HIGHLIGHTS:
 

1.  We had a nice turnout for the Annual Meeting. There were about 24 members present with another 12 or so represented by proxies. Most of the meeting covered what has happened over the past two years on Richard Walker's watch, much of it good additions to the club, some of it we'd rather not relive. There are urgencies to be prepared for as we move into the year 2010 including tow planes, tow pilots, grounds keeping, maintenance issues, member involvement, and, of course, financial issues. Much of that was transferred to the new administration to deal with. Sound like national politics? But a lot more friendly and less bipartisanship.

2. Morgan Hall was elected our new President. I am confident he will be a great addition to the ranks of past Presidents and has already shown his willingness to move ahead on important issues regardless of the obstacles. His calls for more member involvement rather than letting the Board do all the work is a request we all need to acknowledge and respond to accordingly. More social events to bring the members together more often and establish a stronger sense of camaraderie is well needed. We expect to see more planning and written goals for all of us and that is welcomed. CONGRATULATIONS, MORGAN, AND WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO MAKING OUR CLUB BETTER ALL AROUND FOR IT'S MEMBERS.

3. Peter Sahlberg was elected Vice President, Maintenance, a critically important position that affects not only the financial stability of the club, but more importantly, the safety of all of us. It will be a nearly impossible job to try and fill the void left by Joe Anastasio. Joe did more work, unannounced, in our club than practically anyone. Joe's contributions directly affected the safety and welfare of anyone flying in the CCSC. It is probably going to take Peter, and a few other members to match the contributions made by Joe over the past many years that Joe has been V.P. Maintenance. However, I believe Peter is the person who can most closely match those contributions if he has the continuing help from other club members. He plans to assign a member to each glider to oversee its condition and safety, letting Peter know what needs to be done and when. I think that formula will be a thorough way to ensure that nothing is left to chance in that area. CONGRATULATIONS, PETER, AND REST ASSURED WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO HELPING YOU KEEP THE FLEET MAINTAINED IN A SAFE AND SECURE CONDITION.

4. Dan Gudgel was re-elected Vice President Operations, a position Dan has held for a decade or more. But his qualifications for the job are unmatched and we're happy he has agreed to serve another term. We are pleased at the makeup of the new Board, a group that represents strong qualifications and equally strong commitments to raising the level of the club beyond where we have been in past decades. CONGRATULATIONS, DAN, AND THANKS FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM IN A DIFFICULT AND IMPORTANT ROLE IN CCSC.

5. At the conclusion of the meeting, the members pondered on whether to fly or not. It was past 1:30 pm and many had thought the weather wouldn't have turned out as good. But Steve Schery agreed to tow since Harlow, Ethan, and I need to get back to Fresno early afternoon. That was a tough move since those clouds pleaded with us to try them out. We didn't, but a number of other members did, including Bart Klusek, and here is his report:

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Harold,

I thought I would send a short summary of flying activities after the meeting.

Joe flew once (Blanik) and so did Rich Miller (LP-49). Peter Sahlberg flew twice (2-33) and I flew three times (Blanik). Alex flew his RV-3. Steve Schery did the towing.

After a couple of 15-minute sled rides, conditions improved a bit. I managed to stay up for 40 minutes. Peter's and Rich's last flights were about as long.

Maximum lift was two knots. I found mostly zero sink (but a lot of it!). Maximum altitude of the day was 4000 feet.

Above the Cu layer, views were absolutely amazing. Of course, one had to get towed up there...

Bart

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6. The weather is beginning to turn for the better. We expect February to start those "booming soaring" days we always see this time of year. So those of you who have been hibernating at home instead of coming out to the gliderport, need to rethink that approach. And keep in mind that this year we definitely are going to have our Annual Contest, complete with another in a series of great T-Shirts and excitement on the field for the five days of the contest. We also encourage our members to participate in the contest, even if all you do is enter the Sports Class to gain contest experience.

7. We expect to have a tow plane on the field soon that can tow dual flights in the 2-33 and Blanik. You will be notified the moment that becomes a reality and our target date is next Saturday, February 6th. Keep your fingers crossed.