The Yacht Club gives back to the community

The Canyon Lake Yacht Club has been serving the community since 1990. Lee Norris was one of the original founders. He served as Commodore in 1990, 1991 and 2007.

The scope of the Yacht Club is to further the interests and benefits pertaining to the membership and to assist in making the waters of Canyon Lake safe, enjoyable and conducive to marine-related activities within the laws of the state of California and the rules and Regulations of the Canyon Lake POA.

To achieve it’s goal to continually improve the community and its assets, the club holds three specific events: Lake Cleanup, Scholarship Program and Fiesta Day Fundraiser.

The Yacht Club’s annual Lake Cleanup is held in May. Volunteer boats and crew members are assigned areas of the Lake where they focus on the coves as the primary target for capturing the debris.

Another way the Yacht Club gives back to the community is with its Scholarship Program. The club awards a scholarship to a Canyon Lake student at its meeting in June. The program is open to high school seniors who reside in Canyon Lake and attend a local high school. The funds for the scholarship are raised from 50/50 drawings throughout the year and from selling ice cream at the club’s booth on Fiesta Day in May.

Besides the 50/50 drawing, selling ice cream from the club’s booth at Fiesta Day is the only fundraiser the club holds throughout the year. In 2015 and 2016, the club won 1st place for having the best decorated booth at Fiesta Day.

The club’s most recognizable community event is its annual Parade of Lights, which typically takes place the second week in December. The parade is lead by the “Fire Breathing Green Dragon,” a float made by members of the club. During this community event residents and their guests gather along the shoreline and waterfront parks and homes to watch the decorative boats parade through the East Bay to the Main Lake. Yacht Club members judge the boats and award cash prizes and plaques to the winners. The parade ends at Holiday Harbor Park where Yacht Club members announce the winners and serve hot chocolate, coffee and cookies.

Also in December, the club’s Christmas Tree Decorating Committee decorates a Christmas tree with a nautical theme and places it on the median near the front gate for all the community to enjoy.

Social gatherings are a part of the club’s activities. In June, the club hosts pot-luck dinner at Roadrunner Park where homemade food is shared and games are played. The club kicks off the arrival of fall with a progressive dinner by boat in September.

The club’s Moonlight Cruise is another popular social gathering among members. The cruise is held during the full moon phase in early August. Members board pontoons with snacks and beverages for a cruise around the lake. As the night approaches they position the flotilla in the East Bay to best view the rise of the full moon.

The Yacht Club encourages residents who like to have fun and enjoy working with others on various projects to join the club. Boat ownership is not a criterion for membership. Annual membership is $15. Meetings are held in the Holiday Bay Room at the Lodge on the fourth Thursday of the month. Cocktail hour begins at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is $15 and served by the Lodge staff.

The 2016 Yacht Club officers are Commodore Bob Templeton, Vice-Commodore Larry Garland, Purser Jim Lafferty and Yeoman Nyla Finch. The new 2017 Yacht Club officers will be sworn in at the club’s installation dinner on Friday, January 13.

Monthly Yacht Club meetings are held on the fourth Thursday in the Holiday Bay Room at the Lodge. The meeting begins with cocktail hour is 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 7 p.m. Dinner is $15. Boat ownership is not a criterion for membership. Annual membership is $15

For more information about the Yacht Club, call Bob Templeton at 951-244-1938 or Mary Jane Kelly at 951-244-1768. For the most current information regarding the club’s recent activities, visit clyc2014.webs.com. The Yacht Club can also be found on Facebook.