Membership Call to Action
Lake Michigan’s ‘Gales of November’ came early and often this year. Of course we had the annual Mother’s Day storm, however few boats were in the water and there was little damage incurred. On Queen’s Cup weekend we had a big blow from the South, a very rude way to treat the many visiting entrants. We did have damage to our docks and a number of boats rafting in the horseshoe were damaged by the watery surge and high winds. During the last week of September there was a furious Northeaster and scores of boats had dock lines part and suffered damage. Volunteers struggled most of the day securing boats and minimizing losses, and one individual suffered a serious hand injury.
The big one came just a week ago and that really took a toll on our basin. Volunteers scrambled for two days ‘rescuing’ boats and replacing or adding dock lines. More than a dozen members will probably be filing insurance claims for damage. We also had some damage to our slips and docks. However it sort of pales in comparison to the other boats lost in the mooring field. Four boats washed up on the South Shore and Oklahoma Beaches; one was a total loss. Two boats, one belonging to a SSYC member, were pushed on to the rocks near the fishing pier on the North side and both sunk and were total losses. The high winds, massive waves and property damage were reported on local, national and even international newscasts.
 
What does this all mean? It means that our aging and failing break wall isn’t capable of handling high winds and waves any longer and at the expense of some of our members we’re finally getting some attention. On October 27, a meeting was held here at SSYC with Milwaukee County Parks Director Sue Black and local, state and federal officials to discuss both repairs of the break wall as well as dredging in front of the Club.
All agreed about the severity of the issue and several options were put forth, however the stumbling block was, as you’d suspect -- funding. Your Club representatives came away from the meeting with a challenge that to get the money from the federal and/or state governments we must bring the need for action to their attention and that can best be done by writing letters to ALL of our elected representatives.
An e-blast was sent to all members last week and this is a reminder of how critical this is. As stated in the e-blast, “This is a call to action for us all to write, in our own words, to elected officials”. Parks Director Sue Black stressed that ‘non-form’ letters were apt to be read and most effective. We’ve come up with a few suggested talking points:
- The safety of individuals attempting to secure boats during the storm.
- Property damage to yacht club facilities which are owned by Milwaukee County.
- Personal property damage to member and guest boats.
- We’ve experienced four serious storms this summer that caused considerable damage as well as a serious injury to an individual.
- The SSYC break wall is more than 75 years old and has had little or no maintenance while others in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, Ozaukee and Sheboygan Counties all have had extensive improvements.
Below is a list of mailing addresses of representatives who should be contacted. Also, remember in any correspondence be sincere but not rude or threatening.
Senator Herb Kohl Washington Office 330 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Senator Ron Johnson Washington D.C. Office 386 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Congresswoman Gwen Moore Washington D.C. Office 2245 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Governor Scott Walker 115 East Capitol Madison, WI 53702 Congressman Paul Ryan Washington D.C. Office 1233 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Congressman James Sensenbrenner Washington D.C. Office 2449 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 |
From the Helm
 Has it been two years? Yes, I guess it has. Two years ago when you decided to entrust the role of SSYC Commodore to me I was truly humbled….I still am.
During the past two years we’ve weathered a few storms but I think, and I hope you do also, that we’ve come through them pretty well. One of the greatest benefits I had were Flag Officers and a Board of Directors who were all strong leaders and because of that I owe them all a great deal of thanks. The first challenge I (we) face was the retirement of our General Manager of 24 years, James Hutchison. The solution came almost immediately, we found Pat Nora. Pat’s enthusiasm and experience kept us right on course during these tough times for private clubs. However, we like all private clubs are going through a period of declining membership….however with conscientious budgeting and lots of volunteer work we’re doing better than most. Also our membership numbers are improving, we‘re averaging about three new members a month. Increased membership should be the goal of all of us….without new members we won’t survive. We also overcame a major infrastructure crisis. Our aging sewerage lift station failed, prompt planning and a modest assessment got that replacement project going along with with outstanding monetary support from our Life Members we had the project paid off and a little to spare.
I’m looking forward to the coming year and serving as SSYC’s Recording Secretary and Membership Committee Chairman. As you can certainly imagine new members will be the ‘life-blood’ of SSYC in the future. I have several ideas for recruiting efforts but hope to continue the successes of Rick Trisco and Tom Gale. I also want to hear fresh ideas from you and will schedule a committee meeting in the near future.
There will be many challenges to come but I think because of strong Board leadership, member volunteerism and our great staff were on course for a great future as our 100th founding celebrations approach.
Again thank you for all your support during the past two years.
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My Favorite Flag
 This month’s favorite flag is the “South Shore Yacht Club Membership Card”
It means that the bearer of this card is member of the Greatest Yacht Club on the Great Lakes. When this flag is flown it shows that the bearer supports an active Sail Race Program and Powerboat program.
 Skippers should require their crews to join this wonderful organization and support these programs. It is a shame to see guests using the SSYC programs year after year without joining the members that support the club. Please consider limiting your guest access if they refuse to fly the above flag.
Thank you for allowing me to direct the Sail Race program for the last four years. It has been an immensely rewarding experience. The volunteers and fleets that make the Sail Race Program happen are the Greatest People in the World. Their expertise and dedication are beyond any description that I can write in this column. I doubled their salary every year and it is still the same.
Please welcome Rick Trisco who will be your new Director of Sail Race. I have great confidence that Rick will execute the program to the standards of the past directors. The 2012 Sail Race program promises to be a fun filled series of events that gives a rewarding sense of satisfaction to all that participate.
Thank you for your confidence by electing me to the position of Rear Commodore. Dave Wehnes, your new Commodore, has asked me to serve as Director of Special Events. As I assume my new duties I will also work with Rick Trisco and the Race Committee.
Finally, "Many Thanks" to the all volunteer race crews at SSYC. Without their time and dedication our fleets wouldn’t be able to race.
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Short Bights
By Bruce Nason, CommodoreCongratulations to Jerry Kedziora and Tom (Sly) Salkowski recipients’ of this year’s Al and Erv Nickel Memorial Award. The challenge facing this year’s selection committee was that there are so many deserving members and in the history of the award two individuals have been recognized for the award in the same year only four times. As it turns out the traits of these two guys are so very similar. They’re at home on a sailboat as well as a powerboat and do most of the volunteer efforts without a lot of recognition whether it’s getting his hands dirty on a project or spending hours on Sail Race Committee boats or in protest hearings. The SSYC Juniors are the benefactors of many of their hours of volunteer service. Sly plays a major role in the success of the annual Kaszube Cup Race as the Principal Race Officer on the Opti Course. He also maintains our north and south small derricks and was a lead person in the recent rehab of our flagpole. Jerry is a Life Member and is on his second stint of Board service currently serving as Financial Secretary and Chairman of the Insurance Committee. In that position he has instated reforms that have streamlined our coverage saving on the annual premiums as well. Although he runs his own appraisal business he still finds time to put in many hours of volunteer service to SSYC. Both Sly and Jerry were humble in their acceptance of the award citing their love of our Club is what gives them the motivation to be involved.   The installation of the new carpet should be complete by the time you are reading this. After years of attempts to maintain the carpet installed at the time of our remodeling project several years ago an agreement was reached with the carpet manufacturer, and with the help of member Carol Schloemer, we are having both the first and second floor carpeting replaced.
Were you at the Halloween party last Saturday? What a turn out and what costumes. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like that in years. Congrats to Judy Berkowski and her team of creative decorators…..very scary indeed. At the same time there was a retirement party upstairs, so our Club was packed again….that’s always good for our ‘bottom line’ as well as confirming that SSYC is the place to celebrate and have fun.
Have you noticed that there’s some room on the grounds for additional boat storage? So if you’ve a trailerable boat that’s taking up space in your driveway or yard we’ve room for it here. The fee for a small boat would be quite reasonable; you’d be gaining valuable space at your home and in the process supporting your Club. Call the office for details.
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Law is now in effect and several members have asked what the Club policy will be. It’s quite simple, state law prohibits firearms in any “Class B” liquor licensed facility and our Clubhouse and outdoor tent is just that. Also Milwaukee County Parks as our landlord prohibits firearms on their parkways and facilities. So the answer to the question is: Firearms are not permitted on SSYC grounds. Signs stating that will be posted in the very near future.
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From the Manager
 Greetings,
Well, the winds have subsided and I hope we will be in for some more seasonal weather for a while. The Autumn menu will be introduced on Friday November 4th.
In an effort to provide our members an improved dining experience we will be experimenting with some changes in the dining room. For example, the number of standard menu offerings will be smaller and weekly specials will be more numerous.
We will offer Prime Rib one Friday a month on a regular basis. The salad bar will take a brief hiatus and we will be serving the salad course as well as an appetizer plate for each table.
We will also introduce a new and improved dessert menu. We know some of these changes may be controversial, but we have a responsibility to provide our membership the best dining experience possible.
Starting in November we will be featuring promotions on our SSYC merchandise on selected Fridays. New items include:
- SSYC license plate frames
- Large and small coffee mugs
- Waterproof adhesive SSYC Burgees
- And of course some great clothing
Watch for a flyer outlining the offerings and the dates of the sale.
There is an awful lot going on at the club. Why not introduce a friend to the “Harbor of Hospitality”?!
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Treasurer's Report
 As you all know, I’ve reported that our various committees have been doing a great job of containing costs. As of the September financial reports, the total of the combination of all the committee incomes and expenses is running $9,000 better than budgeted. We’ve achieved this in spite of missing our budgeted dock fee goal by $8,280. (The current economy has impacted our transient income.)
All is not good news, however. The overall status of the club shows a budget shortfall of $26,485. One of the big factors in this loss is because the budget was set using a membership number of 505. We have not met this goal. This financial entry is allocated from an annual value to a ‘per month’ value and the expected shortfall for this account looks like it will be $32,870 by year end.
Another factor that is not in our control is the utility bills from WEPCO. These have gone up more than we allowed for in the 2011 budget. As of September, we are seeing the electric bills running $5,200 (16%) more than budgeted and the heat bill $680 (10%) more than budgeted. The dues tend to pay for the operation of the club building. This makes me wonder if we shouldn’t adjust the dues annually based upon some “cost of living” number.
What are we to make of all this? The final numbers aren’t in yet and the budget committee hasn’t had a chance to review and discuss all the requests for 2012, but it looks like next year is going to have a shortfall of $18,000 - $25,000.
There are several ways of addressing this: Dues increase, fee increase, special assessment or a combination of these. On one hand, our dues and fees are significantly lower than the ‘market rate’ for equivalent clubs or services. On the other hand, our club has always had an attitude of ‘when the club needs money, just ask’ and the membership steps up.
What are your thoughts?
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Breakfast with Santa
 With the holiday season rapidly approaching, it is once again time for South Shore Yacht Club to prepare for a visit from a special visitor from the North Pole -- SANTA CLAUS!!
The Junior Organization, along with financial help from the Auxiliary, will once again sponsor Breakfast with Santa. This year Breakfast with Santa will be held on Saturday, December 10th from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Breakfast will be served promptly at 10:30 a.m. Please be on time. The cost of the breakfast is $4.50 for children and adults. This includes breakfast, treats and a visit with Santa Claus.
Reservations are needed for this event. Please RSVP to the Club office by Monday, December 5th.
Children attending Breakfast with Santa are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy to donate to the Bay View Community Center.
We look forward to seeing everyone on December 10th.
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Auxiliary Report
By Jan-Marie Weiler
We are into the twilight hours of 2011. The 2011 boating season is a memory, a blur of activities. But the Auxiliary has some important dates to finish out the year. First date for your calendar is the November meeting on Tuesday, November 1st. That is really early in the month so put it on your calendar to join us for the election and installation of new officers and board members for 2012. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. Remember this is the day after Halloween, the day known as All Saints Day!
All Auxiliary members should have received a post card through the U.S. mail listing the slate of officers and board members up for election for 2012. If you did not receive a post card, please contact our corresponding secretary Sue Manske. If you have information on an auxiliary member in need of sunshine due to illness or a death in the family, please let Sue Manske, our Sunshine committee person, know. She is very prompt with requests but can’t act without the knowledge given to her by our members.
Also at the November meeting will be the selection of gift tags for the Holiday Giving Tree that we participate in. If you would like gift tags but can’t attend the November meeting, please call Fran Aring. The gifts should be brought to the December meeting. The groups we work with on this project want to be able to give out the gifts at their holiday parties so they need the gifts early in December. Thank you to Auxiliary members who help us with this outreach project!
The November meeting will be the place to sign-up for the December dinner. Our December dinner is always a crowd pleaser. Chef Peter makes up some delicacies especially for us. We need a count of how many meals we are serving so he knows how much food to prepare. Again, if you cannot attend the November meeting, you must RSVP for the December dinner at the club office. If you find you cannot make the dinner and you had signed up, you must call the club office to cancel before the office closes for the day of the dinner. Failure to do so will require you to pay for the dinner.
The Auxiliary extends a special thank you to Ken and Sandy Dziubek who were our guest speakers at Shipmates Night in October. Their adventures sailing on Agape are interesting and who else among us can tell of boating adventures in the South Pacific? The food and service that evening was delicious and pleasant so thank you to Chef Peter and his staff! We are so fortunate to have so many hardworking people at South Shore! Thank you to all the Auxiliary members who brought pies. What an assortment of pies we had! As Russ Berg likes to say, a good time was had by all!
Hope most of your boating chores are done. No time to rest though. We are looking forward to seeing many Auxiliary members at the November and December meetings. There is a special fellowship among the members of the Auxiliary. You are missed when you are not there!
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Slip Committee News
 I hope everyone had a good summer of boating and enjoyed the facilities at South Shore Yacht Club. The slip committee works hard to respond to any complaints or suggestions regarding the useablilty of the slips.
Everyone should be aware that slips will be closed on 5 November 2011. We will be having a work party starting @ 0900 and should be finished around 1100 and will serve a lunch for all that came to work.
I would like to remind all slip owners that slips are required to be vacated and winterized per their slip contracts on or before 31 October in the year of the contract. There shouldn't be any waveboards, dock lines, power cords, hoses, steps or ladders left in the slip. There will be a $100.00 fine assessed should any infractions be encountered on the 5th of November.
Rembember that Slip change will be held on Saturday, 21 January 2012.
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Storage Season is Coming! How to Protect from Mold
By George Hussin
Storage and closing up the boat is a common annual occurrence for us in this area. How can we prevent moisture from entering the enclosed atmosphere? Hanging up desiccant bags works for a short time, until they are filled with moisture. Usually storage extends for about 5 to 7 months in this area and, with limited ventilation, mold naturally occurs.
The best way to prevent it is of course with adequate ventilation. Remove everything from the boat that you can. For anything that can’t be removed, allow ventilation to occur by lifting up all fabrics and foamed pads and allow air to circulate. Open all storage bins. Clean them out and leave open.
Now with Winterizing -- sweep the boat and remove all perishables’. Store your PFD’s, cushions and foul weather gear separately. A chemical dehumidifier works if you can afford to leave a 110 v appliance running during the winter months.
Drain all fresh water tanks and apply a non-toxic propylene glycol antifreeze. Check the burst points on all of your water fittings. Using a –50 degree solution will prevent burst PVC pipes and be OK for copper. Be 100% sure that you have the correct antifreeze. Antifreeze should also have anti corrosive qualities in it so as to protect any metal surfaces that come in contact with it. It should also have a very distinct color to it so that you know when all is flushed out of the system in the Spring.
Finally, apply a light coat of high quality polymer polish (not a wax) to all stainless steel and polished metals, fiberglass and painted surfaces. The extra time spent minimizes the chore in the Spring clean-up.
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Club Handbook and Member Directory Now Online
 The website has been updated with several new features for SSYC members. You are now able to view online member contact information, boat names and slip assignments, and the Club Handbook. These features are only accesible to members who login. To begin, your username is your member number without any leading zeros. To create a password, click on the Forgot your password? link located in the upper right  corner of the Home page within the Login box. On the next page enter the email address that is on file with the club.  Next, a verification email will be sent to you at this address. Once you have received the verification email, you will be able to choose a new password for your account. If you successfully login, you will see a greeting with your name at the top of the page. If you have problems logging in or creating a new password please send an email to publications@ssyc.org. and we will try to help you. Once you successfully login you will see several new menu items under the Members menu including:
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My Page - This is the page where you can manage your Profile and Privacy settings, add a picture of yourself, upload photos and videos, and post a message for other members. This page works a lot like Facebook and is a place where you can network with other members in a community that is limited to members of South Shore Yacht Club.
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Member Search - Enter a member's name or part of a name to look up a particular member. Member profiles contain all of the information found in the Member Directory including address, phone, email and boat name.
These new features do not replace the club handbook, but are meant to make the website more useful to members. We are planning to publish an updated club handbook and directory in the near future.
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Cruising Fleet News
By Margaret Jaberg, Cruising Fleet Co-Captain
Aloha Cruisers and Cocktailers!! Now that the boats are tucked away its time to rehash the past season and plan for future cruising adventures!
Cruise into the upstairs dining room on Thursday, November 10 at 7pm for the end of the season social. Join us to find out where the fleet went and which SSYC boat traveled the most miles this past summer. Bring your log books and pictures, and your best stories, especially if you think you’ve earned the fleet travel trophy for 2011. I think the competition will be lively, and judging will be done that night.
To begin planning for next year, at the wrap up we’ll put together a roster of all the members and the places they’ve been to or would like to travel to so people can connect to trade stories, offer suggestions and maybe plan some new adventures together. If you can’t make it that night, we’ll send it around by email and Facebook later so you have it available on those cold winter nights when you’re dreaming of getting back out on the water again. Ahoy!
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Powerboaters' News
 Hope you are planning on joining us at the Powerboater’s Ball on November 12th. Cocktails and Hors D’ oeuvres start at 6 p.m., with dinner of your choice of sliced beef tenderloin or bourbon glazed salmon starting at 7 p.m. We are promised a Chef Pete “surprise” dessert. “Heat” will be our entertainment for dancing following dinner.
Why not make it a Powerboater’s Weekend and join Gerry Hedtke on the Voyager boat trip the following day.
Hope that you survived the last big wind storm and did not sustain damage to your boat.
Watch for an e-blast about the Powerboater’s Planning Meeting which will be held in January. Bring along new ideas and let’s get them on the calendar.
As always, if you have any interest in running an event or new ideas for the ones we do, please let me know. If you are new to the club, we really want to hear from you concerning your participation in the Powerboater’s activities. Call me personally on my cell at 414-397-4151. We want your participation.
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House Report
 The Packers games have begun at the Club and we hope to see you at some of them. Don’t forget to bring a dish to pass if you intend to partake in the food.
The packaged goods cooler behind the bar needed to be replaced, so a new one has been purchased and will be installed. Also the little used walk-in coolers in the basement that cannot be used for food have been shut down and will be removed. This will give us more storage space in the basement.
The bathrooms were discussed at a House Committee and some ways to give them a facelift are being looked into.
Jerry Rakowski is framing a chart of Lake Michigan to be hung in the north hall and Mike Erstad has made a couple of shelves for the table flags to be kept on.
Now that most members have their boats on the hard we can look forward to winter activates or a trip south, and to prepare for next year’s boating season. |
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Bay View History -- Corner Store
By Sharon Cook
A corner store stood at Superior and Iron. Charles Knight owned the store and lived in the house next to it. Theodore Dirksmeyer worked for Mr. Knight for 20 years until 1917 when he and Max Karl bought the business. The partnership lasted many years, and when it split, Karl opened a store a quarter block north. When the owner of the corner store died in 1937, the business was closed but the building got new life as an upholstery shop until 1954 when the ranch style house we know today was built.
Excerpted from the Bay View Historical Society newsletter
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Helping Hands
By Carolyn Nason
Here are a few helpful hints:
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday. Did you know Wednesday is generally the least expensive day to buy gas? It’s also when airline ticket prices are at their lowest. And according to shopittome.com, you can get discounts on average of 40% off women’s and kids’ clothing on Wednesdays. Who knew?
This awesome video link is from Ken Dziubek (Summertime). He says, “for those of us who love corn on the cob, this is an absolute must see! No mess to preparing it, no silks to try to brush out of the corn, it comes out clean.” Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4. Wow, great tip, Ken! Thanks.
WeEnergies 2011 Cookie Book is almost here. Pick up a free Cookie Book and enjoy some hot cocoa on Saturday, November 12, 2011 9am to 1pm. Bring your kids or grandkids and a camera for photos with Santa’s reindeer. The festivities will be held at Miller Park near Helfaer Field.
Make furniture moving a piece of cake by putting small pieces of foil under the legs, dull side down.
For you interior designers or architects – wannabes or otherwise. Did you know about Google’s Sketchup? It’s free software (there is a professional version also) that helps you create, design and draw. Check it out at: http://sketchup.google.com/product/gsu.html .
What?! Clean your piano keys with a little mayonnaise applied with a soft cloth. Wait a few minutes, wipe with a damp cloth and buff. Just don’t tell your mom!
Try http://www.bing.com/travel/ if you’re not sure when to lock in that ticket or hotel price. It looks at historical fare data and price trends.
Recycle an old telephone cord. (Do these still exist?) Use it as a clothesline. It won’t rust and it’ll keep clothespins in place.
With the holidays just around the corner, don’t forget that crumpled up wads of paper are good for holding cookies in place when shipping. Channel the inner Martha Stewart in you.
Speaking of holidays, watch for the parade. Oversize car-top metal menorahs during Hanukkah which begins Tuesday, December 20, may be coming your way! Check it out at Chabad.org (search car top Menorah) for details. On the road again…
Trouble remembering someone’s name? Try writing their name across his forehead with a big, black Sharpie marker. Well, ok, not literally.
As always, keep your hints coming.
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