Roger Crabtree, Sunday, 7 April 2013
A great roll up of past and present members along with beautiful weather meant a superb day for all.
Wow, what a day!. A roll up of over 180 past and present members enjoyed a wonderful get together to celebrate over 50 years of Westernport Yacht Club. A superb Autumn day also enhanced the occasion for all concerned. The final Commodore's Cup race started the day's festivities and there was some keen racing in a good beeze. It was great to see a number of our juniors out on the water pushing the more mature sailors to higher levels.
On behalf of the General committee the Club has recognised James Douglas for his unstinting work over many years by naming the Race Box/Tower after him. Jim was a founding member of the club. He served as Patrol Boat Captain for many years and is the only member to have skippered every rescue craft the club has owned. He has spent many hours installing, maintaining and upgrading the Club's IT system, he has always filled in wherever and whenever the club has needed someone, especially on race day. In recent years James has served as Commodore and the tower has become like a second home.
Two other former Commodores in John Dillon and Bryan Hill were also recognised for their oustanding contributions to the club, especially as Sailing School Principals through the naming of Dillon/Hill Boat shed. Both John and Bryan spent considerable time and effort maintaining club boats, coaching/instructing beginner sailors as well as sharing their passion for sailing with others. Over the years many club members and others, can and do owe their interest and involvement in sailing to these two fine gentlemen. Both continue to support the club, with John helping to upgrade our sound system and Bryan still leading some of us around a sailing course. Congratulations to all three gentlemen on this well deserved recognition.
It was a privilege to meet so many people and listen to their experiences as members in the early days of the club and especially to hear some of Tom Haselgrove's memories as a Life Member and founding member of the club. Thank you also to the many members who brought memorabilia along to share from the 60's - 80's especially. We now have built up the Club's archives with additional photos and film footage from these years. It was also a special treat to be joined by so many former Commodores who have contributed to the energy and success of the club over the past 50 years.
A huge thank you to Adam Smith for his energy and enthusiasm in making contact with so many former members. His work in setting up the display of memorabilia and for his tireless advertising to ensure as many past and present members knew about and were invited to the day. Also a big thank you to the many people who were involved in the planning and preparation for the day and to the many club members who worked tirelessly on the day. Special thanks to Russell, Jenny, Adrienne, Heather and Rosalie for their preparation of the wonderful afternoon tea. To Peta, Ange, Glenda and Tony for their cooking and running of the very successful "Opera House Cafe". To Wendy, Colin, Christiane and Jacqui for working extended hours in the bar, Karen loooking after the reception and to Mark for his superb work in finding a car park for everyone. To Meg, Vincent and James for their assistance with serving food and other preparations. To Marg for her work in sifting through and selecting the archival material for display.
The day's events reminded me of the passion and selfless contribution many of the early club members made in order for us current members to enjoy what we have today. On a day like to today it is a privilege to be the Commodore when you see so many members helping as well as having fun. It is this willingness to pitch in and make things happen at a high standard, while also continuing to enjoy the day which makes it a delight and pleasure to be a member of Westernport Yacht Club. Long may this continue.
Last Modified on 07/04/2013 22:33