on co New Zealand before proceeding through die Pacific Islands and dJen around Cape Hom to the Falklands and home .
Asa result of the Duke ' s visit , it was moved at the McGrath ' s Hotel meeting by W . Langley and seconded by J . Graham that the name of the Mosquico Yacht , Club be changed to the Prince Alfred Yacht Club in honour of His Royal Hlghness the Prince Alfred , Duke of Edinburgh .
The namu of those who attended that memorable meeting were : T . M . Strickland , L . Windeyer , J . Graham . Gray , J . R . Walrers . P . Brown . P . J . Clark , R . C . Boalce , W . E . Langley , Lomax , King and Cox . These were the founders . or flllhers . of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club .
Those present at the meeting enrolled their names and paid their subscriptions . They had lost no time in getting down to business . They fixed the subscriptions , or fees . at £ I Is Od with boat owners 10 pay an additional ! Os 6d , all to be payable in advance . The meeting alsodedded that theclub ' sensign should be the colonial ensign without the stars ( white ensign with a blue cross ). They formed the provisional comminee and they ruled that , in furure , anybody wishing to become a member would have to be balloted for . They fixed the next meeting for the following Monday . 21 October .
One can imagine these gentlemen of so Jong ago sitting around a table and feclilli mighty pleased with themselves . From h11er photographs of committees in the 1880s they were probably wearing big drooping moustaches and the long fashionable sideburns of the time . It is probable that half of them would be wearing full beards .
The following Monday evening , JI Ocrober 1867 . the first general meeting was held . It was apparently a long-winded proceeding . for at a late hour it was adjourned fora week . The business of the evening consisted mainly of a discussion on the proposed rules and regulations , and although they were not so full orcompreheosiveas the present rules of the club , there arc points of interest such ns : 1 . If a member failed to pay his subscription within one month of election the llllter became void . but then . as now , on a satisfactory explanation being given to the General Committee they bad power to re-admit the candidate , but in thosedaya . the elected member was treated to a fine of 5s Od for the benefit of the club ' s finances . 2 . Perquisites for the Secretary also formed an interesting feature of die rules , and an alluring temptation to seek that position . That officer kept a register of all yachts for sale and in the event of business eventuating he received a commission of 2.5 % of the purchase money .
Amongst the sailing by-laws was one that stated that all )'*: hts racing in a club match must be manned tntirely by Prince Alfred Yacht Oub members .
There is no doubt that the name of the Mosquico Yacht Club was changed ro the Prince Alfred Y acbt Club on IS October 1867 . What must be proved is th . at the Mosquito Yacht Club maintained continuity through every year up until 1867 for the club to lawfully claim a foundation date prior to 1867 .
Henry Dodds was Chairman of the Mosquito Yacht Club Committee in 1856 . We have since found thot he reputedly had in h ~ po » e >• ion lhc minutes and rule books of the Mosquito Yacht Club . We have been unsuccessful , at this stage , in locating his descendants . The search goes on however .
There are baffling references relating to time that appear in old Prince Alfred Yacht Club histories . For instance : ' Abroad , the Crimean War had just fin · ished and in 1861 the American Civil War begnn ' and : ' A / ew years afterrhe birth of the Prince Alfred
The Hags worn by Dora . a yachtowned byT . M .
Strickland wbo chaired the inaugural meeting of the Prince Alfred Yacht Club and who was elected Vice Commodore , an office he held until 1872 . Dora competed in the first rucc conducted by the club on 7 March 1868 .
33