Becoming a Member

New Members are always welcome.

The article below describes how to join the club, but if you want a chat about it all beforehand, or have general or specific questions, either come into the Club and ask to see the Membership Secretary or the Secretary, or phone the club on 01590 672677.

Joining is simple but does take a few weeks. Click here for the detailed guidance which every applicant must read, but put briefly:

1) Decide whether you wish to be a Full or Provisional Member.

Full Members already know at least 2 other Members of the Club, pay the Joining Fee on election and have full voting rights.
Provisional Members don't know any Club members, delay paying the Joining Fee for a year, don't have any voting rights and have the opportunity to become Full Members after a year or cease their membership.
Both kinds of Member have full use of Club facilities.

2) Fill in the Application Form

Also write a letter to the Secretary, obtain support letters from other Members or sailors/boaters of good standing and send it all to the Membership Secretary.

3) What happens next?

Club Rules state that your name should be on the noticeboard for 28 days before election, but during that time we will arrange for an informal interview with 2 members or former Members of the General Committee at a time which is mutually convenient.

The purpose of this is to discover:
What kind of sailor you are, what are your motives for joining the Club, what kind of use you may make of the club, have you any skills to give back to the Club (eg dinghy instructor etc). In short to get to know you. Also this is a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the Club. When you are elected we hope that we can use the information gathered at the interview to help guide you into the activites in which you may have an interest.

4) What goes on behind the scenes between your application being received and your election to membership?

After 28 days and the interview, the papers of all applicants are considered by the Membership Sub Committee which meets monthly. Chaired by the Vice Commodore, the committee will consider your application and all the papers including the reports from the interview. Normally this committee meets just a week before our monthly General Committee meeting which has the final say over membership applications and formally elects you.

Once that is done, all you need to do is to pay your Membership Fees and if becoming a Full Member, the Joining Fee and you become a welcome and honoured new Member. With luck, the whole process takes about 6 weeks, but delays in obtaining referee's letters and committee meeting timing can extend this to 2 months. It is worth the wait though, the RLymYC is a great Club to join.

There are various functions for new Members throughout the year, and you will be encouraged to ask questions, attend Club functions, and generally made to feel welcome, although this is a two way street and some effort is required on your part to introduce yourselves. Everyone will be very supportive and help.

Please apply, we would love to meet you.