Reply To: Communication styles at RCYC – 10/14/22

I have been in and around RCYC for many years having grown up at the club before it moved down river to the current location and becoming a member myself many years ago. It has been known as “Fort Knox YC” locally for a long, long, time. It hasn’t been the most welcoming or hospitable club toward guests in Portland or on the West Coast for a long time either. That makes me very sad. It wasn’t always that way. I do remember a very different vibe around the club during my childhood and before joining. I hope that atmosphere will change some day.

In the past 6 months I have spent time at the following Yacht Clubs: North Flathead, Mc Nary, San Diego, Southwestern, Long Beach, Alamitos Bay, Dana Point, Dana West, Pacific Corinthian, Santa Barbara, Richmond, St. Francis, Golden Gate, Encinal, Oakland, Berkeley, Port Townsend, Mazatlan and Vallarta. I’ve been to these clubs either as a guest of a member to go racing, as a guest of the club as a race official or just as a random tourist with no business other than to take a walk and look around. Not at a single one those clubs, where I simply walked onto the grounds and was typically not in the company of a member, was I ever stopped by someone and questioned; maybe I just look like I belong there. Yet, at my home club, where I use a key to access the property, myself and others are often stopped and questioned. It makes no sense to be so aggressively security conscious. In the past 20+ years of “yachting”, with visits to dozens of clubs, I’ve never been stopped anywhere other than at RCYC.

George, I applaud you for posting such a well written post and I hope others around the club will take note. I also empathize with you as it is a difficult and uncomfortable situation. Brian, I have seen you demonstrate policy 3.1.3 toward guests and wish more members would recognize this very simple rule. Some people need to stop worrying that everyone that they don’t recognize is up to nefarious acts and start using a little measure of common sense and common courtesy.