D/C Blog #2
Hi Everyone,
It is some time since my last blog, and an update is long overdue. Much has happened since I wrote the first one.
Vancouver Island North District (VIND) had a very successful District Rendezvous at Maple Bay Marina in August. The numbers were not huge, but those who came had a great time, and we had visitors from both Vancouver Island South and Pacific Mainland Districts. Now plans are under way to hold next year's Rendezvous north of Nanaimo, probably at French Creek, to make it easier for our northern members to come by boat. Let's face it; we are a boating organization after all!
Recently I, along with several other VIND members, attended the CPS National Conference in Sherbrooke, Quebec. CPS volunteers were kept busy with meetings and seminars, being brought up to date with advances (and the odd setback) within the organization. Accompanying guests were treated to excellent tours while the rest of us worked. In the evenings we all partied away till the small hours. It is some years since the conference has been hosted by a Francophone District, and I must compliment the organizing committee on a job well done. The Friday evening entertainment, in particular, was outstanding. These events really cement the comradeship between all of the various Districts of CPS.
Now VIND has the task of hosting an equally successful conference next year in Nanaimo. Members of the Nanaimo organizing committee were very visible in Sherbrooke, where they had a booth, sold conference shirts and vests, and took advance registrations. They also showed a beautiful promotional presentation developed by Past District Commander Don Butt, using some of his phenomenal photography of local sights. In addition, part of the accompanying music was played by Nanaimo Commander Barry Ensign, whose expertise on the guitar is second to none. We do have some really talented members in our district. The presentation was very warmly received by the conference attendees, and we even managed to give a short speech of invitation in both English and French.
The conference in Nanaimo will take place October 21-23, 2010 at the new Nanaimo Conference Centre. The key organizing committee members are in place, and plans are on schedule. However we will need many helpers during the conference itself, to do things like manning the registration desk, driving shuttle buses (as the hotel next to the Conference Centre has not been built) and numerous other tasks. It will not be a large commitment of time, and will provide an opportunity to for local members to get a flavour for the national CPS scene. We are also offering to take conference attendees on the Nanaimo Squadron's student cruise on the Sunday - through Dodd Narrows to Pirates Cove and back through False Narrows. We will need lots of boats, so help us out if you can. I invite you to visit Nanaimo 2010, our conference web site, which gives full details of the conference.
I look forward to meeting many of our District's members as I visit the various squadrons over the next few months, and thank everyone who helps to make VIND one of the most successful districts in CPS.
Sheila Boutcher
June 26, 2009: Allow Me to Introduce Myself....
Hi everyone. This is my first effort at writing a blog for the VIND website. As one who hails from the "before blogs" generation, I am not quite sure what I should be putting in it. On most blogs that I read, people seem to bear their inner souls to the world - not my style!
So, what is my background, and how did I get to be District Commander of one of the finest Districts in Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (in my opinion anyway)?
I have been sailing since 1966 when Nick and I bought our first keelboat - a Thunderbird - a good west coast design, although ours was boatyard built in Nova Scotia. We spent many happy hours on it, sailing Lake Ontario with our two sons who were 9 months and two years old when we started. As they grew, and we had a little more money, we graduated to an Alberg 30 which we took every summer to the Thousand Islands. We sold it when we moved to Montreal, and got a CS22 with a swing keel for the shoal waters of Lake St. Louis (if we went aground we just got off and pushed the boat off the mud!). Another move took us to Winnipeg, where we sailed the CS on Lake Winnipeg, and then bought an Irwin 30 on Lake of the Woods - marvelous cruising country on the Canadian Shield. Finally, in 1997 we made a retirement move to Nanaimo, where we bought our present boat - an Ontario 32 which has been our floating home as we cruise the fabulous Pacific Coast.
Both Nick and I took our Boating courses in the 1960s, and have been active in CPS since then. As we moved across the country, CPS members became our friends in every location. When we came to the Nanaimo, we already had a nucleus of people that we knew, and that was a great beginning in a new community. We started going to District meetings, and before we knew it were involved once again. I have lots of background in CPS from my involvement over the years, which is probably why I was asked to take on the position of District Commander.
In subsequent blogs I will probably say a little more about our District happenings. Meanwhile, if you want to find out the latest news on the CPS National front, please click on District Commander's Reports.
I hope to see lots of members at our District Rendezvous at Maple Bay, August 21-23 (see Upcoming Events). It should be lots of fun.