[fbshare type=”button”] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he 2012 Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron (TSPS) Change of Watch was held on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan. This event (see links below) is held every year in February and provides an opportunity for members to get together over dinner and drinks to hear from the outgoing Bridge a report on the previous year and to elect the commander and Bridge for the current year.
The event was a success, with incoming-Commander Warren Fraser hosting the event and taking the audience through a multimedia presentation of the past year and coming year that included video, audio, DVD content, and photos. Members of the Bridge presented the state of the Treasury, education programs, membership status and information, and the line up of 2012 Boating and Social Events.We also spent time recognizing sixteen long-term members, and thanked them for their dedication in helping TSPS remain a going-concern for the past 56 years. Additionally, we presented the instructional model we are donating to Koyo Vocational High School as part of our Tsunami Relief Effort. The model will be presented to the school on February 24, 2012.
The Change of Watch guests and the TSPS Bridge were especially honored to have present Minoru Saito; TSPS member, world-famous solo sailor and Guinness world-record holder who took the audience through a video of his recently completed 8th circumnavigation. The audience reacted strongly as the video brought home the many hardships Saito-san, at 78 years of age, endured in his successful attempt at a world-record 8th solo circumnavigation. Saito-san spent the evening chatting with fellow members about his trip, meeting TSPS supporters, and signing copies of his most recent book. Hunter Brumfield, leader of the Saito8 support team, announced to the audience that Saito-san had been chosen to receive Japan’s most prestigious adventurer award and the news was met with a big round of applause. The award puts Saito-san and his many accomplishments in company with Japan’s greatest explorers and adventurers. We are very proud to have Saito-san as a member of our squadron.
The evening wrapped up with a raffle and many of the attendees headed to a local pub to continue the nights festivities.
The 2012 Bridge would very much like to thank everyone who attended the Change of Watch.
See you all at the CoW in 2013. Have wonderful and safe boating season in 2012.
Warren Fraser
Commander,
Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron
Links:
1. Photos from the 2012 Change of Watch
2. A ten-minute edited video of the CoW
3. Missed the CoW? An eight-part video series of the entire CoW presentation
4. A web-based reproduction of the slides from the presentation
5. Missed the CoW? Download a 35MB interactive movie of the slides from the slideshow. This version includes all the movies, audio, stills, animation, and text used in the presentation. Once downloaded and open, use the space key on your keyboard to advance through the presentation. Quicktime required. Not usable on mobile devices, sadly.