Hello Aqua Tutus,
Thanks to past president and club instructor Neil Benjamin for his cave diving in Mexico presentation. Our scheduled presenter, Randall Spangler, suddenly became unavailable, and Neil didn't swim away when asked to fill in as the April entertainment. With just less than a week to prepare, Neil put together an entertaining and inspiring show-and-tell about cave diving in general and in the Mexican cenotes in particular. Thanks, Neil!
For our May entertainment, we have Gil Zeimer presenting "
“Blogging About Bubbles: How to Get Published or Document Your Trips". Gil is an internationally known travel writer, blogger, and journalist. His stories have appeared in California Diving News, Alert Diver, Sport Diver, Undercurrent, Local Getaways, the S.F. Chronicle, the L.A. Times, and the Marin Independent Journal to name a "few" of the magazines and newspapers to carry his byline. I hope to see a great turnout for May's general meeting, so we can mine Gil's stories and tips for ideas we can use. I especially hope members who've added photography and videography to their dives join the meeting. Who knows what doors Gil's talk may open?
At-Large Board member Alan Stanek is the point of contact for the club's May dive at South Monastery Beach on the 18th. Fingers crossed conditions are good for entry and exits at what can be one of the most challenging beach dive sites in Monterey Bay. If you're thinking to join this club dive, you'll definitely want to register for it and join the forum discussion, so Alan can communicate with you.
Speaking of at-large board members, at the May meeting I'll open the floor for nominations for the club's three at-large board member positions. The only prerequisites are to be a club member, commit to serving as point of contact for at least one club dive during your term, and to be a voice for other club members at the monthly board meetings. This is a great position to deepen your connection with the club, help steer the club, and learn more about one of the oldest dive clubs in California. Elections for the three positions will be held during the June general meeting, and the term of service is one year. For more information, see Board of Directors, Elected Member & Volunteer Coordinator Duties.
Warmly,
Jim Driggers
Club president