As has been our tradition, the CMBA gathered on Sunday, after the conclusion of racing, for the club annual meeting in Erky's backyard. A number of important issues were discussed and some of these discussions led to motions and votes which will effect the way the club conducts several key functions. I will list these items in the order they were raised at the meeting.

1. I (George Albaugh) raised the issue of formal CMBA support for the Moth Boat web site which Greg Allen has developed and until recently supported out of his own pocket. Earlier this year Bob Patterson wrote a check and generously picked up the tab when the site got crowded and the price went up. It was my feeling that the club should support this web site in as much as all members derive a benefit whether or not they personally view the content, by better intra-club communication and better regatta attendance. Whit Moore raised the point that while that was so, he for one wished that the hard copy newsletter could make a comeback for those members who don't have internet access. The cost of supporting both the web site and a newsletter were discussed. During this discussion, I agreed to reintroduce the newsletter on a quarterly basis, but to limit the distribution to dues paying members rather than the wider readership of my original newsletter which I distributed in the pre-web site days. It was then moved, seconded and passed that the club indeed should support the web site and a newsletter and that annual CMBA dues would be increased from $5.00 per year to $10.00 per year in order to defray the cost of these benefits.

2. Walt Collins, the CMBA measurer, next raised the issue of the current status of the rules governing Classic Moths. Walt indicated that there are a number of instances were the current rules need clarification and revision so that our rules are compatible with the ISAF equipment rules of sailing. Walt indicated that these revisions would be good in view of increased interest in Classic Moth Boat racing both in the U.S. as well as in France. Walt further indicated that Dan Winters, a sail maker located in Hampton, VA, agreed to help review the rules pertaining to sails. It was moved, seconded and passed that Walt should undertake this rule clarification and revision process.

3. Walt next proposed that after the revisions were completed and had met with the approval of the club membership, that the revised rules be frozen for a period of five years before any new changes could be introduced. In the past, the CMBA has taken this step, and the members assembled agreed that the stability gained by a five year moratorium on further rule modifications is good for the stability of the club. It was moved, seconded and passed that once approved, the newly revised rules would stand unchanged for the next five years.

4. I next requested the floor and asked the assembled members to think about what the CMBA would look like five to ten years from now. I spoke at length about the need for better local fleet organization and fleet building efforts and pointed out that we have six or seven clusters of boats from New Jersey to Florida. I will send Greg Allen a copy of those comments separately for posting since they are rather long, and at the beginning of my comments I indicated that no motions or votes should be introduced at this time from discussions arising from these comments. Rather, it was my hope that the membership would go home and think about some of these issues independently over the course of the winter.

5. Next Mark and Craig Saunders unveiled a new trophy which they were donating to the CMBA. This trophy will count participation as well as actual result placement over the course of the next season. The following seven regattas will count toward the points total: St. Pete, Portsmouth, Brigantine, Hertford, Ware River, Charleston, and Norfolk. Skippers participating in these events will receive 8 points per regatta just for participation. Additional points will be awarded for each of the seven events for the skipper's actual performance in the races. The idea is that participation over many regattas will be as important as high place finishes in only a few events. The trophy will be awarded annually at the conclusion of the National regatta.

6. Mark Saunders next suggested that at next year's National regatta, that Friday should be used as a tune-up race day for classic and vintage Moth Boats and that vintage boats should race on Saturday and Sunday with the classics rather than just Friday afternoon. The pros and cons of that suggestion were discussed but no motions were advanced.

7. Lastly, elections for next year's CMBA officers was discussed, but at that time, many members had drifted away to pack boats for the homeward journey. It was moved, seconded and passed that the first newsletter this fall would contain a mail-in form for the nomination of officers for the 2003 season. A tally of the returned forms will determine the need for a run off. Members are strongly encouraged to contact their proposed nominee to make sure that individual has the time to devote to the office prior to advancing their names. The CMBA officers are as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Measurer.