Happy New Year!!! I hope this newsletter finds you in high spirits and filled with anticipation for exciting times ahead. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I share my heartfelt excitement for serving as your 2024 Commodore. I am truly honored you chose me to lead our organization into the future and entrusted me with this esteemed position. I assure you I will work tirelessly to justify the faith you have placed in me to bring value to your membership. As we move forward into the new year, I want to emphasize the importance of upholding our mission statement, which has guided us over the years to strive for excellence and to create a community that fosters camaraderie, growth, and memorable experiences for all our members. To ensure we stay true to our mission, I am excited to work hand in hand with our exceptional 2024 Board of Directors—a diverse group of individuals who share the same passion for our organization and its values. Together, we will form a powerhouse team dedicated to delivering the best experiences and opportunities for our members.
One of my main goals as Commodore is to continue what was started in 2023 by holding collaborative events with other yacht clubs and fostering a safe and unintimidating environment for anyone wanting to break into the racing space. I also recognize that change is inevitable and embracing it can lead to amazing transformations. Throughout my term, I will focus on innovation and exploring new avenues to expand our offerings and enhance member experiences. From organizing fun and exciting events to providing more educational opportunities, we will continually strive to exceed your expectations. I will also listen to your needs and ideas. Your input is crucial in shaping the future of our organization, and your voices will be heard.
Thank you again for giving me the incredible opportunity to serve as your 2024 Commodore. You can count on me to lead with integrity, transparency, and a deep commitment to fulfilling our mission statement.
As your incoming Vice Commodore, I am excited to welcome one and all to play “on the water” in 2024! Our outgoing Vice Commodore (and 2024 Commodore), Debra Osborne, did an amazing job organizing fun events in Alamitos Bay, Avalon, Dana Point and Newport Beach. I hope you all joined at least one of those events last year. If not, make it your goal this year.
Our WSA-OC boat owners were also very generous in sharing their boats and time last year to provide members monthly opportunities on the water at our WSA-OC events. With dreams of fair winds and matching seas, I hope to see as many or more members participate this year. Candy Shop, my 35.5’ Coronado is moored in Newport Harbor, and she is ready to sail.
I would also love to hear from you if you have any ideas for on the water events this year. It would be wonderful to build a committee to assist with planning and execution. If you’re interested in volunteering your time, please reach out to me! I would also personally like to get to know more of you and to see more members involved in our association.
I joined WSA-OC a little over one year ago to meet other women who sail. Prior to joining WSA-OC, I sailed with a group in San Diego but was having difficulty finding people to sail or race with in Orange County. After becoming involved with WSA-OC over the past year and meeting many incredible women, I decided to run for the position of Rear Commodore because I saw it as an opportunity to become even more involved in the boating community, to learn more myself, and to meet more like-minded people.
I would like to use my position on the Board of Directors to bring members opportunities for education and entertainment and to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone to do something you have never done before and to attend our monthly meetings! I have a great speaker already lined up for our February General Membership Meeting, who will share thoughts on "Choosing the Right Sail."
In my first term as Communications Director in 2023, my number one goal was to deliver timely and accurate information to all members about upcoming events, meetings, and WSA-OC happenings to ensure members were aware of opportunities to participate and engage in our organization. I also strived to recruit and engage new members by increasing our visibility on WSA-OC’s public social media accounts by promoting our events and sharing news and photos with the public. Behind the scenes, I worked with our 2023 Board of Directors to strengthen WSA-OC’s operating procedures. I am dedicated to continuing the momentum in my second term as Communications Director in 2024. I am confident the newly elected Board will deliver an incredible experience for our members, and I hope to build excitement about these opportunities by promoting them.
To that end, you can remain informed by visiting our website, which includes our calendar of events and meetingsthat I update regularly when event/meeting organizers solidify details. You can also find our past editions ofThe Whistle on our website if you miss the email I send on the 1st of every month. I also email and post the details of events and meetings in our Facebook Members-Only Group and Public Facebook Page. If you are not receiving emails, they may be going to your spam box, and you can contact me at communications@wsaoc.org to let me know. I look forward to another year of service and hope to see you at the next meeting or event. If we haven’t met yet, please come say hi!
Happy New Year! Say farewell to a busy, inspiring, successful, and fun-filled 2023. My own year led to adventures in Japan, Katmai Alaska, and three weeks in New Zealand! Some form of boat travel occurred on each trip, as boats have always been part of my life.
Now I look forward to working with the new WSA-OC Board in the spirit of philanthropy. As a member since the old days of WORSA, I have many happy, exciting memories—most involving the Santa Cruz sailboat, CRUISE CONTROL, with Annette Cook and Mary Swan. Those adventures continue today. I look forward to this year’s calendar of philanthropic events and meeting new friends and seeing familiar faces!
As we look forward to 2024, I’d like to welcome our new Board of Directors and the new members who joined last year. I look forward to supporting our organization by growing our membership and retaining our current members through the support of our many philanthropic and social events.
I recently joined the organization last April and have met so many interesting, fabulous, and fun people. I’m so looking forward to continuing our traditions and creating new opportunities for our members.
I’d like to continue to recognize our members on their birthdays. Please join me in wishing happy birthday to the following members who are celebrating birthdays in January:
1/2 - Leslie Christiansen
1/6 - Bonnie Lagrasso
1/8 - Brenda Highley
1/19 - Dee Caroll
1/20 - Barbara Russell
1/25 - Laura Alterman
1/25 - David Weeks
1/29 - Kara Pewthers
1/31 - Christine Simmons
As I transition from my two years as Director of Philanthropy to the role of Secretary, I have many thoughts and feelings. There are many moving parts that require a huge crew to pull off our philanthropic events including the annual AdventureSail, Women in the Wind, and Holiday Party Silent Auction, and I’m thankful to everyone who participated in these events; however, I am ready to turn the reigns over to Sylvia Stevenson, who I know will bring a great new perspective to the Philanthropy role and will enjoy your support as I have. Because I have gained so much from serving as Director of Philanthropy, I am looking forward to the new opportunity to remain on the Board as Secretary. I greatly appreciate everyone who has encouraged me along the way and am grateful for the friendships I’ve made here at WSA-OC.
When I assumed the role of WSA-OC Treasurer in 2023, my primary objectives were to swiftly familiarize myself with the responsibilities, streamline financial transactions with precision, ensure organizational compliance with nonprofit regulations, and deliver timely and insightful reports to the board. I am pleased to affirm that I met these goals!
Navigating the intricacies of our registration and Ship Store sales systems (HubSpot and Square) presented a learning curve, but the valuable information they provide significantly enhances my financial reporting capabilities. Moreover, these systems contribute to the smooth execution of WSA-OC events and philanthropic initiatives. Throughout this journey, I cultivated new friendships, strengthened existing bonds, enjoyed memorable moments on the water, and embraced the vibrant community of WSA-OC.
As I embark on another year as Treasurer, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue serving the organization. I look forward to deepening connections with our remarkable members and contributing to the continued success and camaraderie within WSA-OC.
January 1 - New Years Day
January 7 - Stand Up to Trash: Yoga, Beach Cleanup and Lunch & Learn
January 10 - WSA-OC General Membership Meeting/Induction of 2024 Board of Directors
Women's Sailing Association-Orange County is dedicated to enriching the lives of women through expanded access to sailing-related activities and educational opportunities. WSA-OC is committed to preserving and protecting our oceans and contributing to our local community through on-the-water philanthropic activities.
WSA-OC is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in its programs and activities for individuals with disabilities. Those who require a reasonable accommodation should contact commodore@wsaoc.org at least one week in advance, where possible, to make a request
Women's Sailing Association - Orange County, PO Box 937, Dana Point, CA 92629, United States