GUILFORD HIGH SCHOOL SAILING TEAM - SPRING PRACTICES AT SHYC.  The Guilford High School Sailing Team, part of Guilford Sailing Foundation (GSF), is sailing out of SHYC again this Spring!  The sailors are an excited group and they are starting to make their mark on the CT High School Sailing scene.  As part of our shared agreement, the sailors and their coach Haley Brown get our SHYC 420’s out of the ballroom in the early Spring and rig them up for weekday practices which start in mid-March. They will also be donating their time to do any necessary 420 boat repairs, upkeep work on the 420 dock carpet, and replacing the 420 tiedown lines.  When the high school sailing season ends in late Spring, our 420s and docks will be ready and in great shape for our summer junior program.  Learn more about the GHS Team on their website.  The GSF has no employees and is a 100% volunteer organization with 6 board members; it maintains 501(c)(3) IRS tax exempt status.  Know a Guilford High School (or 8th grader) who wants to join the Sailing Team?  Email guilfordsailing@gmail.com to contact Kerry Schutz, Guilford Sailing Team Coordinator.

Your 2023 Dues Invoice will be emailed to you in mid-February. Please keep an eye out for this in your email. You will also receive an invoice later in the Spring for your 2023 Capital Assessment.  This year’s Annual Assessment is to pay for necessary club projects and improvements, to pay the third and final installment on the 3-year Boat & Dock Fund, and to cover other necessary capital projects that we discover as we ready the club for Summer 2023 over the next few months.  Based on our current estimates, the 2023 Capital Assessment will be less than $300 for Family Members, and discounted accordingly for the other membership categories (Single, Senior, etc.). The 2023 Assessment invoices will be sent to all members via email in May.   

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHYC OPERATING RESERVE FUND. Please consider contributing to the SHYC Operating Reserve Fund to help ensure the long-term financial health of SHYC. Our goal is 100% annual participation from the membership. Contributions of all amounts, large and small, are meaningful and appreciated. Contributions can be made at any time of year, as a standalone payment, or added on to any other payment you are making to SHYC.  As a reminder, contributing to the Operating Reserve Fund is optional and does not relieve you of your obligation to pay your Annual SHYC Dues (invoices emailed in mid-February) or your requirement to pay for Capital Assessments (invoices emailed in May).  

More about the SHYC Operating Reserve Fund Account. Established in January 2020, the Operating Reserve Fund serves as the Club’s “rainy-day fund.”  It is designed to allow us to continue the status quo in a fiscally responsible manner. The money is held in a separate savings account so we can track the balance over the years. The funds in the Operating Reserve Account will not be used for capital projects or drawn down for annual operating costs. The funds will only be used in necessary circumstances as determined by the SHYC Executive Committee.  You can contribute to the Club’s Operating Reserve Account any time of year. Contribution amounts will not be published on an individual basis; however, we will update the membership on overall amounts raised and participation levels.  As a reminder, the Club is not a 501(c)3 corporation, so these contributions are not tax deductible.   

Options for how to contribute to the Operating Reserve Account:

• Include with your 2023 Dues Payment: On your 2023 Dues Invoice there will be a red box where you can check an amount to contribute to the Operating Reserve Fund.  To make the payment, just add the indicated amount to your dues payment and submit the total amount together. 
• Mail: Send a contribution by mail at any time: Make your check out to “Sachem’s Head Yacht Club” and indicate “Operating Reserve Account” on the note/memo line. Sachem’s Head Yacht Club, Attn: SHYC Treasurer, PO Box 124, Guilford, CT 06437
• Email or Online Pledge Form: Send an email to SHYC Treasurer Colin Cooper at shyctreasurer@gmail.com. Indicate how much you would like to contribute and how/when you would like to be billed for this amount.  Or, click here to fill out our Google Form and pledge your contribution. The amount of your pledge contribution will be added to your next SHYC bill.

Best regards,
Whitney

Whitney Peterson | SHYC 2023 Commodore  | theCommodoreSHYC@gmail.com