At Berkeley Yacht Club we take pride in providing a welcoming space for members and their guests to enjoy. Since we are a largely member-run club, a key component of providing this space is the Officer of the Day(OD) program. Serving as Officer of the Day is a membership requirement at Berkeley Yacht Club (BYC) as adopted into the Club’s Bylaws and House Rules. Our Bylaws require regular, associate, senior, and youth members to serve as Officer of the Day at least once per year.
What does the Officer of the Day do?
The Officer of the Day is your opportunity to come to the clubhouse to welcome and meet members – new, old and prospective. You can shape the way you help to create a welcoming environment based on your understanding of the club’s needs on the day you serve. Here are some suggestions.
The OD may need to provide support to the Club Manager, Staff Bartender or Event Manager. This assistance may include preparation, setup, teardown, and cleanup of an event. Check in with these folks to see how you can help. Let them know skills and/or limitations.
If no bartender is on duty, and you have an Responsible Beverage Service of Alcohol (RBS) certification, you may help by serving drinks to members and guests.
Sponsor Your Own Event - If there is nothing scheduled on your assigned day, you may want to plan your own event. If you would like to do this, plan in advance, advertise and ask for any help you need to be successful. Previously, ODs have sponsored games afternoons, chili cook-offs, and similar events. Or you can simply host some of your friends in the community at Your Yacht Club.
General Cleaning – Look around the Club for any cleanup that may be needed to create a more welcoming space. Check the club restroom facilities to ensure they are sufficiently stocked with supplies, clean and serviceable.
Club Rules – You may be the Senior Officer on Duty. If necessary, remind members of our Club Rules. Please report any serious Rules violations you witness to the Board.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to
How does it work?
Google Spreadsheet: The list of Officers of the Day is a living Google Spreadsheet. The sheet is sorted by membership number with the ‘oldest’ members on top, newer members on the bottom. Two members are assigned to each Friday (1700-2200), Saturday (1400-1900) and Sunday (1400-1900) through the end of the year. Look for your name and the assigned date. You can add a comment to the GoogleSheet that you plan on attending as scheduled, request a different date or change the time.
Google Calendar: An Officer of the Day calendar has been created in Google Calendar. You will receive an invite for your scheduled day. Please confirm or request a date/time change when you receive an invite.
What if I can’t serve as Officer of the Day?
If you cannot serve as OD on your assigned day, simply pick another date and inform the Commodore or Club Manager.
If you are out of the area,or not able to come to the clubhouse, check with the Commodore or Club Manager for an alternate assignment – examples may be to act as Captain of the Month or write a NHT article.
If a member cannot serve as Officer of the Day, and an appropriate substitute task cannot be found, the member will be charged $75.
If a member does not show up for their Officer of the Day obligations, the member will be charged $150.
What time do I show up? The on-line listing and email provide a designated time. However, we are flexible. If you need to come earlier or later, no problem. Just let us know. The commitment is for 5 hours.
Can I invite guests? Of course! The more the merrier! This can be a time to show off Your Club to your friends.
What should I bring? You don’t have to bring anything. However, as suggested above, members may bring a spread of food to share, a game for entertainment or play particular music to make the day more fun.
What do I do when I arrive?
Please sign in at the kiosk in front of the office.
Suggested OD duties for the day are listed on the page after the sign-in page.
Please check in at the office/bar for the OD nametag.
Remember, Berkeley Yacht Club is primarily a volunteer-run club. We can afford to have among the lowest membership dues rates in the bay because we do not have an extensive staff. We are a warm, welcoming, friendly club, who come together to make BYC hospitable.
Thank you!
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