News Vote in the USSCA Election

Dear Sunfish Class Members-
I am sure many of you are aware that we are in the middle of an election of the US Sunfish Class Association officers. On the 2006 ballot you will find Clinton Edwards and I are running for the position of USSCA President. I sincerely believe that the Sunfish Class is extremely fortunate to have two very enthusiastic and capable candidates that care so deeply about the future of the class.

Next Monday, June 12, 2006, is the last day that class members may vote. Voting is an important part of your participation in the class. A strong election turnout is the first step to implementing positive change to our class's future. It demonstrates that the members care, are enthusiastic about the future and that they support the officers.

Please take a moment to fill out the ballot below and email it to the USSCA Secretary, Gail Turluck ( [email protected] ).

Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Derek Jackson


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2006 USSCA Ballot
(One ballot per USSCA member)
Your Name: ______________________________________________
Sail Number on your USSCA membership card: ______________
Print the name of your Region: __________________________


Officer elections:

President - vote for one.
Clinton Edwards _____________________
Derek Jackson _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Treasurer - vote for one.
Patricia A. Manning _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Membership Coordinator - vote for one.
Anne Edwards _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Regatta Coordinator - vote for one.
Susan Mallows _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________



Regional Representative - vote for one.
You must be registered in the Region holding an
election to be eligible to vote in the Regional
Representative election.

Vote only for your Region.
New England - CT, ME, MA, NH, VT, RI
John Fonesca _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

New York - NY
Ron Kutkewicz _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Mid-Atlantic - DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV
Constance Miller _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Southeast - GA, NC, SC, TN
Rose Hamm Rowland _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________

Florida Peninsula - (Eastern Time Zone)
Paul Strauley _____________________
Write in Candidate _____________________
 
Any positon points you would like to share with us Derek? Clinton, also feel free to respond if you are out there!
 
It is very encouraging to see members taking an interest in the class elections.

Unfortunately, the 2006 election poll period is unusually short because of the close proximity between the publication of the ballots in the Windward Leg and the Annual USSCA Meeting at the North American Championship. In the interest of fair competition with the short poll period and quickly approaching poll close date, I would prefer to not make this my exclusive campaign forum.

If Clinton is able to publicly respond to your message, I will be more than happy to do the same. Until then, I am only comfortable presenting Clinton's and my introductions from the "Meet the USSCA Presidential Candidates" article in the Spring 2006 Windward Leg. I will publish them in two separate posts after this response.
 
This is Clinton Edward's Response:

A little history… I live in Bay St. Louis, MS and am a member of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club. I have been sailing sunfish since I was a kid. After being a junior member in the early eighties, I rejoined the class in 1994. My father actually helped introduce the Sunfish on the MS Gulf Cost by being the third person to purchase a Sunfish. Keeping it in the family, if you were wondering, yes – Todd is related to me by our parents!

Since 1997 I have been an officer of USSCA as a Regional Representative and currently as the National Junior Representative. I have been involved in sailing administration at the local, regional, and national level. At BWYC I have served on the Board, served as Regatta Chairman for five years, and currently as Race Committee for the last two years. Regionally, I’m currently serving my third years as the One-Design Council Chairman for the Gulf Yachting Association. At the national level, outside of USSCA, I’ve represented the Sunfish Class at the US SAILING One-Design Council for the past two years. At this year’s meeting in March, I took an interim position as Chairman of the Youth Committee.

My goals:
1) US SAILING Single-handed Championship: I have successfully campaigned to have Sunfish included in the rotation as the host boat. 2008 will be the first year for this accomplishment.
2) A hundred boat fleet at every Sunfish Worlds.
3) A Sunfish Junior World Championship.
4) Update/consolidation of the By-Laws and Rules for publication.
5) Improve communication by using the Board Chat Room and having a Spring Meeting.
 
This is Derek Jackson's (My) Response:

Sunfish sailing has always been a family event. For me it started in the mid 80s when my father and I joined fleet 17 in Mountain Lakes, NJ. Like many newcomers, I initially questioned whether sailing was for me. However, with encouragement and support from many of the local Sunfish racers I stuck with it.

When I look back on my experiences in the Sunfish Class, there is no doubt that it would not have been the same in any other boat. Sunfish sailors are a special breed. You will not find a more friendly and helpful group in the country. Some of the most influential people in my life have come from of our “family”.

When I graduated from college in 1997, I recognized that it was my turn to give back. I became active in the Sailing Association of North Jersey Lakes (SANJL) and began organizing and running events for adults and children. The most fun and rewarding experiences in our sport came from those times.

Today my involvement with sailing continues to be my passion. More so than the actual act of being on the water, it is about the people and promoting the sport. I am asking for support from the members of the US Sunfish Class to elect me President. Together we can grow the class, create a more active regatta schedule and share the great experiences we have on and off the water.
 
I'm back now....

It is very important for the class members to vote. This is your/our class and we need all the input we can get to help us make the right decisions.

Clinton Edwards
 

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