Page 6 - Mar-Apr 2020

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MARCH/APRIL 2020 • KWASIND
Neil Rooney, CCM CCE
General Manager and Chief Operating Officer neil.rooney@rcyc.ca
We are just around the corner from spring 2020 and exciting times are afoot at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. Spring is a time for new beginnings, and we have many awaiting you this year. We are looking forward to opening up the Island for another successful season of sailing, socializing and dining activities while reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. It is a great time indeed to be part of our wonderful Club.
New leaders will be arriving in the F&B, Sailing and Facilities departments. This brings many opportunities for a fresh approach, a new look and a renewed energy - ensuring a world class experience for you, your families and friends. The F&B Director will initially focus on a structured training program for all Staff. The Sailing Director will be reviewing the overall sailing framework and work with Jenny and Lauren to onboard our summer Staff. The Director of Facilities will review the 2020 Capital Plan and map out the best approach to coordinate $1M in improvements to our Facilities. These new directors, Taylor Fawcett, Liz Mior, Zenaida Dulce, Julie Thompson, Amanda Aujla, Mark Turuk and myself, are all excited to deliver an outstanding 2020 experience for you.
Knowing what it is like to join RCYC as a new Manager and the task of figuring out what is what, initially seems insurmountable. The big advantage our new Directors will have is the detailed results of our 2020 Satisfaction Survey. Thank you to all Members who took the time to complete the survey and provide feedback. Your feedback will be invaluable to your Management Team, particularly our new Directors, in formulating a plan and identifying priority areas for improvement. Furthermore, some Members have made suggestions for improvement to the survey itself, much of which will be incorporated into next year’s version in order to improve the survey year over year.
Our Staff are one of our most important assets, particularly our front-line Staff, as they ultimately
determine the experience you have while using the Club. Whether it be a friendly server eager to provide you with the best dining experience possible, a welcoming Dockmaster helping a first time visitor, a knowledgeable Sailing Office employee assisting you with regatta registration or a keen and helpful person in the Chandlery/Pro Shop, these individuals make your experience at RCYC world-class and without them we couldn’t function. To recognize their importance, we will launch an Employee Recognition Program for 2020 in order to catch our wonderful Staff doing things right. We will identify those Staff members who go above and beyond over the course of the summer and acknowledge them at our year- end holiday party.
You will have seen previous mention of our Fast Ferry (Pontoon) Service – a new initiative for 2020. This is an exciting concept designed to provide improved access to the Island. We will run service from the bottom of Yonge Street on a schedule to offer the option of lunch on the Island as well as provide ease of access on Race Nights from downtown. Since construction around the Cherry Street area will cause delays accessing City Station, having this alternative service to the Island will become very important, not to mention it addresses our current inability to accommodate barrier-free launch service.
Confidence in RCYC is very high at the moment. The City Clubhouse is thriving, and we have seen the highest ever enrollment in our programs this winter. Pickleball has seen a significant uptake and sign-ups for the organized clinics have been fantastic. Our new Fitness initiatives are also receiving strong support. New Member enquiries for 2020 are strong, so now is a great time to increaseourEntranceFeeto$20,000.Thisincrease will become effective May 1st, 2020. There has never been a better time to join RCYC.
GM & COO MESSAGE