| The DOSWELL EXPERIENCE website |
Following the success of the Governor's Island
Flotilla held in June 2002 there was strong interest from the many volunteers
involved in bringing an annual New York Harbor Festival back to life. Such
an event would celebrate the waterways and their long tradition of diverse
uses from recreation to commerce.
The Harbor has long been a focal point of New
York City life, and today, after years of neglect and misuse, New Yorkers are rediscovering
their fabulous harbor as never before. Rowboat races used to round Battery
Park over a century ago - today, the Mayor's Cup and similar events draw skippers
from near and far. More recently, the Dragon Boat Festival was launched just
over a decade ago in the Hudson River, and now each summer dozens of rows,
regattas, and swims are staged to celebrate our Harbor heritage. Events such
as Hudson River Park Day, North River Historic Ship Day, National Maritime
Day, the Liberty Challenge Hawai’ian Outrigger Canoe Race, and many others
are drawing people back to the water in record numbers. This year, on 14 September,
the Saturday following the anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy,
an event called Sail for America will take place in the harbor, bringing thousands
of sailboats, including several tall ships, significant ocean racing sailboats,
and many others together in an in-water memorial for those who lost their
lives as well as a symbol of the strength and spirit of New Yorkers and Americans.
From 1977 to 1992 Harbor Festivals were annual traditions in New York City. With sponsorship
from the Port Authority and other sources, an organization called The Harbor
Festival Foundation (later shortened to The Harbor Foundation) sponsored an
annual event that encompassed sailboats, tugboat races, live music, water
and land parades, fireworks and more. Spearheaded by Alen Sands York, Sid
Frigand, Frank Braynard and Peter Stanford, this organization brought political,
maritime, and media interests together to make these festivals a true spectacle.
After many successes, including the spawning of the annual Fleet Week at the
Intrepid Museum, the Mayor’s Cup Challenge and more, the organization became
dormant in the early 1990s. On 11 September, 2001, the Harbor Foundation lost
its office, papers and other valuable artifacts when the twin towers were
destroyed by terrorists.
From the Governors Island Flotilla members,
a Harbor Festival Steering Committee has been formed to develop themes and
program elements for a new annual harbor festival concept. At a meeting on
15 August of several of the original Governors Island volunteers, plus Alen
Sands York, Sid Frigand and Peter Stanford, it was generally agreed that a
Harbor Festival organization should, in the long run, promote the entire region
with multiple events in various towns and communities. However, if there is
to be a first event in 2003, it should focus on Lower Manhattan, and that
the 4th of July ought to be the date. It was also suggested that
such an organization might become an umbrella or clearing house for other
water events. Alen, representing the dormant Harbor Foundation, offered to
pass on the name and structure of the earlier organization to a new team if
one could be identified, and has further offered to act as an advisor to the
new organization.
This proposal that follows describes a reborn
Harbor (Festival) Foundation. A first draft, written by John Doswell, with
an introduction by Neal Kronley of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, was
discussed at a meeting on 19 August on board Alen’s 1855 Chinese junk Mon
Lei. Attending were Alen Sands York, John Doswell, Kent Barwick, Carter Craft,
Vince McGowan and Neal Kronley. This is the second draft of the proposal and
incorporates ideas and suggestion presented at that meeting.
The
original organization was called The Harbor Foundation (originally the Harbor
Festival Foundation)
A
proposed name is: New York Harbor Foundation
A
proposed tag line is: Trade + Recreation + Environment + Education
Organization
The organization could conceivably inherit the original
organization’s charter, not-for-profit status, tax id number, bylaws and so
forth, as was offered by Alen. Additionally there remains a board of directors
from the original organization, some of whom may be interested in continuing
that role. In any case, it appears that the original board would need to meet
to pass one or more resolutions to facilitate the transition, including possible
bylaws changes, etc.
If this proves unfeasible, a new not-for-profit corporation
could be formed which would, by agreement, be permitted to use the original
name, or a modified version of the original name (as suggested above).
In either case, board development will be the first priority
of the re-born organization, potentially building on the existing board. A
key challenge will be identifying a chair willing to invest the time, energy
and support that will be needed to make the new New York Harbor Foundation
a success.
To
promote the Great Harbor of New York in all aspects, including its history,
the working waterfront, the recreational opportunities in the harbor, the
health and cleanliness of the harbor, connectivity among the harbor’s cities
and communities, harmony among all the harbor’s constituents, increased awareness
of the value of the harbor, and above all, access to the water for everyone
|
Item |
Low |
High |
Note |
|
Executive
director, salary + benefits |
$80,000 |
$100,000 |
|
|
Office,
telephone, supplies, etc |
$18,000 |
$21,600 |
|
|
Computer(s),
printer, etc: |
$0 |
$10,000 |
Possible in-kind donation |
|
Office/admin
assistant, salary + benefits |
$38,000 |
$40,000 |
|
|
Advertising,
promotion, PR |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
|
|
Additional
part-time staff, 3-4, March-July: |
$50,000 |
$60,000 |
|
|
Accounting,
legal, bank charges, etc |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
|
Website |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
|
|
Event
Insurance |
$12,000 |
$15,000 |
|
|
Program
costs (entertainment, staging, cleanup, etc) |
$30,000 |
$50,000 |
|
|
Other/contingency |
$10,000 |
$20,000 |
|
|
(optional)
Organization brochure |
$0 |
$10,000 |
|
|
(optional)
Newsletter |
$0 |
$40,000 |
Possibly
partially to completely self-sustaining with advertising |
|
(optional)
Fundraising effort to launch a New York’s Tall Ship project |
$0 |
$50,000 |
A separate proposal |
|
Total |
$308,000 |
$486,600 |
|
Next Step
Comments on this proposal, including mission, goals, programs, budget, funding sources and structure are welcome. A public announcement in September would be ideal, considering that several tall ships and other significant vessels will be in the harbor on or around 14 September as a result of Sail for America. However, the next meeting of the Harbor Festival Steering Committee is not scheduled until 25 September. Perhaps we can convene another interim meeting of interested parties before the end of August to discuss this proposal and carry it a step further.