Page 4 - Kwasind July 2020 issue

JULY 2020
MEMBER NEWS • 4
Commodore’s Message
Jamie Keating commodore@rcyc.ca
Lessons Learned and A Summer to Remember
What a great summer, and it hasn’t even really started yet. Our Club is opening and vibrant. As I write this, Toronto has been granted Phase 2 status, meaning that on a limited basis, our verandah dining and bar, and pool will be opening this weekend. Imagine reading this ‘re-opening narrative’ in our annals in any period other than wartime – remarkable.
However, with so much going on in our world these last few months, pending flood, global pandemic, and above all, heart-wrenchingly horrible events inspiring a social reawakening, it’s hard to get celebratory. Given all of the above, if there’s been one lesson I’ve learned, it’s both how much I value this Club and our community but also how motivated I am to help make it better. More on that in a bit.
But first, thanks to Neil’s leadership, to our Staff and our Senior Managers for getting us up and running under these unprecedented and highly fluid conditions. Please see Neil Rooney’s note for those whom we owe huge appreciation. In times like these, we really come to appreciate the levels to which our employees rise.
Lesson learned: let’s remember to show how valued our Staff are during normal times too.
Second, thanks to the province’s emergency Annual General Meeting provision, we were able to hold our inaugural virtual AGM. I hope those who ‘attended’, and we were 250 strong for the second-highest attendance in a decade, all agree that it was constructive. Our streamlined format was efficient, but with time for constructive Q&A, with input that we were able to act upon.
Lesson learned: virtual meetings are not only possible, but also seem popular.
Accordingly, now practiced, and as promised, we will follow-up with a Virtual Info-Session Town Hall at 6:00 pm on Monday, July 13th. We will update the Membership
on our strategic imperatives for 2020/21, on our analysis and preliminary proposals for a Membership category simplification and for a governance modernization, including a Board of Directors downsizing. We can also take any other questions relevant to the financials or
other matters important to our Members. Please join us, virtually, Zoom instructions forthcoming. Our plan is to have even more forums thereafter to gather further input and refine our proposals ahead of the November Meeting
of Members, at which we would like to present formal proposals. In the background, our new Board has met once already, and it was a long meeting!
Bottom line: we have a full agenda, but a very dynamic and motivated team. I’m excited to get working.
Extraordinary times call for unusual measures. By the
time you are reading this, I trust we will have already formally commissioned the Club, dressed our flagpole, and set in motion our seasonal rules including the dress code and property regulations. Our province’s limitations on gatherings preclude us from holding our regular flagpole ceremony, from conducting a Sailpast and the commensurate soiree. My apologies to all who would have been honoured to be involved, Past Commodores and the broader board – I hope you all understand.
Speaking of extraordinary, the energy around the Sailing Office under the leadership of Tommy Wharton and
Jenny Farrand, has been electric. The team including Dockmasters stepped up to facilitate our COVID-19 check in/out procedures. The team also initiated a clean-up of Cherry St. Dry Sail and RIB storage and are also skippering our sail locker audit. Above it all though, if you have been by the Dinghy Docks, you will have seen the beaming smiles of our Youth Teams, alive with Lasers, Radials, 4.7’s and Optimists from both the RCYC and Ontario Sailing Youth Teams. Here again, we have a terrific squad: Head Laser coach, Violet Stafford (with Alex Magi) and Head Optimist coach, Angelo Papanikolaou and Junior Club Head Instructor, Aiden Young. Each, including all their reports, are extensively-COVID-19-trained to make it safe and fun for our youth. The Race Teams are already well underway, and the Junior Club is opening on Monday, July 6th – I understand there are a few spots still available. I know from experience that there is no better place to be in the summer than on our Island.
Lessons learned: our employees really do care and ... smiling kids means smiling parents.
Other learnings from this unprecedented period: the power of refreshing innovation from activating Pontoon boats and booking our Launch times to outdoor pop-up BBQs. We know that there are always new and exciting ways to delight our Members.
I would like to recognize our improved Hiawatha format, ever more readable, thanks to Communications Manager Chloe Cross. I have been inspired by content from the COVID-19 series highlighting the selfless work of our Member health front-liners and the interesting Heritage series.
As a community our Members are very fortunate, and we really could be helping out a bit more. When visiting our outreach page on the website, you’ll see a variety of efforts aimed at giving back. Consider getting involved, maybe start something new, or that you’ve been pondering for years. We’d be all ears for good ideas. Our efforts on community outreach need to be stepped up.
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