Good Morning everyone, congratulations to award recipients and your families, thank you regatta volunteers, and greetings to you all from the executive and members of CSSRA.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of CSSRA, it is an honor and a privilege for me to reflect with you on the life of your friend and our friend Claude Saunders. Not the Claude Saunders of Olympic fame, though he was; not the Claude Saunders the first Canadian international rowing referee, though he was; not the Claude Saunders regatta chairman of many rowing regattas, though he was; not the Claude Saunders President of the Hamilton Lander Boat Club for many years, though he was, but our Claude Saunders of the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association.

We can characterize Claude Saunders, our regatta leader, as an Officer and a Gentle Man.

As on officer of the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association, he was a Director, a President, and our Regatta Chairman for more than 50 years. In that capacity, he organized the regatta on the water from the start to the finish line. He also was a registrar and assisted the registrars of our regatta, notably Otto Swinton with whom he had a regatta partnership for more than 20 years.

Claude made sure that the regatta was an enjoyable experience and a safe place for the kids who participated. He made sure the dock marshals were in place, the safety boats were on the water and in position; the men who set up the course for the races had completed their work and much more.

Most of us felt that very little if anything escaped his attention. He was an exemplary leader.

He may have been boss of the regatta, but he treated each of us as though we were among his personal friends.

If he had a motto, it might be “we are all in this regatta business together”

As a gentle man, he made time for anyone that had a problem or a concern. We frequently saw him in the, what is now the Claude Saunders regatta office, sitting and quietly and calmly listening to coaches and volunteers present their problems and concerns to him. Coaches did not always get the answer they were expecting, but Claude treated them fairly: patiently listening before rendering a judgment. Likewise, he offered as much support as he could to regatta officials and volunteers.

Patience, calmness and fairness characterized Claude Saunders as a gentle man who did his very best to solve regatta problems.

Personally, the first time I saw Claude at a regatta site, I asked myself who is that man that can have his car parked in the compound when all others were in designated parking areas outside the compound area?

I quickly came to know who both he and his wife Florence were. They were a special team in life. Where he went, Florence was with him and supporting him and vice versa I am sure. This, to me, was a very special relationship. I said to myself: “this is the way it should be in life, a family with members working together”. I learned later that his son Claude Saunders Jr. served as a CSSRA President and his daughter Lois Royle was his personal regatta secretary. This was truly a family team.

Lois I am sure that you, your husband Dick and all members of the Saunder’s family could add much more to what I have said if time permitted.

We also remember Claude as a humorous person who liked to tell a good story or joke. Perhaps this was his way to relax and to take the pressure of the regatta away for himself and the volunteers.

If you ever had a chance to attend a CSSRA Board of Directors or Annual Meeting of the Members, you would have had an opportunity to sample Claude’s own variety of homemade lunches.

At this point, I ask that each of you bow your head to spend a moment in silence and reminisce with Claude. Talk to him and listen to what he might say to you. (30 seconds of pause)

If Claude were to talk to us as a group, he would likely say that this regatta is the yearly success that it is because each of you takes the time to volunteer your services to make this a successful regatta. He would continue, without each and every one of you, we could never be as successful as we are.

He would likely conclude with this statement “from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to this great regatta”.

Finally, he would say to us “now it is time to run a regatta so let us take our leave and let us go to our respective stations”.

Our Claude Saunders: An Officer and a Gentle Man.

Thank you.

(Silvio Palumbi for the Board of Directors of the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association)