Boating: Christmas giving and getting has lost it’s luster!
The Christmas season has lost a lot of it’s luster; partly because of the economy and partly due to a disconnect with the season itself. Not so many years ago when the “Dead End Canal Yacht Club” was small we’d buy every member an individual present. The last few years we’ve gone to a gift exchange where each member draws one name to buy a present.
We rolled all the names in a big barrel and the chosen members name was supposed to be kept secret. There was a minor mix up during the drawing. Somehow my mail list program printed one name over and over instead of every name of every member. It was quickly and easily corrected yet some of the most cynical members accused me of printing my name on all the slips.
We are victims of our own success and the decision to allow off-canal boaters to join our humble association. “We’ve become like Notre Dame with their ‘Subway Alumni,'” argued Most Exalted, High Muckie Muck, Commodore ‘Boston Bob’ just before this years drawing.
“Oh can it, Bob! Don’t bring up that Arian nation, purity of the club BS again. The club has benefited greatly from the inclusion of off-canal members,” said ‘Professor Frank’.
“The boats joining our cruising rendezvous have double,” argued Pensacola Jim, “and the Subway Alumni, as you call them, have brought some real class to our trips.”
“I am speechless,” shouted Detroit Bob who clearly wasn’t, “we have never endorsed one college over another and yet ‘Boston Bob’ now invokes the name which I truly detest.”
“Don’t take it persona! We had to keep the club alive. Just look at the empty docks on the canal?” I was confused about the reason for the re-hashing of this question until I rewound the instant re-play video and remembered that we had just upped the amount that could be spent on the gifts.
The vote had been taken while Most Exalted, High Muckie Muck, Commodore ‘Boston Bob’ was taking a comfort break. Immediately after returning he started back with the purity issue. He was loudly shouted down and the subject was dropped.
Anyway back to the gift exchange. The assembled group liked the idea of spending forty dollars because that opened up a whole other group of gifts. Last years twenty five dollar limit narrowed the gift possibilities and I was roundly criticized for spending a little more. But that’s the kind of guy I am!
I bought my gift exchanger a hank of colored dock line that matched his boat’s theme. It was $28 and I knew it was over the limit at the time but I didn’t care. The reaction was unexpected but Cap’n Crunch knows every price, sale or regular, at West Marine and he sounded the alarm.
So the “Dead End Canal Yacht Club” Christmas party is set for Dec. 22, 2009 at a local watering hole during happy hour. The location of this holiday celebration can only be discovered by e-mailing boatguy Ed at boatguiEd@aol.com. This party is for members and want-to-be members so get back to me soon. Space is limited.
(ITALICS) The author of this column has never been institutionalized to the best of his recollection. Contact him at boatguiEd@aol.com and don’t forget to buy local; fish, shrimp and especially bottom paint!