
Glenn
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Nov 11, 2005, 11:57 AM
Post #13 of 13
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Re: [msherman] Increased participation...who cares?!?!
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The obvious answer is that each one of us represents a check mark in the growth column. We added to the numbers, we didn't take away any when we showed up. Growth is needed for financial reasons. When most clubs got a piece of land on the waterfront a hundred years ago, the value of those pieces of land were relatively inexpensive. Most clubs now sit on top of a gold mine value piece of property. Where a hundred years ago a clapboard shack was good enough to bend an elbow on after sweating it out on the water, community standards have pushed those shacks away into legitimate structures. As time moves on, these clubs now have fancy dining rooms that can only serve their limited number of members, as a result, they do not have the ability to cover the costs of operating a restaurant and need members dues to cover the shortfall. Growth is what is keeping these clubs afloat. But go the next step and ask "why do we need clubs?" The answer falls down to the ability to have access to the water. Take away the clubs, and developers swoop in and install condo's. Access to the water is becoming more difficult as land values along the waterfront continue to increase. Growth is needed so that there are boat builders in the U.S. Growth is needed so that there is profit potential for new shipyards, repairers, marinas, and all other fields to grow. A withering industry has never been a good investment. How do boaters gather to fight new laws that harm their sport? Look at the reports on LPG terminals sprouting up across the country. The impact to the recreational boater is huge. But if we are a dying sport, our voice is weak and not heard. But if we are a growing sport (read tax dollars, ka-ching) the government bodies listen to us. I hope those who say we don't need to grow are saying it with tongue in cheek. Remember, God covered 3/5 of the earths surface with water. He intended that each one of us spend 3/5 of our lifetime on it.
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