bamamick
06-04-2009, 08:10 PM
That sounds rather dramatic, doesn't it? 'Dragons realm' Ooooh. Aren't we something?
Anyway, my unpaid part time job as the national secretary of the American International Dragon Association can be sort of frustrating at times. It can be more than 'sort of' frustrating at times, but it can also be very rewarding and even fun from time to time. About once a month, but quite irregularly, I put out a newsletter for owners, crew, and any interested parties who just happen to have slipped up and accidently let me have their e-mail addresses. I started doing this quite simply as a way of shouting to the universe that I was here and wouldn't mind talking to anyone who might happen to be out there and willing to talk.
Over the years I have made innumerable friends through Dragon sailing, very many of which I have never actually met :). The secretary of the British Dragon Association is a good friend of mine. An Aussie who was the vice president of the International Dragon Association for four years is a friend of mine. As a matter of fact, I was made an honorary (or is it 'honourary'?) member of the Royal Sydney Naval Yacht Squadron and invited to sail as an Aussie in a big event last year. I have recieved gifts from sailors all over the world, have been invited to sail in I don't know how many regattas, and was even sent a fairly nice token of appreciation from the class itself in London a few years ago in honor of my 'service' to the class here in North America. All of this, for a guy who lives in a 1500 square foot cabin in a swamp, drives a 1999 pick up truck, whose Dragon is a 1963 model woodie that he paid $2500 for, and who works shift work in a chemical plant.
I mention all of this for a couple of reasons. One is that I sometimes fail to express how lucky a guy I really am. I whine too much. My wife says that I worry a lot more than I should and it probably comes through in what I write. The other reason I tell you about my life in Dragons is that the contrasts and surprises never cease to amaze me and I hope they never will. This week I sent out my newsletter, which is posted on our website as a kind of blog (www.usdragons.org). No big deal. I have done it a bunch of times. so what happens? Well, we have this really great guy named Jack Sudbury who lives in Ontario, and Jack is our Class Historian (capitalized, always!). Jack loves the history of this class founded in 1928 and designed by the illustious Johan Anker. He was once an avid racer, but has retired and enjoys piecing together the history of the Dragons of North America as a way to stay involved. So, I ask for people out there to send what they know about their boats to Jack, and encourage anyone else they might know to get in touch. Right. So what happens? In ONE day we made three new contacts. USA91 (built in 1936), USA116, and CAN?? (an owner in Ottawa) got in touch with information and great stories of the class and Dragon sailing back in the day. Is that cool or what?
So now we have three new friends and I hope that the list keeps on growing and growing. I am supposed to write to the folks at WoodenBoat and see if they will give us some press for our search for all Dragons either sailing or having had sailed in North America. Maybe someone will see this and respond? Maybe someone who reads this will pass it along? Maybe someone will check out our web site for the first time and become interested? lol. Maybe I should have called this thread 'Dragon dreams'? Maybe so, but if so at least I can honestly say that Dragon dreams are good dreams.
Dragons rule! :)
Mickey Lake
Anyway, my unpaid part time job as the national secretary of the American International Dragon Association can be sort of frustrating at times. It can be more than 'sort of' frustrating at times, but it can also be very rewarding and even fun from time to time. About once a month, but quite irregularly, I put out a newsletter for owners, crew, and any interested parties who just happen to have slipped up and accidently let me have their e-mail addresses. I started doing this quite simply as a way of shouting to the universe that I was here and wouldn't mind talking to anyone who might happen to be out there and willing to talk.
Over the years I have made innumerable friends through Dragon sailing, very many of which I have never actually met :). The secretary of the British Dragon Association is a good friend of mine. An Aussie who was the vice president of the International Dragon Association for four years is a friend of mine. As a matter of fact, I was made an honorary (or is it 'honourary'?) member of the Royal Sydney Naval Yacht Squadron and invited to sail as an Aussie in a big event last year. I have recieved gifts from sailors all over the world, have been invited to sail in I don't know how many regattas, and was even sent a fairly nice token of appreciation from the class itself in London a few years ago in honor of my 'service' to the class here in North America. All of this, for a guy who lives in a 1500 square foot cabin in a swamp, drives a 1999 pick up truck, whose Dragon is a 1963 model woodie that he paid $2500 for, and who works shift work in a chemical plant.
I mention all of this for a couple of reasons. One is that I sometimes fail to express how lucky a guy I really am. I whine too much. My wife says that I worry a lot more than I should and it probably comes through in what I write. The other reason I tell you about my life in Dragons is that the contrasts and surprises never cease to amaze me and I hope they never will. This week I sent out my newsletter, which is posted on our website as a kind of blog (www.usdragons.org). No big deal. I have done it a bunch of times. so what happens? Well, we have this really great guy named Jack Sudbury who lives in Ontario, and Jack is our Class Historian (capitalized, always!). Jack loves the history of this class founded in 1928 and designed by the illustious Johan Anker. He was once an avid racer, but has retired and enjoys piecing together the history of the Dragons of North America as a way to stay involved. So, I ask for people out there to send what they know about their boats to Jack, and encourage anyone else they might know to get in touch. Right. So what happens? In ONE day we made three new contacts. USA91 (built in 1936), USA116, and CAN?? (an owner in Ottawa) got in touch with information and great stories of the class and Dragon sailing back in the day. Is that cool or what?
So now we have three new friends and I hope that the list keeps on growing and growing. I am supposed to write to the folks at WoodenBoat and see if they will give us some press for our search for all Dragons either sailing or having had sailed in North America. Maybe someone will see this and respond? Maybe someone who reads this will pass it along? Maybe someone will check out our web site for the first time and become interested? lol. Maybe I should have called this thread 'Dragon dreams'? Maybe so, but if so at least I can honestly say that Dragon dreams are good dreams.
Dragons rule! :)
Mickey Lake