Volunteers at Royal Geelong Yacht Club
Changing Communities. Changing Lives.
Our Club is built on the contributions made every year by numerous volunteers, both those who are Members and those from the community. The Club is, in fact, a community created by its members from its inception in 1859 and it is constantly renewed as new people bring the Club into their lives.
RGYC’s 2020 Summer of Sailing events were a great success for the competitors and their support crews. They acknowledged that the professional and friendly volunteers at the Club were the key to such a high level of operation. This level of recognition supports the opportunities for RGYC to win other events for Geelong and for them to contribute to the growth of our sport and the wellbeing of the community.
Our volunteers contribute in many ways other than the essential on water race management activities. We recognise the work done by the many people who do the planning and organising of events, systems, infrastructure, maintenance and the development of policies for the Club. RGYC volunteers are highly regarded as team members by the RGYC staff and government agencies and contractors who work with them across all facets of Club life.
The arrival of COVID-19 this year brought our sailing and event plans to a halt. Volunteer activities have been much reduced and all of us miss the social interaction and the participation in bringing great events to the Geelong and wider Australian communities. We also miss the enjoyment of seeing young sailors coached by volunteers learning the skills required to safely enjoy the sport of sailing.
There is some compensation for these changes in the ways we can use online training and events but it does not provide the essential parts of volunteering, the social interaction of people meeting, building friendships and sharing activities.
We look forward to the return of sailing activities and Club social life and the volunteer activities we enjoy.
Royal Geelong Yacht Club Volunteers Committee will run the postponed annual Volunteers Thank You Lunch when it is permitted. All our registered volunteers are invited to this event and information will be provided in Sea Chest.
John Kint
RGYC Commodore
Chris Williams
Chairman Volunteers Committee