Dear Members,
First of all thank you for electing me and believing that I can carry out the functions of Commodore. I’m flattered and honoured……. as well as fearful.
This Club was created by the previous Commodore, Jim Fernie, who had the vision of starting it and the perseverance of bringing it to where it is today. I was not longing to become Commodore. But on the eve of the AGM, when it was obvious that Jim was stepping down no matter what and there was nobody else willing to accept, it looked like the Club would be orphaned. I love this Club too much to let this happen. When Jim phoned me and asked whether I would consider it, I accepted. It was put to the vote and the rest is history.
Jim not only was a good Commodore but also started and brought forward a number of initiatives that today we take for granted like, for instance, the moorings that we use as though they had always been there. It was Jim who single-handedly fought the battles in the Marine Department and eventually got us our moorings. It was Jim who got us a reputation with Fragrant Harbour as well as the other clubs and nurtured the well being of the DBYC as though it were a young plant that needed fertilizer and love.
What can the new Commodore do that Jim has not already done ? Very little. But on the other hand if things go wrong he could be remembered as the one who undid everything that Jim built. I will do my best not to let that happen. But at the same time I don’t want to be a caretaker Commodore. It’s not my style. I’m an innovator by nature and I love to improve things. This will involve some risks.
My quest is to strive for a club where the Commodore is only a representative figurehead with a hands-on committee really running things. Only by achieving this will it have a life of its own and may outlast the single individual leadership. But I cannot do this alone. I shall need all the help I can get; not only in the countless tasks that await us but also in sharing opinions and the vision on who we are, and where we are going as well as what we wish to become. I see the Commodore as the steersman and the club members as the ship. Let’s never forget that it’s the ship that carries the steersman, not the other way around.
In the next few weeks I will convene the Committee and, together, we will move forward from there. Whatever happens, please don’t judge me too harshly if I don’t walk comfortably in Jim’s big shoes.
Humbly, your Commodore
Paolo Alvera’
