It's your club... and there's a lot to be thankful for!

As I write this, it's the day after Thanksgiving. I think the greatest of North American traditions is taking a break from whatever you are doing, sitting down to a meal with friends and family, and remembering what we are all thankful for. Among the many, many things that I'm thankful for this year is the wonderful extended family that Liz and I have developed through the Vallarta Yacht Club.

Commodore Dan started a saying during his tenure as Vice-Commodore: “It's your club”. Those simple three words say it all about our little club. It seems like every time I visit the clubhouse I'm amazed at the range of activity I see, from people playing cards and dominoes, people enjoying a meal, kids getting ready for sailing classes, people checking email on the computers, or just folks enjoying a beer and a chat with friends. Those little kids running around probably don't even know the significance of the “Cheers” sign above the bar, but us older folks do – it's the place where everybody knows your name. That's our little club, our little piece if paradise.

We have a lot of great events coming up in the next few months, a wide range of activities that reflect the diversity of our club and our membership. Events like Banderas Bay Blast and the Great Chili Cookoff give us an opportunity to give back to the community that has given us so much, while offering a great party at the same time! Our already successful Concert Series has given us a unique opportunity to celebrate some amazingly talented musicians, and our theme dinners show the skills of our second-to-none club staff.

The year has already started out great, and I'm excited about spending the next few months here with my VYC family. I hope you are looking forward to this year, too. After all, it's your club!