Category: Management

2023 May long weekend

Weather was nice for the annual club clean-up day. Good turnout resulted in lots of work accomplished. Boats were set up in the yard, the lawn mowed, the buildings cleaned, and the club is ready to go for another season.

Thanks to Deb and Brian for organizing a BBQ lunch for all in attendance.

The board held a meeting at lunch time.

On Sunday, we had a good turn out for training on how to use the club motorboats.

Club Clean-up and Board Meeting

The weather was cool but dry so a good turnout of members got the opening chores done in good time, enjoyed a BBQ lunch, and the board decided on a number of issues, including:

  • The club has bought another Laser in good condition, and will have repair work done on the orange laser, so there should be four good lasers available for club members to sail, and sufficient radial and full rigs.
  • We will start a search for a better “big” safety/committee boat immediately. We will look for a relatively small, used pontoon boat with a good motor, and sell the motorboat with the 70hp Mercury. We expect that a pontoon boat will make it easier to rescue people out of the water, offer more room for transporting and setting marks, and provide a stable platform for a race committee. If we find a suitable boat, we will need a special meeting of members a for quick approval of an expenditure expected to be approximately $10,000. If any member objects to this plan, please contact a board member right away.
  • As more members opt out of cutting the grass, this puts more pressure on the few who volunteer to do the cutting, so we need to make the cutting job faster an easier. Therefore, we will:
    • Let the sloping portion of the hill grow wild. It is the hardest and most dangerous area to mow. Maureen and Debbie will look for wild flowers in the park to add to the grass in that area.
    • Move the boats closer together on the top of the hill so that the remaining area is easily mowed with the tractor.
    • Rearrange boat parking on the entire lower level so that it is easy to mow around members’ boats, and it is easy move club boats to mow under them.
    • Move boats that are not being used out of the main boat parking into a storage area.
    • Require members to mow around their own boats more rigorously.
  • The keel boat championship racing instructions were approved by the board and are now posted on the website under Racing. In summary; keel boat racing days will be listed in the web calendar, there will be up to four races on such days, at least three keel boats starting will constitute a race.

Email notifications of FSC website posts

Hi all

Spring cleaning time on the website.

For some reason, people with no connection to our club were subscribing to receive our notification emails. Over the past year, our subscriber list for the posts on the website got up to 320 email addresses. I don’t know why.

Today, I deleted all the existing subscribers, and replaced that list with Penny’s list of all club members. That brought us down to 49 emails addresses.

In this process, I may have unintentionally cut off family members or friends who want to get the updates on club races and activities. If so, please have them email me at infoATfalconsailingclub.ca to be put back on the list.

Likewise, if you are on the list and no longer want to be on the list, please let me know.

Regards

Charles (Webmaster)

2022 Commodore’s Spring Letter

Greetings All,

 The last couple of years have been particularity difficult dealing with a global pandemic and ensuring proper guidelines were met during Club activities. This meant delayed openings, amended activities and limited to no gatherings during this time, something I know the FSC family enjoys and looks forward to. We the Board (see the attached list of Board members) will continue to monitor health regulations and be ready to act and amend schedules and activities if required. With all restrictions now lifted we should be able to get back to normal (if we can even remember what that is).

Now let’s look forward to a great 2022 sailing season as it is right around the corner!

Please mark your calendar for Sunday, May 15th, when we will have our spring clean-up and Club opening inclusive of our BBQ lunch (weather permitting). For newer members, this is a great opportunity to meet other members and work together to get the club up and running for summer. Please make sure you come with work gloves and proper foot ware. Many hands make light work. Grounds/Harbour Masters, Al and Garth, will prepare a separate document that will provide more information regarding the various duties to be completed. Duties that have not been completed on opening day will be compiled and sent out to members to be competed the following weekend(s).

The Board in conjunction with members have been working hard scheduling activities for all levels of sailing experience. Some highlighted activities follow: There is a subcommittee currently working on a Club Open House scheduled to coincide with “Let’s Sail Manitoba” a province wide day to encourage non-sailors. Date to be confirmed. (either June 25 or 26).

It is great to see the South Whiteshell Women’s Sailing League (SWWSL), co-hosted by the West Hawk Lake Sailing Club (WHLSC) continuing to grow! This year Learn to Sail Level 1 sailing lessons are scheduled for July 11 -15. No experience is necessary! A Level 2 course for those wanting to further develop their sailing skills is scheduled for July 25 – 29. Be sure to check out the SWWL website at https://southwhiteshellwomenssailingleague.ca/ for further details.

In July, we will host the youth “Learn to Sail” Beginner and Intermediate courses July 11 -15 and July 25- 29. As well as the adult “Learn to Sail” weekend courses July 16/17 and 23/24. Please be sure to invite your friends, colleagues, and lake neighbours. Registration forms can be found on our website https://falconsailingclub.ca/learn-to-sail/. Should you have any questions or require further information please do not hesitate to reach out to Darcy and Craig Baker @ lts@falconsailingclub.ca

We’ve been asked by Sail MB to host the Opti Provincials July 30 and 31. Watch for a further call for volunteers to assist.

We have planned our usual weekend dingy racing schedule, 5 keel boat races, sailing and safety clinics, various potlucks, and BBQ’s. Please visit the entire calendar of events on our website. Be sure to check out the calendar of activities, By-laws, the member responsibility policy, the rescue boat operation policy, and list of Board members.

Remember, we’re also active on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FalconYatchClub and Instagram @falconyatchclub.

On the membership page, you will find a downloadable membership pdf form. Please return the signed form along with payment to Penny Kelly, preferably by e-transfer, no later than May 15th. Information on how to submit your renewal is at the bottom of the form. We ask that you be prompt with your registration and payment as the Club has fixed expense, some due as early as June 1. A late fee will be applied to all returning members who do not get their fees in on time. Finally, we are a group of volunteers.

Our Member Responsibility Policy reflects our desire to ensure a fair distribution of club maintenance and operation responsibilities that recognises the diverse profile of our membership and the need for volunteer labour to maintain our exceptionally low membership fees. The Policy identifies the numerous activities that allow the club to be sustainable. We encourage all members to seek opportunities to volunteer some of their time towards these activities, including participation on the Board. Al and Garth will post a lawn mowing schedule in the club house. Be sure to sign up to take a turn mowing the lawn (or remit a $40 fee with your renewal). I wish you all a great sailing season!

Phil McAmmond, Vice Commodore

Our racing program can start!

As of Saturday, we can hold club races with up to 25 people, so we will start our racing season with the keelboat race on Saturday, which other boats can join as well, and the first dinghy race of the club series on Sunday. Please be ready to sail by 1 pm both days.


Here are the key elements of the updated health regulations as they affect the club:

  • Club Races can happen up to 25 people
  • Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people
  • NO PUBLIC INDOOR Gatherings
  • CANSail Programs/Day Camps open to up to 20 participants per group. 
  • Limited number of people in the Club House at once.

Next Weekend

This past weekend, a number of members did a fantastic job of moving the club sailboats out and cleaning both the lower and upper clubhouses. Most of the opening day chores have now been completed by small groups of individuals on different weekends. Thank you to all who participated.

We can’t start racing until we get authorization from Manitoba Sailing, who are in turn waiting for approval from provincial health authorities. But members can sail all they want at the club.

We can’t hold the scheduled keelboat races this coming Saturday June 19th, but let’s get as many boats out as possible (keel boats, dinghies or cats) to “Sail around the islands” Saturday afternoon starting at 1 p.m.. A proposed course will be outlined on the blackboard. We must all comply with the rule of no more than five people from no more than three households in a boat.

Club opening postponed again

Health orders don’t allow any multi-household activities, even outdoors, so the opening has to be postponed again. If health rules change in time, we will try to schedule club opening for June 12th.

We also have to postpone the start of the racing season until health rules change.

Meanwhile, individual member households can use the club grounds to get their boats ready, go sailing, and it would be a great help if you could do some chores while they are there. Penny has sent out a list of chores that need doing.

Club opening postponed

Unfortunately, the recent public health order means we must postpone getting together to tidy the grounds, clean up the club houses, and open the Club. Originally scheduled for May 15 we anticipate the new date will be June 5, subject to the health orders that are in effect.

We do not believe there is an issue with any member going to the Club to prepare their boat for the season. In fact, if you can pitch in and knock off a few chores, opening the Club will be that much easier. The water should be on by next weekend. When at the Club if there is anyone else on the grounds other than a family member please maintain social distancing and wear a mask.

And please get your membership renewal in by May 15.