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Up dated
6-25-08

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TO: Attendees, LC/ACBS Future Vision Meeting

FM: Keith Gaylord

SUBJ: Meeting Minutes

It is customary for volunteer organizations as the LC/ACBS to periodically reflect on its mission and the extent to which it is meeting its goals, objectives and aspirations. This meeting, open to all chapter members, was convened to begin the conversation about who and where we are as an ACBS chapter and who and what kind of chapter we wish to be in the future.

Loosely described as a “brain storming” session the meeting was open to all chapter members. Invitations were extended at the annual meeting in October, a chapter-wide email shortly after the annual meeting and through the chapter newsletter that was mailed the week of the meeting.

Using the “As Is” and “To Be” process – described below - we explored broad issues and themes pertinent to the chapter. This meeting was not convened to address specific chapter decisions such as future locations of the annual chapter boat show.

Larry Asam

Ed Bombard

Phil Doherty

Keith Gaylord

Mike Munson

Mike O’Brien

Hans Pfister

Steve Pond

Bill Truex

Myndy Woodruff

This was a highly participative session. Everyone eagerly and openly expressed their views on each topic and assisted in organizing the input around general themes.

To begin with each attendee was asked how they felt the chapter currently perceives itself. Then each attendee was asked how they believe non-members describe the chapter as it is today. This is the “As Is” step.

Then everyone was asked how the chapter might describe itself in the next 2 or 3 years. Correspondingly, each attendee was aked to describe how they would want the chapter to be perceived by outsiders in the next 2 or 3 years. This is the “To Be” step.

Lastly, we were asked what steps/actions the chapter might consider to address the gap between the “As Is” and “To Be” states.

The major themes, in no particular order, that the group identified meriting attention:

Chapter image

Greater diversity on the board, on committees and in chapter events

Overall membership participation

Youth involvement

Affordability

A greater variety of boats, in particular “user” boats

 

Romantics trying to keep the past alive

Hobbyists, tinkerers, mechanics, craftsmen

An OLD boys boat club

A RICH boys boat club

An aging community of boat lovers

A relatively large ACBS chapter with few active/contributing members

Restorers of past treasures

A social organization centered around a shared appreciation/love of antique and classic boats

A terrific group of interesting and caring members

A fair, encouraging and supportive community

An community that fosters strong friendships

A community of extremely talented and experienced craftspeople

Competitive as demonstrated by the annual boat show

“Vermont leaning”

Old boats of “show” quality

Serve a limited community / types of antique and classic boats

Our group has a very rich variety of boat types: Sail, runabout, utility, lapstreak, rowing, outboard

A chapter with a broader age range of members, i.e., more adolescents and young adults

A great resource for “would be” old boat members

A more diverse group of “old boat folk”

A chapter that offers more activities/programs for young adults and children

More female members; more female leadership/participation in chapter committees and activities

A board that has at least one youth member

An active outreach program

More affordable activities, e.g., the cost of meals at rendezvous

Community oriented

Ongoing youth program project

Encourage more sailboat enrollment

To be left alone to do and enjoy our individual pursuits

A group of like minded people interested in antique and classic boats

The folks who put on the annual boat show

Relatively unknown

A RICH/OLD boys club

An elite community that can afford to have show quality boats

A group that wishes to perpetuate its interest in antique and classic boats

Serve a limited community / types of antique and classic boats

A “kid friendly” organization that actively promotes and supports youth involvement

A membership community that maintains its vitality by attracting and involving new members

Known to rotate its show location between VT and NY every two years

A membership with a diverse board membership

A boating community that provides work space (carpentry shop) and storage space.

A chapter that engages with other boating communities, e.g., ACBS chapters, LCCC, LCMM

To be recognized as being the great community of “old boat” lovers that we are

Community oriented

Ongoing youth program project

Be known as a chapter that encourages “user” boats as well as show boats

Be more inclusive re: boat types, specifically fiberglass

Programmatically reaching out to encourage inactive members to be more involved and/or take leadership roles

Implementing a committee leadership mentoring program

Get friends to invite friends – kids to invite kids – to participate in all chapter activities

Define our image so that we can change our image

Actively promote the mission, values and activities of the LC/ACBS

Let it be known that you don’t need to own a boat to be a part of and enjoy the LC/ACBS chapter.

Emphasize/promote/seek out “user” class participation

“Take the show on the road”, i.e., more outreach to service organizations, youth organizations, etc.

Leverage whatever promotional material and tactics that national can provide

Seek out boat owners who are in the midst of restoration/preservation projects

Actively reach out to other boating communities, e.g., ACBS chapters, LCCC, LCMM

Offer boat handling clinics

Organize more women’s events

Invite more women to participate on the board

Provide mentoring for new committee participants and/or leaders

Work with Boy and Girl Scout troops

Participate in church groups

Reach out to youth groups and invite participation in our rendezvous

Offer boat handling clinics

Sponsor/organize “boat camps”

Create and promote an award for youth maintained boats

Connect with youth vocational/technical education centers

Connect with high school shop (industrial arts) teachers

Publicize the LC/ACBS youth activities under way, e.g., kit boat

User the kit boat to give rides to youth at our rendezvous

Design more rendezvous picnics

Tier the price of chapter annual dinners/meetings, e.g., adult and youth

Use a projected meal cost as a decision criteria when designing a rendezvous destimation

Find the boats hiding in barns.

Seek out more sailboats, .e.g., Lightnings, Thistles, etc.

More canoes

Obtain a mailing list of 1968 and older boat owners