Dear Fellow Club Member
It would be remiss of me to not talk about the great debates taking place within our club and immediate environs.
Yes, they do engender emotion and conflict – sometimes very strong ones but, these strong feelings are indicative of a membership body that loves and cares for ABYC and sailing. It is often said that mankind can exist without most things except for love – take love away and we are nothing.
Starting a debate should only lead to greater understanding and better care of the institution that we hold dear.
Debate inevitably leads to compromise and a better understanding of our fellow members. As a gathering of like minded persons committed to getting the maximum enjoyment out of the sport of sailing our club is the body that will prevail long after we have shuffled off this mortal coil. Today’s debates must form part of the strong legacy that we leave behind for our fellow sailors, club, city and country.
We need to be mindful of the legacy passed down to us in the form of our various constitutions that we need to treat as living documents that can only be changed by majority consensus. Democratic process and respect for each other are the hallmarks of a great institution and it is pleasing to see this happening as we move forward in our great quest to support our sport.
A word of advice: When starting a debate everyone needs to state their end goals first – and then all parties can work towards a solution.
At the end of the day all we want to do is:
- Yacht
- Have a natter
- Enjoy the comradeship of like minded sailors
- Feel loved and appreciated
- Be proud of our club and who we are
