How this site works

Greetings to all the members of Got Wind and Water, and those who are new or visiting.

I thought I'd let the previous 'placeholder' events drop off the 'front page' of the site and create this one to explain a bit about how the group works.

Our mission statement is to 'connect sailors'. We do that in two different ways.

#1 We have a large group of 'assistant organizers'. Those individuals have the ability to host events. Generally, when they feel like it, they post an event and invite members to sign up on the Waiting List. There are a couple of details that are worth mentioning: The Meetup Software Platform is general, but how we use it is specific to our mission statement. Events are organized by those who own boats, or have the ability to charter boats. I advise the assistant organizers to create a waiting list and choose people from that waiting list to put together a 'crew'. I advise them to select several experienced sailors and to also select several inexperienced members. That way there is a balance of experience on board during an event. Assistant Organizers have the ability to look at the attendance records of members. So when they select members from the waiting list, they are also reviewing who has signed up for what. It is this information that lets them select a few 'experienced' members. Their selection of the other members who get invited to sail is based on your profile, so updating your profile is important. If you have trouble updating your profile, just click on my profile, and email me . I'll help you update yours.

Another part of the event process is that we always ask questions of those who put themselves on the waiting list. We ask you for your cell phone number. This is very obvious, a skipper is not going to invite someone he doesn't know and can't contact (duh). We typically also ask for your full name and email address. When a skipper invites someone onto his or her boat, it's like inviting someone into their home . . . would you invite someone into your home without first having at least their full name, and their contact info?

#2 Assistant Organizers are selected by the leadership team. Those assistant organizers can see the attendance record and access the contact information of those who are active in the group and attend events. The assistant organizers can reach out and contact those members if they think those members might want to sail with them. This is the second way in which the group connects sailors. If you've never attended an event . . . then you aren't going to get 'connected' with other sailors.

#3 This is a social network that uses the Meetup Software Platform. That Platform enables members to contact each other (if a member allows that). So if you set up your email preferences to allow another member to contact you, then that could happen. Such contact is completely hidden from the leadership team, and if you experience something that worries you, you can report it to Meetup headquarters. They can remove individuals that abuse the Meetup Platform.

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Another aspect of the group that sets this group apart from a lot of the other sailing groups out there. This group is designed to enable situations where members typically meet each other face to face for the first time on board sailboats. It is said that you don't really know a sailor until you've sailed with them. The act of sailing reveals character in a unique fashion (quickly).

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By being a member of this group and participating in the events, you've signed up for this aspect of the way the group works. It's a social network, and you are responsible for your behavior within the network. The group itself has no responsibility for what happens on events. It's an invitation process. The assistant organizer is inviting you, and you are accepting the invitation. Sailing can be dangerous, and you are on your own. We monitor what happens (to the extent we know about it). If something is happening that you feel uncomfortable about, you can always contact me. I can ban and remove other members from the group if they aren't behaving themselves. But to do this, I have to know about it, and I have to judge whatever is going on before I take any action