Mountaineer Power Squadron's 1998 Bridge - Treasurer Tom Keech, Secretary John Cox, Administrative Officer Jack Stemple, Education Officer Alan H. Smith, Executive Officer Tim Smola, Commander Tom. Martin, with D/A/O Don Stark, installing officer. (photo by C. Keech)
The annual Mountaineer Power Squadron Change of Watch was held on 21 February 1998, at the Holiday Inn in Fairmont. P/C Paul Burnell, P, served as Master of Ceremonies, and did his usual excellent job.
The Pledge of Allegiance was lead by Lt. Jean Leeper, and P/C Richard Rice gave an invocation. Lt./C Alan Smith, JN, presented the George Jones Memorial Award for educational service to P/C Richard Rice, AP.
The first Bill Kelly Award for
sustained service was presented to P/R/C Charlotte Silbaugh, N by Cdr.
Shirley Hess, AP.
P/Lt/C Cathleen Hedgecough, S presented the Bent Prop Award to Lt/C Jack Stemple, AP, after awarding an Honorable Mention to Lloyd Keller,.
New members, Karen Keller and Bill King took the oath of membership. D/Lt/C Donald R. Stark, JN of South Hills Power Squadron, administered the oath of office to the new Bridge.
Entertainment was provided by the Mountain State Drifters, an area country line and couples dance club based in Morgantown.
Jack Stemple faces the camera, after
being cited by Cathleen Hedgecough.
I just want you to know that I am overwhelmed at the lengths some people will go to just to make certain they will win this award. It is truly amazing. Would you scrub your boat clean inside and out after the boating season was over? Sure you would. Would you neatly store all of the lines, bumpers, life jackets and miscellaneous equipment in readiness for next year? Probably so. Would you put some stabilizer in the gas tank so it wouldn't turn to varnish and clog your carburetor, fog your engine and drain the engine of all water? Of course.
This year's recipient did all that and more. After he drained the lines, he refilled them with water and left the boat stored out side at Lake Erie for the winter. Wasn't West Virginia going to get cold enough? Did you really leave it 300 miles north just to make sure? Just so you'll know he has completed the engine maintenance course since then.
At this point, you'd think he was assured of winning, but there's more. While his boat was being repaired, he borrowed his friend's boat and customized the lower unit. Yes, Ray Scufilla's lower unit now has tattoos from where it was welded back together.
A certificate of Honorable Mention went to Lloyd Keller. While boating on Cheat Lake last summer, Lloyd made an amazing discovery. He, his wife, Karen, and another couple had meandered up into some very shallow water and ever mindful as a good skipper is, Lloyd lifted the prop. However he wasn't quiet as mindful on their way home and he lowered the prop just a little too soon. Suddenly the boat was heaving over the top of a very large rock. The prop tapped danced all over the top of that rock before Lloyd could stop it. The good skipper had to assess the damages. He lowered himself into the water and inspected the bludgeoned blades, each of which now had a most unusual cupping design. He returned to the helm, not expecting to be able to reach the docks in this state and was delighted when he discovered his disfigured craft had never run better. So Lloyd Keller has stumped the engineering community with his latest discovery. Perhaps there is a patent with his name on it somewhere at the bottom of Cheat Lake under a rock.
Remember, folks, this is an annual award. Keep a careful watch on your freinds this year, and send me your nominations for 1998.
P/Lt/C Cathleen Hedgecough, S
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Joe did
it again! P/C Joe Silbaugh, N got The Mountaineer its third
EIJ Award in three years.
Cdr Thomas Martin, AP
Tom Martin taking the oath of office
at our recent Change of Watch. (photo by J. Leeper)
The Commander's message is short and simple this month: When you see a new member at a Squadron even, or one who is new to you, go over and introduce yourself.
No, it's not a new message. Yes, you've read it in The EnsignŽ and I said it at Change of Watch, but it is vital to our operations.
Members join Mountaineer Power Squadron for two things, education and friendship. Friendships start with meeting.
The Glass Duck (photo by T. Martin)
Tom Martin's Glass Duck becomes our flagship for 1998. Tom says "My boat is a 1987 27' Century Meridian cabin cruiser, with twin four cylinder Mercruiser engines. A full cabin, with galley. head and aft cabin will sleep six. All fiberglass construction trimmed with solid teak swim platform, ladder, and anchor pulpit.
We dock at Edgewater Marina, on Cheat Lake during the summer months. We have trailered to Florida, Chesapeake Bay, and Lake Erie. Two years ago we went down the Mon River to Sandcastle, at Pittsburgh."
Lt/C Alan Smith, JN
"We had a student at Bridgeport, but he got away," is the way Alan started his report at the Bridge meeting, "we had him outnumbered four to one." Despite the efforts made at "Hooked on Fishing" only one student showed up for the first class. The offering will be rescheduled in Bridgeport if additional students can be recruited. If not, he will join our Fairmont Boat Smart class.
Our Morgantown class is scheduled for a start 16 March at Westover United Methodist Church, led by Ray and Susan Derk.
The Fairmont class is to start at 1900 on 16 April at the YWCA on Pleasant Valley Road.
Three classes for members are scheduled to start in April. Seamanship will be led by Ray Derk. Piloting will be led by Jeff Stalnaker. Cruise Planning will be taught by P/R/C Charlotte Silbaugh, N,
Have you looked under the canvas covering your boat since New Year's Day? It's a good idea to monitor things to make sure that small critters or moisture are not doing damage.
While you are looking, it may be a good time to check your fire extinguishers and any Visual Distress Signals left on board.
You might also want to charge any batteries now, no matter where you left them.
This is also a good time to check safety gear since you are probably leafing through the new boating mail order catalogs and checking out the new displays of boating goods in the discount stores.. If you wait until Memorial Day to replace out of date items, they may be out of stock.
D7 Administrative Officer Donald Stark,
JN served as our installing officer at Change of Watch. Don is known nationally
as N3HOW, Supervisor of the USPS Amateur Radio Net. His wife Marjorie, S,
(N3HOZ) accompanied him on this mission. They are members of South Hills Power
Squadron.
Bill King and Karen Keller took the
membership pledge at our recent Change of Watch. D7 AdmO Don Stark leads in the
words while P/C Paul Burnell looks on.
All the dresses are so pretty,
And there 're uniforms galore,
The atmosphere is party filled,
And there's a small talk uproar.
There are name tags at the tables,
Mixing new and old liked friends.
Jean leads the pledge of allegiance,
Dick, to the Lord his words sends.
The served food is very yummy.
Sometimes we all talk too much,
When we hear two different stories,
Not keeping them straight as such.
We have some dance entertainment,
Red blouses and black short skirts,
All in well rehearsed line dancing,
Back and forth in pretty spurts.
Paul did a good job M.C.ing,
Introducing all our guests,
Pleased that others came to join us,
Just a blessing of the best.
Then awards came fast and furious
Funny and solemn ones too.
Then welcoming some new members,
You know, we're now quite a few.
Then came the Changing of the Watch
Last year's bridge is now dispersed,
Then installing a new commander,
That naturally comes first.
Then introducing the new bridge
Shirley does a bang up job,
Don, representing the district,
Installing gives a heartthrob!
It's been a great Change Of The Watch,
We're all pleased to've been there;
So lets have a busy great year,
Commander Tom will with us share.
-- Melba Dungey
The January issue of BOAT/U.S.
Magazine announced that P/C Ed Rearick was the winner of a 1998 Buick in their
Regatta Contest. Ed was not only a Commander of Morgantown Power Squadron in
1980, but also served as Commander of two others. He claims he holds the
national record for most Squadrons commandered. He now lives in Marlton,
NJ.