FROM THE HELM
Last month I wrote that the early feedback from Junior Sailing was great. As this year’s camps wind up - the story remains the same. Campers have had a superb time and repeatedly seem to feel that our camp is more enjoyable than other ones in the region. The instructors and leadership have done a superb job on fostering that very positive attitude. Many thanks to all of them.
Many of you may not know that there was an abrupt failure of the septic system during the first week of Junior Sailing. I can’t say enough about my appreciation for the prompt effective way this was dealt with by Jim Woodward. With the rest of Junior Sailing to go and the Gov Cup to follow - there was no question that his had to be solved - and it was!!!
Thanks again to those who have worked so hard to organize that Gov. Cup. Coming up shortly - I hope the intense heat won’t rear its ugly head. Please come to the Saturday dinner - menu looks great. With the help of Keith Hodges I had invited Gov Youngkin to come and preside over the awards ceremony. Unfortunately this isn’t happening. Looking forward to a fun weekend.
After Gov. Cup will come the Labor Day weekend. Cordon and Pat Davis with Bill and Ruth Fenstermacher have stepped up to host the Social on Sunday 9/3. The meal will be catered from Nick’s Spaghetti and Steak House. I’ve had the privilege of tasting the food to be presented and it will be a fine meal. A separate email will be sent out for info and sign up. Hopefully all who expressed dismay at the lack of an event on July 4 will be able to attend this event.
FIRST of SIX: I’ll repeat this message 6 times in the Telltale: Please plan to attend the annual meeting in January. There are significant facility and budgetary issues to be addressed in addition to changes in the Bylaws.
Quiz of the month - who said - '‘Just because you’ve seen ‘My Cousin Vinny’ doesn’t qualify you to be a federal judge.”
Bob Davis, Commodore
The Latest Fleet Scuttlebutt ...................
Hard to believe we’re staring at AUGUST already. It’s been a fairly active sailing season with good turnout for our adult sailing classes and we have a couple of months left for folks to participate.
Of course, August means Governors Cup Regatta and the end of Junior Sailing for the season. If your new to Ware River YC, the Governor’s Cup is our flagship sailing event and this year we celebrate its 59th year. Even if you aren’t a sailor, it’s great to come out and watch the event. The Saturday dinner is open to all members (for a fee), and I hope you’ll consider coming out.
And now for the nautical phrase of the month…………Toe the Line
To conform to the policies of a group.
Members of the British Royal Navy were required to stand barefoot and at attention for inspection. While at attention they lined up along the seams of the planks of the deck with their toes touching the line. This became known as "toeing" the line.
Now you know!
Fair winds and steady seas,
Jim Garrett - Fleet
Upcoming Events
September 3, Sunday Labor Day Social
October 7, Saturday Oktoberfest
November 11, Saturday Oyster Roast
Don’t be like Punt or Condiments!
What lesson can an Ancient Egyptian ally and a Georgian / Regency -era condiment set to teach the Ware River Yacht Club?
The Ancient Egyptians greatest ally and trade partner was a land called Punt. Egyptians wrote many things down about Punt, including what their houses looked like, what they liked to do for fun, and what kind of things were traded. They wrote down almost everything…except one crucial detail: where Punt actually was located. To this day, historians have no real evidence about where it was.
During the latter half of the 18th and into the 19th century, there were condiment stands mass-produced for use at home. These sets ranged from fairly basic to very ornate. No matter how fancy they were, they all had cruets—one for oil and one for vinegar—a container for salt, one for pepper, and one for… well no one actually knows what the third was for, possibly mustard but, no one can be sure.
What both of those statements have in common is that everyone thought “Who would be dumb enough to not know where Punt is, or what that third container is for?” meaning that no one wrote it down. Let this not be applied to WRYC!
Compiling a history of the club so that those that come behind us can know what it was all about is important, and YOU are the source! If you have any stories, photographs, or (specifically) any information about the items on the wall that you would like to share, please write it down (spelling is optional, we will figure it out). Remember—whether it is a story from 1971 or 2023, it is all important!
If you would like to share your story, you can email Harry Taylor at hjtaylor3@gmail.com, or call at 757-903-8101. I genuinely hope to hear from you!