee will be promoting the club to the public by hosting an Open House on March 10th.

We did have three new members join us at the December Membership Meeting which was fantastic! Extend a welcome and some hospitality if you see new faces around the club. I hope to see more new members for induction and more current members at our January membership meeting.

I want to thank the Ball Committee for all their work to deliver a first class Commodore's Ball. Lady Carolyn and I had such a wonderful time along with all those in attendance. It was truly a night that will be remembered.
The club is what we make of it and currently a fantastic place to be. Don't miss out. Get involved if you are not, and enjoy all the club has to offer. Con-tact an officer, check the calendar, Facebook, or the club bulletin boards for the upcoming events. There are many activities for all interests – spread the word.

See you at your Club!

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Vice Commodore's Report
Brian Moyer

G reetings from Your Vice Commodore, and Happy New Year 2012! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. First, I would like to mention what a wonderful Commodore’s Ball on Dec 10; the Ball Committee and all the folks involved in this project truly outdid themselves. Congratulations to Commodore Dutton for a great evening!

Some reminders: Together with R/C Mike Pow-ers, I‟m hosting the New Year’s Eve Party in the Lounge, featuring the musical group Hippie Chick. This is always a great time and there is a rumor R/C Mike may supply a bit of bubbly for the toast. Dinner will be pot luck, except the main & side dish of ham and au gratin potatoes. To help us plan, please post your dish on the signup sheet ASAP. For those who prefer not to bring a dish, we welcome a cash dona-tion toward dinner (and pizza after midnight).

January 9th marks our annual Muskrat Dinner. I can‟t thank P/C Wendy Campbell and member Dave Rafko enough for their help on this event that brings together so many members, all dedicated to making it the best ever. Tickets are on sale behind the bar at $15/each, and is always a sell-out, so I encourage you to buy yours right away.

The deadline for winter storage bills looms near. They be mailed on or before January 10. Remember your trailer/cradle/etc. must be identified so we can bill you. Without this, we must take several extra steps which incurs extra charges to you. If there are questions, please refer to the Dock Rules (in the roster) under “Winter/Summer Storage and Parking Lot Fees.”

As we prepare for the AYC Hospitality Room in February, please consider helping with planning and/or operation of our room. This is a great event and the best deal around for a winter weekend.

For January, I‟ll be chairing Burger Nights. If you are able, I need lots of help and of course it‟s a great way to have fun with your fellow members while earning work hours. The sign up sheet is posted on the kitchen door (as usual).

Looking ahead to our Regatta (July 27-29), please consider stepping up to help make this our best ever. Our success is largely determined by the level of support within our club. It will be actively advertised to the public, so please mentioning this to friends and co-workers. This is MBC‟s major fund-raiser and we need to make it the best that we can! The next newsletter will contain Regatta meeting dates. Again, please try to attend and help us make this our best. Thank you for your help and support.

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Rear Commodore's Report
Mike Powers

G reetings! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! As you‟re enjoying the holiday season, please keep safety in mind.
Billy Amatucci wrapped up serving his famous Coney Dogs on Mondays and added Corned Beef and Cabbage on the 21st. He was ably assisted by John Peterson. Billy tells me he‟ll return in March, weather permitting, so keep watch for announce-ments in the bar and future „Harbor Lights!‟ My sin-
cere thanks to Billy and John for outstanding lunches during November and December!

The V/C is hosting a New Year’s Eve Party Dec 31st. The club will provide the main course and members are asked to bring a dish – please sign-up at the club so we can coordinate! Hippie Chick will provide musical entertainment, and there will be champagne to ring in the New Year! The Bar will reopen as usual on January 1st, but we‟ll plan to close early (8 pm) that evening. Normal hours re-sume on Monday, January 2nd.

Sunday Euchre games resume on January 8th and run through March, beginning at 1pm.

The Education Committee is hosting their first Fun Night of the year on Friday, January 13th. Amongst the fun activities will be a Chili Cook-off.

A visiting bus from MRYC arrives on Saturday, January 14th, about 2 pm for an hour or so. We will soon be soliciting members for appetizers, so please come out to greet our fellow boaters!

On the 28th, Dan Brieding & crew will once again host their Fabulous Fish Fry on January 28th. Later that evening, Soul Kitchen entertains with their unique blend of blues and rock.

Please mark Sunday, Feb.5th on your calendars for a Super Bowl Party! Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm and we ask members to bring in a dish to share. The sign-up list will be posted this month. Come to cheer for your favorite team in this classic contest!

Also please put Saturday, Feb. 11th in your calendar for a Valentine‟s Day Dinner and entertain-ment. I‟m working with the Auxiliary for this event and we‟ll have more details in the next Harbor Light!

Finally, looking ahead to March, we‟ll have Soul Kitchen back on Sat. March 17th for a St. Patrick‟s Day celebration! Details to follow!

There are many tasks and projects needed to keep the Bar operating well, from equipment clean-ing & repair to preparing food or soups. If you are interested in any of the above to earn work hours, please let me know in person or by email (mnpowers@radideo.net). See you around the club...the Bar Guy…
NOTICES TO MEMBERSHIP:
BAR HOURS
Jan 1st
12noon– 8pm

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Power Fleet Captain's Report
Larry Inguagiato

I hope everyone had a very nice Christmas with family and friends. The New Year is right around the corner so best wishes for a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year and it goes without saying ...agreat boating season in 2012!

We‟ve held couple meetings to plan and organize MBC's Hospitality Room for the AYC weekend-long event. This year we will be going to the Kentucky Derby (or at least MBC's version) on February 17-18 at the Ramada Hotel in Toledo.

There is still a lot of work needed to make this a fun and enjoyable event for all those who will be attending. Speaking of attending, I have heard some comments around the club that it is just another drinking party why should we go? Although there is plenty of opportunity to have some refreshments, it is not anything like you may have heard from the early years. The public is not invited and there are no
tickets sold at the door. I have been going since 2002 and have not missed a year. It is just a lot of fun and a great time to put on your summer shorts, flip flops, listen to some great bands and see your other friends from neighboring clubs. Please give it another chance and lets have MBC members turn out in record numbers. Tickets are available from the bar staff.

Dinner Tickets (incl weekend wristband) $45/pp
MBC Member Tickets (wknd wristband only) $25/pp
Guests of MBC Members (Fri wristband only) $30/pp
Guests of MBC Members (Sat wristband only)$30/pp
Dependents <age 21 (wknd wristband only) $10/pp

Getting back to the work and planning part, there will be sign up sheets for members and significant others to sign up to do the various tasks that will be needed on that weekend. If we have a good turnout, the work will go fast and we can all get down to having a good time. We will need setup people, bar tenders, clean up crew, tear down, transportation of "stuff" and of course, food donations.

For those who would like to help before the event, watch your email for an invitation to the next meeting (Jan 18th at 7pm). Last meeting, we sampled ourspecialty drink - “Run for the Roses,” which is vodkabased with a Southern sweet tea component.

For those unable to attend the entire weekend, there will be a bus on Saturday leaving from DBBC and stopping at MBC to pickup those who have signed up and paid in advance. The bus will leave MBC at 11:15 AM and leave the Ramada at 5:00 PM for the return trip. When the bus gets back to the club, the DBBC group will stick around for an hour or so to enjoy our club. As of this time, the cost of this trip which includes special admission to the hospitality rooms has not been determined. There will be sign up sheets at the bar. If you plan on going, sign up early as MBC will have a limited number of seats.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the club in December to support the Power Fleet in its fundraisingefforts to help offset costs for the Hospitality Room. The Power Fleet will also be hosting some additional fund raisers during the summer months, so
stay tuned.

In the next issue, we will focus on club cruises and
Poker Runs.

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Sail Fleet Captain's Report
Dan Williamson

 O n December 10th was held the Commodore‟s Ball in honor of Rodger Dutton and Lady Carolyn. It was a great party at a beautiful facility, and the food was delicious. I would like to thank the Ball Committee for putting on such a wonderful event. If you were not able to attend plan to attend next year, as this is the MBC event of the year and is open to all members.

Our first Sail Fleet meeting for the 2012 season was held December 11th. We elected our Sail Fleet Officers (Vice Captain, Dave Ryan; Treasurer, Rodger Dutton; Secretary, Michelle Glanville; Scorer, Don Fillion). We also appointed the following chairpersons‟ (Tuesday Night Race Series, Dan Williamson & John Davis; Thursday Night Solo/Double Handed Race Series, Walt Norris; Race for the Sisters, Richard
Potcova; Ladies Day Race – Dan Sadoski; Solo Race, Walt Norris; Eric Peterson Jr. Sailor Scholarship, Rodger Dutton).

The Sail Fleet also voted to fund and complete the repair of the kitchen cabinets (for doors and drawers operate properly and stay closed). This improvement will be completed in late February or early March by member Walt Norris.
Our next Sail Fleet meeting will be on January 15th @ 1pm.

On January 28th sailor/member Al Michaud‟s band Soul Kitchen will be playing in the Bar. Come out to support the club enjoy some music and dancing.

FYI – The Catawba Island Club will be hosting their Sailors Winter Rendezvous with featured guest speaker Gary Jobson on Saturday January 28th. They have invited the members of MBC to attend this luncheon, enjoy Gary speaking about his sailing experiences, and engage him during a question and answer period. Advance tickets and reservations are required by January 2nd. Tickets are $17.50 per ticket and include lunch, non-alcoholic beverages
with tax and tip, and the guest speaker Gary Jobson. Further details are posted on the MBC Sail Fleet
Board or contact Dan Williamson.

Important Dates for the Sail Fleet:
January 15, February 26th - 1pm Sail Fleet Meeting
Feb 24 - TYC Mills Winners Winter Dinner Party

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Dock Master's Report
Gary Kranz

A very big thank you goes to the following members for removal of the ramp on the banana docks December 3rd: Tom Beck, Dave Henderson, Bill Hewitt, Tom Konopka, Gil Palm, and John Peterson.

Michigan Waterways began repairing the seawall on December 5th , and the job
was completed by week’s end.

Dates to Remember:
1st week of Jan - Dock fees mailed.
NOTE: Back Lot Storage Fees must be paid prior to dock re-assignment
Feb 10th - Dock fees deadline
Feb 17th - Open docks posted
Feb 27 - Open dock sign-up sheets removed
Mar 4 (2pm) - Dock assignment meeting

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Auxiliary Report
Trish Soto

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Education Committee
Charlotte Neuhauser

January Activities
 Jan. 4, MBC Book Club, 12 noon
 Jan. 7 & 21; Feb. 4 & 25, 9am-1pm, American
Boating Course by the United States
Sail and Power Squadron
 Jan. 13, 6-10pm, Chili Cook-off & Fun Night
 Jan. 14, 8-10am, AED/CPR certification
course
 Jan. 29, 4-5pm, Travelogue…Coast Guard
Experiences

This month we have something for everyone! Boating, Books, Chili, Games, The Arctic Ocean and Antarctica, and if that’s not enough, an AED/CPR course.

MBC Book Club, Jan 4, 12noon, Commodore’s Room. If you enjoy reading and would like to be a part of this new and exciting opportunity, come on out! The first book will be The Help. Bring something to share for lunch and join the group.

American Boating Course, 4 weeks, January 7 & 21, February 4 & 25, 9am-1pm, banquet room. This course meets the certification requirements for use of a personal watercraft, but is designed for boaters using all types of watercraft. For those wishing
certification, attendance is required with completion of an exam at the end of the course. The price for certification by the United States Sail and Power Squadron is $39.95. For members who do not want certification or who want to sit in on selected portions
of the course as a review, there will be no charge.

Content for the four weeks is as follows:
Jan 7…Nautical terms, required safety equipment, life jackets, fire safety equipment, fueling, casting off, underway
Jan 21…Navigation rules, navigation aids, lights and sound signals, government regulations, state and local regulations
Feb 4…Finding your way…nautical charts, electronic navigation, anchoring, adverse conditions and emergencies, and communications afloat
Feb 25…Water sports safety, water skiing, hunting/ fishing, paddling, trailering, PWC operation, knots and lines

If you are a beginning boater, you should definitely take this course. Even if we‟ve been boating for years, we need a refresher from time to time. Join the class and have fun learning together. There is a signup sheet on the Education Committee bulletin board (playroom under the Sail Fleet bulletin board) for both certification registrations and others. Please feel free to invite your friends and members of other boat clubs. If you have questions, please e-mail
CarolZielinski@gmail.com.

Chili Cook-off & Fun Night for Everyone, Jan 13, 6-10pm. Mark your calendar for lots of chili and fun! Bring your family or friends for a chili cook-off and a night of good food, card games, board games, Wii for kids and adults, pool lessons, and lots of fun. The
friendly cook-off competition will begin at 6pm, and winners will be announced at 7:30. A signup sheet for those bringing chili is posted on the Education Committee bulletin board, or you may send an e-mail to Carol Zielinski at CarolZielinski@gmail.com to reserve a space for your chili. If you aren‟t interested in bringing chili, please consider bringing an appetizer or dessert. Everyone who brings food will receive two work hours. The Education Committee will supply all paper products, utensils, cornbread and butter and noodles. Dinner will be $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Prizes awarded!

A Wii has been purchased, and we‟ll be using the projector and large screen so everyone will have a chance to watch and play. Auxiliary, Board, Blue Gavel, couples, families!…get your groups together for a friendly bowling tournament. Bring your cards and board games. Enjoy relaxing Euchre or bridge. Learn to play pool…lessons for junior high kids and adults (not together). Come early to ensure you get as much to eat as you want.

AED/CPR Training Course, January 14, 8-10am, banquet room. We all know how important it is for us to be trained in using the AED and giving CPR. The Board has made a commitment that all bartenders and board members will be trained; however, there
may be times when no trained person is available when help is needed, and more than one person is often needed in an emergency. It is not enough that we are known as the “friendliest club on the lake,” but that we can also provide the best in all services to members and visitors.

You don't want to miss this one!! “Across the Arctic Ocean & Antarctica by Icebreaker” by Mike Powers, Banquet Room. On August 22, 1994, USCGC POLAR SEA (WAGB 11) became the first United States surface ship to reach the North Pole in what was the first major scientific crossing of the Arctic Ocean. Following that expedition, POLAR SEA deployed to McMurdo Sound in Antarctica, reaching one of the southern-most parts of the Southern Ocean. This presentation will cover the two voyages, reviewing the science supported by the Coast Guard‟s most powerful icebreaker, and providing pictures of some of the scenery in the polar regions of thee world.”

Didn’t I tell you we had something for everyone? Finally, don’t forget to check out the Education Committee
bulletin board for signup sheets and other information. We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to kick off the New Year at the Club!

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MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
RICK BOOSE

P lease join us in welcoming our newest members to MBC:
 Jill Fyock and her husband John from Temperance, MI. They own a 27' Sea Ray and a Boston Whaler Jet boat;
 Peggy Hillen of Southgate MI. Peggy is an active sailor, crews for Sail Fleet Captain Dan Williamson, and is currently on the Education Committee;
 Kathleen Powers of Monroe, MI. Kathy is the most recent past President of the Auxiliary, and is married to Rear Commodore, Mike Powers.

Euchre Sunday returns! The second session begins on January 8th, with registration at noon and games beginning at 1pm. Dates for this session are Jan 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb 5 and 12.

The Membership Committee will be hosting an Open House on March 10 from 2-7pm to promote increased membership. Further information to follow.

As a reminder, applications for new members are always available behind the bar. Please grab one and invite someone to be your guest!