Reaching out to a New Member

[Joe Myerson]

My mooring neighbor is one of the best sailors I know: He always came in first in our local catboat races, and I was only able to win, occasionally, when he upgraded from a Marshall 18 to a Marshall 22 cruising model.

Last week he had moved his lovely cruising boat to another mooring, and his various relations and in-laws (he has five sisters, four of whom live nearby with their families) were all excitedly awaiting the arrival of his new boat.

The boat finally arrived: A Cape Dory 28 Trawler. When I saw it, I rather insensitively said, "Well, if you have to move to the dark side, at least you chose a Cape Dory."

After touring the beautifully maintained boat, and hearing his story--he had two knee replacements and back surgery last winter--I realized that he selected a trawler so he could stay on the water. And many of us could find ourselves in similar positions some day.

I promised to bring him an application to join our wonderful group. I've printed one out and will give it to him tomorrow.

But--here's my question--is it really necessary for him, and the other owners of Cape Dory powerboats--to be associate members?

This is a man who loves classic boats, whose seamanship is second to none, and who has always enjoyed attending owners' events and rendezvous. And, I'm sure the other owners of Cape Dory powerboats are just as qualified.

So, I wonder if I'm speaking out of turn by asking if we can grant general membership to our powerboat brethren. It would not, IMHO, require changing the name or initials of the association--although it would probably require rewriting some rules.

I hope my question doesn't qualify as "throwing stones at beehives."

--Joe

[Neil Gordon]

Joe,

Each of us should simply fold a piece of paper in half. On the left, list how it might help to let CD Power join as full, voting members. On the right, list how it might hurt us.

Start on the right and see if you can actually name something real.

[Warren Kaplan]

Joe,

I sent you a private message.

[trapper]

Joe,

You have a another in your camp.

This year I have had ownership, or at least control, over 4 cape dory sailboats. It occurred to me, I could have 4 votes! I know there are lots of folks on the board that have 2 (or some more) Cape Dory sailboats.

The fact is there were not that many Cape Dory Power Boats. All the big boats (that is 22 and above) need to consider what would happen if all the 10s and Tys united! They would rule! I see nothing to lose in including the Cape Dory Power Boats. I believe that we would gain fellowship, additional perspectives regarding our boats (some have the same hulls), seamanship advice, and the list goes on. After all, they chose a Cape Dory. They are family.

[Oswego John]

Could anyone forget what Walt Bilofsky, one of the key links of the inception of CDSOA, pilots?

I'm for one big, compatible, CD family.

O J

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hi Joe,

In the meantime, have your friend register as a CD message board user -- it's FREE. He should also register as a user of the web site listed below:

CapeDory28.info

[Joe CD MS 300]

As a half-breed sailor I vote yes.

[Neil Gordon]

By the way, from a most practical point of view, the only thing an associate member can't do is vote. If anyone can recollect a disputed (i.e., not unanimous) membership vote on anything at all, please let me know.

Note: Remarks in various threads on locking, unlocking, wheeling, tillering and the like are not "votes" as defined in the CDSOA bylaws.

[trapper]

True. But voting and holding office are two fundamental benefits of membership.

[Neil Gordon]

True. But voting and holding office are two fundamental benefits of membership.

Sorry... that was shortsighted of me. You need to be a full member to hold office, which excludes the power boat owners, which is also unfair.

[sfreihofer]

One might say, this is the Cape Dory SAILBOAT Owners Association. That is the historic focus of this group.

That seems snobbish, because I believe one gains far more by INclusion than by EXclusion.

The question to me is: Would broadening the scope decrease the focus? In other words, would this board lose value?

I think not. The key words are CAPE DORY.

Stan Freihofer
1981 CD25 #794
Ft. Lauderdale

[Mike]

Lets not forget the former owners of Cape Dory sailboats who have moved on to other sailboats (yes there are others) and must step back to associate status.

I'm a former owner of both Lady Jane (CD-27) and Journey's End now Liberty (CD-36) and a founder of the NE fleet but because I moved up to an Outbound 44 I was relegated to the Brand "X" fleet and associate status.

I still maintain my CDSOA membership and pay my dues every year (same amount as a full member) but frankly I'm questioning my sanity.

[Warren Kaplan]

Lets not forget the former owners of Cape Dory sailboats who have moved on to other sailboats (yes there are others) and must step back to associate status.

I'm a former owner of both Lady Jane (CD-27) and Journey's End now Liberty (CD-36) and a founder of the NE fleet but because I moved up to an Outbound 44 I was relegated to the Brand "X" fleet and associate status.

I still maintain my CDSOA membership and pay my dues every year (same amount as a full member) but frankly I'm questioning my sanity.

Mike,
I made an argument against putting former CD owners into associate status because they moved on to Brand X. I made it on the floor at Unk's at a NE fleet meeting and I was talking with the then current commodore of the CDSOA and one of the founding fathers of the NE fleet. They were dead set against Brand X owners having full membership status even though many of those member were with the CDSOA from the start. No matter what I said I could not get through to them. So the idea died.

I'm still of the belief that if you were a CD owner who had regular membership and you moved on to another brand, your membership should stay in tact. The last CD was built in 1990 so the youngest is 20 years old. The boats are going to suffer from attrition eventually and regular membership in the CDSOA will dwindle over time as a consequence. The organization can remain strong if we don't penalize a former member because he changed boats. That having been said, the only difference between regular and associate membership is voting and office holding. And how often does that come into play in our real world!

[Neil Gordon]

Warren Kaplan said, "That having been said, the only difference between regular and associate membership is voting and office holding. And how often does that come into play in our real world!"

Never.

If there are concerns that the Power Boat owners or Brand X owners somehow get control of the organization and change it in evil ways, then rather than exclude them from full membership, we could protect not against them but against the evil by requiring supermajority voting in some circumstances. There are ways to address what might be legitimate concerns.

[M. R. Bober]

Back in the olden days, when CDSOA was formless, the thought of being an exclusively Cape Dory group was intended to preserve the organization. Many of us had belonged to other boating groups, which attempted to be all things to all people, these organizations had one thing in common, they had all failed.

So rightly, or wrongly, we determined that we would focus on what we wanted to be, the association of Cape Dory sailboat owners. We understood that ownership changes, but friendship is more durable. Hence the associate membership category. Non Cape Dory sailboats have been spotted at some of our on-water events, but the events were designed--for Cape Dory sailboats--by Cape Dory sailboat owners.

I suspect that there are very few people who really care about the politics of CDSOA, and the ones that do are well intentioned, but let's not lose sight of the fact that a Kentucky Colonel probably outranks our Commodore.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where the shoe fits), VA