Reaching out to a New Member

[Mike]

An open and honest discussion is all that I want. Let everyone voice their opinion so the board will know where the membership stands. Then vote on the issue and let the members know not only the results but the rational behind it.

[Carl Thunberg]

I guess what I was getting at, albeit indirectly, was to get in touch with your Fleet Captain (those of you who are affiliated with a Fleet, that it is). They're your voice.

Thank you for the kind words, Dick. Don't worry, eventually I'll get myself back into a CD.

[mahalocd36]

This is the only realistic forum to let our current national organization leaders know how we feel about this issue and to get a sense of how others feel at the same time. There seems to be no reason why this subject needs to be private.

I agree Dick, and thanks Cathy. Until there is a 'members only' area of this board (and I'm not suggesting there needs to be one) this is the only way for members to discuss things short of an email list of all members. I don't think this needs to be a big secret, what's the big deal?

And I agree Bob, items like this should be voted on by ALL members that want to, regardless of if they can make a meeting or not. In this day and age, requiring physical presence , or to only have the board vote on important issues, seems archaic.
Of course we don't all have to agree but should be given the right to vote.

I think they should be two seperate issues (CD powerboaters and ex-CD owners) just so some people don't vote the whole thing down because they don't want one group or another to have full rights.

I'd be curious to see how the CDSOA membership has grown/shrunk over the years. Is it currently growing? Is the growth too much? Too little? Are there some people who would join/renew if the membership was opened up, and would that money help the CDSOA? Are there some people that would leave?

I don't see any problem with a healthy open debate.

[winthrop fisher]

this is the best site around join in... winthrop

[Joe Myerson]

Not too long ago, I suggested that my neighbor register for this forum and deal with the issue of membership at a later date. I have not seen him recently, as he and his lady friend are usually out cruising in their new CD28 Trawler when I'm near the boat.

Here's hoping he does opt to register and eventually join the CDSOA at one level or another. He' s a very savvy diesel-engine guy and good sailor.

We'll see.

--Joe

[Mike]

I won't be able to attend the Annual meeting of the the CDSOA (I'm cruising in Italy) but I would hope that the members in attendance and those that have expressed a concern over the "associate membership" question will express the concern raised by the members of this forum.

Thanks,

[Mike]

Just a reminder for those attending the November meeting

[bilofsky]

First of all, apologies for posting to such an old thread. I haven't been on the board in months, obviously - haven't even had my boat out since October (and this is California). However, having had this issue brought to my notice by Masthead, I have to toss my two cents in, although it may be too late to have any effect.

I totally understand that there is a substantial gap between powerboat owners and sailors. That gap, however, shrinks considerably in comparison with the gap between boaters and non-boaters. And I think it benefits powerboaters greatly to associate with sailors. It starts by making us kinder with our wakes, and continues by imparting an increased appreciation of wind and water conditions as something to be in harmony with, rather than bulling our way through.

I chose never to join as a non-voting member. Had the rules been otherwise, I might have. (Now it's a moot point.)

CDSOA is in no danger of being overwhelmed by powerboaters, simply because there are ten times as many CD sailboats as power. So it will always be primarily a sailing organization, with at most a small minority voice from the power side.

My local yacht club was mostly sail fifteen years ago. Many hard-core racers and sail cruisers have since gone over to the dark side, as they put it. We all age, some less sturdily than others.

One other item I'll share from my yacht club. Only boat owners can become Regular (voting) members, but once you've been Regular for five years, you can keep that status even if you become boatless. The idea is that once you've been a boater for five years, you'll have that point of view forever.

Thanks for discussing this idea.