I would like to start my last Commodore Comments with a thanks to all who volunteered this past year to help make our club the best bang for the buck of any Club in the area if not the Northwest.
Thank you to our board members who gave excellent guidance in what can be considered a most difficult year. I will give Matt Sprick the gavel as soon as someone gives it to me. Not much use for a gavel when our meetings are by zoom. Mark Forrest headed the search for our new media manager Jose Vega. Al Avey, Stephanie Lunceford and Katie Thomas are ready to move up the ranks and with another year of experience will be better prepared for their turn as Commodore. Big thank you to Rob Moline who had the most bizarre tenure on the board.
Rich Aaring and our outgoing media manager Karen Nousen provided me excellent support making my job much easier. Not sure how long Rich will continue in his position but the board will definitely need his council in the future. He has an amazing memory of past club events and members.
Our Port Commission was extremely active this year. Gary Powell was involved in more projects than you can imagine. When there was a need he was alway available. Paul Stephens, Gordon Mattatal and Russell Petersen offered excellent advise and were involved in a number of big projects.
Marji Clune was an ever present leader on work parties. Less than 3 weeks after her trailer was destroyed by fire, she was out leading a group of members.
Katie Bloom O’Brien and Darcy Howard got the club off to a great start with the opening of the new Deck, Commodore Moline’s thank you, awards and remembrance of members who past away during the previous 2 years. With the Commodore’s Ball and Steak Bash cancellation, we will have a similar event in 2022.
Never one to say quit, Janell Skeen will lead sail school in 2022. Her effort to have a full sail school this year did not go unnoticed. With external factors changing constantly, she was able to put together a 2 day event that was very well received by all of those that attended.
Mark and Sheena Schroeder, our Membership Chairs, added 24 new members during a covid year. Ted Walkup ran the Race Committee providing Race Committee and Rescue boat staff for Thursday racing. Rex, Bonnie and Jennifer Ballenger headed the Mid Summer regatta which turned out to be the only regatta the club hosted in 2021. Rae Anne Chamberlain and her group put on a covid friendly 4th of July. Thank you to all who volunteered their time.
Much appreciation goes to the membership that was flexible in their expectations which made our jobs much easier.
My hope is that Matt will do a better job in getting the lake filled than I was. Covid will be a thing of the past, fingers crossed. The club will be more available to its members. Regattas will return. We will have potlucks with a great assortment of food and fellowship. Sail School will be the great event it has been in the past and fireworks will brighten the sky on July 4th.
It has been my privilege to be Commodore of the Eugene Yacht Club, an honor made greater by the quality of the membership I was asked to lead. I am looking forward to next year working with Matt and our new board of directors. My hope is that we can work on some of the projects were were unable to complete this year,

Richard Johnson, Commodore