Motor rule changed at Winter Meeting, Bylaws changes headed to members

With six members joining in on the fun, the ERCU Board of Directors on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2020 conducted its Winter Meeting for the month. By all accounts, the meeting was productive and appreciated.

The main highlights of club business conducted by the board included a change to the club’s motor rule (which keeps current motors legal), action to forward proposed changes to the club’s bylaws to the membership for approval, and the creation of a new race event that will serve to recognize members of ERCU who have passed away.

New Motor Rule
After surveying the membership for opinions about changing the motor rule to be in complete alignment with the NAMBA P-Limited motor rules, the board and members in attendance had a long conversation about potentially change. It was agreed that something needed to be done, as current motors are not readily available any longer. That’s a situation that’s not expected to be rectified as the Dynamite 1500kv and Aquacraft 1500kv motors currently on our approved list are no longer in production.

The new rule, approved unanimously by the board and agreed to by those who offered feedback online, and on the Zoom Winter Meeting, is as follows, and replaces the current motor rule in our rulebook, effective immediately.

• Power is to be provided by a single motor meeting the following requirements:
• ERCU motors shall be of an in-runner design and shall not exceed the following dimensions:
• Length: 60mm (2.362 inches). This includes any bearing protrusion.
• Diameter: 37mm (1.457 inches).

These dimensions and specifications include the Himax, Dynamite and Aquacraft 1500kv motors, making them all still legal for use in the club.

Bylaws Update
Rick Evans and Nelson Holmberg worked on, and presented a number of proposed changes to the ERCU Bylaws, which would serve to not only modernize the document – which hasn’t been updated since January 2004 – but also provides for improved systems for changes to club rules, club bylaws and appeals, which involve club members more than ever before.

A document of the bylaws will be sent via email to all members in the coming days for review and feedback. A voting function will be set up online for a vote of the members, and that link will be sent as a part of the email distribution.

Detroit Memorial Proposal
Brad Lewis and David Newton have been working on a way to honor members of ERCU who have passed away and to keep their memories with us into the club’s future. On Sunday, the two proposed the idea of putting on a “Detroit Memorial Regatta” as a regular part of the ERCU schedule, beginning in 2021. This event would provide the club opportunities to memorialize those members who have passed away, without having to create “Memorial” races for each of them. The proposed site for the race is Longview, given its easy access from both the Seattle and Portland markets and the site’s general popularity among our members. Concerns about the safety of the launch area at Longview were discussed and the club committed to explore remedies of this with the City of Longview to see what could be done to improve it.

All involved in the Winter Meeting agreed it was a good idea, and the board voted unanimously to commit to supporting the proposal as presented, and to authorize $100 to assist with site improvements.

It was a good Winter Meeting, and all who attended were welcome to weigh in, which provided true transparency for everyone involved.

The January Winter Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021 at 11 a.m., again via Zoom.