Reaching out to a New Member

[Mike]

Warren I heard the same tale of evil things happening when the question of granting CD power boat owners full membership first came up. This happened several years ago. There was much gnashing of teeth but no rational facts were ever presented. I voted in favor but fear carried the day.

I think Neils suggestion of folding a sheet of paper in half is a great approach but I don't think the challenge will be taken up.

As to former owners being relegated to associate status I was insulted when it happened to me but decided to keep the peace and renewed my membership anyway. Something I've done for several years but have to seriously think about now.

Mitch, yes my dues still permit me to attend Cape Dory events . Are any planned for the Mediterranean anytime in the in the near future or should I organize one and ask for funding?

Sour grapes, perhaps, but I don't seem to be the only one who feels this way.

[Dean Abramson]

If someone wants to join our ranks, because they have something in common with us (the Cape Dory brand), I cannot think of any earthly reason not to grant them full status.

Here is someone who wants to join even though he knows he will be in the minority as to boat type, and knows that the Board, for example, is sailboat-oriented.

I say welcome the man with open arms. Period.

I hardly envision a scenario whereby we get flooded with powerboat owners. What is the downside?

Or maybe we should throw out the Robinhood owners. Are they not also impure?

C'mon, we don't need a House of Lords and a House of Commons.

Sincerely,

Lord Dean

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hey guys,

If you really want your comments, opinions, suggestions, or complaints on the subject to fall on the right ears, contact the CDSOA officers. Their contact info is located at the bottom of the "Contact Us" page.

Cathy
Webmaster--CDSOA, Inc. [...and no, I am not a CDSOA officer]
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[M. R. Bober]

Warren I heard the same tale of evil things happening when the question of granting CD power boat owners full membership first came up. This happened several years ago. There was much gnashing of teeth but no rational facts were ever presented. I voted in favor but fear carried the day.

I think Neils suggestion of folding a sheet of paper in half is a great approach but I don't think the challenge will be taken up.

As to former owners being relegated to associate status I was insulted when it happened to me but decided to keep the peace and renewed my membership anyway. Something I've done for several years but have to seriously think about now.

Mitch, yes my dues still permit me to attend Cape Dory events . Are any planned for the Mediterranean anytime in the in the near future or should I organize one and ask for funding?

Sour grapes, perhaps, but I don't seem to be the only one who feels this way.

Ah, Michael me lad, what a wonderful idea! What will you be serving?

Seriously, I understand your point of view, and I have heard it in times past, but it doesn't ring true to my ears. We are a social organization. Nothing more.

It was our intent to become a group of Cape Dory Sailboat owners, to enjoy each others' company, and to provide knowledge and advice to our peers. This website was started by the California Cape Dory group, which allows Cape Dory power boat owners to join. At our inception, CDSOA opted to steer a different course.

If we became just another cruising club, would we survive and what would this website become? I do not know, but I am comfortable belonging to an organization that is dedicated to Cape Dory Sailboats.

Come back. We miss you.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (the home of many many Cape Dory sailboats, including the two at my pier), VA

P.S. There are no Harley-Davidsons in the Annapolis Bicycle Club.

[Mike]

Thank you Cathy, a great suggestion. I have sent an Email to all of the national officers asking why the need to relegate CD power boat owners and former CD sailboat owners to Associate status. I've also asked for specific reasons. Also, in support of this search for reasons I've asked for a polling of the regular membership. If there are legitimate reasons we should exhaust all avenues to find them. If reasons do exist then publish them so that all the members know what they are.

Mitch, a great speech but once again no reasons. As best as I can determine you a stuck in a time warp and want to keep it that way. As to the bicycle club do they discriminate by brand name?

The menu for the Cape Dory Mediterranean rally will be country dependent. Any druthers.

Mike
s/v Adagio (where apples are never passed off as oranges)
www.sv-adagio.com

[Oswego John]

I am trying very hard to picture in my mind what would CDSOA be like if the following "What Ifs" had taken place.

What if Andy Denmark sold Rhiannon and kept his larger boat. Would that make him any less of a member after all the years he has given all of the readers solid advice and instruction for us to grow on.

Ed Haley, fleet captain of the Great Lakes Fleet, recently sold his Mokita and picked up a CD 27 project boat. What if the new boat wasn't a CD. Would that delegate Ed to be a lesser CDSOA member?

After so many years of Carter Brey's wit, humor, pictures and nautical instruction, does his purchase of a Sabre sailboat negate his value as a member of the CDSOA?

I think not to the above, and dozens more similar circumstances. Perhaps the very name of our association is powerful ammunition to exclude many from becoming and maintaining full membership in the organization. After all, CDSOA stands for Cape Dory *"SAILBOAT OWNERS"* Association. No, I am not advocating that we change our name.

IMHO, and I do mean humble, I would suggest that any former CD owner that still is a dues paying member, as long as he maintains membership, shall remain a full member regardless of the fact that he doesn't sail a CD at the present time.

As for sailors that own CD power craft, to me a CD is a CD no matter what kind of propulsion it has, stink pot or rag. Up to the time of this recent flapdoodle, I honestly had never given any thought to the problem. It's not worth the effort to pursue it.

My $.02 USD,
O J

[trapper]

OJ, you make the motion and I will second it!

[Oswego John]

To all CDSOA officers and members,

This may seem to be a bold move on my part. I have never done anything like this before and haven't seen it done in the past

I am not certain if this is proper protocol and procedure or not. As a member in good standing, I would like to make the following motion:

I hereby make the motion that any former CD owner that is still a dues paying member, as long as he maintains membership, shall remain a member in full standing regardless of the fact that he doesn't own a CD at the present time.

This motion will include any Cape Dory owner, past or present, power or sail propulsion, who is presently a CDSOA member in good standing.

This motion is still open for discussion on this E-floor and if it is deemed to be improved, I will gladly accept an amendment(s), or if necessary, will withdraw my motion.

I so move.
Respectfully,
John Dunn
O J

[Mike]

I would like to thank everyone for their support and would urge others both associate and regular members to express their opinion.

I know many of our officers are off attending various Cape Dory rallies and rendezvous, as they should be, but hopefully this issue can be fully reviewed when they return and acted upon at the next National meeting.

[Carl Thunberg]

I'm totally okay with my Associate Member status. I knew the rules when I took the gig. My Rhodes 18 sails beautifully, but it's the wrong designer (Philip Rhodes) and the wrong manufacturer (Cape Cod Shipbuilding Co.). I'm okay with it.

I was able to host a CDSOA event this year, I still get the MASTHEAD, and I'm still listed in the membership directory. I've already taken a tour of duty as Fleet Captain, so the inability to hold office is not a serious impediment to me.

[valenteach]

From the first line of the stated mission of CDSOA.

"The purpose of the association is to advance the sport of yachting..."

The words "Cape Dory sailboats" are the very last words in the mission statement, so the boats are either less important or the mission tries to imply that one naturally follows the other....that true yachting can only be done on a Cape Dory sailboat. If that doesn't sound snobby I don't know what does.


Trying to justify an official distinction between Cape Dory Sailboat owners and Cape Dory Powerboat owners just makes the "association" sound intellectually bankrupt and unable to evangelize the true spirit of modern boating that we all live in.

Webster.com says....

Main Entry: yacht·ing
Pronunciation: \ya-tiŋ\
Function: noun
Date: 1836

: the action, fact, or pastime of racing or cruising in a yacht


Main Entry: yacht
Pronunciation: \yat\
Function: noun
Date: 1557

: any of various recreational watercraft: as a : a sailboat used for racing b : a large usually motor-driven craft used for pleasure cruising


I'd be curious to find out what CDSOA membership status is given to someone who owns a CD 30 Motorsailer? Modern "sailboat" owners don't actually own a "pure" sailboat while having the built-in luxury of auxiliary power. One could go so far as to say that all the aux sailboats are actually motor-sailers. In real life situations their built-in power isn't as auxiliary as romantic sailors would have you believe. I doubt the Cape Dory builders (the actual workers) considered their efforts diluted when they started building "power" boats.

So if it's about the boats, then say it's about the boats. If it's about a moth-balled fear of the stereotypical "power-boater" poisoning the ranks with voting rights, then air that fear and let that be a lively discussion on this board. We would all have friends and family power-boaters to defend even though some power boaters are truly their own unique animal.

While CDSOA founding members enjoy their 19th century titles like Commodore or Vice Whatever, the idea of "good fellowship" as suggested in the mission should really include anyone on the water, or at least anyone with a CD. To suggest that doing so would doom the organization to failure, as Mitchell has done, really needs to be clarified. If others believe that expanding the membership, spreading a broad mission, seeing more CD built boats showing up at more float-ins, collecting more dues and having more money for the treasury all constitutes failure, then put that in the mission statement explicitly and let's see how well that works out.

This thread gives CDSOA a chance to show it's true mettle in a very public way. That's a healthy thing to reveal now and then regardless of the ideology that wins out. I may not be the only "associate member" who is on the fence about continuing to pay dues and would be very interested in the "official" answer to this question of why there needs to be a "lesser" membership status and how the organization reconciles it with the mission.


Mike Rejto
CD24T "Viola"
Rhode Island

[mahalocd36]

Hey guys,

If you really want your comments, opinions, suggestions, or complaints on the subject to fall on the right ears, contact the CDSOA officers. Their contact info is located at the bottom of the "Contact Us" page.

Cathy
Webmaster--CDSOA, Inc. [...and no, I am not a CDSOA officer]
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

One of the problems with "The Board" is that they don't read THE board!

[mahalocd36]

Modern "sailboat" owners don't actually own a "pure" sailboat while having the built-in luxury of auxiliary power. One could go so far as to say that all the aux sailboats are actually motor-sailers. In real life situations their built-in power isn't as auxiliary as romantic sailors would have you believe. I doubt the Cape Dory builders (the actual workers) considered their efforts diluted when they started building "power" boats.

Well said.

I guess I become an associate member when there's no wind and we motor somewhere??

[Bob Ohler]

Melissa and others,

If I thought this was the Forum to conduct this conversation, I would weigh-in. As the Bulletin Board is not a "members-only" bulletin board, I do not feel that CDSOA business matters of this nature should be discussed here.



Bob Ohler
Member #188
CD 30
Past Commodore and Current Board Member

[Mike]

Rich good advice. I followed Cathys advice and Emailed every board member but I failed to urge others to do the same.

Tell them what you think. Their Email addresses are at the bottom of the CONTACT US page. don't forget to remove the NO SPAM portion of the Email address.