From the Quarterdeck, Blair Cliffe, Vice Commodore
/FROM THE QUARTERDECK
A Report from Rear Commodore
Blair Cliffe
I am going to start this newsletter where outgoing Commodore Hugh Pollock left off last month, with our AGM.
It is coming up this month on Thu 18th August at 1930 and it would be fantastic to see as many of you there as possible. AGMs are viewed by some as being rather boring and something to avoid. This can indeed be the case with some aspects of the operation of a club such as ours being rather dry. These matters though, are essential to the running of a club and the AGM gives an opportunity for the Commodore and Treasurer to report to the membership face-to-face.
Please remember that, as well as the reports which will be presented, there is still the opportunity to put forward nominations for positions on the Committee. Nominations for Club Officers can be made from the floor on the evening but it is preferable for them to be made on the relevant form prior to the meeting. It would be particularly pleasing to receive some nominations from Associate Members to fill some of the Additional Positions on the General Committee to represent the feelings and opinions of the Associate Members. There has not been a representative of the Associate Members on the Committee for the four years I have been a member of it.
The notice for the AGM is linked from the home page of the DYC Website.
This year, as a first, and as an experiment, the AGM is being run on a Thursday evening and therefore the bar will have been open prior to the meeting. It will be closed for the duration of the AGM and then opened again afterwards.
To continue my call for involvement, the Social Committee have recently been battling Covid lockdowns and what appears to be inertia from our members. The Laying-Up Supper has been postponed again, this time due to a lack of people buying tickets. The Social Committee are trying to work out if members are not engaging due to the fear of Covid, the cold wet weather, or simply because they are not providing what our members want. They have recently sent out a survey asking for people to respond with their opinions. This is an opportunity for you as a club member to take 5 mins out of your day to directly respond to the team responsible for organising social events. The survey was sent out to over 400 email addresses, to date we have received only 31 responses although over 250 people have opened the email. This may be considered a good return for a commercial sampling, but this is not commercial, this is your club asking you for your opinion and wanting to know what it is you want from the club on a social footing.
Please either complete the survey or correspond directly with the club if what you want to see happening is not being produced. The Social Committee work hard to produce what they feel are fun events but if no-one is willing to attend, something is going wrong and we want to put that right.
I am aware that all the above is rather gloomy and not the cheerful tone I usually try to attain in this newsletter. Devonport in an historic club and as a newish member who is still surprised to be a member of a Yacht Club let alone to be a Flag of one I strongly feel it is up to all our members to do their bit, as and when they can, to help us (the varied Committees) keep the club running smoothly and to provide an enjoyable place for us all to want to go to.
To finish I would like to draw your attention to a new addition to the Blog page on our website. I must admit I have not read it all yet but this book, in the midst of Covid, winter and pleas for attendance at AGMs and to join Committees, is a reminder of what a Yacht Club is all about. As you scrape your hulls, maintain those hard-to-reach areas and paint on that anti-foul here is something that I hope will see you through until summer and warm sunshine returns.
“A fortnight’s cruise on the Hauraki Gulf”. This fascinating book recounts a fortnight’s cruise on the Hauraki Gulf in 1915 — most likely in one of the DYC boats. Generously shared with us by Graham Pettersen who now lives in the house previously owned by the author. https://dyc.org.nz/blog/k3k9zwrydufpfdpqunx3f20ezjncaf
