January 2025

Commodore Clawson

Happy New Year 2025!

Hoping this finds all of your crew happy and healthy.  We have a lot to be thankful for in 2024 and a lot to look forward to in 2025.  Be sure to check out our SYC Event Calendar for this year and save all the dates.  We are also looking for volunteers to host events and to make this year special, so please join us and sign up with your favorite people to make it memorable!

Special thanks to Greg and Brenda Lenke for leading us through 2024 with style! We appreciate your dedication to our club and we thank you for a job well done!

Thank you to Aaron and Shelly Jensen for your superb hosting of the 2024 Christmas Parade and Dinner.  Despite the wicked weather that day, we were blessed with a complete cessation of the wind just in time for the parade.  Aaron and Shelly’s detailed planning and preparation made sure that the entire event was enjoyed by everyone.

I am excited and look forward to all that this year will bring.  Ronda and I are planning on NJoy-ing More time on the water with all of you.

Cheers to 2025!
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Tyler Clawson

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Vice Commodore Jensen

I would like to start off by sincerely thanking everyone that helped our club's successful Christmas Party and Boat Parade. It was touch-n-go there for a bit with Saturday wind gusts clocking 43 mph!

I was amazed at everyone’s ability to keep the decorations from blowing off. Miraculously, the forecast was accurate, and the winds  settled down. Of the 25 boats originally signed up to decorate, we had 14 boats participate in the parade. That is amazing! Thousands of people were lined up along the waterfront for a nearly perfect event. We even made the news reel on KOMO 4!

The elves came out in full force and did an amazing job decorating the clubhouse. It really looked great, and I heard nothing but positive comments. As always, we are so thankful for those that were able to return Sunday morning for the cleanup too. Well done!

I owe all the dinner coordination credit to my beautiful bride, Shelly. What an amazing job she and her team achieved! So many volunteers brought delicious soups to try and a table of desserts that was off the charts. The kids loved the cocoa bar and were so much fun to watch running around all evening in anticipation for Santa’s arrival. Santa did indeed make a stop on his busy schedule and what a stop it was!

The children all circled up on the dance floor with their smiles and eyes a glow, they danced and sang Christmas carols while eagerly waiting for him to arrive. Right on cue, Santa made a grand entrance waving to all the kids and families with enthusiasm. One by one, and sometimes two, the children, young and old, made their way to have a special moment with Santa Clause. The evening’s momentum continued after Santa’s departure, with smiles and laughter by all having a joyous time.

Greg Lenke gave a wonderful and heartfelt recap of his very successful Commodore year. The warm applause of the membership said everything and meant the world. Thank you so much to Greg and Brenda. Welcome Commodore Tyler Clawson!

As for me, I am humbled and very thankful to be a small part of this great club and extremely honored to be entrusted by the membership to take on the responsibility and continued success as your 2025 Vice Commodore.

Cheers,
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Aaron Jensen

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Rear Commodore Witzel

Welcome to the 2025 Boating season!

Let me begin by saying I never thought I would be the Rear Commodore of a yacht club. Ken and I joined this club in the Fall of 2021. Our first event was the Labor Day Wagon wheel out at Kicket Bay. We had a great time but didn't know much about the club.  About a month later there was a post in the newsletter saying that the club needed a few Board positions filled, one of them being Secretary. I have always had a firm belief that if you join a club or organization that needs help, you volunteer. This has led me to be a Registrar, Treasurer, Secretary, and Team Manager. I even volunteered to coach a soccer team without knowing much about the sport because coaches were needed.

Back to SYC, when I saw that post asking for volunteers to fill open Board positions, I called Aaron up and together we decided to volunteer. I knew nothing about yacht clubs, their history, or even that there were 3 Commodores but what I did know was that we joined the club to become part of a community and that I could learn. I have spent the past 3 years getting a history lesson while also trying to add new ideas to help keep the club growing.

I look forward to the next 3 years where I will continue to learn about our club's traditions while bringing a different perspective to my job. One thing you can count on is that if I volunteer to do it, I will work hard to make it the best I can. That said, we are still looking for a few volunteers to join our Board as our Communications Director and our Web Content Director. If you would like to have a voice in how our club moves forward please consider filling one of these positions.

Best,
​
Jame Witzel

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Notice From Officers & Directors

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New Members: Do you want to see your friend’s name here????

​Send them to www.cruisesyc.com/join

​I want to welcome Kara Moore and Katie Reading as our newest SYC Board members. I appreciate their willingness to volunteer and am excited to hear their great ideas.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:  Now is the time to update your address, phone numbers (cell and home), and your email addresses (for publication and our club emails).  If changes are needed, please reach out to Jame Witzel @ [email protected] to update this information.

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Yacht Club Swag

​Check out how easy it is to order from our website.  You can click the link, choose your item and select with the SYC logo and your boat name or just the SYC logo, then you pay and they will either ship it to you or send it to Janine and Mike for delivery.  It doesn’t get easier than that.   

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Upcoming Events

Click below to see all of our upcoming SYC events and make sure to RSVP!

View Upcoming Events