Change of Watch 2008

All Photos: Sylvia Wilson

Our new Bridge

Commodore Dunn is led to his new job Don Hardgrove's last official Handshake Thanks for a Job Well-Done! Our new Treasurer and Sail Regatta Chair receive their burgees

BREMERTON YACHT CLUB Installation 2008

The BYC Installation ceremony and "script" is not at all casual, quite formal and patterned after a Navy Change of Command ceremony. Not too surprising when we live in an area dominated by the Navy's presence with many of us making our living directly or indirectly from them. It was not always so. Back in 1986 there was a major re-write by then in-coming Commodore and now Past Commodore Harry Risch, himself a retired Navy 06 (Captain) with a former deep draft command. Now some things have changed but the sequence remains essentially the same. Our Installation used to be combined with Awards Night which made for a very long and somewhat boring evening with each part diluting the other's importance. The focus of Installation is on the new, incoming officers (including Secy. and Treas.) and Executive Committee members. Outgoing officers and Executive Committee members are given recognition and thanks for a job well done too. There is a "script" that leads one through the myriad of changes, flag lowering and hoisting, piping and passing the gavel. All of this is orchestrated with a bit of humor by an Installing Officer and executed with help from an Officer of the Deck. The latter two and the Bosun Mate are all selected by the incoming Commodore.

One of the highlights of the evening is the farewell speech from the outgoing Commodore as it can become quite emotional when one recounts all the amazing things that have happened in the past three years and one realizes it's at an end. There are mixed emotions here for sure. The other highlight is the newly installed Commodore's speech as he or she looks to the future and identifies what he or she hopes to accomplish. This year was unique in several ways. As a result of our newly adopted reorganization, we installed three additional Executive Committee chairpersons for a total of five plus the retiring Commodore will no longer be a member of the Executive Committee. As an added bonus, we saw females installed for the first time ever as Secretary and as a regular member of the Executive Committee. This a direct result of our recent "Family Membership" approach to our Club structure. It's working well. Thanks for listening. P/C Bob Wheeler

VC Park's Handshake and Raising of his red Burgee (below) From Immediate Past Commodore to Second Chair of E-Committee Thanks, Leo, and "Good Luck" for your next Job (E-Chair)

Most Members of the New & Expanded Executive Committee with P/C Bob Wheeler, the Presiding Installation Officer