Bernie Coyne, Commodore
October 26, 2020
Thank you everyone for electing me as your new Commodore. I am humbled that you have put your confidence in me, and along with the new board members I will continue to work hard to see our club grow and succeed.
As we move into 2021 it is highly likely we as individuals and as a club are going to be faced with similar challenges due to COVID-19 as we have this past year. So I have asked our Vice Commodore, Dennis McKay, to explore how we might be able to hold smaller cruises that comply with all CDC safe social distancing rules. Similarly the Rear Commodore, Len Thibodeau, will continue to hold virtual rather than in person seminars. More on those shortly from Dennis and Len.
2021 is the year of the Marion Bermuda Race of which BWSC is a primary sponsor. At this point planning is underway, registration for the race is open and BWSC will be responsible for the Safety at Sea Seminar in March. With 24 entries so far, in a normal year all would be a go…but as with 2020, 2021 may not be a normal year and the organizing committee is weighing every detail as it affects the decision to run the race or not. The executive committee of the Marion Bermuda Race will have a remote ZOOM meeting in December to review the COVID-19 situation and later in January and will announce any changes in plans.
I am very excited and proud to be your Commodore and I am very much looking forward to working with the Board and members. I have always felt that the most successful clubs are those where members actively engage in the activities and support of the club. For brick and mortar sailing clubs that we have belonged to in the past, I saw and experienced first hand the value and fun of PROJECTS where we as members would construct new docks together, help in clubhouse remodeling, plan cruises or participate in race committees. I used to joke that we should tear down our clubhouse every 10 years in order to have another project to work on
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Although we are a virtual sailing club, there are many ways to actively participate and enjoy your membership. Len and Dennis are looking for volunteers now to help with planning and executing seminars and planning cruises during the winter months. Tory Leuteman leads our Marketing efforts where we plan to invest and have a big push to improve our website, our Beacon newsletter and social media channels, to better serve current members and attract new members. Jim Taylor is looking for help with the Beacon newsletter. The Promotion group led by Ron Perkins is looking for volunteers to serve as a first contact when prospective members ask about the club. It’s not a big commitment, infrequent and on rotation as new members want to join.
So please seriously consider how you can make a difference to our club, have some fun, and reach out to Dennis, Len, Tory, Jim, Ron, myself or any one of the board or committee members. You can find all our contact info on our website
bluewatersc.org. Login then select About > Committees.
Bernie Coyne
BWSC Commodore