VERO BEACH — Representatives from 34 Florida Council of Yacht Clubs members converged on The Moorings Club this weekend for a green-themed, “Changes in Attitude – Going Green at our Latitude” three-day event.
Arriving both by car and boat, guests were welcomed by Moorings Yacht Club Commodore George Marshall and his wife, Sheila, eager to enjoy a fully packed schedule of activities.
The weekend kicked off Friday evening with a Going Green Dinner including hints on organic gardening from Moorings Chef Michael Lander. Saturday morning the green-theme continued with an early morning nature walk guided by Naturalist and Moorings Golf Superintendent, Craig Weyandt and Heather Stapleton, Education Coordinator, at the Environmental Learning Center.
Guests were also encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to play in a nine-hole golf scramble, join a tennis clinic take an eco-cruse, or visit some of our wonderful local attractions and museums.
The Moorings Green Team, an eco-friendly stewardship committee chaired by Judi Honiss, hosted various presentations on Saturday, sharing some the numerous ways the club has instituted eco-conscious improvements.
Moorings Club Manager, Craig Lopes and his staff have incorporated green practices to reduce, reuse and recycle; not only helping to save the planet, but saving a little financial green in the process.
Examples include the reduction of paper and disposables, water and energy usage. Food scraps serve as compost, the club uses reclaimed water for irrigation, and they recycle wherever possible. Even old tennis balls are put to good use, as hundreds make their way to the Save the Chimps Foundation, where they are filled with treats and tossed to the chimps.
Taking a break from green, the 210 guests donned their patriotic best Saturday evening for a Red White and Blue Gala Dinner in rooms decorated with Welcome Aboard signs, signal flags and model boats.
Yacht club attire was de rigueur for the men, with many sporting Navy insignia jackets, white pants and maritime ties. Ladies complimented their red, white and blue outfits with nautical jewelry and even a Jimmy Woods purse in the shape of a yacht.
The red, white and blue theme carried into the dining room, where lovely, detailed lighthouses, most handmade by Dick Howarth and George Marshall, served as centerpieces. Rather than place cards, each Yacht Club’s Burgee, a colorful distinguishing flag, indicated where guests would be seated during dinner. The evening concluded with after-dinner dancing to the music of Rainbow’s End.
“About one-third of Moorings members are members of the Moorings Yacht Club,” said Commodore George Marshall, who began his one-year term this past March. “That third are also active in everything they do; whether it’s golf or tennis or boating.”
“We’ve had speakers advising us on how to become a Clean Marina,” added Marshall, speaking about the Clean Marina Initiative, an incentive-based program promoted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “We want to become a Clean Marina in the coming year. It ties in with our being a green club in general.”
