Jay Reibel on the Indian Harbor Yacht Club

Noted psychiatrist Jay Reibel is a member of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club and several other prominent sailing clubs, including the New York Yacht Club and the Lyford Cay Club in Nassau, Bahamas. Doctor Reibel’s enjoyment of the sea extends to his art collection, which focuses on marine scenes from the 19th century. He took the time to share his thoughts on the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, located in his hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut.

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[Indian Harbor Yacht Club Clubhouse]

What is the Indian Harbor Yacht Club?

The Indian Harbor Yacht Club is on beautiful Long Island Sound. It’s an organization that offers instruction and holds sailing competitions such as the Spring Sprint, Gearbuster, and Classic Yacht Regatta. It is intended to provide an atmosphere of spirited, yet friendly, competition and after-sailing social gatherings for its members. The club also promotes an appreciation for seamanship and the beauty of sailing vessel design. Where do its members like to sail?

This club holds a great sailing tradition and attracts many prominent people who share a love for the sport. It was founded in 1889 and is located near great sailing stops, including Newport, Rhode Island, New York City, and Boston. The Club gives avid sailors a centrally-located embarkation point to top destinations along the Eastern Seaboard. Beyond sailing lessons and competitions, are there other amenities offered by the Indian Harbor Yacht Club?

Of course! The club features an impressive clubhouse which is a wonderful venue for socializing. I know many members use the halls for personal or professional meetings when they are looking for an elegant and well-run venue. What about children? Does the yacht club offer sailing programs or other activities for kids?

Many programs are offered specifically for the kids, and the club is part of a greater effort to teach a younger generation a love of sailing. Children are encouraged to become involved in sailing through safe and well-staffed programs. The Junior sailing at the club is conducted during the warmer summer months, giving kids on summer vacation a pleasant, yet demanding, outdoor activity when they are out of school.

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White’s Gentlemen’s Club

For more than 40 years, Dr. Jay Reibel has served as a licensed Physician and Health Care Administrator at a number of different firms and hospitals. In addition to his work within the medical sector, Jay Reibel is a member of the London gentlemen’s club White’s.

Founded in 1693 by Italian immigrant Francesco Bianco, White’s initially operated as a hot chocolate vendor named Mrs. White’s Chocolate House. Hot chocolate was an extremely rare and expensive commodity at the time, and King Charles II saw these “chocolate houses” as centers of subversive behavior and opposition to the monarchy. Mrs. White’s Chocolate House soon converted into the upscale gentlemen’s club known simply as White’s.

In the late 18th century, White’s served as the unofficial headquarters of the Tory party, a conservative political organization that supported the monarchy and the Anglican Church. Brook’s Club, which acted as an unofficial meeting place for members of the opposing Whig party, was located just down the street on St. James. During the 19th century, members of White’s became well known for their extravagant bets on events such as raindrops falling on a windowpane and whether a man could live underwater for 12 hours. Members also placed a number of political bets during the Napoleonic wars and social bets on gentlemen’s fashions and impending marriages.

Today, White’s maintains its reputation for high stakes gambling and unconventional bets among members. At its core, White’s exists as a place for members to get together and socialize over parlor games such as cards and billiards.

To become a member of White’s, applicants must secure at least three sponsors to propose his membership. These sponsors must then write the applicant’s name in a book and obtain around 35 signatures from fellow members. Several notable Englishmen have retained membership at White’s, including Horatio Walpole, Edward VII, David Niven, and Prince Charles.

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U.S. Public Health Services Commissioned Corps (PHSCC)

by Dr. Jay Reibel

Early in my career, I served as a Commissioned Officer with the United States Public Health Services. Although it is less easily recognized than other branches of the United States uniformed services such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) is one of only two officer-only uniformed services, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps. PHSCC falls under the auspices of the Surgeon General, who leads the United States Department of Health and Human Services. PHSCC commissions more than 6,500 full-time health care providers, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, veterinarians, scientists, and mental health professionals. Officers in PHSCC help prevent and control disease, conduct research, improve mental health, identify public health hazards, and provide care to at-risk and underserved populations. Other duties include ensuring the safety of medical devices and the food supply, and coordinating with other agencies to improve global health. PHSCC officers are also deployed to provide medical response when it is needed, such as during terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Officers have provided care during Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the attack on the World Trade Center, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. In times of military conflict, Congress or the President can militarize PHSCC, as happened during World War II.