Monday, March 10, 2025
1) Meeting called to order at 7:34 PM (CT) (Postponed for 30 minutes)
2) Roll Call: 20/26 voting members – Quorum is made. (2/3 per Constitutional Article XII.3.h)
Present:
a.ExCom: Warren Duckworth, Aaron Holland, Paul Cone, Bob White, Nicole Shedden (5 votes)
Absent: Lloyd Kitchin
Treasurer: Sarah Paisley
Secretary: Dianne Duckworth
b.RVPs: In person: Craig Koschalk (GL), Tommy Glenn (SE). Via Zoom: Blair Dryden (CS), Phil Gordon (PC) (4 votes)
Absent: Dave Hansen (AC)
c. DGs: In person: Paul Abdullah (FLA), Phil Christman (LM), Stan Smith (SCAL), Corrine Sackett (LE), Adam Young (SA), Via Zoom: John Gilmour (CA), Brian Bauman (NCAL), Scott Meyer (NF), Scott Vogel (NE), Mark Udell (MICH), Marty Parisien (PNW) (11 votes).
Absent: Tom Lawton (LIS), Douglas Kitchin (NJ), Ted Lischer (MA), Kevin Sheenan (C)
3) Minutes
a.GB meeting on August 4, 2024, at Tom’s River: Approved
4) Officers’ reports
a.Secretary, Dianne Duckworth
i.Membership:
1.2024 Membership (580 +/-2)
2.As of February 28, 2025- 380 paid memberships
3.Clubspot now sends out monthly reminders to pay dues for past due memberships.
b.Treasurer, Sarah Paisley
i.Budget for 2025 shows a deficit of about $4500.00
1.Operating expenses are higher
2.Donations to the Operating Fund are down due to members donating to Endowment Fund
3.Budget now shows 2 accounts to show a clearer picture of operating expenses: Accounts-Operating and G&P
ii.2025 Budget is motioned and approved (19 yes and 1 abstained)
c.First Vice President, Aaron Holland
i.District Championships
1.Unscheduled (2) Middle America and Northern California
2.Scheduled (13)
ii. Regional Championships
1.Southeastern Championship Blackbeard Sailing Club, NC 6/21-22
2.Atlantic Coast Championship Severn Sailing Association, MD 6/28-29
3.Pacific Coast Championship Cathlamet, WA 7/12-13
4.Great Lakes Championship Cleveland Yacht Club 7/26-27 (Weekend before Nationals)
a. 2026 CHICAGO
5.Central Southern [UNCONFIRMED] Little Rock, Mid July
iii.MWW report
1.Thanks to Stan Smith and the Mission Bay fleet for a job well done
iv.National Championships
1.2025 Sandusky Report from Jesse
2.2026 Eugene July 26-31st Report from Marty
d.Second Vice President, Paul Cone
i.I continue to work on TCA website — security updates, fixed social integrations. Working on content updates, including gleaning evergreen articles from the Bagpipe for posting on the website.
ii.Coordinating discussions with new potential Thistle builder. More on this later!
e.Third Vice President, Lloyd Kitchin- Report given by president
i.Promoting the class
1.Working on ideas to promote the class to women sailors and people under 30 years of age and not just junior sailors. People coming out of college may have a better financial position.
2.More focus on promoting Women’s and Jr Nationals.
3.Determine ways to introduce the Thistle to college sailing team members, not as a college racing boat, but to create interest in the Thistle as an option for college sailors to pursue outside of college. i.e.. Identifying sailing teams around the country and providing the team members with information, photos, videos, fleet locations, contacts, etc.
4.Provide an article in the next Bagpipe of the methods our fleet has used to attract new members and improve the skills of existing members. Contributions from other fleets welcome.
5.A lease to buy program within a fleet. Considerations- The availability of boats, insurance, storage, maintenance, and a willing owner. Example- Fleet or private owner leases a boat to a designated skipper to use for a specified dollar amount per month. The boat must be raced a designated number of times during the sailing season. If the skipper opts out at any time, the fleet or owner keeps the money. When the payments reach a predetermined value of the boat, the lessee becomes the new owner.
f.Chief Measurer, Bob White
i.Working on a list of what will be measured at Nationals in Sandusky
ii.Measure focused on mast, no centerboards
g.Past President, Nicole Shedden
i.Nationals qualification: “Sail at districts is the qualifier” language was discussed at MWE ‘24 and at Tom’s River. Thank you to Doug Kitchin for putting together an outline of the discussion and possible ideas for moving forward. Will discuss during Old Business.
ii.Nationals Trophies
1.Propose appraising trophies for insurance purposes at an upcoming Nationals, but the cost wouldn’t fit in our typical annual budget. Will talk to Gowrie about a rider. Last appraised at 1977 Houston Nationals; thanks to Craig Smith for finding that document.
2.Deeds: Received copies of a few trophy deeds from Craig Smith. Dianne scanned and filed in our google drive.
3.Top 5 trophies: Getting mini hubcaps for the top 5 again. Working with a precision metal company on the hubcaps. Thank you to Larry Shedden for making the wooden plaques.
iii.Nationals seed money: Wrote a loan document for Sandusky Sailing Club (and future hosts) to allow the TCA to help with costs before registration money starts coming in. We’ll loan SSC up to $4k with stipulations, and they’ll repay after the regatta.
iv.Alternate District Governor reminder: Each district needs to appoint an Alternate DG along with the regular DG and submit both names to the secretary. “An Active Member Non-Boat Owner has the privilege of holding office” (Const. IX.1.e), so think outside the box for this role. See Oct/Nov 2024 Bagpipe article.
v.US Sailing Trophy for Service and Leadership awarded to John Howell in February. Look for an article with the nomination essay in the May-July 2025 Bagpipe. Congrats to John!
vi.Thistle Plans cost needs to be increased because of the rising costs of printing and mailing. Motioned for an increase from $35.00 to $75.00, discussion and then voted on and approved.
h.President, Warren Duckworth
i.Congratulations to John Howell for winning the John H. Gardiner Jr. Trophy and Service Award. This is in recognition in distinguished service and leadership in the promotion of one-design sailing and class organization presented by US Sailing.
ii.Listed the approved motions since National’s 2024, at St. Tom’s River Yacht Club.
5) Old Business
a.Strategic projects:
i.Key Event Management Plan: Aaron Holland
1.Outlining steps to running a major chevron regatta event, including regional events
2.Suggested including Fleet Regatta events
ii.Improved/expanded Coach TCA: Nicole Shedden. Looking for members to write the charter based on the project scope and lead the creation of the program. Goal is to expand beyond the coaching sessions at MWE and round tables at Nationals by having coaching/training sessions regionally and online; see scope in news section of website for details.
b.New Boat Builder: Warren Duckworth and Bob White
i.Beacon Composite (Alex Venegas) is no longer building Thistles- researching new leads and will follow-up with ExCom.
ii.Looking to address our need for masts and tangs. Doug Laber still has a few.
iii.Bob White has been in contact with Dwyer Masts and Rigging about masts and tangs.
c.Nationals qualification: “Race at districts is the qualifier “Bylaws (Article XIV 6e2a) l.
i.Old language (pre-2022 Constitution update): “Race as skipper-helmsman in their District series […].” Intent: encourage participation beyond Nationals and support local Thistling.
ii.Sailors have been trying to qualify for Nationals by sailing a District Championship other than their own. Bylaw language needs clarification.
iii.Continued discussion from MWE ‘24 and Tom’s River GB meetings. The majority wants to let skippers sail in any districts to qualify. Main reason: reduce barriers to entry for Nationals, thereby increasing Nationals participation.
iv.Motion to change language to “Race at ANY districts is the qualifier.” Approved (18 for, 2 against)
6) New Business
a.Budget concerns: Aaron Holland will send by email or post on Governing Board Google Groups for Budget concerns and ideas to increase revenue. Nicole is working on an advertising campaign to promote TCA membership
b.The Thistle Class Association Governing Board approved a one-time trial of Digital Race Management systems by using Vakaros RaceSense at the 2025 Nationals to assess its potential benefits for race management. For more information see article in the May-July 2025 Bagpipe: Class Announcement: Digital Race Management Trial at 2025 Nationals.
c.Motioned and approved. 20/20
7) Next meeting will be at the Sandusky Nationals, watch for date and time.
8) Adjourned at 9:32 PM CT
