Did anybody notice the fish? Probably not but should you walk through the entry way at the top of the stairs and above the door to the Commodores room you will see a fish. Not just any fish but a really big one. Okay so my fishing expertise is not what it should be but I am told it’s a Marlin. This would be the same Marlin known to accost staff and patrons at the Tiki Bar. You may recall this sword brandisher having such items on its bill as a ping pong ball in an honest effort to reduce his deadly touch. Yes without the ping pong ball he hangs above the entryway. Frankly it looks good to me. Somehow it just fits the area. Most importantly unless you can fly he won’t cause you any grief by stabbing you or poking your eye out. So there he sits or should I say hangs?

 

Speaking of hanging, I finally after about a year, have the Commodores clock and associated plaques hanging in the Flag Room. They hang at the South entrance to the room from the outside. Next time you are there take a look. I think you will be impressed. If you recall the clock was given to the club by then Commodore Allen in 1901. After many years it sat unappreciated in the attic of the old club until our move when it was rediscovered by Brian our dock master. The Board decided refinishing the clock was the right thing to do and to display it proudly. The clock after all is part of our history and to hear its bells takes you to a time and a place very far away. If you can’t tell, I am excited to have been a part of the crafting of the display and what I consider the resurrection of one of the clubs crown jewels.

 

Our first storm, “Fay” has come and as I am writing this I am experiencing winds and ran as a result. Brian our dock master has assured me all is well with the club and docks. It looks like we may have a busy season. Hopefully the storms keep themselves busy far out in the Atlantic. Gas prices are starting to come down. The last thing we need is for a storm to get into the Gulf and shutdown production. Gee then everyone would have to buy a sailboat.

 

Well I think I would like to keep this month’s article short. I know I am not usually short on words but with all the excitement of the storm I am experiencing writers block.

 

See you at the club!

I cannot begin to tell you how fast the days fly by when you mark them by writing articles for the Binnacle. It would seem just as I lay my pen down its time to pick it back up again. Mind you I am not complaining. For those of us that are not retired the passing of Monday to Friday needs a bit of expediency as we contemplate what our weekend will bring. A funny anecdote by our Past Commodore Dick Coughlin was that he only knows its Sunday by the larger than normal newspaper in his driveway. So there goes the benefits of retirement; the lost sense of time.

 

July 4^th weekend I found myself at the Tiki Bar during the party where I met a new member couple. We quickly discovered our common interests as we both work in government. The wife is an avid blogger (To write entries in, add material to, or maintain a weblog.) spending a good amount of time commenting on various subjects both locally and nationally. They come from Lake Mary and find the Yacht Club a safe harbor to get away from it all. Why am I telling you this? Because I want to remind everyone that when you are at the club and you see a face you don’t recognize go and introduce yourself. You will never know the treasure you may discover until you do. Besides it’s what we do at the club; socialize. We cannot socialize if we do not acquaint ourselves with the rest of the family.

 

I don’t want too spend much time repeating what Vice Commodore McCoy mentioned but folks, animals are not permitted in the Tiki Bar, pool area or the Club House. I would rather not have to add “No Pets” signs next to the “No Smoking” signs we already have so please leave your pets at home. State law prohibits animals other than seeing-eye dogs or service dogs from being in a food establishment. One last thing about the pets, if you bring it in one of those cute little purse lookalike bags… yeah that’s not allowed either.

 

It was mentioned at our recent member assessment that there are members who would like to be more involved in the various committees we have. First let me list for you the various committees.

 

Executive Committee

This committee is composed of the Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore and the Immediate Past Commodore. This committee acts on behalf of the board in those times when decisions need to be made in between board meetings.

 

House Committee

This committee is responsible for general supervision of the clubhouse and club activities, establish policies and procedures and provide guidance to the Club Manager. In a nutshell they take care of the food and beverage part of the club.

The Vice Commodore chairs this committee along with his/her chosen committee members.

 

Docks and Fixed Property Committee

This committee is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the docks, clubhouse and all fixed properties of the Club.

The Rear Commodore chairs this committee along with his/her chosen committee members.

 

Finance Committee

This committee is responsible for advising the Board of Directors of the financial health of the club. They prepare budgets and oversee collections, investment of Club funds and  bookkeeping.

The Treasurer chairs this committee along with his/her chosen committee members.

 

Credentials Committee

This committee is responsible for reviewing applications for potential members to our club as well as investigating complaints in regard to conduct of its members. The Commodore selects the chair for this committee who then selects four additional members.

 

Bylaws and Charter Committee

They are responsible for proposing changes to the Board of Directors to our bylaws and charter.

 

Entertainment Committee

They plan and execute the social activities for the club.

 

Yachting Committee

They plan all of the yachting and boating activities for the club.

 

Membership Committee

They are responsible for all things “member” including the membership list, introduction of new members, billing of dues, etc.

 

Planning Committee

They are the soothsayers of the club with a responsibility for seeing where our club wants to be in 5, 10 or 20 years. They make plans and offer suggestions to the Board of Directors for potential future projects.

 

Grievance Committee

This committee is the connection between staff, management and members. They address issues with employees according to our employee handbook.

 

Whew, until I wrote it all down I almost didn’t realize just how many committees we have. Okay so the big question is, “How do I get on a committee?” Well first identify which one you are interested in. Then speak up. How in the world would anybody know if you don’t ask?

 

Let me break it down for you.

 

House Committee, Rear Commodore Scott Gutauckis. With any luck I will be in charge of the House next year. If you want on the House Committee let me know. Qualifications are… well if you are reading this you are qualified. Actually you also have to be willing to have an opinion and be willing to state it.

 

Docks Committee, Secretary Bill Masters.

Finance Committee, Treasurer Patty Underwood

Credentials, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Bylaws, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Entertainment Committee, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Yachting Committee, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Membership Committee, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Planning Committee, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

Grievance Committee, Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy

 

I can tell you that we have been talking a lot lately of the lack of new faces on the committees. New faces breed new ideas. If you want to be on a committee you should be willing to offer input. Believe it or not you are encouraged to speak up!

 

Oh and if you look in your membership handbook you can of course find the contact info for each of the above mentioned people.

 

Now some of you are wondering about getting on the Board of Directors. Well, you are going to have to put some time into a couple of committees before you are likely to get on the board. So start with a committee or two and work your way up.

 

I think that’s it for this month. If I keep writing we will have to take out a loan to pay for the printing…

 

Till next month I bid thee farewell…

 

I can’t help but feel proud sometimes as I cross the Orange Avenue Bridge admiring our club from afar. The club has become a second home for my wife Pam and I. I swear if I start receiving mail at the club, I’m moving in.

 

I know that my column is supposed to be more about the fixed assets of the club, but I wanted to take a little print space here today to remind all of our members that each and every one of you has a vested interest in the club. Some members choose to utilize the club to its fullest while others are more casual members using it for the periodic special occasion or business luncheon. No matter how you use the club, I can assure you the board members of this club value your input. We recently completed a member assessment meeting whereby about 70 members helped discover the good and the not so good things at the club. Thankfully there were a lot more good than not so good comments but it did show us there are some things we can do differently. I can assure you that while we may not be able to fix everything to everyone’s satisfaction we will try hard to get as close as possible. I don’t want to steal Vice Commodore Lynn McCoy’s thunder so I won’t go into all the details but half priced drinks and changes in the lunch and Tiki Bar menu are either implemented or are in the works.

 

We can now return to our regularly scheduled article…

 

The Docks Committee and many other volunteers continually work around the club to help make the club a better place and to help keep costs down. With the members we have we could build an entire city.

 

Donnie Sikorski recently volunteered himself and his crew to polish up the parking lot in the way of tree trimming and such. Mike Alekson is finishing up the painting of the wall.

 

For those members who have come in the club recently you should have noticed that the new board members pictures are up next to the North elevator. No… I didn’t put them up there so they could get their fifteen minutes of fame and no I am not handing out dart guns to shoot at them either… I really had that request, in jest of course… I put them up there so you would know who you could speak with about concerns or ideas.

 

Eventually I would like to get some short biographies in the Binnacle. A little info on each of our board members should be interesting. I recently received some other clubs newsletters from Louise Redner showing their board members and biographies. It was nice to get some background on the members and I think we could incorporate that idea into our Binnacle. Thank you Louise.

 

I have to put another shout out to Dave Winkler, Don Chester, Dave McConnell and Jim Goergen for sealing the docks. It’s not easy and it’s getting hot out there. Thanks guys.

 

By now as well you should be hearing piano music in the foyer. It took me lying on the floor to discover that we only needed to purchase a longer cord. K.P. Coleman took care of the wiring. Thanks K.P.

 

Mark Webb and his guys finished painting the outside speaker grills. I know right about now you are saying to yourself, “What speaker grills”? Trust me they are out there and they were rusty. They are now white instead of the pretty color of rusty red.

 

I know I spent this article throwing around a lot of names. I think it’s important to let everyone know just how much member support we get in the way of slave labor, uh I mean volunteerism. Thank you to all the members who volunteer their time to make this club the best club around.

 

One last thing I would like to bring up; the club needs to purchase a vehicle for the Dock Master to use in his daily work routine. If you would like to donate towards the purchase of the vehicle please call or email me or Dave Winkler.

 

Well until next month… ciao!

April showers bring May flowers… Where was the rain? Have you noticed the cool weather we have been experiencing? I have and I have taken advantage of it by doing a lot of outdoor work otherwise known as “Honey Do” lists.

 

Speaking of outdoor activities, I have to tell you that the recent Parking Lot Party was quite a success. We had 22 volunteers and I want to take a paragraph and mention those member’s names that helped us clean up the parking lot. In no particular order they are:

Bill Stevens, Paul Adamek, Dave Bragdon, Wayne Stewart, Jim Goergen, Larry Robinson, P/C Dick Coughlin, Tony Sperduti, Don Gaby, Dave Klokow, Jon Hill, Chick Belmont, Bill Masters, V/C Lynn McCoy, Commodore Bennett Ford, P/C Robert Ford, Pat Adsit, Dave Winkler and Mike Alekson and a special thank you to my wife Pam for supplying us with coffee, tea, water and doughnuts. Tammy Phares and Brian Fitzpatrick were on hand to help us as well. If I forgot anyone please let me know. I think we managed to get 75% of the work done and I am planning another party to finish things up before summer hits us full blast.

 

The South dock has been resealed again. Hopefully this will negate the need to spend more money on replacing lumber in the near future. Thanks to Dave Winkler and Jim Goergen for sealing the dock. Jim Goergen has been hard at work painting the pilings on the South dock. It’s great when we have so many members willing to pitch in to keep the club in tip top shape. Personally I think we should double their pay.

 

We are scheduling a date to sand and refinish the wood floor on the second floor of the club. The contractor will be doing the work at night after the club has closed so as not to disrupt any of the member’s activities.

 

The Gulfstreamer Race is this month. For those of you that don’t know what that is let me explain; it’s a sail race that goes from Daytona Beach to Charleston South Carolina. The course length is about 225 miles and if the weather is right can be a great race. Now the best part of the race is the party before the race and the party after the race. I think the race is just an excuse to have the parties. I will be aboard The Last Mangas sailing with a few friends and family members. I still remember the last one and I can’t believe I am going again. All kidding aside it’s a great race that really helps you appreciate a power boat.

 

 

Till next month I hope to see you at the club…

 

Well April is upon us and the year is a third over. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you are having fun!” With spring approaching its time for some housekeeping and boy do I have an opportunity for you this month. I’ll get to that in a moment.

 

I first want to say thank you to the ladies of the Commodears with whom I spent seven days sailing the high seas with. The cruise was great, the food was great (as evidenced by the ten pounds I found when I got home) and the weather could not have been any better. Hopefully next year more of our members can find the time to join the ladies as there is fun to be had by all on one of these cruises. Thanks to Marcia Goldstein for putting this together.

 

Some things in particular to mention; there is a new baby changing station in the family bathroom. Yes, I realize most of us do not have babies, but your family and guests might. The station provides a safe place for changing babies instead of on the floor or the counter. Later in the month I expect us to have a new picture frame with all the officers and board members photos placed next to the north elevator door upstairs. This way you can put a face with all of the people who are on the Board of Directors. More importantly now you will know who you can go to if you have a concern or compliment.

 

I want to reiterate that I really appreciate everyone’s continued commitment to our club.

Periodically someone will pull me aside and let me know of a concern or two about things at the club as it relates to my area of responsibility. This sort of input from the members is invaluable and helps me do a better job.

 

Our next Docks and Fixed Assets Meeting is April 8^th at 5:00PM. You are welcome to attend and are encouraged to do so. If you want to be more involved at the club attending committee meetings is a good way to get yourself recognized as a potential future committee member. Remember we do more than just docks; my committee is in charge of all the building equipment, walls, appearance, etc.

 

Now for that opportunity I mentioned earlier. I know you are just sitting on the edge of your seat so I will get right to it. On April 5^th, 9am we are having a Parking Lot Party. Yes, this one of a kind event will be hosted by the Halifax River Yacht Club Docks Committee to benefit the corner parking lot. We need guests (read volunteers) who can help clean up the lot. Bring your gloves and your garden tools as we surely need your help to clear away brush, power wash the wall and yes even paint. Dress is informal for all you party hounds. Non alcoholic refreshments will be provided. If you have any questions about the party please call me.

 

 

 

 

 

March is upon us as we head towards the spring. The weather has been somewhat cooler but thanks to some special members we have heaters and a weather curtain to keep us warm as we enjoy our outdoor celebrations and libations at the Tiki Bar.

 

You may have noticed that we have not started our north dock renovations. While it was originally decided that we would commence March 1^st, further concerns with some loose ends from our old building, new center dock and some dredging permits have caused us to put off remodeling at this time. We are hoping to readdress the issue later in the year once all other concerns have been resolved. We are however hoping to concentrate on the electrical concerns of our south dock and are only waiting for some materials to… well, materialize and then I expect that work to commence. Dave Winkler will be heading that up with a few of our other dedicated volunteers.

 

Many of you have approached me about our corner parking lot. If you recall we had as part of our new building plans to rehab the parking. I can tell you that our plans for the parking lot were minimal as compared to what was originally requested of us from the City of Daytona Beach. Club Member Mike McQuarrie has been working with the City of Daytona Beach and hopefully by the time you are reading this we will no longer need a performance bond and we will then be able to plan renovations to the parking lot at our own leisure.

 

I have been asked about lighting for the parking lot and this is still of great concern to me as I know it is to you. I hope to have a plan in place that will include upgrading the lighting there to make it a more secure parking lot. Once we have secured a release from the City the Docks Committee will move forward with some ideas on what we can do about increasing the security of the lot at night.

 

I have also been approached by another member with an idea that would help us remember our past members who have departed us. Many of you have seen what they call a “Tree of Life”. This “tree” is a bronze representation of a tree with brass “leaves”. If the board approves we do have a few members who are willing to purchase the tree. Family members and friends will be able to purchase “leaves” to remember their loved ones by. I should by next month have more details but if you are interested in this project please email or give me a call.

 

I want to mention that I really appreciate when members take the time to voice their concerns or ideas to me. Our members are of course our greatest asset and each of you have something to contribute. If you have any ideas on how I can help to make your experience at the Halifax River Yacht Club any more enjoyable please feel free to call, email or just tug on my arm when you see me at the club.

The January docks meeting went well with an extensive agenda that included discussions about our offsite parking lot, submerged land leases and landscaping.

 

By now you should see some changes in the Tiki Bar with the installation of our weather curtains. I want to thank Jon and Page Hill, John and Sharon Watson and Bob and Judy Frazier for making this possible with their generous contributions. The weather curtains will allow our Tiki Bar to remain open during inclement weather.

 

By now you have all noticed the crossing light coming from our corner parking lot to the south side of our club. By the time you are reading this the light should be fully functional and ready to use. Hopefully this will make your crossing Beach Street a much safer experience. My hat is off to the City of Daytona Beach for their commitment to making our crossing safer.

 

Over the course of the next few months our Docks and Fixed Properties Committee will be working on the corner parking lot. Mike McQuarrie and V/C Lynn McCoy will be heading this up. I know one of our concerns is lighting and security in the parking lot and hopefully they can find a way to incorporate these needed features into the plan.

 

Parking in the parking lot of our club house is still being utilized by non-members and I would like to ask all of you to remind your guests that they should use the on street parking and the corner parking lot. Also remember that the parking lot between the firehouse and our building is public and should be utilized as well. Remember to respect the spaces clearly marked for public fire officials.

 

While we are on the subject of parking, keep in mind that there are parking restrictions for parking in front of the court house across from our club. Please obey the signs instructing you on the hours you are permitted to park. All too often I have walked outside to see one of our members or guests being ticketed.

 

Many of the boaters have expressed concerns about the condition of the North dock and the electrical issues. Dave Winkler is heading this project up and will report back on whether or not our previous volunteers are willing to finish up our docks. The electrical aspect is of great concern and Dave is addressing this as well.

 

One of my personal concerns has been the outside appearance of the club. I have asked P/C Bob Ford to gather some estimates for proper landscaping to be done at the club. Our current landscaper had been contracted to cut grass and do some weeding. We wanted to add tree trimming to our service and thought it may be time to get some price quotes that would include this additional work.

 

Please remember you are always welcome to stop a committee member and discuss any concerns you are having that fall under our control. Additionally you may attend our meetings to keep yourself informed as well as to voice any concerns to the committee as a whole. Our committees need new fresh faces each year and if you are interested in becoming a committee member there is no better way to show interest than to attend the meetings.

 

 

 

For those of you who have not seen me walking the halls of our Grand “New” Lady please let me introduce myself. My name is Scott Gutauckis. I am your Rear Commodore for 2008 and your chairman for the Docks Committee.

 

I am only one of a team full of hard working members who are committed to the success of the Halifax River Yacht Club and our success begins with its members. With that said please feel free to call or email me should you have any concerns or ideas.

 

Prior to this year I spent a lot of time attending virtually every meeting, absorbing the accolades and the concerns of our members. I take each concern to heart and where possible and appropriate I hope the Docks Committee can address them and possibly resolve some of the more pressing issues.

 

One of the things I wanted to do this year was to make sure that our committee was not “stacked” with members who were already on another committee or part of the Board of Directors. My intention was to bring in fresh new ideas while focusing on the talents of years past. As a result I can say that I have three Past Commodores to fill the role of previous talent and a few members who are new to the committees who should shed some light on alternative ideas. I also have a commitment from last year’s volunteers to continue with their help in finishing up the docks. For a complete list of who the Docks Committee is comprised of this year please visit the Member area of the club’s website, www.hryc.com. Remember too that while you may not be on the committee you are welcome to attend.

 

What follows is a summary of upcoming projects for HRYC this year. If you are looking to volunteer your talents in any of these areas please feel free to call me.

 

Some known upcoming projects for 2008:

 

Parking Lot

As part of agreement with the City of Daytona Beach we will be undertaking the renovation and repair of our corner parking lot. This project will be handed off to a contractor but will of course require oversight by our committee.

 

North Dock

The North dock remains for us to complete this year. It is in total disrepair and will require a number of people to complete.

 

Electrical renovation all docks

The North and South docks need to have electrical work performed on them. The current electrical infrastructure is in a terrible state and will require some extensive renovations.

July 4^th, 1776 Independence Day. What a day it must have been. Our forefathers could only imagine what it would be like in the future and I doubt they really imagined where we would be today. The celebrations were many but so were the realizations of what freedom cost the survivors. As our farmers, turned soldiers lay strewn about the battle fields of our great nation one could only imagine the great suffering and cost to those that would not lie down and surrender. As you gather with your families on this special day reflect upon what sacrifices were made to make your day here in the United States a safe and prosperous one.

 

For the club July is also the beginning of the summer months where many of our friends have flown the coop to the north leaving us to fend for ourselves. Fending for ourselves is softened by the social gatherings around the club and at the Tiki Bar. A few Saturdays ago Pam and I went to the Tiki Bar and were delighted to see all the young families and children playing at the pool. I can tell all of those that served on the building committee, “Yes ladies and gentlemen the pool was a good idea.” Clearly the pool will be a fun summertime focal and social point for our club.

 

As you know maintenance issues are constant at the club and I appreciate everyone’s input in this regard. I have been blessed this year to have many volunteers who have given their time to make your club experience a good one. If you see anything that concerns you email or call me.

 

The Tree of Life has been completed; the palm trees trimmed for the hurricane season and the parking lot wall has been painted. Thanks to Mike Alekson for the labor of love he put into painting that wall.

 

I would hope by this time we have a door person for the front door. The lack of one has been a concern of mine and I know of yours. I tie this into parking issues that have resurfaced as there seems to be a proliferation of non member use of our parking lot. I have a couple of ideas to address this and want to bounce them around before acting on them.

 

 

Until next month I hope to see you at the club!