We established a need for a salaried administration, with support funding to come from membership fees, sponsorships and donations. We assumed that corporate memberships would fulfil the needs of the one-year budget that was created by the Administration. The budget was not accepted and thought to be too ambitious for a start-up non-profit organisation. The budget worked out to an average of $10,000 per month and called for a four-person team to create, activate, monitor and oversee five to nine programmes for the year.
We went back to work to make a bare bones budget and ended up with Katya and I working without salary, Donna Bartram loaning us a prime office bungalow at The Market Place, Cable & Wireless allowing us free communications for 3 months, PPC installing our power gratis. The funding for the administration came out of our pockets for the first three months as nobody seemed to have the time to enlist new members, let alone corporate members.
Under Way, a monthly newsletter was started and an internet forum created. Weekly media releases were scheduled and sent.
A racing budget was put forward with an average of $1500 per month in prize money being offered but the Board thought the racing should be without any form of cash prizes, even though the original group that started up the Federation wanted a schedule of cash prize races established.
We put together our first event and received a real insight into what was not happening in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Gilley’s Classic was to originally be a race between the sloops on Providenciales. There was to be a moderate purse, which was opposed by most of the Board Governors but insisted upon by the racers. The idea was to put young people aboard the sloops with a knowledgeable skipper and have this proposed annual event emphasize what our goals were by directly showing a passing on of traditions. With no purse nobody, save Goldray Ewing, sailed their sloops the one mile to the venue at Cedar Park Beach (Verandah).
The Administration found itself caught between part-time sailors who wanted money to put their boats in the water and a Board that did not want any funding for prize money in any race. There were no other traditional sloops around to do anything, so logic said, let’s get the sloops out there and ease the racers into both cash and prestige prizes.
The Gilley’s Classic brought a crowd but did not accomplish much in the way of memberships nor anything in the way of a race. Goldray couild not get his own crew to come over for free and had to be assisted by Geoff Mander, a British sailor who was just on the beach and volunteered to help. They had a long beat over in choppy seas arriving too late to take the remaining children out on Maroons I.
The question has always, from the outset, been, how do we raise the money for these programmes?
The Chairman, Jeff Lee, insisting that the corporate leaders in the community should subsidize the Federation and because of their investment in such, should have final say over systems and programmes.
The Administration, Katya and I, who were newcomers to the T&C, felt that the racers and boatbuilders should have a say in what they would be involved and that if the Federation were opened up to all the community a general organised sentiment would push programmes through. I felt that if corporate T&C saw that the whole community was behind this movement then they would get on the band wagon also.
The 1st Draft of the Memorandum and Articles of Association were tabled (these took two and a half months to write) and only a couple of the Board Governors attempted to read its 23 pages. The suggested Job Descriptions of the Administration and duties of the Board of Governors was also submitted to the Interim Board, but again not many read them either and no discussion was had except Donna Bartram and Jeff Lee insisted that Katya and I apply for more then a temporary six month work permit. I was adamant that I did not want to be General Manager for more then the six months I felt the Federation needed to form its administration and would stay for another year as an assistant to a Belonger General Manager in a research or programme maintenance capacity.
The Turks and Caicos maritime Heritage Federation was registered as a educational heritage organisation on 31 January 2005 under the Articles of Association and Job Descriptions submitted to the Registrar of Companies.
February
1 February Board of Governors’ Meeting with 16 people arriving
This was the first meeting of the newly elected Interim Board of Governors and committee titles were selected with a shift in focus to the construction of Caicos Sloops taking the forefront as an answer to the question of dependability of racers for racing events. As well, with our own Sloops we could set up community crew lists, give prestige prizes, create sail training, cultural and environmental programmes.
The programme was to be called the Youth Build’em Youth Sail’em Programme and six Caicos Sloops would be constructed through prepaid commissions. Young people would be enlisted to learn the valuable trade of boat building. Social Services and community groups as well as schools were contacted and all felt there was a need for such a programme and there were the children eager to learn the trade.
Governor Jim Posten was invited and accepted our first Patronship. Hon. Gilley Williams became our first Honorary Member.
The 15th Annual Fools Regatta was offered to us by David Douglass but the Board was very reluctant to accept. I felt it was the perfect exposure for the Federation and we should put it on. I felt it would be a good way of testing and proving ourselves as a group.
I gave a Rotary speech on maritime history and its importance in the Turks and Caicos, citing cultural tourism successes in most first world countries as an incentive to promote the Turks and Caicos as a maritime heritage destination for tourism and business. I also referred to the skills training as an incentive to learn an economically valuable trade. The Rotary pledged assistance to our goals.
The Articles of Association were brought up by me to interest the Board Governors in adding and subtracting to the form that I created. It was based upon my former Cayman Maritime Heritage Foundation, Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum and the International Yacht Racing Association.
Chairman Jeff Lee submitted a list of 55 corporate leaders and suggested we all go after them for corporate membership.
Ian Kyle, Executive Director for Cable & Wireless agrees to commission the first sloop but can only provide a little of the agreed upon amount until April and their new fiscal year. Gold Williams says he will construct the first two sloops. The idea is to build two sloops at a time, saving labour costs and providing more training since no two wooden boats are ever built the same way.
Culture Department Director David Bowen pledges the assistance to the Federation in any cultural or educational endeavours.
Bob Pratt and Donna Bartram and I pursue peppercorn leasing of property next to The Market Place as site for sloop construction. We think to put a platform and landscape the spot. We end up clearing a shady spot and levelling it at Donna’s expense.
Donna and Katya decide to set up a retail outlet in the small office space at The Market Place.
Michelle Fulfort-Gardiner pledges assistance to programmes that reflect our mandate.
C. Washington Misick made The Prestige Group the first corporate member of the Federation and Phillip Misick presented a check for the commissioning of the second Caicos Sloop for The Prestige Group. I signed both and arranged media information distribution.
I pleaded the Youth Build’em Youth Sail’em Programme to the DECR submitting a proposal to the Community Conservation Fund under their portfolio.
Ethlyn Gibbs-Williams pledges the assistance of the National Trust in projects that involve cultural education and preservation.
23 February 1at issue of Maritime Heritage page in the Free Press featuring Cecelia Smith story.
28 February Board of Governors’ Meeting, ERA Meeting Room, The Market Place
Board agreed to make 1 February the beginning of our fiscal year. Katya becomes the Education Committee Chairwoman and immediately submits proposal for maritime writing and art pilot project for Primary School.
I submitted an outline of what we had agreed to do this year:
Bermuda Sloop Foundation issues invitation to the Federation to have two T&C youth crew on board their inaugural voyage from to this September. They would also appreciate any assistance in getting the T&C government to allow a joint survey of a 1790 Bermuda Sloop wreck site. It is the only of two known Bermuda Sloop wreck sites on earth, says the BSF.
Margaret Tatem (originally of Grand Turk of the Bahamas Family Islands Racing Association says she is interested in getting Bahamas Sloops to the T&C and reverse. We are corresponding because of another maritime heritage reason and this comes up.
The Administration pleads with the Board to push the corporate membership agenda and get some funding in that affects the administration. Otherwise how can we afford to implement the programmes? Katya and I cannot afford to fund the Federation. We announce this in the newsletter and Jeff warns us about showing our dirty laundry.
Via email the Board votes to start up Maritime Heritage Page.
26 April Board Meeting Mackey’s The Market Place
- Sail promotional membership sail to be 14th or 15th but unresolved
-Donna presented Katya with an investment check of $2,200.00 for the purchase of the t-shirts ordered through Goose Shirt Company.
-Katya reported that Washington Misick was to make the presentation at the Oseta Jolley Primary School this Friday and all were invited (but no Governors showed)
-The point was raised to start up an Education committee. Jeff opposed alone. Katya was elected as the Chairwoman of the Education Committee.
-Date for General Meeting? Unresolved
Schedule of Board Meetings
-Unresolved, nobody took up the question.
South Caicos Regatta voted that we should not get involved this year and Goldray recommends that we take an active stance on it for next year.
(Basically this move failed because of lack of communications by the South Caicos Regatta Committee in sufficient time-they informed Scotty but he did not pass the message on- and the failure of the Sports Commission to register us-Scotty again.)
I ask for volunteers to assist in the preparation for the Fools Regatta.
Jeff will assist with sail portion. Jay will get us an MC for the race.
-Jeff recommends that we get some more active members of the Board and remove those who do not attend meetings. Nobody has comments or opinions and he says let’s make this an item to study for the next meeting.
Nobody has done anything about Corporate Membership
I ask to define how the administration’s duties when conducting business with the Board
Nobody wants to talk about it.
-Jay recommits his offer with the statement that it would be all right any Saturday after 14 May. 21 May is suggested by me. 28 May by Jeff. Jay will get back to us tomorrow on the dates by email.
Started TCI Mall Weekly updates on Sloop construction activities which eventually moved into all activities for the Federation that were released to the public, refer to www.tcimall.tc and click Caicos Sloops for all updates from 11 April through today.
Construction Update April
We are having grave problems in placing youth in the project from Providenciales and so we are only doing one Sloop at a time. The agencies that were so confident are doing diddly.
Waiting on funding from the Community Conservation Project, we cannot start off Albert Higgs until we know the money is really there.
Gold started on site construction of Mobile Enforcer
May
I changed the Articles of Association amending them to include registration date and specification of registration, and sent them to Governors to agree or not.
Lobbied Tourist Board to support Federation. Promises to support all cultural touristic types of projects and programmes. Will donate to Fools Regatta and assist with Bermuda Sloop wreck project as well as placement of youth aboard Bermuda Schooner
First waiver of duties for construction materials
There are over thirty volunteers despite clouded overview of preceding years. The public is giving us a chance. Katya has done the organising.
June
Scheduled for 11 June, we had two postponements due to an important funeral and very bad weather. The actual Regatta took place on 25 June. There was a crowd estimated between 1,000 and 1,200 with a steady group of about 600 attending the festivities. Our volunteers blossomed to over 50 loyal returnees and a lot who were loyal but had to leave the island, including Katya who missed the event.
Problems with racers. Though there were three Captains Meetings the Middle Caicos racers felt they were supposed to get $1000 each for just coming to the race. They had received travel and daily living expenses through us from the Sports Commission, as well as tows for their sloops from DECR and housing from Jeff Lee and Donna. The Bluehillls crews felt they should have won the race though they did not place first because of a course change that was emphasized at two Captains Meetings.
We will not put on races without a race committee made up of the racers from this point on. They can argue with themselves from now on.
Most felt the 2005 Fools Regatta was a success.
FOOLS REGATTA SPONSORS
T&C Tourism Board Lee & Astwood Architects Dept of Environmental & Coastal Resources PPC Caicos Catering TCSPCA Beaches Prestige Group Mackey Café Veranda Resort The Market Place Johnston Construction Technosounds Aqua Blue Loos Projetech Adventurescape Web Designs Atabeyra EDS Inter Décor Bambooz CBMS Big Blue Caicos Marine & Shipyard Bodies In Motion Gym Carlisle Supplies Cairsea
HH Hinderaker IGA Supermarket Finishing Touch Corona Fidelity Broking Sail Provo Heineken Danny Buoys Iguana Fairways Dempsey & Co Hemingways Discount Liquor Hey Jose J&B Tours John Redmond Architects K’s Tires Leeward Marina OBM
Mac Motors Marco Travel Napa National Colony Realty National Trust Needles & Pins Sharkhole Osprey Marine Services Provident Ltd Provo Turtle Divers Reef Peepers TDMG Scooter Bob’s Simon Wood Associates Southwind Millwork Spa Sanay Sunshine Nursery T&C Police Dept The Palms The Sands T&C Friends of the Arts Foundation Tiki Hut Security Centre Turtle Cove Marina Video Waves Unicorn Bookstore Where When How Maison Creole
(Much later we found out that we actually made around $14,000 in the event, which supported the administration when it was really needed)
Approached Yasmin Rigby-Blues about General Manager’s position. July was to be my last month as General Manager and she was about to quit WIV Channel 4 News and supposedly had a sailing and administrative background. She had been the Manager for Radio Turks and Caicos as well as other media organisations in the country-region and did not need a work permit. I gave her a lot of information on the Federation for study.
I joined up Tropical Shipping as a corporate member.
Chris Daniels volunteers to set up website, with Katya and I learning how to do it.
I urge the Board via email to consider Yasmin Rigby-Blues as General Manager or submit another candidate for the position.
They seem, in private conversation, surprised that I do not want to continue, though I stated at the outset that this is a job (with historical foresight) for a Belonger and would only initiate the position through the beginning stages but a professional should become GM after six months. Since the budget is still so limited and Yasmin understood this, she seemed appropriate and experienced.
July
I submit a letter to the Board Governors as a review on how I see their actions as Board members. Generally, I find that they are doing okay, but some are doing nothing. The small middle group are actively talking but doing very little. Jeff calls for an ousting of the inactive and invitation to new Board members.
I went on vacation from 11 July through 21 July.
We called for a meeting of the Board for 22 July. Not many attended but new call for corporate membership. I say that with another person in the office doing the administration I could go after the corporate members since nobody but me has obtained any in four months. I urged a vote on Yasmin as GM, so we could get onto the work permit changed for Katya and I.
After the meeting I sent out an email asking for the Board to vote yes or no to Yasmin as GM. There were nine yes and two no and one undecided. I approached Yasmin and offered her the job and she accepted.
In the meantime the Articles were scoffed by a minority of the Board and that same minority decided that they would rule the Federation. This set up camps that did not need to be in place. They opposed a general election of the Board of Governors.
August
Chris Daniels is murdered on his doorstep by two crack addicts. He assisted any time I called out and ask for assistance. He is a friend who will be missed.
There were troubles with the Chair and two of the Governors over the election of the GM. They felt that I had appointed Yasmin without their permission, ignoring the emailed vote. They felt that though the hiring and firing of a General Manager was in the Job Description, that the Board was to decide who would be approved. Apathy by the other Board members began to corrode the organisation in light of this confusion.
I approach KPMG to assist in our book keeping and they agree to trade about $7000 as a donation for time spent on our accounts.
How Culture Works proposal to WIV Channel 4 is accepted by Peter Stubbs, Exec Dir of WIV.
Carlon Forbes has sold us his 19-foot Sloop for $4,000.00. The Sloop draws 12”-14” and is perfect for a Chalk Sound student programme. The Rotary donated the funding to purchase the Sloop and we have started to train instructors to run some of our Sail Training Programmes aboard it. We have re-named the Sloop, Ranger.
Marine Biologist, Marsha Pardee, presented us a chance to do one of the Sail Training programmes as a pilot project as a part of the DECR Jr. Park Warden Programme. We used Ranger in the programme with J.J. Parker skippering to seven students.
The Vessel and Education Committees worked together to make this a good experience for the students. They were shown basic sailing and a thought to be Taino village site under the tutelage of Nicky Turner.
KPMG come up with a formal proposal for the Board and is introduced to Yasmin as GM.
We assist the Tourist Board with the Provo Days Regatta in Bluehills by organising media, the racers, prizes and awards.
We form a Maritime History Group to insure that we are in place when archival work is needed.
September
We air our first How Culture Works at 8PM Wednesday evening.
6 September Board Meeting ERA Meeting Room The Market Place, 8 attending
(A problem happens between Yasmin and Becky before the start of the meeting.)
Jeff does not want to talk about Articles( at top of Agenda) and insists that committees should be forgotten. I detail how committees have been active and working to accomplish quite a bit. I also show how much we have been doing in such a small amount of time existent.
Donna submitted a check for $500.00 from a flea market given by CHS LLC Calypso House, Loup Caruso was the donator.
The Board wants a contract with Shirlin before he receives any funding. I have to guarantee the first amount will be used for what it is intended.
I ask for Carlon Forbes to do the fifth sloop but it is shot down as too far away to control.
I urge the Board to call for a General Meeting with the general public invited and submit a draft of a plan for the remainder of 2005. It shows what we said we intended back on 1 February and that we had been working exactly with what was planned, though we failed in the membership categories. Outside of the administration push, we had not produced any revenues that would sustain the administration expenses.
The Board is insulted, some saying that it is not their jobs to get members and others saying that they will try and do better.
Yasmin brings up the Articles again but nobody wants to talk about them.
Becky says she will bring Quick Books to Yasmin and an expert to explain them.
Donna suggests we try to get a 501.C(3)
Goldray suggests that we try to start businesses such as construction and rentals to support the Federation. Everybody agrees.
No real voting occurred at the meeting but there was a lot of tension.
The problem that happened between Becky and Yasmin brings a lot of confusion into the operation of the Federation about the basic concepts of the organization. A minority decided that the Job Description, Board Duties and the Articles were not appropriate, even though none of them had studied any of the writings until they held a secret (from the majority of the Board) meeting.
Several minority Board Meetings were held but no minutes were made available to the rest of the Board nor the Administration.
Jeff, H. and I met at the Children’s Park in the Bight to look at that piece of land in possible scenario that we might be given a choice of sites to house our Boatwork Shed/Office/Meeting Facility/Club House. The two architects agreed on all aspects of the type of building that would complement the area.
I held a meeting of an interested but disassociated group as an advisory committee on the actions presently taking place in the Federation. We went through the Articles, Job Descriptions and Duties of the Board, as well as reviewed other non-profit organisations and the Roberts Rules, finding a real problem with the actions of the minority members of the Board.
In researching aspects of the problems I found that we might not actually have a legal Board in position and asked Attorney Donna Missick about the situation. Since the Board was elected before the registration of the Federation they, legally, were not eligible to preside over the business of the Federation and had to be re-elected to their positions.
Yasmin asks Jeff for a sabbatical and he grants her a month off. She feels we need the time to consolodate and organise, then when she returns there will be a clearer destination for the Federation.
I invite the TCI Tourist Board to become Corporate Members and they accept. I ask Robinson and McLean to become Corporate Members and they accept.
Katya and I approach the Dept of Education to implement the Primary Schools Maritime Heritage Programme for sixth graders throughout the Islands as a permanent part of the school curriculum. Deputy Director Edgar Howell helps refine it and they say yes, let’s do it, but they don’t have any money to put toward it.
Shirlin Stubbs has been saying that he will build a sloop for us for over two months but when the money is allotted and he is presented with a contract he balks and wanders off without any yes or no. We only have two builders.
Gold has completed Mobile Enforcer and James is planking Environment I. There was a drastic slow down in the funding from DECR, so we could not start when planned.
The new 4-colour format for the newsletter, Under Way, that Yasmin has produced does not have much good writing nor is it complete. I rewrite everything but her piece on her self and produce 35 copies for the Board and members.
October
12 October General Meeting of TCMHF Environmental Center
I am made Temporary Presiding Officer
Mac Stubbs elected General Meeting Chairman and I take my seat. Board Chairman is late and has no report. Acting GM gives report. Programmes Mgr gives report
Programmes
- :2 traditional Caicos Conch Sloops being built are almost finished.
- Likely that another will be built by Wing Dean & brother, and maybe Porter in Five Cays.
- Primary Schools Programme launched at Chalk Sound last Friday 7th October.
- There is interest in proposed Sea Rangers Programme.
- Have a sloop donated by Rotary on Chalk Sound.
- Have promoted 4 races in 8 months, and more to come.
- Have 4 corporate members – Tourist Board, Prestige Group, Tropical Shipping & McLean Robinson..
- Have a website – www.maritimeheritage.tc
- Have a newsletter.
- Have newspaper maritime heritage page
- Have TV programme ‘How Culture Works’
- Have established a history group.
- Hoping to publish 2 photo essays as books.
- Are in Provo Museum plans.
- Have some international affiliation.
- Have articles coming up in Times of the Islands & Discover Magazines
Election needs are explained and all approve, except for Jeff.
It is asked and explained that all current Board Governors were informed of the General Meeting and Elections.
It is called for that the Interim Board be dissolved and a new Board elected.
The Interim Board Chairman thought the whole thing stupid since the Federation had never been registered. To the puzzlement of everybody it was explained that the Federation had been registered on 31 January 2005.
The nominations are held and of those nominated Jeff Lee, Judith Ewing-Robinson and Judith Campbell decline the nomination. The elections are held and then the officers for the Board are elected:
Chairman R. MacDonald Stubbs
Vice Chairman Goldray Ewing
Secretary Bill Clare
Treasurer Becky Carlson
Donna Bartram, Jay Stubbs, H.H. Hinderaker, Hon. Norman Saunders, Goldston Williams, David Bowen, Henry Wilson, J.J. Parker, Brian Been Substitute Donna Gardiner), Ethlyn Gibbs-Williams
This Interim Board will hold office until 31 January 2006.
Sailing Our Sloops…A lot of organising is going on to prepare for the starting of the Primary Schools Maritime Heritage Programme. Graceway IGA has contributed $600 and the Governor has donated $1,000.
Enid Capron Primary School in 5 Cays saw the first two Friday afternoon familiarization sails on the 12th and 19th of October with 46 students smiling for over five hours on Chalk Sound. The weary but elated volunteer skipper for both sails was J.J. Parker. By the end of December 214 sixth grade public school students had sailed aboard a Caicos Conch Sloop and a little over 300 had been given lectures and talks on Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos and there were no sixth graders on Salt Cay. There were no traditional sloops in either South Caicos nor Grand Turk.
November
Yasmin has not been attending to duties effectively due to her other activities and is reprimanded and given suggestions on how to combine her efforts. But, she spends less time with Federation administration duties and finally quits.
Conch Festival Mobile Enforcer launch preparations to get sloop ready with logos and movement of the two sloops (Ranger and Mobile Enforcer) with JJ, Goldray and H. Goldray and JJ were going to launch their sloops to give rides to the public but the weather was too unstable. There was an attempt to stage a race but the participants waited too late and wanted too much money.
Cable & Wireless’ Mobile Enforcer is launched with the shouldering help of over 100 including the new Governor. Over 1,000 witness the launch though it was not covered very well in the periodicals.
A marketing meeting is held at the Royal Reef Resort office with Titus DeBoer officiating. John Hilton, Amy Thiel and myself decide upon a general strategy and will work on specifics in January after the holiday confusion.
I spoke to the Kiwanis of Providenciales and asked for support for the Sailing Our Sloops Primary Schools programme and they commit to funding the construction of 15 gemalba model sloops.
I assist James Dean all month every chance I get in caulking Environment I and finishing the sanding.
December
There is not much going on in this month due to the holidays but I finish most of Environment I and move the sloop to the Environmental Center with JJ’s help.
Derek Taylor, past President of Kiwanis of Grand Turk, says that he will promote his group’s participation in the Primary Schools Programme by having them do the hands on obtaining the materials and supervising the construction of 15 gemalba model sloops.
The Board has voted, via email, to approve Carlon Forbes construction of the Leeward Marina Resort and Spa Caicos Sloop.
Gold Williams has started consttuction on The Prestige Group’s North Caicos Conch Sloop at The Market Place.
'Kevin Baba' Harvey is putting in a proposal to utilise the sloops at his Sailing Paradise complex in Bluehills in exchange for a percentage of tour revenue coming to the Federation and conducting sail training and environmental cultural tours for the Sea Rangers Youth Sailing Club.
Stan Binder and Geoff Mander decide to hold a meeting in the first week in January to promote sailing races in the Turks and Caicos islands to an international market.
Past:
Our outstanding debts are $3000 to Mac Motors and December’s rent to Donna Bartram. We also
Future:
I am hoping that we will not have any fallout from the legalization of the Board. We are now moving into a phase in which the programmes that we have initiated can be realized and refined. This year should see more publishing, scheduled racing and educational activities, especially seminars both here and abroad. We need to refine our website and get more international. International interest is almost as important as local membership. Once the outside recognizes us and we are consistent with our goals, everybody in these Islands will become a part of the Federation.
I also feel we need to purchase the sloops that are around today and restore them and get them to all the islands through the establishment of satellite and/or affiliate groups. The Sea Rangers is a perfect vehicle to create the satellites. Research is the most important consideration for the Federation. We need to know what we are promoting. The Board needs to form committees and actively carry out programmes and projects.
