Comments and Suggestions

In our opinion, Jack Payton, made many great contibutions to the Wildwood Sailing Club, not the least of which was his flagpole.
(if you are not familiar with Jack's contributions,check Pam's History at

http://www.wildwoodsailingclub.ca/

and click on Pam's History in the lower part of the webpage)

His efforts have certainly stood the test of time in that his flagpole has stood for 30+ years without any major renovations.
Whatever solution we come up with regards to the flagpole issue, it behooves us to ensure that our efforts are at least equal to Jack's.
We, the flagpole group (George, Peter&Lorne) would appreciate hearing from the membership with regards to the significance of our efforts.

Please express your opinion by leaving a comment/suggestion on this blog by Feb. 28/09
or
e-mail
mulhollandlp@quadro.net

Outlined below is a presentation by Pam Mulholland on Sept. 27/09 at Wildwood Sailing Club general meeting.

Flagpole Presentation

Design #6 refers to a specific plan which calls the restoration of Jack Payton’s 35 foot fibreglass flagpole to be installed on a new base of a particular design. This is one of nine options presented by the flagpole committee to the executive in the spring and it is the design chosen by the executive.
When the costs of the proposed design were finalized, however, the total came to a little over a $1000, $1200 with tax.
At the August supper, some members objected to the cost of this proposal and raised concerns about restoring a fibreglass flagpole. They proposed that a less expensive new flagpole be purchased.
At this time, I would like to present the arguments for the restoration project accompanied by the new base.
First, to address the historical value of a restoration.
For those of you who are new to the club and do not know of Jack Payton, he was one of the founding members and truly the driving force behind the creation of the Wildwood Sailing Club.
He provided both the vision and the commitment to see it through, to the extent of walking through dense bush, scythe in hand, followed by a bulldozer to carve out the roadway which leads into the club today. The UTRCA rented the property to a group of people who wished to start a sailing club, but the property certainly didn’t consist of the beautiful lawns and trees you see today. It was literally scrub land completely covered with hawthorn trees. Jack and his fellow sailing enthusiasts worked hard to clear the land in order to make it what it is today.
They were pioneers in the true sense of the word, and their efforts embody the essential enduring values of the club - a co-opertive spirit, a strong work ethic, and a love of sailing.
Not too long ago a former member visited the club to reminisce about his sailing days. His first words upon driving in were, "Where’s Jack’s flagpole?" The flagpole has had special meaning to members and it indeed has been a landmark of the Wildwood Sailing Club.
　
Those in favour of the restoration of Jack’s flagpole see it as a tribute to him and the other founding members, and they see it as a perfectly feasible way of preserving some of the history of the club.
As a society, we are lucky that not every old building is torn down. Even though it requires extra effort and money, and perhaps sometimes even overlooks practicality, it is gratifying to see historical structures preserved. We hope you agree.
Next, to address the issue of a fibreglass flagpole.
Jack was very skilled at working with fibreglass. He designed and built two series of fibreglass sailboats. They were the most popular boats at this club in the early days, and are still sailed today. He made fibreglass masts for all of his boats, and these masts have survived the years. Using his fibreglassing expertise, he also constructed a 35 foot fibreglass flagpole which stood on the lawn here for almost 40 years , and that’s with absolutely no maintenance at all. And in the end, the pole itself did not fail.
It was the base that deteriorated, and as a result the pole developed a precarious lean, and was taken down. You see the flagpole here today. Yes, it is made of fibreglass which doesn’t last forever, but with proper maintenance, fibreglass structures can last a very long time.
Next to the flagpole you see a beautifully restored Jack Payton mast from the same era as the pole. It shows you what proper maintenance and refurbishing can do. Surely the flagpole deserves a chance for a makeover even though it is fibreglass.
This flagpole is in reasonably good shape. It needs a coat of resin and a coat of paint, and it could have a long life ahead of it. Of the$1200 cost for this project, only $200 is slated for the restoration itself. Peter Case has volunteered to refurbish the flagpole by giving it the new coat of resin and the new coat of paint it needs. We hope you agree that Jack’s flagpole should be given a chance.
　
　
And this leads me to the next point which is that the remaining $1,000 of the cost of the project is for a brand new permanent base, made of top quality material - hence the high cost - This base would accommodate Jack’s pole or any new flagpole which the club might decide upon in the future should Jack’s fail at some point. This permanent base could be one of our gifts for future members of the club.
　
I know there are many inexpensive methods of building a flagpole base.
The proposed new base, however, was designed by a civil engineer who volunteered his time and expertise to the project. He enjoyed the challenge, and used his computer programs to analyze the structural strength of all the components. He applied " due diligence" , that is good engineering principles, that resulted in this particular design for the structure of the base. He and Lorne discussed the project at every step of the way, and Lorne prepared a detailed blog which he regularly updated and which has been accessible through the Wildwood Sailing Club website since last February. Many hours of thoughtful planning went into this phase of the project, and I hope you can see your way to supporting the proposed design for the new base.
　
As I said at the beginning, one of chief objections to this proposal at the August supper was the cost.
In the event that members still see this as too high a cost, a number of supporters of the project have pledged personal donations towards the restoration and the proposed new base to help ensure that Jack’s flagpole will stand proudly and securely on the lawn once again.
I will put forward a motion in regard to this generous offer later in the discussion if necessary, but first, it is my hope that the club would see the value in this project as outlined, and would offer to fully fund it.
Pam Mulholland