This year we celebrated twenty-five years of SSSS, even though we did not know our founding date. Thanks to the Egges, I now have a better idea as to when that was. Eric brought us a copy of the first SSSS mailing, that his father had saved. We learn a lot reading it.
“Hello Sailors - This first mailing ... will go to all known sailors in the area. ... All subsequent mailings will go only to those who have paid their five dollars ... 19 have now done so!!!”There is a Report of Last Membership Meeting (the last, not the first) February 4, 1971, at the Jacaranda [now Genoas]. Howard Bullpitt Chaired the meeting. Officers were elected: Bill Oliver Secretary, Jack Cameron Treasurer, and Dick Moe ‘Skipper’ — purposely not Commodore. The Bylaws, including dues, were adopted as amended, after two hours of discussion. A (race) schedule was planned (or formally adopted?). “Remember - Regular race days are the first Saturday of the month, the Sunday following the third Saturday, and the fifth Saturday if there is one.” OYC was going to run five other races.
“Interest in the Toliva Shoal Race was high.” Howard Bullpitt agreed to organize the race and a week later got together with the new officers to plan “Our longest race to date.” (It was a Club race then, we started inviting boats to come south later. It still is our longest race.)
A roster was being compiled. There was a Burgee Design Contest. Bill Oliver organized both.
This sure looks like the ‘beginning of SSSS’. We have not quite made it back as far as the meeting where the piano had to be moved to keep the floor in place. Presumably that is where the committee that wrote the Bylaws came from (?). And I know that the founders were meeting on the water to race before they held any organizational meetings.
“RACE NEWS - The officers agree that the present racing system, including distribution of results, was working to everyones’ satisfaction. Those who wish to receive race results should send stamped self-addressed envelopes to Howard Bullpitt ...” So they must have been racing in 1970. How long this had been going on I do not know. We have not found the beginning of boat racing on Budd.
Still I think we have found the founding of SSSS. I do not know whether to date SSSS from the first Meeting, the first dues paid, the first Officers (is a member of an organizing committee an Officer?), or ... However all of these point to early 1971: if we call it New Years Day ‘71 we are within a month of all. That would mean SSSS survived twenty-five years as of 1/1/96; we are now in our twenty-sixth year.
So it is probably time to retire the 25 year bug — the anniversary has been duly celebrated. The S-t-S is still interested in our past. We will publish SSSS history, both old and current. Your remembrances and old documents are still appreciated. We would like to hear from you.
At the start of the new century, 1/1/01, SSSS will start its thirty-first year. 1/1/21 SSSS will have existed fifty years — if, we do as well by the Society as was done for us.