22 Jun 2009 |
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On Thursday June 18, ten SEA members met at Fort Mason's Building C. We discussed progress on items brought up at our last meeting, including excellent progress made on getting new dock space and getting all our boats back on the water. We also brainstormed ways to inspire more member involvement, and to make SEA more visible. The meeting lasted about 2 hours and produced a lot of helpful suggestions, after which a sub-committee reconvened at La Barca to celebrate member John Paul Watts' re-birthday! June 2009 Member Meeting Minutes The big news since our last member meeting is that we have reached an agreement with Clipper Yacht Harbor and they have given us new dock space! We’re now at the end of Basin 4. It’s a bit of a walk to get out to the boats, but once there we have that part of the dock all to ourselves. And the approach sailing into and out of the marina is excellent. The dinghies have all been repaired and are back in action. One Santana has a new mast and has been out racing in the SYC Spring series. Frank Lawler is hard at work installing a new mast on the second Santana, so soon both keelboats will be in excellent condition! Inspiring Member Involvement: SEA has only one full-time staff member, and relies heavily on member participation to keep it running. We discussed ways that we can increase member involvement to keep the organization healthy. Instructors and assistants are in particularly short supply. Members suggested coming up with some reward system for instructors and assistants. For example, members who assisted a given number of intro classes would be eligible to take an advanced class for free. Or instructors who taught a given number of classes would be allowed personal use of the Santanas when they are available. Members also suggested that perhaps not everyone has heard that the boats are back and we have dock space again, and that this could have a negative impact on willingness to get involved. We discussed several ways to get the word out ... Getting out the Word: Those of us who know SEA love it, but remarkably few people are even aware of our existence. So, with the help of member Leslie Wilson, SEA is going to be taking a look at ways to increase our visibility, get the word out, and get new students and members. Some strategies proposed by members at the meeting include: Work on Latitude 38 and local weeklies to get someone to do a story about us. Have a phone-bank party where volunteers call members and lapsed members to let them know about our new docks, and our “like-new” boats -- this may have the biggest single impact. Invite friends and public to our SEAfood BBQ this fall. Make sure we have some boats sail into Paradise Cove so that potential members have a chance to see us in action. Figure out a viable way to have a webmaster so that the website remains current, effectively communicates upcoming events and opportunities, and looks more professional. Family sails - This seems like a great idea as we have a number of family memberships where both parents and children sail. But if it is to get off the ground, it probably needs an interested parent to lead and organize. Table until a passionate volunteer is found. Bigger Boat - The cost of maintaining a larger boat with its onboard motor and systems is prohibitive for SEA in our current state. However, Andy has been exploring the option of chartering a larger boat for special events/classes. Look for this next season. Open House Recap - The open house only had about a dozen participants, but everyone who went for a dinghy ride was extremely enthusiastic, and we did get a few new memberships from the event. We had a full complement of volunteers and they were great! Recommend doing another open house next year, but do it earlier in the season and plan enough in advance to be able to publicize properly. Racing and Sail Trim classes - We had a successful racing class this spring and would like to do another one if we can schedule it. We’d also like to get in a sail trim class soon, but the curriculum committee must meet and plan out the rest of the year. It would be great if this could happen during the month of July, between the SYC Spring and Summer race series. Certification - We are working towards being able to offer certification (probably ASA certification). Andy is already a qualified instructor and instructor-trainer, and we have plans to have a few more. Curriculum committee to work on aligning our curriculum with ASA requirements. Fundraisers - Not much news on this front, though Sail Camp is reviving the SailFest tradition.
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