Newsletter
Winter 2001

From the Commodore’s Desk

There is good reason to call Chicago the Windy City. Outside the temperature was dropping and the wind chill, brutal. So what, you ask, does this have to do with sailing? Just this — Pearson Buell and I drove to Chicago to attend the Strictly Sail Convention at Navy Pier. What better place to dream about sailing a big boat off into the sunset than Chicago in midwinter! For the last couple of years I have used this as a "sailing fix," a welcome respite from driving across the dam at Lake Saint Louis and wishing for the spring melt to come.

Winter is a great time to work on those nagging little things that needed fixing all year on the boat. Recently I sent my sails to the Saint Louis Sailing Center for reconditioning. I’ve heard great reports about the job the subcontractors do and the price is extremely reasonable. If you are thinking about doing this you need to move on it NOW. They tell me that I’ll be lucky to have my sails back by the end of March.

.Last year we had some tremendous social activities and I know everyone is looking forward to getting together for some fantastic fun again this year. We are fortunate to have Ray and Paige Keith as our new social directors for 2001. Duane and Laura Wall worked so hard last year putting together all the events. They deserve our heartfelt thanks. This year we are going to try and spread the responsibility around a little bit more so it’s not such a big job. My birthday wish in April is for a gas powered barbeque grill I can hang off the back rail. I look forward to roping together with some of you in Party Cove for some lazy Saturday afternoons this summer.

I want to enlist your help in a very important task. We want to increase the membership of the Sailing Club and I feel that one of the best ways to accomplish this is to deputize all of you as recruiters. I’m enclosing a 2001 membership form for you to fill out but I’m also including an extra one. Why not talk to your friends and encourage them to join the Club? If you know someone who was once a member but has fallen by the wayside please contact them and encourage them to sign on. If they are hesitant to rejoin ask them why and let someone on the board know. We might be able to address their issue in a positive way. Some may think that they need to own a boat in order to be a member of the club. I joined long before I had a sailboat in the water. In fact, the Club is a great way to get an education in sailing BEFORE you take the plunge into boat ownership. If you know someone who has even a passing interest in sailing encourage them to join. They will surely find our enthusiasm contagious and come to love sailing like we do. You might use the Welcome Aboard Party as a recruiting tool.

The St. Louis Sailing Center now has a website. Check them out on our "Links" page or at www.stlouissailing.com. Their spring open house is scheduled for March 24^th and they normally celebrate with sales and seminars. We’ll give you more information on this next month.

If you haven’t been on our website yet this year give us a hit! There’s a new welcome and a way to contact me among other highlights. We’ll post new information there on a regular basis so check in regularly to stay informed. Check the "Club Calendar" page to get the latest dates and times for club meetings, races and social activites

Even in midwinter your board is hard at work! At our meeting on January 16^th we received a glowing financial report noting that we have an excellent cash flow. The board voted to purchase a coffee pot for use at social events.

The following people have agreed to serve the Club in these important capacities:

• Representative to the CA board: Paul Schattgen
• Boat Show: Ray Grossman
• Youth Sailing: Pearson Buell, Norm West, Steve Easterwood, and any others who want to help.
• Social: Ray & Paige Keith
• Membership and Treasurer: John Heilmann
• Publicity: Steve Easterwood
• The Harbor Master and Racing Chairman will be decided at the Racing organizational meeting.

Speaking of racing, it’s time for our annual meeting to organize this year’s competition. If you are interested in sailboat racing (even if you don’t own a boat) we want you to come. We’ll get together at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 22nd at the Bar and Grill downstairs in the Community Association building.

If you have a boat or some equipment to sell get me the information and I’ll make sure it gets highlighted here and on the "For Sail" page on the website. If you have sailing information that would be of interest to the Club send it along as well. I wish you warm breezes and hoping for an early Spring!