Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It’s that time of year where “giving thanks” is normative – as we would say in sociology. In light of this, and knowing the average age of our members, hopefully no one will mind my citing an old Bing Crosby song, “Thanks for the Memories”. Why? Because in preparing for the annual meeting and then actually seeing so many people there, it was impossible not to recall all of the people who help – regularly or occasionally – in making BCYC a great club. I gave special thanks to some of these people at the annual meeting. Let me list them here, again, with brief comment. Plus, I want to add a few I missed and close by a couple of end-of-the-year thoughts. So, thanks to:
The flag officers and the entire BoG -- lots of time given to attending meetings and following through on the myriad tasks involved in making the club run.
Mary Bowie -- for all she does regularly, not only serving as Treasurer in 2011 but also completely overhauling and relaunching our web site and occasionally counseling me during my stint as commodore.
Juliana Nedd -- for playing a similar role and, when need be, pushing me to get things done!
Brenda Ripley and Candy Wilson – for finding volunteers and otherwise helping with organizing and staffing all of those fabulous land and sea events during 2011.
Pat Bernhart – for years of service as mid-week chair (assisted by Betsy Schulz).
Bob Higginbotham and Pam Loving – for another year of Blasts and Evites.
Otto Hetzel -- for another year of picture taking and story writing for Proptalk and Spinsheet.
Mary Ross – for being our club photographer with lots of examples of her work on our new club web site.
Madi Yates – for helping me think through various club issues where conversation with a wise, former commodore was useful.
Geraldine Falk – for . . . well, for being herself! Hearing my laments and laughter with occasional words of advice as necessary.
To everyone not listed above but who helped in any way with club activities -- whether hosting an event, making food for one, setting up, cleaning up, or anything else that contributed to the job at hand, thanks!
Mostly, though, let me say “thanks” for giving me the opportunity to serve as Commodore. I had a ski boat, a row boat, and a hydroplane as a kid in Michigan. I had a bass boat as an adult in Louisiana. I’ve owned a series of express cruisers and now a trawler here in Maryland. While I’ve spent thousands of hours on the water, I never knew much about “yacht clubs” and, to be honest, when I thought of them at all, my impression was one of elitism. When we stumbled on to the Back Creek Yacht Club, my yacht club image was altered – radically! It was a kind of religious experience – finding a community of individuals whose love of boating and the Chesapeake Bay matched our own, a shared reverence. Through the club, we’ve discovered not only new places to boat on the Bay and elsewhere but, most importantly, new people with whom to share the experience. It is hard to put a value on many of these friendships. With Thanksgiving just ahead of us and the recent annual meeting just behind us, it’s easy for me to be thinking about saying “Thanks,” especially with respect to the role BCYC has played in my life – I have a lot for which I can be thankful.
