T
A Smudge...
here was a smudge on a glass door recently, but was
it really a smudge or a sign of more and more fam-
ilies enjoying FWYC? This small hand print rather low
on a door was a symbol that our club is returning to its
family status which has been minimal in recent years. All
things come and go in cycles, and for the past 8 to 10 years
FWYC has seen very
few small children
around the club. Many
older existing members
that are still around saw
their children grow up
to become exceptional
adults, partly because of
the friendly, fun, excit-
ing place called the Fort
Walton Yacht Club.
There are many awe-
some activities, plenty
of space, and loads of
fun for everyone at the
club. These young fam-
ilies are mostly Regular
members who pay the
same dues, have the same rights and privileges as all Regu-
lar members. Most of them respect that some older mem-
bers prefer a quiet, adult-only environment in the Lounge
on Friday evenings until 7:00 pm or so. However, there
are no state law, house rule or bylaw preventing children
from being anywhere in the club except, sitting at the bar.
There is a house rule with an 8 pm curfew for children in
the Lounge when there is no scheduled FWYC event such
as First Fridays, WNFR after celebrations, Regattas and
Rear Commodore events.
The Castaway Room, which years ago was the Junior
Room, has been desig-
nated as a family room
on Sunday mornings and
evenings when families
would rather not eat in
the Dining Room or the
Lounge.
This doesn’t
mean that families must
eat or socialize in the
Castaway Room, it’s just
another option, as is the
Patio.
The Castaway
Room has been fitted
with a Blu-ray player so
our younger set can en-
joy movies, etc. A shout
out to Jerry Vaughan for
making this happen.
We all like clean, spotless windows and doors, but for just
a few minutes let’s think about what that small hand print
really means. This smudge is a symbol of a vibrant future
ahead at the Fort Walton Yacht Club.
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