Message from the Commodore

On behalf of the Commodoress and I, thank you for the Commodore Salute during the opening of Short Creek on April 2.  The kind words, encouragement and support provided was humbling, thanks to all that participated.  The raft up afterwards was great and Sarah Grace led the ceremony to donate her Covid19 facemask to the water gods in hopes we never need to wear them again.  The pot luck back at the club featured many members showing off their cooking talents.  Our catered events are great, but I think we have better food when our members cook.  My favorite was Paul Smith's smoked ribs which had me sneaking back for seconds.

Amy and I are looking forward to the Commodore Party on May 7 and hope can all join in the fun.  I know the committee, headed up by Kim Van Staagen, has been working hard on the plans and they will put on a great event. 

As a warm up to the Commodore Party I would like to challenge all the golfers to join me in the Commodore Open which will be held at Gunters Landing golf course starting at 3 pm on Friday May 6.  Get your sticks ready for some fun.  The format will be scramble with bogey as the maximum score and women are encouraged to join in the fun.  We will have some special forward tee spots for the ladies so men, you can forget thinking you will have the long drive on every hole.

Thanks to those that are participating in the Beer Club.  Paul Tatum reports that it is working so far and he can continue keeping beer on tap as long as the donations continue.  He is open to suggestions if you have a favorite brew that you want the club to sample.

This year's Board of Governors continues to impress me with lots of good ideas and sound decisions.  The board is rarely unanimous on its thinking and that is a good thing.  We openly discuss different points of view before we vote and implement the final decisions.  This month we decided to take down the dead pine trees outside the gate as well as the hickory tree between the sidewalk and the pool.  The pines are an eyesore and have the potential of falling and causing harm.  The hickory drops nuts and leaves into the pool creating a mess.  The board also approved money to start implementing the architect's plans for landscaping.  The first step will focus on improvements around the clubhouse.

Steve Bosse has taken the club treasurer tracking and reporting to a new level.  Steve is not only reporting on our current status but is providing a forward looking projection of where we will end the year.  The plan this year was to gradually build our cash reserves for normal operations and so far we are on track to exceed our goal.  It is still early in the year and we never know when the next unexpected expense will hit but we will be better positioned to manage it with our increasing cash reserve.

Special thanks to Glenn Curenton for working on the club insurance.  This is one of our largest expenses and with all the rates going up and less companies willing to insure facilities like ours he had to do some serious work to get us the best deal.  Contract was signed using the largest publicly traded property and casualty company in the world, Chubb.

Cable TV continues to be an area the board is grappling with since it is a $25,000 a year expense and few like the DTA boxes we have to deal with.  With our improved Wifi more people are abandoning the cable and using the same services they use from home via streaming services.  The board will be sending a survey to better understand how members are using the cable service and if we should consider alternatives.  Please respond to the survey when it is sent this month. 

Life on the lake is great, be safe.  I am here to serve, please call, text, email or flag me down on the dock any time you want to talk.

Chuck Wills, Commodore  willscharles@gmail.com   (256) 506 7773   POSITIVITY

Message from the Vice Commodore

April is going to be full of activities and the most important is the Club Appreciation Day (at least it is if you are Vice Commodore)!  Club Appreciation Day will be April 30th. The following weekend is the Commodore Party, so please plan to come and help tidy up the club and the gardens. Many hand make light work and it is a good way to meet members and build friendships. If anyone wants to take on a specific task, please let me know and I will make sure you have everything you need to get the job done.

Denson tree service removed 6 trees this week including the 5 dead pines outside the gate and one hickory tree which was too close to the pool and a constant nuisance with leaves and nuts in the pool.

Dick Mortimer donated use of a mini excavator and Skip Boyer showed off his expertise as an operator and made quick work of the old bushes around the clubhouse that did not fit into the landscape architect's plans.  Billy McCarty used his connections to order the plants which fill in where the old plants were removed around the clubhouse.  Please bear with us while the work is in progress.  It will look better when it is completed.

Pete Van Staagen, Vice Commodore  petervs@knology.net   KATINKA TIME

Message from the Rear Commodore

We are at 98 members with one new potential junior member on the bulletin board.  

Please welcome our newest members, Tony and Vickie Thomas.  They have been very active in attending functions at the club and many have already met them.  Their boat name is Uncaged.  If you have not yet done so, please welcome them when you see them.

Billy McCarty, Rear Commodore  b.mccarty4@icloud.com  NAUTI BY NATURE

Message from the Entertainment Director

Labor Day Weekend Planning:

On April 2, we had an organizational meeting for the Labor Day weekend party.  For those who are new to the Club, our Club invites our reciprocating Tennessee River Clubs (Chattanooga, Fort Loudoun and Turtle Point) for a weekend of fun, food, music, games and camaraderie over the Labor Day weekend.  It starts Friday and ends on Sunday before Labor Day. This year's theme is college football.  I have only lived in the southeast for a few years and have found the excitement of college football very special.  Just come watch an Alabama game with a couple of ladies you know from the Club and you will learn right away that college football is not just a game.

As is typical of this Club, we do not hire out everything but many members pitch in lots of help to make this event possible.  This is a great time to work as a team, get involved and meet other members.  There are many options and levels of participation, some you can lead, some just lend a hand and others get your elbows dirty.  We are still looking for help in the following areas and hope you will consider jumping in even if you don't know what you are doing. 

Games Leader - Be in charge of games for Saturday

Game Hosts for the following games:

Corn Hole

Football Golf

Horseshoe Tournament

Punt, Pass and Kick

Kayaks

Other

Host Boat - we already have 5 but need one more.  This job requires putting on a tailgate type, heavy appetizer meal on the dock behind/beside your boat, decorating in the theme of the weekend.  You will have a budget from the club and can ask another couple to help if you like.

Photographer - take pictures and have slide show running on a tv during the weekend.

Posters - design and print 12 posters to advertise the event at our Club and at the other Clubs which we have invited.

Help decorate the weekend before the party.

Please contact me if you are interested in participating or if you have questions about any of the jobs.  We look forward to working together to make this a great event!

Other upcoming parties:

Emmett and Susan Smith are hosting a party and it is expected to be a big one.  Due to circumstances that could not be controlled, the new Brewers Cooperative will not be able to open due to construction issues. So, Emmett and Susan are moving the party to the Lake Guntersville Yacht Club. Since they no longer have a restaurant and bar to provide food and drinks, we will be doing a POT-LUCK dinner & BYOB. So, please bring a dish to share with everyone and bring your favorite beverage(s). They will probably have about 175 people, so think big as far as your dish to share. They will have Seth Sullivan with Sullivan Productions (DJ) for music and bartenders to mix your favorite cocktails at the new LGYC bar. Bring your dancing shoes and let's celebrate our ability to adapt and overcome when it comes to having a party.

Seth Sullivan Productions (DJ) will be setting up outside, weather permitting, on the new covered patio, lake view included, and will be providing great dance music. He will set up inside if weather is an issue. Regardless, bring your dancing shoes and let us celebrate life!

Event Schedule:

6:00-6:30 Cocktails

6:30-7:30 Dinner

7:30-?? Music by DJ

Dave Nyenhuis, Entertainment Committee Chairman  dnyenhuis@mail.com   JOBSITE

Message from the Safety Committee

The weather is beginning to warm and boaters are fixing all the little problems with their boats to be ready for the season. Safety should be a major consideration. Rainy days are good days to spend time out of the weather checking safety gear so that when the weather is right you are ready to go.

Personal Floatation Devices, PFDs (lifejackets to some) need to be inspected and, in some cases, serviced to ensure they perform as needed in an emergency. Here are some things to check to be sure your PFD is serviceable and meets USCG requirements. Check your PFDs often for rips, tears, and holes, and to see that seams, fabric straps, and hardware are okay. Small tears may be repaired, but any hole big enough to allow floatation to escape means a PFD should be destroyed and a replacement obtained. There should be no signs of water-logging, mildew odor, or shrinkage of the buoyant materials. Don't forget to test each PFD at the start of each season. Remember, the law says your PFDs must be correctly sized and matched to your passengers before you set out on a cruise. Inflatable PFDs have special service and maintenance requirements that should be followed in accordance with manufacturer directions. Any PFD that does not meet standards should be disabled and discarded.

Many boaters have furry crew members that are valued members of their family and it would be a shame if any of those fur babies were maimed or worse because of an avoidable accident. All dogs can become aggressive when when they perceive a threat, particularly other dogs. Large breeds can be especially dangerous in that owners can have difficulty controlling them but even small dogs can cause damage. All breeds are capable of causing serious injury to children or adults. The bottom line, please make sure to keep your dogs, regardless of size, leashed or confined to your boat per club rules.  At no time are pets allowed in the clubhouse or swimming pool enclosure.

Safety Committee,  Paul Wolfsberger paul.wolfsberger@gmail.com  Slip Away and Gregg Turner  geturner13@gmail.com Summer Wind

From the Editor

Upcoming Events:

4-16-22 Emmett and Susan Smith Potluck

4-30-22  Club Appreciation Day - bring your work gloves!

5-6-22  Commodore's Open Golf Tournament

5-7-22  Commodores' Party

Bonnie Ballard and Curtis Combs are headed south on SATISFACTION with The Bahamas as their destination.  They are keeping us up to date on Facebook.  The last report I saw showed them closing in on Cape Coral near Fort Myers.  They seem to be having a wonderful trip. No mechanical or other issues have been noted so hopefully, all is well!

If any of you have news or announcements to be included in the next newsletter, please let me know.  Looking forward to seeing you all on the docks soon!

Sarah Grace, Newsletter Editor

sbeckgrace@aol.com   256-337-5677   SARAH G