Ahoy! Welcome to summer, which officially starts on the longest day of the year, aka solstice, Thursday, June 20th! I hope to see many of you at our ‘Sailstice’ on June 22nd.
At our May General Membership Meeting at ALYC, I announced that we, as your Board of Directors, are proposing some amendments to our current Bylaws.
Amending Bylaws is essential to ensure that the Association’s governing guidelines accurately reflect the current practices and values of the Association. As updates are made within the organization, such as changes in leadership structure, operational procedures, or mission statements, it is crucial that these modifications are also reflected in the Bylaws. By doing so, it helps to maintain clarity, consistency, and alignment between the organization’s actions and its established rules and regulations. Regularly reviewing and updating our Bylaws ensures that the Association remains compliant, adaptable, and effective in achieving its goals.
To that end, all current members in good standing should have received an email on 5/29 announcing the June meeting with a redlined version of our current Bylaws attached, along with the final version as proposed. Please review carefully as you will be called upon to vote on these amendments via Election Runner at our General Membership Meeting on June 12th at Wind & Sea Restaurant in Dana Point Harbor. You do not need to be physically present to vote. Every member in good standing will receive an email on June 12th with a link to vote via Election Runner between 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to me at commodore@wsaoc.org.
Fair winds & following seas!
June 1 - World Reef Awareness Day
June 2 - National First Ladies Day
June 5 - World Environment Day
June 8 - World Ocean Day
June 12 - General Membership Meeting – Wind&Sea, Dana Point
Time: 7:00 pm
June 15 - International Surfing Day
June 16 - Father's Day
June 19 - Juneteenth
June 20 - Summer Solstice
June 22 - Summer Sailstice OTW – Newport Beach
Thank you, thank you, thank you to our WSA-OC Newport Harbor Cruise Parade participants: Watts of Fun, Candy Shop, Tara, Confidence, Shindig, and the entire WSA-OC Crew!
We had a blast last month cruising Newport Harbor in dresses, hats, and ties, with our WSA- OC burgees waving proudly as we toasted one another. Any day on the water is a good one, but this on-the-water event was extraordinary.
June 22nd is your next opportunity to join the party. WSA-OC will participate in Summer Sailstice 2024, an annual international celebration of sailing.
This special day was created to unite sailors worldwide and to celebrate a shared passion for sailing. Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County invites all members to participate by joining us for a fun day sail in Newport Beach. Wear your WSA-OC swag and welcome SUMMER as we celebrate Sailstice with fellow members. This event is not just for sailors—all boaters are welcome.
Upcoming 2024 OTW Plans: Saturday, June 22: Summer Sailstice - Newport Beach Thursday-Sunday, July 25 - 28th - Annual Trip to Catalina Island, Two Harbors
JUNE RACING CALENDAR
ALYC
June 3, 10, 17, 24 - Sundowners
BCYC
June 4, 11, 18, 25 - Taco Tuesday - Evening Series
DWYC
June 7-9 - Annual Charity Regatta Benefiting The American Cancer Society
Embark on an epic journey across the Pacific Ocean with John "Brynjo" Brynjolfsson, as he recounts his exciting tale of the TransPac race on Saga at WSA-OC’s next General Membership Meeting on June 12th.
Brynjo offers a unique perspective on the highs and lows of the race, the teamwork required to succeed, and the memorable experiences shared with fellow sailors. He recruits women to join his team for four reasons: 1) It promotes meritocracy in the sport, allowing skilled female sailors to compete at a high level. This can help break down gender barriers and encourage more women to participate in sailing; 2) Women sailors bring a wealth of skill and expertise to the team, as demonstrated by their success in various sailing competitions; 3) Women enhance the overall team performance by bringing different perspectives and strategies; and 4) Women on board encourage men to behave! 😉
I hope you will join us this month at our new Dana Point meeting location, The Wind & Sea Restaurant.
Planning for our two major philanthropy events has started!!!
Adventure Sail, 8/10 in Dana Point: This is a nation-wide event that we celebrate with our National Women’ Sailing Association Sisters. In Orange County, we treat girls from the Boys and Girls Club of San Clemente to a fun day of sailing, gift bags filled with nautical treats, and a one-of a-kind experience on the water.
Women in the Wind, 9/21 in Newport Beach: This is a special day! We provide a day of sailing, lunch, and gift bags to women from the Soroptimist Club—a support group for women who have experienced some of life’s greatest challenges and are working diligently to turn their lives around. This day provides these women with a life-changing experience and personal empowerment as they master the wind and waves with the amazing women of WSA-OC!
Thank you to those who have volunteered already to help. If you haven’t had a chance to express your interest in volunteering yet, here are some ways to be involved:
1.The number of girls and women we can serve is directly proportional to the number of boat owners who can share their boats. Please contact me or Vice Commodore, Candice Coleman ASAP to schedule your boat for these events.
2. A sign-up sheet was passed around at our May meeting for gift bag donations for Adventure Sail, so please remember to bring your items to the June meeting or contact me to make other arrangements if you can’t attend the June meeting. A sign-up sheet for Women in the Wind gift bags will be circulated at our July meeting for the September event. Start planning now for t-shirts, water bottles, beach towels, and Bath and Body Works type items. On average, 10-20 items are assembled for each of these events.
3. Help is always needed on the day of the event for set-up, food pick-up, first mates, and hostesses on the land.
If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact me at philanthropy@wsaoc.org. Thank you for all that you do to make a difference!!
Happy Birthday to Our Members
At WSA-OC, we celebrate our members’ birthdays by recognizing them in our newsletters and at our monthly meetings. We celebrate the following members with birthdays in June:
Estela Tejidor June 3rd Robbie Smith June 4th Christine McIlwain June 9th
Jennifer Bopp June 10th Lori Romano June 18th Vicki Sweet June 22nd Lidia Grasso June 24t
Christina Addison June 25th Linda Kiernan June 27th Carmen Julia Dooner June 30th
Gym Greenwald Sometime in June
Membership Auto-Renewal Process
During 2023, we announced a new process for renewing your membership. Great news: your membership will automatically renew on your membership anniversary date. There is no need to remember to renew manually. Now, you will receive an email two weeks prior to your membership anniversary date notifying you that the card we have on file from last year will be charged for the next year of membership.
If you no longer want to renew your membership, you can opt out or cancel your membership and you will not be charged for the renewal. You can cancel your auto renewal membership and/or update your information such as your address, boat ownership, etc., by completing the form on our Existing Members - Update Information webpage
Get Your WSA-OC On!!
Grab items from our store and show off your pride as a member of WSA-OC! Come to our next General Membership meeting to grab some of our new inventory!!
I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of The Whistle.
You can remain informed about all WSA-OC happenings and events by visiting our website, which includes our calendar of events and meetings. I update this calendar regularly when event/meeting organizers solidify details of dates, times, and locations. I also email all members at the address we have on file with the details of meetings and events (including links to sign up). If you miss an email, I post those details in ourFacebook Members-Only Groupand Public Facebook Page as well, so be sure to keep an eye out for opportunities to get involved. You can also find our past editions of The Whistle on our website if you miss the email I send on the 1st of every month.
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 11041, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, United States