|
Most of you come from programs that have well-established junior
programs. Believe it that the majority of this country has not yet heard
about the Optimist and its benefits. We get calls every day from someone
at a Yacht club that realizes they need a strong Junior program if they
are to survive in the 21 St. century. These individuals need all the
help they can get from you. Many people at USODA are working on manuals,
sections to US sailing Level one courses that are Opti pacific, regional
directors to aid local groups, etc. They cannot do it a lone. What can
you do? You can volunteer to your regional director to form a group to
put on a small clinic at a near by club. You can be a mentor to the
person seeking assistance. Most of these spark plugs as I call them, are
up against an older board of directors that has not even noticed boats
rarely leave the harbor and that the average age of club members exceeds
60. The spark plug needs your support to over come the obstacles that
will be set before him. He needs ideas, help setting up tax-exempt
status, help with ideas for financing etc. He needs your child along
with several others to come out and show the parents of the new club how
a young person can excel in the sport of sailing at a young age.
Selling the class to new programs is the best way we can stop the
oddball training boats on the market today. It is the best way to
provide long term grow and financing for USODA. It will help assure the
resale value of you used Optimist when you have aged out. If you are
going on a summer vacation think about arranging a half-day stop over at
Yacht club along the way to put on a little show for the class. Kenneth
Andreasen can probably set you up with a club in need.
McLaughlin Boat Works, World
Champion Boatbuilder For Over 40 Years. |