The Valley Forge Forage
This late February hike lets us enjoy the lake from a different perspective, and it provides an opportunity for club members to serve the public and have fun. We meet at Mascoutin State Park's Houseboat Cove hiking trail. The 2.5 mile hike takes about an hour. We enjoy the scenery, the wildlife, and each other's company. We also make it a point to pick up any trash we might find along the way. Following the hike, there's always time for a hot chocolate.
Spring Banquet
We gather together to praise the passing of the ice, snow, slush, and darkness, and feast and party with anticipation of the coming sailing.
Work Day
We all look forward to work day because it marks the beginning of summer fun. We prepare the pavilion, reconstruct and launch the committee boat, clean up the area, repair the dock, and stabilize the shoreline. Of course, we earn a cookout the same day.
Ladies' Day
The ladies and daughters share sailing with friends, while the men stayoff the boats, man the galley (literally), and prepare a wonderful barbeque meal. Sailing starts early afternoon and is followed by an evening meal. Often this event is held on a moonlight sail evening in mid-June and is great fun for all!
Moonlight Sails
Several evenings are scheduled throughout the summer months for a cookout followed by a near full-moon sailing experience. The cookout begins at 6PM and sailing follows as your spirit moves you. The lake is great by night. It's fun to watch satellites and stars.
Venetian Night
The entire fleet decorated with lights and fanciful themes parades across the lake prior to an evening's moonlight sail.
Raft-Up
At this event the party is taken out to the lake. We tie our boats together and share good times. This is scheduled typically near the 4th of July.
Youth Sailing Day
In late July we have a special day to make sailing especially fun for all the kids that show up. We teach them some sailing or just go for rides. We try to open the event to non-sailors as an introduction to the great world of sailing.
Pirates' Day
Created for the child in all of us, Pirates' Day is great fun. We have our traditional cardboard boat race. Boats are constructed before hand using cardboard, one sheet, two broomsticks, duct tape, and plastic milkcontainers. Prizes are awarded for best costumes and winning boats. Of course, a cookout makes it all the more fun. There is the usual raiding of ships in the merchant lanes and great pirate games. This is generally held early September and takes the sting out of going back to school.
Committee boat take-out day
This final work day lets us reflect on the good times and prepare the committee boat and pavilion for the winter. Many of us plan to pull our boats on this day so there's plenty of help around when you have to drop that mast.
Fall Banquet
We hold our fall banquet either in Bloomington/Normal or Champaign/Urbana. For this event, we dress up in our best sailing ties and jewelry, we feast,listen to sailing presentations, and recognize those who won the summer races. We award our club's trophies at the fall banquet.