Though the boats have been idle through the winter, the Board and committees of the Hubbards Sailing Club have not been.

Firstly there is the new name for our Club.  It was felt by the Board that the name the Hubbards Sailing Club better reflects the true nature of the Club’s programs.  To go along with the new name we also have a new tag line “Teaching Life Skills through Sailing”.  The Board and the Club instructors work hard to make sure that the summer includes plenty of fun for our young sailors and that we also work to provide learning and personal growth to our sailors.  

To go along with the new name we have a new logo and so you will soon see this throughout the Club and its literature.  In addition, there is a new website and many thanks to Bill Doane who donated his time and services to get the website up and running.   The website is still a work in progress and so please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.  You will be redirected from the old website or you can connect directly at www.hubbardssailingclub.ca.  Please make sure that you add the HSC link to your favorites.

Last in my list of things to report, but certainly not least, is the progress being made on the new Club building.  The winter saw the building committee work with an architect to design the site layout and the building.  The Club has hired Lindsay Construction to manage the building project, the land clearing has been done and the landscaping work has been started.  The foundation has been poured and work will begin soon on the framing for the building.  The goal of the building committee is to have the building ready at some time during the summer 2011 sailing season.  Visit the website for news and updates on the building progress.  

There has been some very dedicated talent working on the fundraising to pay for the new Club project.  The funding campaign for the new Club building includes more than just paying for the building.  The goal of the project also includes enough funding to allow for the purchase of some new equipment and the creation of a trust fund.  The purpose of the trust fund is to allow for the maintenance and care of the building so that annual program fees can be dedicated to annual program operating costs.   This would allow us to more easily meet our goal of keeping the annual program fees as low as possible.  So far we have raised approximately $550,000 and we are well on our way to our funding goal of $1,200,000.   Some of the fundraising has been fun.  Many thanks to the Murphy family for hosting our Fun and Fundraiser night at Murphy’s on the Water in Halifax which netted $20,000 for the Club.  We look forward to your support when we reach out to you in the near future.

The HSC is similar to any other volunteer organization - there are always more jobs than people.  The HSC is a dynamic, fun environment with a focus on providing safe, affordable, fun recreational sailing opportunities for youth in the Hubbards and surrounding area.  If this is a cause that you can see yourself participating in, either on the board or on one of our committees, please contact me at 481-2221 or norman@thompsonsmoving.ca.  

We have set a few dates set for this season that you should mark on your calendar;

• Monday July 4, start of youth sailing program
• Saturday July 16, Annual Barbeque and Auction
• Saturday August 27, Closing Barbeque and Awards

Have a great spring and thank you for your support of the Hubbards Sailing Club.