I can't believe it?s already nearly the end of another sailing season. We entered this year with much trepidation about Covid, wondering how to interact safely.  Fortunately, things continually improved throughout the year allowing us to have very successful social and racing events.  If you are like me, the last year and a half has been a bit foggy somehow seeming slow and incredibly fast simultaneously. It has been my true pleasure to serve as your Commodore this past year.  I would like to thank each member of our club who has served on the board or volunteered their time and talents to make things run smoothly.  I am very encouraged that multiple younger members volunteered in various capacities.  That bodes well for the future well-being of ECSC.  Everyone has talents that can be used to improve our culture and facilities, please look for ways to volunteer next season. Ki Hickok will be your Commodore next year and I am confident he will do an excellent job based upon his outstanding accomplishments as Vice Commodore. Cheers Chuck Goff

Dear Members, The kids are back to school, the leaves are beginning to change, and the days are getting shorter.  But, with the changing seasons, the wind is back and we have a lot of great sailing ahead for the remainder of the sailing season. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Vice Commodore Ki Hickok for all the projects he has gotten done this year.  I won’t list them all but our grounds look better than they have in years. The Captain's Corner is quite popular.  The new kayak rack looks fantastic and is right on the water’s edge for easy access.  We have new gravel in our parking area and rip rap at the water’s edge. Most of our buildings have been painted and the restrooms have been updated and repainted.  The race shed has new gutters to help redirect rainwater.  And, not all the additions are aesthetic.  For example, the water cooler under the race shed  has helped many of us stay hydrated on hot summer days. Please let Ki know if you appreciate all of his efforts. Chuck Goff Commodore

Greetings fellow Sailors. As we reach the midway point of the season, I wanted to pause and reflect on the great year ECSC has experienced. It’s truly a pleasure to be part of such an active organization that has developed so many social and racing activities that encompass all skills, age levels, and interests. Currently, we are blessed to have a thriving healthy club, but we must look to the future to maintain our club’s health. Last weekend as I listened to Peyton Manning give his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, he spoke of everything football had given him as well his responsibility to the future of football. It made me wonder, just what is our responsibility to ensure the future of sailing? Sailing has given us much joy and has taught us all many lessons. I have had discussions at several other sailing clubs around the country and know that although we are healthier than most, the trend is sharply declining in participation. There are several reasons, but most clubs have aging members with very few young people showing any interest in the activity we love. Our Junior Sailing program team and its camps are extremely successful, but that won’t fill the void alone. All types of volunteer organizations are struggling to meet their needs. That means we need to continually ask and collaborate on the following questions: How do we save sailing? Are we attracting new people to sailing? Are we serving as good ambassadors to sailing? I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but hopefully I piqued your interest to volunteer in some capacity. This is a volunteer club and change begins here-and-now with you. Please step forward with suggestions followed by actions to help us improve our club and to ensure the future of sailing. Chuck Goff Commodore

Wow, I can’t believe we are already halfway through our sailing season. It’s great to enjoy those beautiful sunsets from the water and count all the other sails when we are out.  One  day on the water, Nancy and I counted 24 sails!  That’s fantastic! Racing and social are off and running strong.  Don’t forget to register for the ECSC pursuit regatta this next weekend and if you RSVP’d in time for the Beach Party, don’t forget to put on those party duds and bring your favorite chair.  Watch for details for the upcoming Ladies Sail on August 14th. It has come to my attention that some of our new members are not fully aware of how we do things and might need a little help and encouragement, i.e., how much does ice cost?  If you're not sure about anything, grab someone or just give me a call and I’ll help you (or connect you) with someone who will. We are glad you are here. Chuck Goff Commodore 317-938-1019

The 2021 season is off to a fast start with a lot more to come. We have already had a successful Mayor’s Cup regatta, Wednesday racing, Sunday honors racing, two social events and Junior Sailing Camp. It’s good to see old friends and meet new members both on land and on the water. Personally, I am thrilled to be more socially involved, last year did not work well for my personality type. I know many of us may have fallen into socially withdrawn habits and may not be as outgoing as we used to be due to COVID-19. So please share a smile, a wave and a warm greeting to our fellow sailors. Our club has long been known as a friendly haven for our members so let’s continue that tradition. Also, if you haven’t seen someone this year please grab the directory and give them a call. Additionally, remember that your volunteer board members and those working on their behalf are doing their very best. If you have suggestions, please volunteer to help make things better. If the food at an event doesn’t come as quickly as you would like, remember that we always have lines, and we don’t always have exactly what you want to eat. We are all ready to have our events back the way they used to be. One last request is to put large items in the dumpster and not in the trash cans as just a few boxes will fill the entire can and makes a huge mess that attracts raccoons. Cheers, Chuck Goff Commodore

I love Spring. It is invigorating to watch our club come back to life. I love to meet new members and to catch up with old friends. But, what I love most is observing fellow members helping each other prepare for the season. When we help each other we are volunteering our services. In fact, helping each other is a central part of our sport and what our sailing club is all about. Worded another way, we are volunteering. But, what does that really mean? According to Merriam Webster, a volunteer is “a person who expresses a willingness to undertake a service.” Being a volunteer means that you are offering something – something that is not required nor an obligation. You might volunteer because the optimist inside you, perhaps the idealist, spies a glimmer of hope. You see that your time is worth it…you believe that you are capable of inciting change and making progress. Most of the time, to volunteer means that you are working with others which connects you as you are working toward a common goal. You are connected with both the problem and the solution, and you are benefitting others as well as yourself. But where to start, you ask. What special skills or talents do you bring to the table? Are you a strong communicator? Do you work well with your hands? Are you creative? Do you like to study laws and policies? Do you want to use the same skill set you use during the workday when you volunteer? Perhaps you want to go in a completely different direction. Quite simply, our club is run by volunteers. Remember that volunteers are busy people. They often have jobs, families, and obligations outside of our club…so please treat them kindly. Being a volunteer means that even the smallest gestures make a big difference. So, get out there and help to make the world and our club a little brighter and kinder. Decide what being a volunteer means to you and run with it. If you would like to help in any way, please reach out to a club officer. We would be happy to find a way to get you plugged in. See you at the club Chuck Goff Commodore

It has been very exciting to see many of our ECSC family preparing their boats and working on the grounds for the sailing season. Thank you to all who joined the work party on March 27th. A few hardy souls have already been out on the water this year, the rest of us look forward to joining you very soon. Please keep a close eye on email and Facebook for announcements regarding Club developments as national, state and local restrictions evolve. Thankfully we have a fantastic board with a lot of exciting plans lined up for the 2021 season. Lastly please don’t be bashful about sharing your adventures at our beloved club and also beyond our waters, we all love to live vicariously through others sailing adventures. Cheers, Commodore Chuck Goff