CSCA Annual General Meeting – 1 February 2001

Secretary/Treasurer’s report

 

Your Association again had a successful and active year and remains financially sound.  Our operating surplus for the year was $4,698.96, our second (consecutive) positive  annual balance.   As you will see from the Financial Statements, of which you have a copy, we will end the year with an overall operating surplus (Bank Balance) of $18,201.60.

 

Non fee income includes $788.40 income for “40 yrs. CD” orders and $330 for the Fleet Development Fund.  Not included is a further $1000 still due from Regatta organizers for the Fleet Development Fund as the Notes to the Financial Statements show.

 

This year again shows a significant savings due to the changeover from “hard copy” assembly/printing and postal distribution of Sharkscan to  a “digital” format and automated distribution.   This process is not complete and continues to result in some loss of service to those members who unable to communicate via Email or to access the Internet.  We did not, in fact, issue a Sharkscan, in any format, in 2000.  I pleased to report however, that two members have volunteered to assume Editorial responsibility for Sharkscan and we can hope that publication will resume this year. 

 

The drop in Membership which we have seen  each year since 1995 and was finally reversed in 1999 has returned this year!.  We had a net loss of 28 members over 1999.  A somewhat complicated table available to the meeting, displays the year to year changes in membership, by region over the last five years.  We are now down 13% from 1996.  This trend is unlikely to be reversed without aggressive membership building and retention activity in the Regions.

 

Handbook sales were down, as expected and the Binder version is now “Sold Out”  Content is in need of refreshing and updating and there will be an update on our plans for a “digital” version later in the meeting.

 

 “Shark Bytes”, which now has its own “domain” – www.shark24.org, continues to be very popular with over 80 “hits” daily from different individuals, accessing almost 3000 pages daily.  Several boats and other equipment have changed hands through its “Shark Mart”. The site has continued our contact with the European fleets.  We have just recently linked to the German Shark Web site and to several Shark sailing Clubs.  The site continues to attract visits from several “isolated” Shark sailors, in Sweden, Finland and, on our eastern seaboard, from places such as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Nantucket, North Carolina and Long Island as well as around the Great Lakes and, believe it or not, on Great Slave Lake!

 

Ivan Amery (West Winds) has continued his valuable support in maintaining "SharkBytes.  Mark Anderson (On the Rocks) who volunteered to take over as Secretary in 2000 was unable to continue and the job returned to me at the end of the year.  In conclusion I must stress that I cannot continue to act a Secretary, Treasurer and Webmaster in 2001.  I will continue to work with Ivan on the web site until other arrangements can be made but someone must be found to take over the Secretary and Treasurer responsibilities.

 

Bill Henderson