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The
following President's Column was written by David
J. Kidd in 1983, when he was President of ACBS, and
published in a Rusty Rudder of that year. ACBS was
then eight years old and it seemed timely to document
and inform the membership about how the organization
came into being. The account was provided by the first
ACBS President, Ray Nelson, via a phone call to Dave
Kidd. Ray followed-up the phone conversation with
a detailed letter, confirming everything he had told
Dave earlier. Recently, after searching his files
for the column, Dave found himself disappointed for
not having given Ray full credit for supplying the
information.
Many thanks to Dave Kidd for resurrecting this bit
of history and offering it for publication in Brightwork.-Ed.
The
Authentic Account of the
Founding
of ACBS
Each
year, The Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. continues
to grow at a vigorous rate. At the January 29, 1983
meeting of the Board of Directors, four new chapters
were accepted. We welcomed Barnegat Bay, Lake Wawasee
(Indiana), Mississippi Valley and Texas. It has been
almost nine years since the founding of ACBS. It seems
to me that this would be an appropriate time to review
the past.
The
Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. was inaugurated
January 25, 1975 with the election of officers and
publication of the Constitution and By-Laws. Worldwide
interest in antique boating was increasing comparatively
fast, but without communication. Further growth could
have been disjointed, or cohesion could result from
some form of organization.
In addition to the sharing of ideas and the human
desire to know what others are doing, there was realistic
need for establishing some standards in a hobby that
came of age competitively. At the First Lake George
Antique and Classic Boat Rendezvous on August 24-25,
1974, the first positive step was taken. At the picnic
on Canoe Island in Lake George, Ray Nelson initiated
a discussion on the feasibility of forming an organization
of people interested in antique boats. From the nine
people in attendance, eight became Founders.
In spite of some question as to whether or not there
was a need for such an organization, it was decided
to proceed, and a meeting was scheduled for November
2, 1974, at Lake George. Thirty persons representing
six states attended the meeting and 49 others indicated
interest but were unable to attend. During five hours
of exchanging ideas, the meeting produced positive
results, and a second meeting was scheduled for November
23, 1974, at Glen Falls, NY. At this meeting the name
of The Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. was
adopted by a majority vote, and a temporary Board
of Directors was appointed to act as a nominating
committee to establish a slate of officers and the
required standing committees.
A
nominating meeting was held on December 7, 1974, at
Cleverdale, NY, and the nominating committee passed
a resolution to supply all eligible voters with a
proxy form instructing the Secretary to cast one ballot
for the slate of officers and directors nominated.
Proxy votes had to be accompanied with a membership
application and payment of dues postmarked no later
than 12:00 midnight, January 25, 1975. All proxies
were positive. Therefore, January 25, 1975 was established
as the inauguration date of the Society.
The
purpose of ACBS is to provide a means through which
individuals sharing a common interest in antique and
classic boating can meet and exchange ideas relative
to the development, preservation, publication and
technical interchange of historical and other information.
Founders
of The Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. were
Joseph W. Fleming, Jr., Edward A Larter, Ray Nelson,
Anthony O'Boyle, G. Mason Saunders, Munro Sherrill,
William C. Smith and John R. Summers.
The first officers elected were Ray Nelson, President;
H. Drayton Mook and William C. Smith, Vice Presidents;
Joseph Fleming, Jr., Secretary; and Jack Binley, Treasurer.
David J. Kidd, President, ACBS
In
the next issue of Brightwork, look for the story of
the formation of the Finger Lakes Chapter as compiled
by two who were there at the time. And then, just
before the Chapter's 30th Anniversary Boat Show, the
June 2008 issue will carry the story of how the first
FLC Boat Show came into being. -Ed.
Brightwork Wins
Best Newsletter Award
At the ACBS Annual Meeting at Lake George in September,
Brightwork was awarded Best Chapter Newsletter for
2007. Seven newsletters were considered for the honor
and two, The Tidewater Chapter News and The Nautical
Mile from the Philadelphia Chapter, tied for Runner-Up
Awards. Chapter News Magazines compete in a separate
category.
At
the Chapter Roundtable Meeting scheduled just before
the ACBS Board of Directors Summer Meeting on June
27, 2008, the primary topic of discussion will be
how to increase interest in producing high-quality
newsletters among the ACBS chapters. Your editor plans
to participate.
Many
thanks to everyone who contributed articles, or material
for articles, in the four issues of Brightwork that
were evaluated for the 2007 award. -Ed
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