His Royal Highness the Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , aniving at the club on 15 May 1968 to lay the foundation stone of 1he new clubhouse . He was welcomed by Commodore J . II . Pritchett , the Honourable William Wentwonh and various other dignitaries . TilC weather was foul but the Sea Cadet was well prepared .
At the Annual General Meeting of7 August 1968 members were told that the club was now carrying outthe largest yachting activity in New South Wales .
111e Commiuee were co11cemed wirh the developmenl of the club bocb in Sydney and ai Green Point . There was an audited deficit of $ 632 after providing for $ 9300 expenses for the Centenary Y car and a contribution of $ 1000 made LO the Yachting Association of New South Wales to help fund the Olympic Trials in Botany Bay .
From here followed a program of meetingi ; too numerous to mention but covering all aspects of development , the keeping of members informed , and generoJ supervision of the development project So concluded 1968 , a year in which a tremendous amounl of work and thought went lnro the future development of the club .
The benefits of all this planning and development began to be appreciated in 1969 . A special general meeting of members was called on 6 March 1969 to consider and . if thought fit , to approve :
( I ) That the constJUction of four marina piers together with the reclamation of the Crystal Bay waterfrontage and all ancillary works incidemal thereto be proceeded with for1hwith at a cost of approximately $ 375 000 ; ( ii ) Th : na new clubhouse beconstructedoo Green Point at Newpon at a cost of $ 325 000 , the subcommiucc looking at the future of " Moonbar ':
( iii ) That items ( i ) and ( ii ) be financed from bo1T0wed money and the General Comminee auU1orised to use the present and future development funds , so faras lhesame may extend , for the repayment of principal and interc ~ I on these louns .
The Com111i11ee had decided ro asl His Royal Highness the Prince Philip . Duke of Edinburgh . to lay the foundalionSlone fortbe oewclubhouse referred to in ( ii ) above . At a Committee meeltng of 23 March
1968 the Commodore announced that His Royal Highness had graciously con5ented to set the foundmion stone for the new clubhouse . The function was to take place on Wednesday . 15 May 1968 .
A special brick wall for the foundation stone to be set in was built on the end of Green Point , : JS U1is was the site envisaged for anew clubhouse . In view of the pending visit . a temporary grandstand wns erected on the point adjacent to the flagpole . The arrangement was for Prince Philip to anive at the front entrance of ' Moonbar ', meet the d1gn1taries and walk down to Green Point and set the foundation stone . Roy Zac Cowley , a brick layer . prepared the wall several days before and was on U1c scene with a batch or frc .~ h ' mud ' for Prince Philip to do the deed . The club had also purchased a golden trowel to commemorate the occasion .
AB Robbie Bums pointed out to the mouse , ' TIIC best-laid &<: hemes of mice and men gang aft agley '.
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