Grosse Pointe Youth Nautical Education Foundation 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1 THE GPYNEF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board members serve terms as defined by the By-laws of the Foundation. J. James Morrow . President James A. Anderson . Vice President Jeffery R. Laethem . Director Sean M. Schotthoefer ..... Director Ilja J. Vreeken ............Director Sloane R. Barbour . Treasurer Mark R. Weber, PhD . Secretary Wallace E. Cross . Outside Director J. Theodore Everingham. Outside Director Brian J. Geraghty . Outside Director Herold ‘Mac’ Deason . Director Emeritus Michael. D. Murray . Financial Advisor & Audit — Polk & Associates 2 2015 ANNUAL REPORT GROSSE POINTE YOUTH NAUTICAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION A review of goals, achievements, fund raising initiatives and 2015 fiscal year financial statement 2015 ACTIVITY SUMMARY 2016 FOUNDATION PLANS Everywhere you look there are signs that the Grosse The momentum generated in 2015 set high standards Pointe Youth Nautical Education Foundation (GPYNEF) for our 2016 programs. GPYNEF support will be directed is having a positive impact on Detroit-area youth and the to programs proven to encourage young people to develop sport of sailing. a passion for the sport of sailing, and help them grow as n Scholarship candidates from Metro Detroit show responsible sailors and students. sailing’s contribution to growth in academics Planned investments include: and leadership n Funding for high school junior sailing programs n Challenge the Wind, an inner city learn to sail to support equipment, travel, competitive events program, has seen enrollment double and half matching fund challenges n n DRYA club junior sailing reports strong growth. Awarding up to ten $1,500 college scholarships, a GPYC and Crescent junior sailing programs each 50% increase over 2014 levels enrolled over 110 kids n Sponsoring a Junior Olympic event, which US n Top finishes for area high school sailors in major Sailing has designated as three day skill builder, to regattas in the U.S. and Canada be held at the GPYC (July 29–31) n n DART showcased local sailors with regional Expanding support for the “Challenge the Wind” regatta successes program at the Grayhaven Sailing Club n n Varsity sailing has become Michigan’s fastest Continuing support for Detroit Advanced Racing growing high-school sport! Team (DART) training, helping Detroit-area Everyone who has been a part of the GPYNEF junior sailors compete in regional regattas to program — students, instructors, volunteers and all improve their racing skills. Foundation donors — should take pride in this year’s Successful fundraising is critical to the GPYNEF’s results. The bar has been raised, and with it, exciting mission. Without capital, the initiatives described above challenges for the years ahead. can not be accomplished. Support for GPYNEF Scholarship Endowments is of particular importance. SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENTS As of the close of the 2015 fiscal year, the GPYNEF ceremony. The donors also receive a permanent acknowledg- has received 6 Perpetual Scholarships. Donated by ment with a commemorative paver brick on Sailors Pointe Commodore and Mrs. Jim Anderson (2012), Commodore and an acrylic sailing trophy memento. and Mrs. John Boll (2012), Mr. and Mrs. Matty Moroun Additional information concerning endowments (2013), Transaxle/Commodore and Mrs. James Morrow is available on-line at www.gpynef.org or by contacting (2014), Benno Steinborn (2014) and the W. W. Williams Foundation president, Commodore James Morrow via email: Company (2015) these endowments are acknowledged on [email protected]. the brass plaque (pictured, right) found at Sailor’s Pointe overlooking the GPYC harbor. Commemorative paver bricks, with donors’ names can also be found there. These scholarships, funded in-perpetuity by a $45,000 donation, are awarded annually in the donors name to deserving students. This Perpetual endowment can be funded in several ways; lump sum or funding over time to optimize the tax benefit. Annual scholarship gifts, for a donation of $1,600 are also available. The scholarships are awarded in the donor’s name at the award 3 The programs shown highlight initiatives made possible by grants 2015 GRANTS from the Grosse Pointe Youth Nautical Education Foundation. IN ACTION: Programs that receive grants are selected by the GPYNEF’s Board of Directors, ensuring that those programs comply with Foundation goals. MEET THE SCHOLARS With a dollar value 50% greater than the scholarship awards a year ago, ten student scholars received $1,500 scholarships to their college of choice. Pictured (below) are 2015 recipients: Adrienne Thomas, Jason Liu, Nathan Kane, Taylor Moore-Hutton and Kimberly Barbour. Because they were participating in a regatta on the day the group photo was taken, four intrepid, scholarship-winning competitors, Annie Clark, Thomas Fricker, Grant Gustafson, and Owen Pfaff were captured in action at the races. Pasha Vreeken was at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and was unable to attend. To see them in action, check out the “Scholarship Video” on our site: Annie Clark www.gpynef.org or scan the QR code below. Grant Gustafson Pasha Vreeken Thomas Fricker (left to right) are 2015 recipients: Adrienne Thomas, Jason Liu, Nathan Kane, Owen Pfaff Taylor Moore-Hutton and Kimberly Barbour. 4 WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS GPN BR Groves ® Top, left to right burgees: Detroit Country Day School, West Bloomfield, Grosse Pointe North, and University Liggett School, Bottom, left to right: Grosse Pointe South, Birminhgam Groves, Brother Rice, and Cranbrook-Kingston High Schools SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS Through direct grants to individual schools as well as matching fund “challenges”, GPYNEF has helped high school teams acquire new equipment, participate in advanced training and travel to compete against the country’s best at Regional and National events. While not to suggest a direct linkage between the GPYNEF grant activity and the growth of the sport, it is worth noting that varsity sailing has become the fastest growing high school sport in Michigan. In the past year alone, six area high schools added varsity sailing to their programs. University Liggett School, Cranbrook-Kingswood, West Bloomfield, Birmingham Grove, Brother Rice and Marian High Schools are now competing — most sailed in Regattas held at the GPYC in 2015. In 2015, a GPYNEF travel grant enabled South’s team to compete in the prestigious invitation only, Lawrence A. White Regatta at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. There they sailed against the cream of the crop of high school sailors from the US, Canada and the Caribbean. Two weeks later, back “home”, Grosse Pointe South defeated 10 other Michigan high school teams on Elizabeth Lake to capture a 2015 Michigan State High School Sailing Championship. Last year, with a matching fund grant, South also acquired new racing sails for their team. The Grosse Pointe South Sailing Team success is an example of the role GPYNEF can play. THE MITTEN The “Mitten Classic”, a Midwest Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association Regatta held at the GPYC was hosted by the GPYNEF. The 15 teams, representing eight high schools from throughout the state, competed successfully in some very challenging weather. 5 SPECIAL GRANTS 2015 GRANTS The Foundation accepts applications for special grants to local sailors who are competing at a higher level to improve their skills as well as to IN ACTION: organizations seeking to improve their ability to support competitive sailing. Applications are submitted and reviewed by the Board to insure that the requests fit GPYNEF program criteria. Two examples of individual sailor grants include: Ryan Seago — match racing team and Tom Caulfield of Crescent Sail Yacht Club. In addition, a special equipment grant was made to the University of Michigan in response to their request for assistance in rebuilding their sailing center. CHALLENGE THE WIND The GPYNEF is proud to be an active supporter of the Challenge the Wind Sailing Program. This non-profit 501c3 was created by the Grayhaven Sail Club of Detroit to teach sailing skills to young Detroiters that would not have otherwise been exposed to the sport. Partnered with the DRYA, the American Sailing Institute and US Sail, student sailors utilized math, physics, problem solving and conflict management skills as they completed a “Beginning Sailing” and “Teen Intermediated Sailing” curriculum and certification. This year, with the support of the GPYNEF and the Grosse Pointe Club, Challenge the Wind sailors were placed in a local Club Junior Sailing and Racing program. It was a win-win investment for all involved. 6 SAILING SIMULATOR GPYNEF has acquired an on-land sailing simulator, a remarkable machine that accurately replicates the dynamics of sailing an Optimist pram, one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world. Not only is the Opti simulator a great training device it is also a powerful magnet, drawing the attention of youngsters who have never sailed. Portable, it can be transported to virtually any site, making the sailing experience accessible to a large potential audience. A video showing the Opti simulator in action can be reached via the QR code shown below or found at www.gpynef.org Photo by Michele Penoyer DART The Foundation continued to support DART (Detroit Advanced Racing Team). As the only “school” of its kind, DART is a mentoring and athletic training program designed for select young DRYA Opti sailors who demonstrate elite level racing skills and potential. DART gives motivated DRYA sailors an opportunity to participate in a higher level of train- ing and develop their expertise through competition in local, regional, and national level event and is consistent with Foundation’s objectives. Photo by Michele Penoyer 7 GROSSE POINTE YACHT CLUB FUNDRAISERS The two annual Grosse Pointe Yacht Club traditions that herald the arrival of the boating season are essential to our annual fundraiser efforts. The Great Lakes Boating Festival and Summer Breeze Party are fun events that help raise funds needed to keep pace with the growing interest in junior sailing.