Ready for Spring in Clayton
   by Kathy Snyder and Stacy Dasno


      Many of you are sitting in beautiful, balmy spring weather as you read this edition of the Rudder, but as I write these few paragraphs it is snowing, with 30 mph winds and sub zero wind chill. It seems that boating season will never reach the North Country. But we have been busy preparing the 2008 edition of the ACBS Directory. We appear to be on target for a ship date of April 1. Please look for your directory to arrive anytime in mid-April. Hopefully, you paid your dues before January 15 and have been included as one of the 7200 memberships listed in this year’s directory. If it does not arrive please contact Headquarters by the end of the month so we can investigate. As usual there are many people who contributed to making this directory the valuable tool that it is. Thank you to all.
       New for spring are many new items in the Ship’s Store. Some are featured in this issue of the Rudder, but you can see more on the web www.acbs.org. My favorite is the new print short sleeve twill shirt. Great quality and reasonably priced. A must-have for every classic boater. New Coast Guard approved PFD’s are also available; these are printed with the ACBS burgee, and available in several colors.
       Looking forward, the Board at the winter meeting approved a contract for a new, web-based database. As the chapters and membership grow, our current, custom-written database is antiquated, difficult to use, and not meeting the chapters’ needs of accessibility or versatility. It is exciting to see the options we will be able to offer both the chapters and members. Watch for developments over the summer and into next autumn.
      Of special interest to all chapters is the upcoming summer quarterly meeting in Milwaukee. Hosted jointly by the Blackhawk and Glacier Lakes Chapters, the Roundtable session will be a workshop dedicated to newsletters. This will be a benefit on communications for chapters and their members. Often the chapter newsletter is the number one reason people join a chapter! The weekend agenda is filled with options of things to do and see in the area.

Kathy and Stacy