Recruiting new members is key to our success

In this month’s issue of Lifeline, we feature Lou Bruska sharing with our members cruising some Lake Michigan Ports Less Traveled.  Lou and his wife, Laurel, are very experienced cruisers, especially on Lake Michigan, and he shares with us his thoughts on several NW Lake Michigan ports.

I also want to acknowledge Lou for his past work as the Harbor Reports editor and for his many speaking engagements on behalf of the GLCC at boat shows and other events. Lou and Laurel are valuable members of the GLCC.

Coming up quickly is the GLCC Annual General Membership meeting in Frankenmuth, Mich. See other articles in this issue for all the details. And join us to welcome Joe McKeown as our new Commodore and Craig Shantz as our new Vice Commodore. These members will lead our organization over the next couple of years and need your support. Please refer to the GLCC website event calendar to register for the annual meeting and separately make your hotel reservations at the Bavarian Lodge.

Speaking of Joe: He and his wife, Karen, live in Ann Arbor and sail a Jeanneau sailboat out of their home port of Duncan Bay. Joe will bring his marketing background to help lead the GLCC for the next two years. 

Craig Shantz is married to Jeanne. They sail an Island Packet sailboat out of their home port of Suttons Bay (Grand Traverse Bay). Both Joe and Craig have backgrounds in running events — a valuable skill for the GLCC.

Recruiting new members is a key success factor in our organization. The GLCC has engaged a digital marketing company to help us place ads on the social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) in a strategy to prospect for new members in a more current method. We view this new strategy as a six-month test to see if it helps us identify and recruit new members.

Enjoy the balance of your 2024 boating season. Be safe out there.