Super Sunday’s Great Ideas

The weather on clipper Cove for Sunday afternoon’s student/parent barbecue was picture-perfect.  What I enjoyed even more was the opportunity for face-to-face networking, brainstorming, and ideas generation with parents, staff and instructors.

Lots of energy with 50 parents and kids enjoying Pier 1. Many interesting stories about how these kids ended up at TISC: because the parents sailed, because kids’ friends sailed,  because of the excitement caused by the America’s cup,  .  .  .  the list goes on.

And speaking of lists, here a few of the ideas that surfaced from a very involved parent base:

  • Many parents were actively pushing for ways to help out in any way they could-and suggested making a list of jobs and supplies that would be useful for the staff, instructors and facility better serve the kids’ sailing program.
  • Make it easy for parents and volunteers to sign up for small tasks that could be done during class time, evenings or other times without the need for staff support.
  • Set up a parents-only email list for ride sharing, car pooling and idea exchange.
  • Send information on schedules, registration, island events on a regular basis.
  • Provide opportunities for family sailing and/or lessons for parents so they can learn at least the basics of “sailing 101”.

What great ideas – I left TISC yesterday afternoon on a high.  My wife Jane and I grew up sailing, we met because of sailing, and our kids and grand-kids all love boats and the water.

The only downer on Sunday was the fact we had to head home while the kids,instructors and parents were rigging boats and getting ready to go sailing!

From On the Cove, Dave G

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Angels, Thundering Angels and Big Cats

My wife Jane and I had the good fortune to be On The Bay Friday last Friday.  Doesn’t get much better than Fleet Week Air Show and AC World Series on SF Bay on the same day. Or does it?

Turns out, it does! 

I had the pleasure of spending time with Stephanie Martin and others on her PG&E Community Relations team – first at their Beale Street Headquarters then on the breakwall at Marina Green.  They filled me in on the previous day’s activities: providing 80 excited kids from Western Addition Beacon Center plus 15 PG&E volunteer chaperones an opportunity to see the big 45′ America’s Cup catamarans and learn about the science and technology behind them.  And experience the thundering roar of the Blue Angels practicing for their weekend performance.

Thursday’s activities were made possible by the generous support of PG&E in partnership with our Treasure Island Sailing Center team (two Fridays ago we took 25 kids from Mission Beacon Center for a sail on the bay).  Representatives of the National Energy Education Development (NEED) also pitched in, teaching the kids about wind power and making anemometers to measure it (as I tell new sailors “you can’t see the wind but you can see its effects”).

Ezra Garrett, PG&E VP of Community Relations, shares a few smiles before heading off to watch the AC World Cup Races.

Here’s a few pictures from the fun day on the bay Thursday with the Western Addition Beacon Center kids – courtesy of Heather Wiley / Drew Altizer Photography.

 

 

Western Addition Beacon Center Initiative kids getting a quick lesson on how AC45 catamarans start races and sail up wind.

 

 

 

 

 

Moving hoops across a trampoline is not that easy (and it’s not even charging over the water at 20 knots with spay flying ! ).

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Hodash, a Bakersfield school teacher with NEED, explaining wind power to kids from Western Addition Beacon Initiative during America’s Cup Kids Day in partnership with PG&E and TISC.

 

 

 

 

 You can read more about Thursday’s Event here: PG&E Hosts Children to Watch America’s Cup Racing

From On The Cove (at Marina Green), Dave G

 In the wake: Here’s a few pictures from our Friday on the Bay including a replica of the America up from San Diego, a pictures of the “Auld Mug”, thundering Angels and Jimmy Spithills team on Oracle 4.