June 2018 Compass

Compass Highlights

A Busy General Membership Meeting is in Store...

...with By-Laws changes and an assessment on the June 14 agenda.

Damage to A Dock...

...is substantial, requiring costly repairs and closing part of the dock.

Queen's Cup Race Week...

...is nearly here, with new events and expanded happenings.

 Spring Cleanup a Success; a Busy June Meeting Up Next

Jerry Kedziora

By Jerry Kedziora
Commodore

WOW! The grounds clean-up work party organized by grounds committee Chair Dick Olson went really well. We had over 80 Members show up and lend a hand as well 30 Juniors. A lot was accomplished, including raising the tent, sweeping, washing down the grounds and moving all of the tables and benches to locations around our Club.

The gardening committee was also in attendance, and they did a specular job with plantings and landscaping around the Club.

Also thanks to Mike Blackwood for organizing the team that puts in the north docks and the floating docks.

A BIG thank you to all who participated in this work party.

Thanks also to the launch crew, including Dave Wehnes, Bob Aring, Todd Weiler, Bill Bronk and Nick Casper for making the spring launch successful and safe. They are a great team.

One of my goals to improve the appearance of the Club was repairing and painting the outside committee and member lockers. I had asked Dick Olson to plan out repairs and painting. Dick had Ken Thompson repair and replace problem areas on the lockers, including new doors on several of them. Bruce Nason PC came down with his super-duper power washer and washed down all of the lockers so that they could be painted. The newly refreshed lockers really enhance the look of our grounds and our Club.

I hope that our Members will appreciate all of the hard work that went into the Grounds clean-up day and will please help us to keep our grounds clean, neat and presentable.

Tender Engine Rebuilt

A project that I had Waterfront Services director Bob Karnauskas take on was to refurbish the tender. This project included removing the old Detroit Diesel engine to replace the ring gear. The new ring gear was installed by Horny Goat Marina and the engine was reinstalled by Members including Jerry Rakowski, Bill Bronk, Jim Soike and myself.  Amazingly we had no parts left over.  Once installed, the engine started on the first try and the tender is now in the water.

We also installed a new rub rail, as the fire hose that we had as a rub rail was falling off. Along with the new rub rail we installed new fenders. Besides the other Members mentioned thanks to Jim Peterson, Todd Weiler, Bill Jelinek and Ken Thompson. As much improved as the tender looks we will not be using it to go waterskiing.

A Dock and Other Areas Need Repairs

On another note:  As many Members are aware, the end of A Dock was damaged over this past winter. As a result we had to close the two end slips and we will not allow any docking on the face dock because the entire dock sheared off the supporting pilings. This is an unsafe condition. Please observe the no docking signs until we can complete this repair. Rear Commodore Greg Gaitens has a complete discussion in his article elsewhere in this Compass. 

In addition, our fuel tank monitoring system failed and needs to be replaced. Adding to our challenges, the upper mechanism on the diesel pump also broke. What this means is that we cannot determine how many gallons of diesel fuel we pump, and we cannot track the cost of what we have pumped and sold.

$100 Assessment Proposed

All of these repairs are going to have a cost associated with them. As a result, at the May Board of Directors meeting, your Board approved asking the membership to approve an assessment not to exceed $100 per Active Member to pay for these repairs. Please read the articles in this issue from Greg and from Waterfront Services director Bob Karnauskas explaining these projects and the costs involved.

We would also like to be able to use some of this assessment money to repair the stairs at the west end of the lower deck as well. Due to perhaps a poor foundation, these stairs are pulling away from the wall. Club Members Tom Rach and John Achim are working on a solution to complete this repair.

By-Laws Changes on General Meeting Agenda June 14

As a reminder, due to the early date of this year’s Queens Cup Race party, which will be on Thursday, June 21, we will hold (per our recent By-Laws change) the June General Membership Meeting on Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m.  Please plan on attending as we have a By-Laws change to consider involving our Club’s balloting process as well as consideration of the assessment. I would like to thank our By-Laws Committee Chair Seth Goettelman for presenting three town hall meetings to explain the By-Laws changes that are being proposed.  He provides further details in his Compass article.

There was also an informational presentation on the Russell Street property that the Club may be leasing to provide with additional space and a lot more. Thanks to the 80 or so Members who attended.

Because of a commitment I made to the membership that we would report on the financial condition of our Club every quarter, Steve Williams our Financial Secretary and chair of the finance committee held a finance committee meeting in late May. I have asked Steve to provide a brief report at the General Membership meeting on 1st quarter results.

New Trophy for Review of the Fleet June 9

Last but not least, I hope to see our Members at our Review of the Fleet this Saturday, June 9. The year’s theme is “Great Escape”. We have purchased a trophy that will be installed in our trophy case and list the powerboat and the sailboat that best represent each year’s theme, starting this year. The first place boats will also receive a SSYC burgee as a reminder of their win. The entertainment committee is planning for a great event with great music and great food. Please join us and share the fun during this and all the other events that our Club has to offer.

2018 Queen's Cup Race Week Events are Set

Scott Burke

By Scott Burke
Special Events Director

With the 2018 Queen's Cup Race just a little more than two weeks away, the Race Week Event Schedule has been finalized.

The week kicks off on Tuesday evening June 19 with wine, cheese and hors d'oeuvres sponsored by Harken Derm, a line of sunscreen and skin care products making its Midwest debut at our Race. The Tuesday event includes a Sun Protection for Sailors lecture presented by Edit Olasz Harken, MD, PhD, and wife of Peter Harken. A certified dermatologist, she developed the product line with her husband. Learn how to protect yourself from the sun while enjoying a quiet evening before the entire QC fleet descends on the Harbor of Hospitality.

The week continues with the Caribbean Night party, including steel drum band and Caribbean food, on Wednesday, June 20.

Thursday, June 21, brings the traditional Queen's Cup cocktail party.

Friday, June 22, is race day, of course,

The Grand Finale will be at the Awards Ceremony in Grand Haven, MI, on Saturday June 23, where we find out which boat’s name will be added to the Queen's Cup itself, one of the oldest trophies in yacht racing.

Here's a complete schedule, with specific times.  Better yet, click on this link, and you'll have an interactive schedule with links to all our great sponsors. 

2018 Queens Cup -- Schedule 06022018a.pdf

On-line entry is open for the 2018 Queen’s Cup Race and the entries are coming in fast.  The entry form, NoR and other race documents can be found on our website www.ssyc.org under the Queen’s Cup tab. We already have more than 120 entries, including 23 boats from SSYC. If you have not already entered, you can still sign up through Monday, June 11, without paying the late entry fee. The absolute entry deadline is June 15.

Queen’s Cup Race Week is packed with great parties and tons of fun. Even if you are not crossing Lake Michigan on Friday night, come on down to SSYC and get in on the action!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: , or  or call me: 414-617-1040.

See you at SSYC’s 2018 Queen’s Cup! 

New this year:  follow us on twitter.  We're at SSYC-QCup and @SsycQcup We'll be sending out messages and updates before the race, and on race day and finish day, we'll use twitter to alert the fleet to changes, updates, posting of results and other timely items.

3 Reasons to Support the Proposed By-Laws Changes

By Seth Goettelman
By-Laws Director

Throughout the month of May, the By-Laws Committee held ythree town hall meetings to discuss the Club’s urgent need for voting and balloting reforms.  A big thank you to the over 70 Members who attended.  The town halls were extremely productive and insightful.  Given the success of these events, the By-Laws Committee looks forward to holding more of these in the future to hear the Member concerns and ensure the Committee continues to serve the best interests of the Club and its members.

While the town hall meetings allowed us to explore our Club’s need for voting and balloting reforms in depth, the Committee wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the top three themes heard from the Members at the town halls: (1) respect for the members’ time, (2) integrity of our voting process and (3) respecting a member’s right to vote.

These themes are reflected in the By-Laws amendments that have been proposed by the Committee, endorsed by the Board of Directors and will be presented to the membership for consideration at the General Membership meeting at 7 p.m. June 14.  The complete text of the amendments is set out in the Notice that has been mailed or emailed to all Members.

Respecting Members' Time

The By-Laws Committee received clear feedback that the Members are tired and annoyed with the chaotic format of our general membership meetings.  When proposed By-Law amendments are included in the agenda, these meetings can stretch on for hours. 

Reflecting our current process, when a By-Law amendment is proposed, the meeting descends into a debate consisting largely of procedural votes on amendments to amendments to the proposed amendments.  This raises several concerns.  First, our Members don’t want to be and need not be experts in parliamentary procedure.  Second, by the time the procedural voting has closed and the final language for an amendment is considered, many of our Members are confused as to what they are actually voting on.  Third, and perhaps most importantly, Members have only minutes from the close of the debate to the time of receiving a blank piece of paper in which to determine whether the proposed By-Law change is in the best interest of the Club and its members.  This process leads to little actually being accomplished and represents a massive waste of time for the Committee, Board and Members. 

So, the Committee has proposed a few simple changes that will respect our Members’ time and the limited resources of the Club. 

First, we propose that proposed changes to the By-Laws or Articles of Incorporation must be announced and proposed at a general membership meeting and then carried over for a vote in connection with the next general membership meeting.  For those of you fond of Robert’s Rules of Order, you will be pleased to know this will bring us in compliance with Robert’s proposed best practices. 

More to the point though, by proposing at one meeting and carrying over for vote at the next meeting, the Members will typically have a few months to consider, discuss and debate the proposed change.  That will drastically reduce the length of our meetings as there will be little need for debate from the floor.  This respects the membership’s time by allowing them to consider proposals when it is most convenient for them to do so.

Insuring Voting Integrity

The Committee also heard that Members are concerned about the integrity of our voting process. 

If you think about how our current process works, while the Sargent-at-Arms and the Club staff strive to do their best, it is simply not realistically possible to identify the Members who are entitled to vote in connection with a meeting while the attendees file into the meeting during the course of a few minutes.  Then, those present receive a blank piece of paper on which to cast a vote – no language of the proposed changed is posted. 

Voting is then conducted on the honor system without the ability to verify whether a Member is eligible to cast a ballot or even whether each Member cast only one ballot.  We can guess by the number of attendants at a meeting whether the number of votes makes sense, but we cannot know whether, for example, one Member did not vote and another cast two ballots.  This chaotic process has led to many Members saying they don’t trust the process and the process lacks integrity.

Borrowing again from best practices, there is an easy, straight forward fix to this problem: require one ballot be issued to each eligible voting Member with the proposed change clearly printed on the ballot.  The Sargent-at-Arms will determine all Members who are eligible to vote as of the day of the membership meeting.  Those Members will receive a secret ballot after the meeting which will be due back within a few days of the meeting. 

The Audit Committee will ensure the secrecy of the ballots, tally the votes and report the results.  This process respects our members’ time by shortening the length of meetings and time required to count votes on the fly and ensures that only eligible Members voted and had every opportunity to understand and consider the proposed change.  Members can then be assured that the results are accurate and the process was conducted with integrity.

Respecting Every Member's Right to Vote

At the town hall meetings, the Committee and the attendees tried to recall the highest number of ballots received in connection with any vote.  Thank you for the Club historians who dug back in time to reveal that our Club’s high-water mark for ballots cast was about 300 and occurred in the 1980s. 

To put that in perspective, there are currently about 700 Active and Life Members eligible to vote.  Thus our best voting total is less than half our eligible membership and occurred over 30 years ago.  If all the voting eligible Members attended a meeting, we could not have the meeting – the capacity of the Club building is limited by the Fire Marshall to 350.  Even if we postponed the meeting and conducted it elsewhere, think about how long that meeting would be under the current process with all the debate from the floor, proposed amendments to amendments, procedural votes and then finally balloting, counting and reporting of the results. 

Moreover, we have 700 Members who either pay dues or have earned the right to be called Life Members.  We accept dues payments by any method a Member chooses to pay – in person, by mail and online – yet we restrict the right to vote and be heard to only those who can attend meetings.  Currently, we force Members to decide to put the Club’s business above all else and any other priorities in life.  At the town halls, it was clear that many Members simply cannot attend every meeting yet care deeply about our Club and freely volunteer their time when asked.  Our Members have families and children and it might be impossible to find a babysitter.  They are police officers, firefighters, active duty soldiers, medical doctors, or work day and night to make ends meet, save lives or make our community a better place.  They might live too far away from the Club, be on vacation with their family, be sick, bed-ridden or have other priorities in life.  None of that matters under our current system – only those attending meetings are eligible to vote. 

The town halls made clear that our Members deserve and expect better.  If the Club is willing to accept their membership dues, it must be willing to hear their voice and respect their right to participate in our voting process.  As is, the system is rigged in favor of those who can attend, and votes can easily be swayed by the influence of a few to the detriment of the many.  The membership wants and demands that we do better.

Fortunately, there is again an easy fix.  Once the Sargent-at-Arms determines whether a Member is eligible to vote on the meeting date, every eligible Member receives a ballot.  The ballots will be sent after the meeting by email unless a Member prefers to receive a paper ballot by mail.  All ballots cast and received by the due date will be counted. 

Changing By-Laws is supposed to be difficult, but the process by which changes may be adopted should not be.  The By-Laws will continue to require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the ballots cast to pass.  That’s a high bar.  But the process can and must respect our membership’s time and right to vote and be conducted with integrity.

The Committee also heard from a few Members who believe attending meetings is important and is Club tradition.  To accommodate those members, the Committee is limiting the changes to the voting and balloting process to only proposed changes to the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation – the constitutional documents of our Club.  Election of officers, votes on assessments and similar items will continue as set forth in the current By-Laws, and nothing in the Committee’s proposed amendments changes that.  The officers set the agenda for the Club and, the Committee believes these reforms strike the appropriate balance between respecting the Club’s traditions and common sense modernizing of the By-Laws to allow the membership the right to be heard on proposed changes to our constitutional documents.

Further, in order for a meeting to be held, the By-Laws will continue to require that at least 55 Members present, so attendance is will continue to be a basic requirement of conducting the Club’s business.

Amendments Narrowly Failed Last Year

These proposed amendments are substantially similar to those brought before the membership last June.  Of the votes cast at that meeting, 107 of the attending Members were in favor.  As a result, the amendments failed by only 4 votes. 

The Committee, the Board and the current and past Commodores all so strongly believe in these measures that the Committee will again present these amendments for consideration at the June membership meeting in a few weeks.  To be clear, each governing body has now unanimously passed these common sense reforms twice and they have the full support of each of the present and past Commodores. 

Given the narrow defeat of these measures at the last June meeting, if you support these changes, please make every effort to attend the June membership meeting.  For the reasons set forth in this article and so many more, these reforms are critical to our Club.  Our membership deserves a voting and balloting process with integrity that respects its time, its right to vote.  If you have any questions or comments, I’d greatly appreciate hearing from you.  Please email me any time at: .

Greg Gaitens

A Dock Repairs May Prove Costly  

By Greg Gaitens
Rear Commodore

Winter ice has caused significant structural damage to the north end of A Dock. After assessing the damage with a team of Club Members, professionals who perform piling work of this nature and a professional structural engineer, the slip committee made a decision that the end of A Dock would be closed to assure Member safety until after repairs can be completed.

The photos below show some of the damage and provide an idea of the type of repairs that will be needed.

As a result of the extensive damage to A Dock and the anticipated significant cost of repairs, the Club has initiated an insurance claim. SSYC’s policy has a $25,000 deductible for claims of this type. Please understand, the claim has only been initiated. SSYC is under no obligation to move forward with the claim.

The scope of the repairs involves dismantling the T face dock, deconstruction and replacement of nine pilings, and rebuilding of the dock structure. The initial company engaged to quote the repair is Big Lake Marine. Their initial quote has just been received and is in excess $100,000.

I’ll be presenting the repair estimate to the Club’s insurance adjuster in a few days. I anticipate the adjuster will provide direction regarding what our insurance company requires in terms of additional bids, level of detail in the scope of work, engineering reports, etc. Keep in mind there are a very limited number of companies that do this type of work. It’s not only about finding companies that can do the work but also, will they do it and will they commit to start and completion dates that are acceptable to SSYC.

At the time of this writing I am waiting for an engineering report from Ralph Schmidt of Schmidt Engineering supporting the scope of work outlined in the quote provided by Big Lake Engineering. The report is expected to note that it is an appropriate option to use steel in the repairs that Club Members James Sterns and Joe Marshall have offered to provide. Long time SSYC Members may recall that Mike Predith, PC secured and provided the steel truck frames from A.O. Smith that were used to build the majority of our docks. Joe Marshall has been storing additional truck frames and has offered them to the Club. James Sterns has piling steel he is offering that may also be suitable to support the repair work.

This issue is on the agenda of the June 14 General Membership meeting, and I would expect additional details to be available then.  As noted elsewhere in this Compass and in the Notice of the June 14 meeting, the cost of the $25,000 deductible would be covered through the special assessment proposed for the June General Membership Meeting to consider.

Slips Opened on Schedule Thanks to a Strong Work Party Turnout.

The initial work party was held on a weekday because of the poor weather forecast for the weekend. It was great to see such a strong turnout. Due to the nice weather, the work party was able to get a lot accomplished in a short period of time. The team went straight to work:

* Reinstalling safety ladders

* Reinstalling life rings

* Lowering club wave boards on face docks as needed

* Repairing any loose or broken club wave board hardware

* Replacing two finger pier posts on F dock

* Cleaning dock lights & replacing bad bulbs

* Reinstalling the tender dock

A small follow up work party finished the cleaning of the dock pedestal lights and turned on the water to the slips and grounds. A minor repair was completed to a burst pipe on A dock, and a few dripping spigots were replaced.

Please remember to keep the docks free from obstruction. We need to be able to safely and promptly access docks with equipment should medical or other emergencies occur. 

Dock Maintenance Continues

The slip committee has targeted the third weekend in June for a work party to continue building and replacing finger pier pallets. In addition, the work party will address the east end on the south side of the U in front of the Club.  Special thanks to Brian Thompson for taking the lead on getting bids and arranging for delivery of the lumber needed for the main dock repair on the U.

Volunteer for a Work Party

Volunteering for a slip committee work party is a great way to support your club.

The slip committee welcomes all volunteers. If you would like to join the slip committee, or participate in slip work parties, please let me know via email.

Your Mother's Day Brunch Host

Juniors Commodore Joe Murphy was on hand to greet guests (and grab a dessert) at the Juniors' Mother's Day Brunch on May 13.  (Dick Olson photo)

With Spring Launch Completed Accident Free, Waterfront Work Continues  

Bob Karnauskas

By Bob Karnauskas
Director, Waterfront Services

The boats are in!! Most importantly, we commend our launch team for accomplishing this potentially dangerous job accident free. Well done, crew. Thank you to all our winter storage clients for helping to make this go smoothly.

Storage Deposits Due June 30

Members who stored their boats at SSYC this year have received contracts to renew for next season. Reminder: Deposits are due by June 30 and payment in full by July 25. Members on the waiting list will be contacted around August 7, as space permits, and vacancies will be allotted by Club seniority.

Deferred Maintenance Issues Creating Challenges

This has been a challenging spring for Waterfront Services. Several deferred maintenance issues have become obstacles to fulling our mission to the Club and our members. Unfortunately, repairs and maintenance are not always budgeted.

Fuel Tank Monitoring System: This system tracks our fuel inventory and is required by law to monitor for potential leaks. Our existing 20 year old system is obsolete.  A failed probe placed us at risk of noncompliance. Competitive bids were solicited to replace the system, and two venders were interviewed. The low bid was $7,950. By the way, our fuel storage tanks will reach their useful life in about ten years. A plan is needed to have the capital reserves to replace them (Cost: about $150,000).

Fuel Pumps: Bids were also solicited for total replacement of the fuel pumps. The mechanicals which measure fuel volume and price on the diesel pump have worn out. After inspection by two vendors and review of replacement costs ($13,000), the recommendation was to replace only the mechanicals on the existing equipment. The diesel pump is now back in service. Cost: $1,300. We are also evaluating the flow rate on the diesel pump and the need, if any, to increase it.

Tender: The tender has been plagued with reliability issues. This spring, the engine was removed, a broken ring gear replaced, the starter repaired and engine reinstalled. The vast majority of this work was accomplished by Bill Bronk, Jerry Rakowski and Jerry Kedziora. We are very fortunate to have members with the talent and willingness to volunteer their time on a project of that magnitude. The dangling fire hose that was bolted to the hull pretending to be a rubrail was replaced with a PVC rubrail and additional fenders. James Stearns donated primer and grinder discs to remove the exposed rust. Several other members ground the rust, painted and helped install the new rubrail. John Czeszak put on a new coat of bottom paint and installed new anodes. Thanks to all who contributed to the effort. Cost: $2,100. My sincere apologies to members who were inconvenienced by the tender launch delay, but thanks to our volunteer mechanics, we were able to resume tender service June 1.

Top, re-installing the tender engine drew the attention of "the dock committee."  Just above, Jerry Kedziora and Jerry Rakowski worked on the tender engine. (Todd Weiler photos)  Below, the new rubrail and fenders.

Our growing honey-do list includes maintenance items that could typically be accomplished in an evening or Saturday morning with teams of a few volunteers:  A few rotted boards on the tender shed, carousel and dingy launch piers need repair and/or paint. If you were present at the grounds cleanup on May 26, you witnessed how engaged the members of SSYC are and what we can accomplish in a short period. Your offering just a few hours of your time would be greatly appreciated.

Join the Committee

Our latest committee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30 pm. Our committee minutes are posted on the website. Log In and go to For Members/Members Home/Committee Reports/View Committee Reports/ Waterfront Services Committee.  New faces are welcome; just shoot me an email if you missed the meeting, at

Applications Open for Club Offices

By Kenneth Dziubek PC
Nominating Committee Chair

Dear Members,

The Nominating Committee is accepting application letters for the offices of Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, Treasurer, Financial Secretary and Corresponding Secretary. These are one year terms.  Please state, in the letter, your choice of office and your qualifications and history with SSYC.

The Nominating Committee is also accepting application letters for three members of the Board of Directors.  Please state in the letter your qualifications and history with SSYC. These are three year terms. The Commodore will assign you a committee to direct.

Please send your application letter to the Nominating Committee c/o Kenneth Dziubek PC at   or to the Club Office.

Let’s be patriotic and have the application letters sent by July 4th, 2018.

Please call or contact me if I can answer any questions on this matter. My phone is 262-252-3080.

Thank you for your interest in our Club.

Kenneth Dziubek, PC

More New Members Join SSYC 

New member Lawrence Willegal, right, and his wife Ann Delano	New member Trevor Mullins, left, and his wife Krissy
New member Shanna Olson, right, and husband Ben	John Haydin	Thomas Kingston

By Patty Thompson

Membership Director

Eight new Associate Members were accepted by the Board of Directors at its May meeting.

New member Lawrence Willegal and his wife Ann Delano got into sailing with a day sailer.  They’re looking to learn more about the sport and move up to a larger boat.

Trevor Mullins is making membership a family affair.  He is married to Krissy, daughter of Life Member and accomplished sail racer John Fischer and his wife Kristie.  Trevor has been sailing with the Fischers on Firefly since moving here.

Shanna Olson and her husband Ben got a pontoon boat last year and were looking for a fun place to enjoy it.  Judging from the crowds they’ve already hosted on their craft this spring, they're off to a great start.

Power boater John Haydin has met SSYC members over the last couple of years and decided it was time to join them at the Harbor of Hospitality.

And Thomas “TK” Kingston relocated from Chesapeake Bay a year ago.  He was an active big boat sailor and racer there.  He said he called a mentor here, who told him to “look at this South Shore thing.”  He liked what he saw.  He expects to get back into sail racing – and find a nice community in doing so.

Also accepted as Active Members but not pictured were Philip Haglin, Raymond Chou, and Kate Vannoy.

Membership By The Numbers for May 2018

Active: 486

Life: 180

Associate I: 7

Associate II: 9

Life Surviving Spouse: 45

Non-Resident: 72

Candidates waiting for June induction: 6.

Applications Received: 5.

Resignations:  One Active Member, One Life Member.

Open Houses in April and May were very successful, with good membership signups and active interest by attendees and hosts.  Further recruiting will take place at the July 7 Day at the Lake and at Wednesday Night post-race gatherings.

Harken Derm Products Make a Queen's Cup Debut

Sun, wind, and water are what boating enthusiasts dream of, but these same elements wreak havoc on our skin.

It is so important to protect our skin while we are enjoying the sport we love dearly. Choosing the right sunscreen can be overwhelming as there are many choices out there.

Dr. Edit Olasz Harken

Dr. Edit Olasz Harken, MD, PhD, is a Board Certified Dermatologist. With her husband Peter, she founded Harken Derm, a professional skin care line for sailors. And Peter, of course, with his brother Olaf, founded the Pewaukee-based Harken Inc. sailing gear company that is synonymous with the sport worldwide.

Harken Derm products are making their Midwest debut at SSYC’s Queen’s Cup – only the Volvo race at Newport has seen the products first. Harken Derm is a Gold Sponsor for the Queen’s Cup, and Dr. Olasz Harken will be presenting her new products in person during Race Week.

Dr. Olasz Harken’s knowledge and expertise will guide you on how to make the right choice for sun protection and after-sun skin care. She will explain why certain sunscreens are better for your skin and for our environment, and how you can mitigate and treat the damage caused by the elements to prevent skin cancer and keep your skin young and healthy.

Added Peter, “Edit became passionate about this need after our many regatta trips around the world, where she saw the problems on competitive sailor’s faces… serious skin problems they were not aware of or were being too casual about — Edit’s expertise and research on skin cancer got many of them to finally listen.” 

The key ingredients in Harken Derm are the top two rated sunscreen filters in the world – the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. “Mineral filters have always been the favorites of dermatologists because they perform the best and are so safe for everybody-including patients undergoing cosmetic procedures or with sensitive skin and for children,” Dr. Olasz Harken added, “People care about safety for their skin and for their environment much more nowadays. Hawaii has recently banned sunscreens with certain chemical filters, so the timing is right for a dermatologist-designed product that is effective and environmentally safe. Formulating a very water resistant, broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen that contains only mineral filters, does not run into the eyes and doesn’t feel greasy is really difficult, and Harken Derm is proud to be able to offer just that.”

Dr. Olasz Harken is an associate professor of dermatology. She has spent the last decade of her clinical and research career preventing and treating high-risk skin cancer in solid organ transplant patients. She is also an expert cosmetic surgeon and well-known aesthetic dermatologist.

She has numerous publications and book chapters and served as an invited lecturer at many national and international conferences. She is a member of several national and international boards and committees on transplant dermatology, international volunteerism and cosmetic surgery. She is the past president of the Wisconsin Dermatological Society.

She is honored and excited to aid her fellow sailors with making the right choices about their skin health.

Power Boaters Zoom into Summer  

George Graubner

By George Graubner
Vice Commodore

The Power Boaters’ season is in full swing! 

We started in May with our Italian Night hosted by Ed & Becky Hahlbeck.  Great job!  We had a few Italian sauces with pasta, salad and drinks - all you could eat! 

The hit of the evening was Chef Sam Spiegel and assistant Synde’s Cooking Demo of Sicilian sauce recipes.  Everything was prepared on two burners, just to show it can all be easily done on your boat stove.  I’ve included his Marinara sauce recipe for you to try! 

Becky and Ed then tested the group with a fun Italian trivia, and winners received a wine tasting at Coopers Hawk in Brookfield.  It was great to see so many new faces at Time Out Thursday.

Hope we see you all at the next one coming up this Thursday, June 7.  That’s our Chili Dump and Flare Shoot.  It’s just $8 for all you can eat.  You can’t beat that! 

And bring your old flares and shells.  You’ll learn how to safely handle flares, and Mike Wiedel will fill us in on the changes in safety devices.  We may even have a surprise event for all to participate in.  

Next on the agenda… our BIG event July 7:  SSYC’s Day at the Lake Open House. There’s a full day planned starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 11:30 p.m. The Day starts with a breakfast and our Super Flea Market, Vessel Safety Checks, Beer Tasting, Silent Auction, Day Sailing in the well, Wine Pull, Raffle and “Chairs on the Lake Auction” followed by an All-American Picnic and ending with dancing with a DJ under the Canvas Cove.

The Chairs on the Lake Auction is a chance to get a unique treasure.  Local artists are hand painting one of a kind Adirondack Chairs and you will have a chance to bid on them between 4 and 5:30 p.m. on July 7.   See the SSYC Day on the Lake Flyer, below.

We are encouraging you to support our efforts, since a portion of the money collected from the Silent and Chair Auctions will benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters.  Remember this function allows the Power Boaters to continue to host the Kids Day on the Lake on August 19. 

There is plenty to do to make this event a success, and we need your help. Call George Graubner, 414-791-8439 or email me at .    

Chef Sam’s Marinara Sauce Recipe (yields 2 quarts)

6 fresh garlic cloves

1 large sweet onion

4 large fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 cup fresh oregano

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:  Clean garlic and finely dice.  Roughly chop onion.  Add olive oil, garlic & onion to a large stockpot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes.  Rough chop tomatoes and add to garlic and onions; cook and stir for 10 minutes.  Then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, sugar, salt & pepper.  Rough chop basil and oregano and add to sauce.  Lower heat to medium low and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 – 30 minutes.  Serve with your favorite pasta. 

Above, Chef Sam Spiegel and assistant Synde demonstrate two-burner cooking.  Below, the large and appreciative crowd that sampled the tasty Italian fare that resulted.

Here's a Quick Look at What's Happening

Word is some of you were looking for a one-stop listing of key special events coming up at SSYC.  In every case, check the Club calendar at ssyc.org or the Club emails for details and specifics. Remember, there's plenty more happening at SSYC.  These are just some highlights.  Here you go:

You're Invited to the Sea Scout Open House

The Sea Scouts are SSYC's neighbors along the seawall on the northwest edge of the north mooring basin.  They've graciously extended an invitation to their Open House on Saturday, June 16.  Stop by and see what they're all about.

Check Out Links; Like SSYC on Facebook

Check out the newly restored "Useful Links" page on ssyc.org.  It's all there:  connections to web pages in areas like Boating Equipment, Weather, Yacht Clubs and Stores. Look under the For Members tab on the Home Page.  Member log-in required.

Meanwhile, keep up with all the latest happenings and photos by liking South Shore Yacht Club on Facebook. And check in when you're at the Club, using #SouthShoreYachtClub. Our page is SSYCMKE and you can find it right here.

First Quarter Shows Deficit

By Steve Williams
Financial Secretary

A review of first quarter actuals against 2018 budgeted amounts finds that we are running a deficit of about $16,000 to $17,000 this first quarter. There were two significant areas we determined to be the cause.

Boat Storage was the first area that showed a significant difference. The cause of the difference was that the proposed fee increase was applied to the January, February, and March budgeted total and but was not charged to the members, as the contracts for those months were already signed and storage season started prior to 2018. But increased fees will be in effect for the 2018 storage season, which will balance the overall total of the line item in the budget.

Membership numbers were the second significant area of difference.  The budget was developed assuming an active membership of 490. As of the first quarter, however, our membership was below 490, as follows: January, 479; February, 477; and March, 477.  Lower membership than budgeted means lower dues revenue and lower initiation fee receipts than budgeted. 

Additionally, the 2018 dues increase was not reflected in the first semiannual billing for January thru June and will be collected in the second annual billing, per the By-Laws. Members utilizing the ACH payments have seen the increase to dues beginning in January 2018.

Summer Brings More Patrons, and a Salad Bar  

Gary Johnson

By Gary Johnson
House Chair

Hello, everyone. Judging from the number of people at the Club, summer has arrived.

Many of you have asked for some changes in the restaurant. One item in particular that members are missing is a salad bar. So starting in July, we will be bringing the salad bar back.

Your house committee has been working on putting a plan together to repaint and update the dining area. I had the privilege to meet with the Auxiliary, and it sounds like they may be helping us financially to get that project off to a good start.

John Sutphen has joined the food committee and will be doing a price survey on menu items. He will make a spreadsheet of comparable menu items that we have in the area for comparison.

The house speakers are now installed, and we will have the ability to use them as a public address system or play music through them.

The use of the juke box has been very strong; many people are enjoying it.

You may have noticed the bartenders all have their new logo shirts and are looking sharp.

Thanks for the input from the surveys and keep them coming.

  The Boats are Ready, Race Marks are In, Time to Go Racing 

Scott Burke

By Scott Burke
Sail Race Director

Time has come to kick off the 2018 sail racing season. The Race Committee boats, Lily E and Kiss the Wind, are in their slips and ready to go. The SSYC race marks are in the water thanks to help from Commodore Jerry Kedziora and Members Rick Trisco and Pete Engel.

In addition to a freshly polished hull and a new coat of bottom paint, Lily E’s electronics have been upgraded thanks to B&G, a new SSYC Queen’s Cup sponsor. The old GPS has been replaced with a B&G Vulcan 7 chartplotter that is connected to new wind, speed and depth instruments as well as a new radio with AIS. Thanks go out to Pete Engel for his work installing all the new gear.

The season is packed with a full racing schedule that includes the MBWOS, Lightning, SS/SSS, Double-Handed, MBOS and SASS fleets plus, several regattas and distance races throughout the summer.

If you love to sail, get your boat signed up. If you don’t have a sail boat, you can still get out as crew or help with the Race Committee. Contact Club Manager Pat Nora through the office at 414-481-2331 if you're a crew looking for a boat to join.

See you on the water.

Getting ready to set the marks

Here's your Marketing group at work:  at left, the Queen's Cup press advisory kit that went to over a dozen local media contacts.  Above, the Super Flea Market flyer for the July 7 Day at the Lake.

Marketing Group Works to Gain Exposure for Club, Events

By Sam Graubner
Marketing Group Chair

It sure has been busy getting things ready for all the events!  Here’s an update on what’s been happening with Marketing efforts.  As we’re attempting to is to gain more exposure for SSYC, Marketing has been working to increase our visibility to the public, the media and our members. You may have noticed an increase in our activity on Facebook at facebook.com/ssycmke We’ve also completed a media contact list, which will serve us in the future.  

We are working on three main events:  The Review of the Fleet, Queens Cup and SSYC Day at the Lake.  We also continue to work on other Club events and needs. 

The Review of the Fleet is this Saturday, June 9.  We developed a complete marketing campaign that consisted of a cohesive “look” for the event from the flyers to our social media exposure. We worked with our web master, Dave Wehnes, to create an online sign-up form that allows you to register.  Additionally we emailed invites to other yacht clubs and their members.  I want to especially thank Staci Simmons, new member, for jumping in and doing an exceptional job on the graphic element.  Outstanding!!  Thank You!

The Queens Cup is fast approaching, with Race Week events beginning June 19 and the race itself on June 22.  I have written two articles so far that will be published in the Scuttlebutt (North) Magazine and Scuttlebutt (South) Magazine, with another article to be published after the Queens Cup Race, with mentions of winners and hopefully pictures!  (Thanks to Paul Bargren, my editor). 

To get additional exposure for the event, Press Advisory Kits were assembled which included the Press Release, CD of Past Queen's Cup Photos, and a coveted Queen’s Cup Hat.  The “white box” press kit was personally delivered to 14 media outlets inviting them aboard the “SSYC Press Boat” on Race Day.  Thanks go out to Jerry Kedziora, Paul Bargren, Cheri Kent-Jones, and Tom Gale for making the deliveries! 

SSYC Day at the Lake Open House, July 7 is the third big event we are working on.  You can read the Power Boaters article and SSYC flyer for more specific info on “what's happening.” We are in the midst of developing the “campaign” in conjunction with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.  Thanks to Kathy Reading for developing the main flyer.   Special thanks to Cara Gaitens for the logo design and Zane Johnson for creating the “Super Flea Market” flyer. 

Further marketing efforts for this event will include exposure on Facebook, press releases, and special electronic messaging and mailings to other yacht clubs to join us for the day.  And, we are hopeful that our attempts to obtain live coverage of the chairs being hand-painted by local artists will be picked up on a TV station during the Queen's Cup event. 

Since this event is an Open House, it will be open to the public and will also serve as a way to obtain interest in membership, while promoting the Chair and Silent Auctions which are fundraisers with portions of the proceeds donated to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. 

Did I mention we named the tent… the new name is Canvas Cove.  And the star of the design is Cara Gaitens!  Thanks to Cara, it is being developed into the banner and should be up by the Review of the Fleet.

We are in need of people who can jump in and take some photos or even some video of these events.  If you can help out, you don't have to do them all.  Give a call and we can work out what can fit in your schedule.   I can be reached at 414-520-4680 or email at .

AGAIN, I NEED TO EXPRESS MY DEEP APPRECIATION & THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE GIVEN OF THEIR TIME AND TALENTS TO HELP… It takes a Team!

New Blue Containers on Grounds for Cans, Bottles

By Nate Kraucunas
Recycling Captain

To all SSYC Members, Friends and Guests: 

SSYC is listed as a ‘Green Marina' in Wisconsin.  To keep that rating, we need to be recycling all types of plastic bottles and metal cans.  To assist all members in this endeavor, we have purchased four new blue recycling containers similar to those used by the City of Milwaukee and many festivals.  They will be on the grounds and in the Canvas Cove Tent. 

Please, deposit only recyclables in these containers.  All garbage should be deposited in the large compactor in the Recycling Center just north of the main gate or in the other garbage cans on the grounds.

If you should have any questions, please contact me or anyone on the Grounds Committee.

Keep SSYC and Lake Michigan clean.

P.S.  Smokers, deposit your cigarette and cigar butts in the ash trays and buckets provided and not in any of the flower beds or planters.  Thank you. 

Grounds are Cleaned and Groomed

Thank you to the more than 100 Members, Spouses and Juniors who worked at the Clean-up on May 26.   We accomplished all the items on the list, and the grounds now look like a yacht club.

Painting the outside lockers is complete.  This was the highest priority for the spring, and many thanks to Ken Thompson for the repair work, Bruce Nason for power washing and Bob McInnes for painting.  

The Dry Sail assignments are in and that area now has a waiting list.  Members are reminded to have their boats on premise by July 1.  Empty spaces at that time may be reassigned per contract.

Dinghy storage is near capacity.  You’ll notice a number on each spot next to the permit sticker.  This will be the assigned location for the future, similar to Dry Sail.

Reminder:  All trailers and skids must be removed from the skid lot.  This area is reserved for Members' vehicle parking.

Next projects for Grounds include painting the north and south derricks; flagpole painting and repairs; installing cleats to the bottoms of benches and tables; and touching up and oiling benches under the tent.

A word about the smoking lounge area outside the south door to the bar:  Please clean up when leaving the smoking lounge as if it were your home.   Also, no glassware is allowed in the smoking lounge or anywhere else outside the clubhouse.  

June Arrives, and the Season is in Full Swing 

Greetings,

Well, June is here, and that means the season is in full swing.

June 7 - Chili Night & Flare Shoot

June 9 - Annual Review of the Fleet & Pig Roast; music by Eastside Exclusive

June 19 thru June 22 - Queen's Cup Activities with new events (watch for info)

July 5 thru July 8 - Open House Activities, with SSYC Day at the Lake on July 7.  Food, entertainment & the super flea market.

As you can see there are many opportunities to Introduce a friend to SSYC! Our members are our #1 source of recruiting new members.

On a serious note, please dispose of waste & recyclables in the proper containers. Members of the grounds committee are devoting a lot of time to improving the waste handling program here at the club. Please help them out!


-Pat

Clean-up Day in Photos

The Grounds Clean-up on May 26 attracted 80 Members and 30 Juniors who swept, washed, planted, pitched the tent, and generally worked hard to make the Club work better.  It was a beautiful day, and the grounds were shining bright at the end of the morning's effort.  (Bruce Nason photos)

Loki, My Medical Service Animal

By Michael Galesky
SSYC Member

Hello, I am Mike, and my service dog is Loki.  As far as I know, he’s the first service animal at SSYC.  He’ll be joining me on my sailboat Bustopher Jones, the Nonsuch 30 at the end of E Dock. 

I thought it might be useful to write a sort of “etiquette” article about Loki, since you’ll be seeing him at the Club.  He is still in training as a medical service animal, and your help in his training will be greatly appreciated.

Loki, Mike's service animal

Loki is an Australian Cattle dog mix.  He is 35 pounds and is just shy of a year old.  He is at his adult size at this time and might grow fatter but will not get any taller. 

One of the most important things in his training is to reduce the number of distractions directed at him.  Since he is a working animal, he is almost always on the job, and that means he needs to be ignored for the most part by anybody other than his trainer. That is, he needs to be ignored by everyone but me.

When he becomes distracted, I can usually get him back in line, but if people are actively trying to get his attention through talking to him, petting him, whistling at him, or trying to call him over, his training can be set back by days or weeks. 

You may think that it is fine to try to cuddle up to him and give him love.  With a regular dog, this is fine. But as a service animal, Loki’s job requires him to be focused and on his game.  

I may also be distracted while working on something or talking with someone.  If you see someone who seems to be unaware of Loki's service animal status, please feel free to gently pass on Loki’s need to work.

Loki will be learning how to be on the boat and dealing with water soon.  This is part of his training that I am both looking forward to and dreading in equal parts!

Please feel free to talk to me about Loki and to discuss your concerns or thoughts.  But as far as Loki is concerned, please don’t change a thing about how you conduct yourself at the Club.  Loki still needs to learn that loud noises happen and that crowds of people are not a bad thing.  Laugh, sing, and carry on as the happy group you have always been, but please keep in mind that he has a job to do and is always working in some capacity. 

As far as him becoming a dull boy working all the time, rest assured that he has play time every day.  His breed needs to get exercise and play time or he will become a bit of a gremlin.

At this time Loki is doing well in his training, and we have had no trouble at the Club so far. With your help we can keep his perfect record. 

Thank You.

Lightning Fleet is Ready for Tuesday Races

By Pat McGuinnis
Lightning Fleet Captain

The boats are on the grounds and the season is underway. We'll be racing on Tuesday nights.

John Archibald and Sandra Doos are the race committee on board the Lily E for another season of sailing.

We expect 8 to 9 boats on the water for Tuesday nights, and we're growing.

The SSYC Lightning regatta is August 11-12, and we'll have entrants from around the Midwest.

Please contact Pat McGuinnis if you're interested in buying a boat, joining the fleet, or helping with race committee. Email , or call 414-856-8554.

Thanks, Volunteers, for Spring Cleanup and More

By Jerry Kedziora
SSYC Commodore

Volunteers make good things happen at SSYC.

One of the reasons that our Club has been around for 107 years is the dedication and commitment of the Members who volunteer.

There are many men and women who volunteer their time, talents and resources to make our Club a better place and improve our quality of life at SSYC. In my At the Helm column in this month’s Compass, I thanked all of the 80 or so members and the 30 Juniors who helped with the grounds clean up. I wish I could fit all their names into this article and say a personal thank you. But to name a few, special thanks to people like Bob and Debbie Serotini, Kenn Werner, Mike Maloney, Lee and Sharon Rooker, John Wohlrabe and all the other members who so generously donated their time and talents.  And it was great to see some of our newest members pitching in as well.

One of the projects that I wanted done was to refurbish the outside lockers. The lockers are made of wood and some date to the mid-1980, so some were rotten in areas and looked pretty run down. Dick Olson, Grounds Committee chair, took on the project and had Ken Thompson replace doors and replace a lot of the rotten areas. Bruce Nason spent a lot of time power washing the lockers, and new member Bob McInnes, who is also a leader of the Sea Scouts, came down with his spraying equipment and single handedly painted all of the lockers. He used about ten gallons of paint and the lockers look great.  Also, thanks to Dennis Noble PC for the gift card to allow us to purchase the paint.

Why I even saw our Corresponding Secretary, Paul Bargren with a big push broom in hand. I think he was wandering the grounds looking for an elephant. (I wonder if he will publish this.) (He will!)

Thank you all for supporting our Club and making it a better place for all of us.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to be at a work party, please consider being at the next one. We can always use the help, and it’s a lot of fun.

And please consider joining a committee. Being part of work parties or being on committees gives any Member, new or old, an opportunity to meet other members, make new friends and feel good about contributing to the well-being of our Club.

Editor's Note:  Members, have something to sell or give away?  Lost something?  Here's your chance to run a free ad.  It's very simple.  Go to the SSYC website, to the For Members tab, to Compass Submissions, to Submit an Article.  Give your article a title (like "Classified") then type in your short classified in the big text box and hit Submit. Upload a picture if you have one.   Do that before the first of the month in order to appear in the next Compass.  One-time ads for personal items only; no commercial ads, no standing ads.  All submissions subject to editing or deletion for good taste, propriety and brevity.

Missing ladder

It's no doubt a case of mistaken identity.  My 8-foot Werner aluminum extension ladder with red end caps, black swivel feet and marked "GEDIG" in at least 2 places on its rails went missing, and a nearly identical 8-foot Werner but with a disused rope swivel extender pulley my ladder didn't have was left in its place where Dream Chaser was stored against the brown lockers on our Club's west side.  I'm happy to keep this ladder and call it a day, but I'd be even happier to solve this mystery.  Gar Gedig, 414-719-2495  

RIB for sale

SSYC Juniors RIB boat w/trailer offered for sale to the general membership. 1996 12' hard V-bottom w/trailer. Contact Chris Moll 414-333-3227,