Commodore
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
Commodore’s Corner 7/8/13 By Rich Kelley
Well, we survived another amazing 4th of July at The Leesburg Boat Club, thanks to all of our supportive members who stepped up to make it happen! Mandie Schick took the lead on the event and orchestrated a great party that sold out several days before hand! Look for pictures on the website, but suffice to say everyone who braved the crazy weather enjoyed amazing food, great music by T Scott Walker and an outstanding fireworks display sponsored by The Phillips Family of Automobiles.
We had lots of helping hands to make it happen including of course Martin and Dianne Boyd, David and Cherie Knowles, Tom and Donna Comis, Fred and Karen O’Brien, Steve and Elizabeth Knowles, Lolita and Jack Sergio who all helped decorate and clean up after the event. Just like a Thirsty Thursday or Chillin’ and Grillin’ lots of people brought amazing appetizers and desserts which made the meal even more special!
The 4th of July is easily our most popular event of the year, and it couldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our barge builders! The SS Firecracker worked beautifully, and Martin Boyd and his band of hard workers including Fred O’Brien, Doug Wade, Bert Boliek, Johnny Beatty, Clell Coleman, George Morrison, Lee Tatro, Billy Polk, David Knowles, Tom Jones, Larry Boyce, and the amazing team from ESI built the barge from which the fireworks display was launched. Without their hard work and dedication the event may not have even happened, so a special thank you to all the people that had a hand in constructing the SS Firecracker…which by the way will be stored at The Boat Club for our use throughout the year!
Our Member Appreciation Dinner was well attended last night, and a special thank you to Dianne and Karen for putting out a beautiful spread! This has become an annual event, a thank you to all the members for their support throughout the year. Bar-b-que from Oakwood always gets better the second day, and there were lots of amazing deserts for everyone to enjoy.
Fred O’Brien is already hard at work planning future Boat Trips, including the always popular Hiram’s at Sebastian FL trip in September of this year. He and Karen took one for the team and took a trip down to Westgate River Ranch as a possible fall trip. Keep an eye out for details, but it looks like this could be a great trip with activities that include skeet shooting, golf and horseback riding!
Please keep in mind that this is YOUR club, and if you have suggestions or you want to get involved and help out with events or some of the day to day activities at The Club simply reach out to one of the board members. We welcome any and all suggestions and offers to help out, so please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have ideas for events or if you want to help out.
Have a safe and happy summer, and we will see you on the water!
Rich Kelley
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August 9, 2012
Commodore’s Corner By Rich Kelley
It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close, it seems like school starts earlier every year!
The Boat Club has been a hub of activity this summer, no event more well attended than the 4th of July Celebration! Special thanks to Mandie Schick and her hard working committee who planned, decorated and pulled off one of the best parties we have ever had!
We also had our first Steak on the Lake, and over sixty people had the most impressive steaks ever served at The Boat Club, along with The Dock Master’s special grilled shrimp! Thank you to the Herlong’s and the Boyd’s for hosting such a successful event, can’t wait until the next one!
Rear Commodore Fred O’Brien has some outstanding boating activities planned including our return trip to St. Pete Beach. Sixty people went last year, and everyone enjoyed the trip so much Fred had no choice but to book it again for September. Make your reservations now if you are interested in going.
Several members requested a Cigar Night at the Tiki Bar, and Wednesday nights at 5:30 seem to be the best night for that activity. This is an unstructured event, and our plan is to do it every Wednesday barring scheduling conflicts like The Quarterback
Club meetings, so check the schedule on Karen’s monthly newsletter. Bring a couple of cigars and come relax by
the lake with your favorite beverage! Our intention is to have representatives from Garvino’s come speak to us
on occasion to make Cigar Night an educational night as well!
Karen O’Brien is already working on The Boat Club’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in October, and her committee is planning a terrific celebration. Please contact Karen if you want to help out, or if you have any ideas about how to make the celebration
even more special.
Our illustrious Dock Master has a new plan in the works for the west side of the Boat Club property.
With the approval of the board Martin is already getting plans together for a very impressive enclosed deck area that would expand our outside entertaining area substantially. It would make the Boat Club and even more desirable rental facility and enhance our lakefront presence even more for our members. With kayak and canoe storage underneath, it will be a multi-functional structure, and we are very excited about that future project.
In the meantime we are having the roof replaced and getting bids on updating the air conditioning system in the clubhouse. These are the two most important short term goals that the board has recognized as crucial to the future success of the
club. Please be patient with the mess that these two projects may cause!
As always I wanted to remind everyone that this is your club, and any suggestions you might have for improving the overall experience for our membership are welcome. Your board is committed to making the Leesburg Boat Club the most enjoyable place on the water, and being good stewards of your dues. I have included a list of Board Members and their phone numbers if you want to get involved on a committee or if you have any suggestions for the betterment of the club. For example, we are always
looking for people to open and close the Tiki Bar on Thursday and Sunday evenings. There is a sign-up sheet available,
so if you’re interested it would be a great help so that a board member doesn’t have to do it every time. Bert and Jen
Boliek have been stepping up recently, and we are looking for others as well…
Please watch for the emailed newsletters to keep up with all of the activities that are planned for the upcoming events, and let’s all work together to make the boat club the best place in Leesburg!
Safe Boating, Rich Kelley
CONTACT NUMBERS:
Rich Kelley Commodore 267-5008
Fred O’Brien Rear Commodore 250-3814
Pete Marzek Vice Commodore 360-3457
Steve Knowles Treasurer 504-8921
Dianne Boyd Recording Secretary 350-4553
Karen O’Brien Corresponding Secretary 326-8274
Jack Sergio Director of Maintenance 407-340-9754
Mandie Schick Director of Events – adults 267-7854
Kim Paulling Director of Events – kids 267-0699
Bill Wonus Director of Budget / Audit 636-6309
Donna Comis Director 360-1260
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Commodore’s Corner
By Rich Kelley
As we flip our calendars over to March we start to realize that the warmer weather is coming and the busy time for The Leesburg Boating Club is at hand. Lots of activities are planned, and the always popular Thirsty Thursday’s and Chillin and Grillin’s on Sunday will be kicking into high gear for sure! These are our two most popular evenings at The Tiki Bar, and please come join us for casual fun and good food on those two nights. I have heard both events described as a combination of tailgating and a supper club, and no one walks away hungry!
The Board had decided to try and organize some nice dinners or “Date Nights” once a month to see if that is something our members would enjoy. Rob and Karen English offered to host the first event last Friday night, and they called it a Sweetheart Dinner. Thanks to all of their efforts the event was a huge success, with Red Wing Restaurant from Groveland providing the catering and Michael Perry setting a romantic mood by playing his acoustic guitar. Close to fifty people enjoyed the evening and everyone asked us to please do it again, so watch your newsletters for the next Date Night. The Board wishes to sincerely thank Rob and Karen for all of their hard work involved in pulling together such a spectacular first event and setting the bar very high for future Date Nights!
Jim and Barbara Logan opened their beautiful Homosassa home to us for a Cruise-in on February 11th and lots of folks braved the cold weather to enjoy a picnic lunch, and lots of fun on the river. What a great example of our members stepping up and offering to get involved with our events! Even if you weren’t able to attend, please make a point of thanking the Logan’s for their hospitality.
Our Installation Banquet is scheduled for April 1st, and it’s always an exciting event at The Boat Club where we celebrate our past successes and provide information about the coming year. Dinner will be catered by Simply Catered, the same folks that “saved the day” on New Years Eve for us, and you can call Dianne Boyd at 787-8916 for additional information or to purchase your tickets.
Our Rear Commodore Fred O’Brien has lots of boating activities scheduled including a spring trip to Sebastian Inlet and summer trip to St. Petersburg. Our ever-popular Cruise-in’s will be gearing up again, with the next one being on March 18th at O’Keefe’s in Tavares and a Silver Springs trip in April. Fred and Karen are great about planning and communicating these activities for the club so check your emails, the Leesburg Boat Club website and Facebook for a detailed schedule of all of the great activities they have planned for us!
There are also lots of fun activities for the kids this spring and summer. Kim Paulling has some terrific “Deckhand” Events planned, most of them coordinated with our Chillin and Grillin Sundays. Keep an eye on Facebook for the kid’s events, Kim always goes above and beyond to make these events memorable for the kids as well as the parents and grandparents!
Make your plans now to be at The Boat Club for the July 4th celebration. There is not a better place in Lake County to enjoy the fireworks, and this year will be the best yet. Plans are underway now that include a barbecue dinner and entertainment at the club. This is the most popular event at the club, and we are excited about making it even better this year!
The Leesburg Boating Club will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary this October, and plans are just beginning. We would love lots of member participation in the planning and execution of this first class event. Please call Karen O’Brien, Dianne Boyd or Mandie Schick if you would like to help!
As always please call any of the board members with suggestions that can make our club even better. This is YOUR club, and the board depends on your input when we plan these events and activities. If there is something you would like to see happen at the club, or better yet if you want to volunteer to help out feel free to contact us!
Looking forward to another great spring and summer at The Leesburg Boat Club…
Safe boating,
Rich Kelley