Tribute to Charles Cole

The first presentation is to the retiring commodore, Charles Cole. Charles has been Commodore for four years, four very eventful and successful years. Not only has he presided over the very successful celebrations for our centenary, but under his leadership we've extended the clubhouse with the help of a lottery grant, the level of membership has been extremely healthy, and our juniors have won the Cambs Youth Sailing League for every one of the last three years.

Charles and Lorna have been a remarkable team, not just while Charles has been Commodore, but for at least the last 10 years. It was they that really got Optimist sailing established at the club. They started Optimist week; they organized Optimist races on Saturdays, and they've co-ordinated the club's involvement in the Cambs Youth Sailing League.

Several parents have said to me how much they particularly appreciated the help the Coles have given their children. Apparently Lorna has a magic touch with children that are a bit nervous.

In case anyone here doesn't know, Lorna is Ruth Macfarlane's daughter. So they've established a family tradition of service to the club. Except for new members, we all know how much Ruth has been involved in service to the club. What many may not know, is about Lorna's late father, Denis Macfarlane, (I believe he was known about the club as Mac). After the Macfarlanes joined the club in 1947, Mac lost very little time in joining the committee and was secretary for eight years during the 1950s and 60s.

All that I've mentioned so far about Charles and Lorna, is on top of their carrying out the usual duties of a commodore & spouse. But there are many other things I could mention too, such as their volunteer duties crewing the rescue boat relieving others to sail in the races, and, of course, Charles's organizing of all the internal cruiser events.

We are very lucky that, for the moment at least, they will continue with some of these roles.

Charles and Lorna, we owe you a very big thank you.

Tribute to Ken Lumbard

And the second presentation is to the retiring Honorary Secretary, Ken Lumbard.

Believe it or not Ken has been Secretary ever since I joined the club. That's for 17 years and I'm informed that he has been on the main committee for 22 years. That's longer than anyone else on the current committee with the exception of Rodney Bryant.

As anyone that's been secretary of an active committee knows, the secretary gets burdened (not to say lumbered!), not only with writing up the minutes, but also with writing all the official letters the committee needs send out, or decides to send out.

In commercial organizations it's said that sending out even a short letter costs the organization somewhere between 10 and 25 pounds. Over the 17 years, Ken has written a great many letters for the club. So even in just those terms, we've an enormous thank you to give Ken, but Ken has done a great deal more.

Now Ken has another great leisure-time devotion, playing in brass bands. But despite this and his services supporting them too, he has carried out, with diligence, his role for the Cam Sailing Club. He has done this even to the point of keeping other members of the committee on their toes. He has asked us each month to spot, in the minutes of the previous month, the deliberate error he had specially included for this purpose.

It would have been worrying changing both Commodore and Hon Sec in the same year. But for the last year Ken has been gradually handing over to Margaret Staples. Margaret was already well versed in the ways of the club, having been Social Secretary since I came on to the committee, and having been on the main committee itself for only one year less. In losing Ken, I'm relieved to have someone of Margaret's calibre to take over. As Commodore, I'm sure I'll be able to lean on Margaret for support. Having had just an inkling that I might be elected tonight, I rang Margaret yesterday to warn her that she might need to dig me in the ribs if I forgot something, so if you see her dig me in the ribs you'll know I have forgotten something!

I value all of the officers very highly and if any of you has any idea how I can stop any more retiring while I'm Commodore, I'd be glad to hear about it afterwards! But after 17 years as secretary of the club I can't really complain that Ken has decided it's time to move on.

Ken, many, many thanks.