Toronto Boat Show 2010

The GLCC was once again represented at the Toronto International Boat Show which took place from January 9 to 17, this year for our tenth year in a row. We signed up 16 members which, although not up to the record-setting number last year, is still respectable.

Once again, I am grateful to Ian Shaw (Unicorn III), Deputy Port Captain for Meaford on Georgian Bay, who helped me to set up the booth. On the first Saturday, Vice Commodore Mel Wallbank came in from Port Huron along with Glen Parsons (Windemere) from Grimsby on Lake Ontario. On Sunday, Mike Kilbreath, Deputy Port Captain for Sarnia, along with Garry McClean (Watermark) from the Kawartha Lakes in the Trent-Severn System and Michele Fordyce helped staff the booth.

During the week and the following weekend, the volunteers included: Mike Kilbreath again; Ian Shaw for the second and third time; Bruce and Anne Arthur (Okaga) from Toronto; Rob Maurice from Toronto (twice); Port Captain Pat O’Connor from Southampton ON; Bruce Davies from Port Credit ON (twice); Deputy Port Captain for Midland ON, George and Dorothy Bartlett (Lucretia); Port Captain for Longuissa Bay on Georgian Bay, Gerry and Lynda Hawke (Aerie); Klaus Meyer (Spirit) from Toronto (twice); David and Ginny Shogren from Ontario NY; Port Captain for Wiarton, Ted and Fern Youngs (Ted’s Toy 2); Port Captain for Amherstburg ON, Brad and Pat Somers (twice); Dorit and Martin Girash from Leamington ON; Rear Commodore Tom Lawson from Sarnia ON; Port Captain for Toronto Outer Harbour, Murray Abbott; Carl and Patty Lundgren (Marguerite) from Rochester NY; Port Captain for Toronto Islands, Mike Carter and Port Captain for Port McNicoll ON, Ted and Marie O’Leary (Trollop).

Congratulations to all of you for a job well done and particular thanks to those who served more that one shift and to Ian Shaw who also helped set up the booth and Mike Carter and Ted and Marie O’Leary, who helped dismantle it.

We should all remember that signing up new members is only the beginning. We must ensure that their membership experience is rewarding and that they will stay for the long term. For that, all of us need to be mindful of new members and to welcome them, mentor them and, most important, include them in our fun.

Report by Commodore J. E. Fordyce