Looking Aft

By Past Com. James L. Ramsey Who Are We?

In an age when practically nobody trusts anybody, consensus of purpose is as scarce as unpolished shoes at Buckingham Palace. Sadly, one of the victims of the malaise is self-identity. Organizations are among the first to fall.

Who are we? What are we? Why are we in business? What are we trying to accomplish? Companies and corporations frequently ask those questions and enlist well-paid consulting firms to have them answered. Ironically, once all the exhaustive investigative work is done and analytical documents on the matter are delivered at high-echelon meetings, the realization is usually devastatingly simple: You are what you appear to be.

The founders of this organization had no such uncertainty. For them, it was clear and simple, and they wrote it into our name over 100 years ago: The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.

Not the Grosse Pointe Boat Club. Not the Grosse Pointe Dining Club. Not the Lake St. Clair Social Club.

Our founders were a tight-knit bunch. Their fellowship stemmed from a deep love of boats and the water. And when the time came to build a facility that reflected their passion, they refused to settle for a warming hut with a dock (it was one of their options at the time); they created a massive yacht harbor beside a cathedral-like building and grounds that were the envy of every private club in North America. It was a daring, grandiose, even crazy undertaking. But it was true expression of their idea of what a Grosse Pointe Yacht Club should be. Over time, their vision needed nothing to refresh its meaning. Scores of independent surveys confirmed their wisdom, ranking us among the finest yacht clubs in the country. We are what we appear to be.

In 1959, then-Commodore Robert Weber, father of Past Commodore Mark Weber, said it all when he penned a piece for the membership entitled, “What is the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club?” He wrote:

“To some it is land, harbor and building; to others it combines a beautiful park, wherein a masterfully designed building stands, surrounded by a magnificent harbor in which are moored the finest yachts on the Great Lakes. To the members it is the close association of friends, bound together in fellowship.

It is this latter description which provides the answer – for without the close association of friends and the continued flow of friendship there would be no club.

I like to think of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club as a home away from home – for within its boundaries you find facilities and services and a dedicated staff to provide that friendly, homelike atmosphere.”

Nothing has changed. We are what we appear to be: The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.