Commodore Steve Harris – April, 2017
In trying to decide what to write on this month, I went to my old standby… “what happened ‘x’ years ago?” Usually, looking at old issues of the Log gets me some ideas and off I go researching another tidbit of BLYC History. Well, April was a pretty busy month 50 years ago and BLYC then was a lot like BLYC today.
Clubhouse Gets an Aluminum Hull — It was announced in April, 1967 that the installation of the new aluminum siding on the Clubhouse was complete. I don’t believe that its been painted in the time it’s been up. I’d say it’s held up pretty well. A bit of trivia… why is there no aluminum siding on the front porch? It remains wood siding to this day.
New Cove Lighting — The Auxiliary announced that new cove lighting was being installed in the main lounge (fireplace room). Members Norm Yoerger and Paul Doritan were donating a great deal of their time to the install. I’ve written about Mr. Yoerger before. He was a well-known sign man in Columbus and made our BLYC neon sign on the front roof of the Clubhouse. Mr. Doritan’s son, Vic, and his wife Carol, are still members today. Speaking of the cove lighting, it’s seldom used anymore — it’s awfully expensive to run neon lights. How cool would it be to replace it with LED lighting — maybe those that can be programmed with different colors to match the event? There you go coming up with more projects again Harris!
Jim Dressel Appointed Fleet Captain — In an effort to strengthen our racing program at BLYC, Jim Dressel, one of the top Lightning sailors in the U.S. at the time, was appointed Fleet Captain and undertook an effort to better coordinate the racing schedules of the various fleets and the Masters Cup (Club Championship). The Masters Cup was won by Marty Headlee later that year. Marty is our most senior continuous member of BLYC, joining 60 years ago in 1957. Today, coming off two years with essentially no sailing at BLYC, Governor Don Dick and P/C Gayle Fisher-Mulvey are leading a similar effort to see how we can best serve our members and rebuild our sailing programs once again. Jim went on to serve as our Commodore 14 years later in 1981. He is our most senior living Commodore. Speaking of Commodores, are you planning to attend the Commodores Ball on April 9th? It is always a great night at the Club. Come out and recognize those who have led our Club in the past, enjoy a great meal, and dance the night away to the sounds of Dave Schubach and his “Little” Big Band.
Fire in the Clubhouse — Early in the morning of April 13, 1967, the club steward, Mr. Norman, discovered one of the couches in the fireplace room in full blaze. A carelessly discarded cigarette butt was thought to be the cause. Fortunately, it was quickly extinguished and damage was minimal. Following that incident, the Clubhouse was routinely locked at night.
Want to learn more about what happened 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10 years ago at BLYC? Another reason to come to the Commodores Ball! While certainly not the highlight of the evening, my annual history pamphlet will be on the tables.