IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY WINTER AT GLSS!
TIME TO THINK SPRING!
March 2021
WE DID IT! 20 FOR 20 IN 2020!
With our bank account at a low point after a summer of limitations and canceled fundraising, GLSS established a year end Covid recovery campaign. With the generous help from two anonymous sources to create a $20,000 match, Fleet 104 and a group of sailing school supporters helped GLSS hit our goal! To say we are thankful and relieved would be an understatement! This support has been critical for ensuring our staffing and plans for this summer. Thanks to everyone who stepped up to make this happen! More thanks to follow!
Crow Wing County Cares Act Grant
In addition to our fundraising efforts we applied for and received a $10,000 grant to reimburse us for our Covid related costs. While some of these expenses were setup costs for safe operations, some of these expenses will continue in 2021 and will affect our ongoing overhead. We will continue all Covid protocols though we are planning for a more normal class and event schedule and hope our revenues can return to pre Covid levels. We are very thankful for this grant that was available for non profits. Ironically, the grant amount is just slightly higher than our real estate taxes paid to Crow Wing County twice a year! We are
working on that too.
In addition to our fundraising efforts we applied for and received a $10,000 grant to reimburse us for our Covid related costs. While some of these expenses were setup costs for safe operations, some of these expenses will continue in 2021 and will affect our ongoing overhead. We will continue all Covid protocols though we are planning for a more normal class and event schedule and hope our revenues can return to pre Covid levels. We are very thankful for this grant that was available for non profits. Ironically, the grant amount is just slightly higher than our real estate taxes paid to Crow Wing County twice a year! We are
working on that too.
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Register Today For High School Sailing and Summer Sailing School!
High School sailing and summer school registrations are both live on our website. If there are any class size restrictions that need to be put in place again this summer, priority will be on a first come first serve basis, so register today! Spots are already filling! |
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Cheryl Cote retires
Thank You Cheryl Cote For 23 Years of Involvement!
Yes, it is true, Cheryl is retiring from the board after quite an illustrious run. In 1998 after her marriage to Gull Lake resident Bo Cote, Cheryl Cote moved to Gull Lake for the summer. She brought with her the drive and work ethic to change the course of the Gull Lake Sailing School and Yacht Club. Cheryl had recently been active and served on the Board of Directors of the Clear Lake Yacht Club and Sailing School. Cheryl approached Dr. Peter Dunphy about the possibility of expanding the sailing program on Gull Lake. The Sailing School size had ebbed and flowed as most volunteer organizations do over time. Peter may have been a bit hesitant but as Cheryl can do well, she sold him with her enthusiasm!
Cheryl was appointed head of the sailing school and was able to navigate significant expansion of the program. Cheryl recalls, “We started with four students at that time and grew the program to 75 students”. Cheryl served as head of the sailing school for five years. At the end of her term she was asked to become Vice Commodore of the Gull Lake Yacht Club. Cheryl had been hearing members express the need for a better facility. As Vice Commodore she took on the task of fundraising and met with architects contractors, neighbors, lawyers, members and the county to turn this dream into a reality.
Cheryl recalled the challenges, “At the height of our fundraising in 2008, I was approached by one of our major contributors. He expressed the timing was wrong to build since we were heading into a recession and he felt it would be prudent to put our plans on hold and he would take his money out. I convinced him to stay the course, I felt if he pulled out, the other investors would follow suit and we would never be at this threshold again. We persevered and built the building we are currently in when I was commodore."
"In 2011 I was asked to be on the board to help restructure the club. I have been on the board ever since. I felt the only way our club would remain viable and gain credibility in the region was to have a high school sailing team. I approached the Athletic Director of Brainerd High School and asked him if they would be interested in having a high school sailing club. They were very interested but leery of our commitment. I was able to find a sailing coach, Josh Sullivan, who was referred by the Wayzata sailing program, and from there we were able to start the club under much apprehension.”
“Today, thanks to the work of many people, it is a thriving high school team. Two years ago a past commodore asked me why I had come back onto the board and was still on the board. I told him I came back because I felt a fiduciary responsibility to see this club make it, and to our investors that their money was put to good use, and of course my passion for teaching everyone the love of sailing.”
Cheryl has certainly poured her heart and soul into both GLSS and GLYC! She has orchestrated beautiful events, kept sailors and supporters all well fed, been willing to take on everything from repeatedly cleaning bathrooms (true story!), to crash boat shuttling. She has been a major motivator and fundraiser and has played a key part in the most significant changes to both organizations in our history.
Cheryl, we will certainly miss your energy and creativity on our Board of Directors but hope you will not be far for ongoing consultation and maybe some party planning! On behalf of everyone who is a part of both Gull Lake Sailing School and Gull Lake Yacht Club,
Yes, it is true, Cheryl is retiring from the board after quite an illustrious run. In 1998 after her marriage to Gull Lake resident Bo Cote, Cheryl Cote moved to Gull Lake for the summer. She brought with her the drive and work ethic to change the course of the Gull Lake Sailing School and Yacht Club. Cheryl had recently been active and served on the Board of Directors of the Clear Lake Yacht Club and Sailing School. Cheryl approached Dr. Peter Dunphy about the possibility of expanding the sailing program on Gull Lake. The Sailing School size had ebbed and flowed as most volunteer organizations do over time. Peter may have been a bit hesitant but as Cheryl can do well, she sold him with her enthusiasm!
Cheryl was appointed head of the sailing school and was able to navigate significant expansion of the program. Cheryl recalls, “We started with four students at that time and grew the program to 75 students”. Cheryl served as head of the sailing school for five years. At the end of her term she was asked to become Vice Commodore of the Gull Lake Yacht Club. Cheryl had been hearing members express the need for a better facility. As Vice Commodore she took on the task of fundraising and met with architects contractors, neighbors, lawyers, members and the county to turn this dream into a reality.
Cheryl recalled the challenges, “At the height of our fundraising in 2008, I was approached by one of our major contributors. He expressed the timing was wrong to build since we were heading into a recession and he felt it would be prudent to put our plans on hold and he would take his money out. I convinced him to stay the course, I felt if he pulled out, the other investors would follow suit and we would never be at this threshold again. We persevered and built the building we are currently in when I was commodore."
"In 2011 I was asked to be on the board to help restructure the club. I have been on the board ever since. I felt the only way our club would remain viable and gain credibility in the region was to have a high school sailing team. I approached the Athletic Director of Brainerd High School and asked him if they would be interested in having a high school sailing club. They were very interested but leery of our commitment. I was able to find a sailing coach, Josh Sullivan, who was referred by the Wayzata sailing program, and from there we were able to start the club under much apprehension.”
“Today, thanks to the work of many people, it is a thriving high school team. Two years ago a past commodore asked me why I had come back onto the board and was still on the board. I told him I came back because I felt a fiduciary responsibility to see this club make it, and to our investors that their money was put to good use, and of course my passion for teaching everyone the love of sailing.”
Cheryl has certainly poured her heart and soul into both GLSS and GLYC! She has orchestrated beautiful events, kept sailors and supporters all well fed, been willing to take on everything from repeatedly cleaning bathrooms (true story!), to crash boat shuttling. She has been a major motivator and fundraiser and has played a key part in the most significant changes to both organizations in our history.
Cheryl, we will certainly miss your energy and creativity on our Board of Directors but hope you will not be far for ongoing consultation and maybe some party planning! On behalf of everyone who is a part of both Gull Lake Sailing School and Gull Lake Yacht Club,
we thank you!
We hope to be able to gather together this summer to properly thank you in person for all your hard work and commitment over these years. We could never have been where we are today with out you! Enjoy your retirement!
