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Commodore – Tom Grizzard

LEESBURG BOAT CLUB

FIRESIDE CHAT

January 19, 2020

Fortunately, we have several new members that have joined since our last Fireside Chat and while this history of our club may be a little redundant to our older members, this brief history is for the benefit of our newer members. The club was organized March 23, 1947, with Brunson Gibson as the first Commodore. Back then only males were eligible for membership and dues were $5 per year. The City gave permission to use one of the two pavilions that extended out over the water in the basis and improvements were made by the then 35 members. In May 1947, the Certificate of Incorporation was issued and in September that year bonds were issued and the money raised was used to build the club house on the east pavilion. Recently, I came across a video promoting “Leesburg – Where the Big Bass Bite!” and there are numerous segments showing that early clubhouse and the many activities there were held on the white sand beach here.

Early on the club participated in on going “interclub cruises with other boating clubs around the state, including the Jacksonville Boating Club. They visited our club in March 1950 with 50 boats and 115 people the stayed at both the Leesburg Boat Club and the Leesburg Yacht Club on Lake Griffin. The Facebook clip I just mentioned shows a lot of that activity. The visitors camped out in their boats or tents on the shore and filled the motels that weekend.

On July 16, 1962, a long term lease was signed by the City that enabled the club to again issue bonds to build a new clubhouse and in October that year our new club house was completed. In 1964 the First Mates Auxiliary was formed with Millie Dunk as their first President. In 1969, women were finally allowed to become full members so in 1969, First Mates was disbanded and Millie Dunk because the first and only woman Commodore of the club in 1983.

The stated Purposes of the Club are:

1 To Serve the interest of boat owners;

2 To prevent the pollution of the waters;

3 To Stimulate interest in boating;

4 To develop a fraternal spirit among outdoor enthusiasts;

5 To initiate and assist local organizations in civic undertakings;

6 To add to the material and social welfare of the City of Leesburg.

I think we continue to live up to these purposes and ideals.

Over the years, as the club members became older, the boating activities began to dwindle and the monthly meeting became a time for cards and business meetings, although there was not much business to meet about. Mark Medley had been Commodore for several years and he and Jane wanted to step down. In September 2010, a younger slate of officers and directors were elected and Mike Wedge became Commodore when former Commodore Heinz Bower quit the club. There were still only about 35 members at that time and Rich Kelley was elected Commodore when Mike Wedge resigned. Our membership has grown over time to 347 members at this time. The board of Directors has set the limit of members to 350, and there is now a waiting list of prospective members. This increase in membership was greatly stimulated by the efforts of Fred O’Brien and Martin Boyd. I call Fred the “Spark Plug” and Martin the “Carburetor” that keeps our engine running! Tom Jones and Jim Raymond are the mechanics that keep our plant running. We are surely fulfilling several of our purposes, in becoming a social club with a boating problem, or is it a boating club with a social problem?

We are a “not for Profit” club, meaning that all the money we collect in dues and other fund raising activities are plowed back into the club. None of our directors or officers receive any pay for their time and efforts, and they give of their time willingly and mostly cheerfully. Some of the improvements we have made this year are:

1 We have painted the white metal roof, added blue Bahama Shutters, and built a larger equipment room on the West side of the building.

2 We were challenged by the new construction of the Venetian Gardens project and we have a new concrete walk from the boat ramp area to our front door, and we have installed pavers to connect with our existing entrances. Now that the Venetian Center is complete, we enjoy parking right at our front door.

3 We have on hand guttering for our buildings and some have already been installed.

4 We are anxiously waiting for the final permits so we can begin the removal of our existing docks and the building of our planned Tiki Dock over the water, and the new floating docks the city is going to be building along our waterfront, giving us considerably more slips and access to our building with a key pad operated gate for our security.

We have several “Date Night” Activities during the year, (Just check the monthly activities calendar) including a Steak Night Hosted by Jen Herlong and Martin Boyd, a Fish Fry, hosted by Tom Grizzard, Bill Brooker, Jen Herlong, and Martin Boyd, Italian Night hosted by the Culbersons and their Italian friends, and the New Years Eve Party sponsored by our club.

Thanks to Fred O’Brien, we have numerous boating activities and cruises during the year. Most notable is the cruise to St. Augustine and the long weekend at Casey Key. More local activities include “cruise ins” for lunch to places like Hurricanes, Crazy Gators, Boondocks, and other places around our lakes. Our Deck Hands are host for our annual Veterans Day Celebration. And again thanks to our Spark Plug, Fred O’Brien, he organizes and directs our annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade that is enjoyed by all, especially the chili supper organized by Bonnie Binneveld. We participate in the Toys for Tots program and Cudos to Harry and Sue Hackney organizing lunch for the weigh in. This year we won first place for the most pounds of toys collected.

We will be hosting a Super Bowl Party showing the first half of the game on our big screen in the Tiki courtyard, weather permitting on February 2, with kickoff at 6:30.

Please remember and adhere to our new liquor policy… “you can bring it, but you have to leave it.” Or tell Jen what you want and he will get it for you… and just remember the contribution box.

As is said earlier, all of activities are sponsored or organized by our members on a voluntary basis and we are looking for a few good men or women to step forward and become more active in the planning activities and improvements and would like to have volunteers to serve on the Advisory Committee, headed up by Tim Sullivan… please see him after the meeting.

Finally I would like to introduce our current Board of Directors

Vice Commodore Jen Herlong

Rear Commodore Fred O’Brien

Treasurer Mike Cook

Recording Secretary Diane Boyd

Corresponding Secretary Karen O’Brien

Director of Maintenance Tom Jones

Dockmaster and Special Projects Martin Boyd

Director of Events (Adult) Linda Grizzard and Edie

Directors of Events (Children) Jenn Boliek, Kim Pauling

Anybody have any questions? Thank you and I look forward to your continued support and participation.

Commodore’s Corner 4/14/14
By Rich Kelley

It is a bittersweet ending to an amazing three years for me as your Commodore, and I can’t thank our hardworking board of directors and our remarkable membership enough for all of their continued support. What started as an idea to resurrect The Boat Club and make it a place that we would like to hang out turned into a success story the likes of which have not been seen in Leesburg, at least in recent years. Our membership swelled from 35 just three short years ago to over 350, which told us we were doing something right!

I am very proud of the job that these directors did create a relaxed, fun filled environment for our membership, never losing sight of the trust and faith that they placed in us. It’s a difficult job sometimes to foster a loose, unpretentious club and still adhere to the rules and bylaws set in place by generations before us. Somehow we managed to lighten-up the stringent feeling of the past and turned it into a comfortable refuge for our membership, someplace to really relax. We managed to do all that while remaining fiscally responsible and remembering it was your dues that make it all work. Steve Knowles did an amazing job as your Treasurer during that transition which makes him the perfect Commodore going forward!

None of our success would have happened without the combined teamwork that your board of directors brought forth. I have served on several boards in the past, but I have never been a part of such a dedicated group of people. Each board member possessed a skill or talent that when combined brought the club back from near extinction, and they all sacrificed their time, personal finances and individual business services to rebuild the club into what it is today. That hard work and enthusiasm was infectious and spread through the community drawing new members to our club. To be part of that growth is something I will never forget, and something your new board of directors still remembers and can build upon in the future.

We have enjoyed a close working relationship with The City of Leesburg and The Downtown Partnership, and I am confident that those close ties will continue in the future. The Boat Club will surely take an active role as Leesburg strives to reinvent itself, offering guidance, volunteers and support as needed.

The Leesburg Boat Club will continue to evolve and become an even better place to gather, and your input and suggestions are vital to that process. As I write this there are exciting changes happening to the Tiki Bar, making it even more comfortable for our Thirsty Thursday’s, Chill N’ Grill Sundays and outside events. Together we can continue to make The Boat Club a place that we can all be proud to call our own.

Sincerely,
Rich Kelley
Past Commodore

The Leesburg Boating Club, Inc. was organized on March 21, 1947 with Brunson Gibson as its first Commodore. Meetings were held on the first and third Fridays of each month and dues were $5.00 per year. Males only were eligible for membership. The Coast Guard helped with stating Pilot Rules and stressing safety. The club met a various places during organization: M.W. Nelson’s Johnson outboard business, Commissioner’s Room at City Hall and the caretaker’s building at Venetian Gardens.

There were two platform shelters on the water near Venetian Gardens beach and the club obtained permission from the city to use the east shelter. They repaired it by replacing planks, etc. On May 2, 1947, the first club picnic was held and on June 13 a float was entered in the Watermelon Festival parade. There were 36 members at this time.

An Incorporation Certificate dated May 16, 1947, was approved in Tavares Circuit Court on June 2, 1947. Bonds were issued in September, 1947, to build a clubhouse which was an extension of the east pavilion which extended out over the water on pilings. On March 1, 1949, $600 was used to remodel the pavilion with a snack bar in the east front window from which to serve snacks, cold drinks, candy, etc. to the public. Half of the profits went to the club and half was used for projects for the less fortunate in the area such as milk for the Leesburg schools, Pop Henry, who had a radio repair shop in Leesburg, handled the sales until his death. The club participated in marathon races throughout Central Florida, on being from Pelican Harbor to Palm Beach. Bingo equipment for club used was purchased in 1950.

Members decided in the early part of the organizational period to invite other clubs for a weekend outing. On June 10-11, 1950, 50 boats and 115 people arrived from Jacksonville by boat. A dinner, followed by a dance, and breakfast were served to them by our club members and wives. Among those helping were Police Chief Bill Fisher and Fire Chief Bunny Stevens.

Beginning in October, 1950, the club was open to all members and guests every Saturday for card parties. Later, a P.A. system was purchased to use with the boat races being held in the Venetian Gardens Basin. As the months and years passed, the boat docks and a launching ramp adjacent to the clubhouse were built with the help of the city.

The club began to grow and plans developed to negotiate with the city to construct a new clubhouse. During this time and for many years thereafter there were excellent working conditions with the city. Many city department heads, commissioners, city managers and the Chamber of Commerce were working diligently with LBC. On July 7, 1953, a $2200 loan was obtained to building boathouses and on October 7, 1953, two members, Marshal Wilson and M.W. Nelson, each put up money to erect or to help in the construction of boat stalls for rental. On April 29, 1955, approval was given to construct a new boat ramp near Pat Thomas Field and lights were erected near the ramp in November, 1955.

The years following showed more progress in the club’s good work. LBC was instrumental in having ramps built on the other side of the basin, at Singletary Park on Lake Harris on Route 27 and on Lake Griffin. The club spearheaded the placement of signs on the Harris Chain of Lakes marking the locations of canals connecting the lakes and the Oklawaha River. Signs also showed danger area such as stumps and old docks. It was a continuous struggle to keep the Oklawaha River open for boat travel. Contact was maintained with the U.S. Army District Corps of Engineers to clear away fallen trees resulting from heavy thunderstorms. It still is a good idea, if you travel north on this river, to cruise in company with another boater and carry tools to clear the waterway.

In the latter part of the 50’s, plans were made to build a new clubhouse. Dick Bair, a local businessman and Commodore at this time, worked many hours, along with other club members, to negotiate with the city for a long-term lease for the clubhouse. Bonds were issued and a lease was signed by the city on July 16, 1962. Construction of the existing clubhouse was completed in October, 1962. Open House was held, many residents toured the new facility and new members were recruited. A film was made by the Chamber of Commerce showing the potential grown of Leesburg and its present facilities. The club was included in the film and the clubhouse construction was shown.

Many boating clubs have been inspired by the Leesburg Boating Club’s facilities. As many as 150 people have been entertained at one time at the clubhouse, spilling out onto the porch and grounds area. Once a year for many years, the Jacksonville Outboard Club, Triangle Boat Club, Orange Boating Club, Tohopekaliga Boating Club, Daytona Beach Club and others have made weekend cruises to Leesburg, filling motels and restaurants. LBC would return these visits. The Chamber of Commerce and city officials helped in this endeavor. Marine dealers and people in the citrus industry were also involved. Orange crates were dropped off on the grounds and a local funeral director put up a canopy under which to cook sweet corn. Boats lined the entire shoreline from the beach and up to the canal adjacent to the club. Refreshments were served when the clubs arrived and a car pool furnished transportation for the boaters to and from the motels and restaurants. Dinner and dancing to live mus ic were enjoyed in the evening. Breakfast was served prior to departure time.

The wives of the club members organized the First Mates in 1964. Millie Dunk was their first president. They met at the club and worked on projects to raise money to purchase items to be used within the club. One of their first projects was to purchase drapes. Finally, on February 21, 1969, the women were voted in as club members and the First Mates disbanded on April 24, 1969. Millie Dunk became the first and to date, the only woman Commodore of the club in 1983.

The club has always tried to cooperate in many ways with the city ventures. LBC cooks and serves breakfasts during the Fun and Art Festival. It provided the city with a place to hold civic meetings and lunches during renovation of the Community Center. Many city departments have held meetings, barbeques and Christmas parties for a number of years without any rental costs to those groups. The club has participated in donations for Community Center renovation, to help to bring baseball to Leesburg, parades and other activities. It maintains boat stalls for public use. The Coast Guard Auxiliary holds boat safety courses twice a year at the club. The Leesburg Boating Club, Inc. holds business meetings on the first Friday of each month, cruises at least once a month, dinners on the third Friday and dances on the second and fourth Fridays. There are more than 200 members and the present Commodore is Al Bielak.

Among the many purposes of the Leesburg Boating Club, Inc. are:

1. To serve the interests of boat owners;

2. To prevent the pollution of waters;

3. To stimulate interest in boating;

4. To develop a fraternal spirit among outdoor enthusiasts;

5. To initiate and assist local organizations in civic undertaking;

6. To add to the material and social welfare of the City of Leesburg, FL

This material was compiled by Bill Dunk, Past Commodore and Life Member with the help of file information and club members Caroline Peterson, Al Bielak and others.

Roger Allen

March, 1987

Title: Thirsty Thursday
Location: LBC Tiki Hut
Description: bring an appetizer to share if you wish and meet us down at the Tiki
Start Time: 05:30
Date: 2011-08-11