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October 1996
THE JIB SHEET
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PAGE 7
The officers of the club were:
J.A. Rawlins, commodore L.H. Fairchild, vice-comm J.B. Dunbar, rear comm.
E.J. O’Brien, secretary The committeemen were:
Richard Mendes, treasurer W.J. Chapman, fleet captain Dr. R.J. Turner, fleet surgeon Gilbert Marshall, measurer
BAY WAVELAND REORGANIZES IN 19H
The club had flourished ever since its birth in 1896. The well attended regattas and grand social events had boosted yachting activity as well as an increase in membership. In 1901, Bay-Waveland had close to 600 members, which was the limit, and dues were $6.00 per year. I obtained a list, (to the right), from The History of the Southern Yacht Club of officers and committeemen of 1903.
During the early years, a large portion of the membership of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club were also members of the Southern Yacht Club due to the large number of New Orleanians who had summer residences in the Bay-Waveland area. Many of these men served as Commodore,
Vice Commodore or committeemen of both Yacht Clubs.
Theyear 1915, (Sep. 28), brought the largest storm recorded up to that date to the coastal areas from Pensacola, FL to Morgan City, LA Major destruction in these areas was reported and our clubhouse was one of the many buildings destroyed. Biloxi Y acht Club was also without a clubhouse. With no clubhouse and no dues being collected, inactivity set in. The organisation remained inactive from that day in September, 1915, through November, 1920, with only a few avid sailors keeping up with the sport of yacht racing in Bay St Louis.
It was not until December, 1921, that a group of men, met, and decided to begin reorganizing what was once the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club. The group of men included Messrs.
Earnest J. Leonard, P.V. Lacoste, H.S. Renshaw, John Osinach, Charles Breath, and G.R. Rea.
It would be called the Bay-Waveland Yacht and Athletic Club. It wasn’t long before the original name found its way back to the organization. The group purchased August Keller’s building,
(built in 1894),
which was on the comer of Washington and Front Streets. Most people now, would know it as the old Star Theatre. Incidentally August Keller served as Bay-Wavelands treasurer in 1899.
Officers elected were E.J. Leonard, commodore; Carl Marshall, vice commodore; R.W. Sistrunk, treasurer, and Hugh Bourgeois, secretary.
On May 21st, 1922, the newly reorganized club would entertain 500 guests from Bay SL Louis, Waveland, New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast at a reception and dance which would mark the formal opening of the Bay-Waveland Yacht and Athletic Club.
In an article, in the Sea Coast Echo, concerning the reception, it states, “The large representation was worthy of the auspiciousness of the occasion. Every department of the club building was thrown open from the spacious ballroom and reception hall to the club quarters proper and the gymnasium as well The interior of the ballroom with its ivory tinted walls, from which hung the decoration of blue and white, the club's colors, and the club's official flag and pennants, along with the American flag was illuminated to advantage. The punch, ices and delicate edibles were served in one continuous round...nothing was spared. Last night's affair proved in fact that the club at the outset took on its instant success, sponsored by
perhaps one of the largest membership ofits kind."
In 1922, the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club was officered by E.J. Leonhard, commodore; whose boat Winnifred is shown to the left, Edgar M. Rea, vice-commodore; E.V. Richards, rear-commodore; Bernard C. Sheild, vice pres.; Emile J. Lacoste, 2nd vp.; P.Victor Lacoste, treasurer, R.W.Webb, secretary. Other executive officers were: H.S. Renshaw, C.S. Matthews, George R. Rea, Rev. H. Perry, L.H. Bums, John Osinach, Charles G. Moreau, W.W. Chapman, Charles A Breath, W. Patridge, and B. C. Shields. Adam Lorch was chairman of the reception committee that night and S.L. Engman was the floor committee. Other members instrumental in reorganizing the club were W J. Gex, Sr., Clem Penrose, Edward Schwartz, R-R. Perkins, George J. Toca, C.A Sport and Sam Zemurray according to Historical Society data.
That same year, Bay-Waveland Yacht Club was elected to membership of the Gulf Yachting Assn. (GYA). Bay-Waveland had been a charter member of the predecessor of the GYA, the Southern Gulf Coast Yachting Assn. which was founded in 1901. The first annual regatta of the reorganized club was on July 15,1922. The yacht club remained active through the 20’s, until The Great Depression.
Soon after the yacht club disbanded, a trio of men, namely, E. J. Lacoste, John K. Edwards and H.C. Glover bought the Yacht Club building at an auction for a cash consideration of $9,500.00. The Bay-Waveland Yacht Club disbanded in 1930 and did not reorganize until 1948 when there was talk on the town for a need of a yacht club.
Nothing concrete transpired until February 1949, when a group of individuals met, and made it a reality.
D.	C. Bacon
N. E. Bailey, Jr. Dr. J. C. Beard Lloyd Blake W. W. Boullemet
E.	]. Bower Charles Breath J. A. Breath H. L. Burton C. A. Butler Edmond Cabiro A. F. Cameron J. F. Cazenave George Clay Paul Conrad
H. P. Dart J. M. Demarest W. J. Demarest Rene de Monduzin Capt. W. A. Dill John K. Edwards
T. L. Evans Edmond Fairchild John A. Fell James Garvey J. W. Glenny W. B. Gillican W. J. Hannon
A.	R. Hart Henry Heber
L. J. Henderson John M. Huger W. W. Jenks George Mallard
B.	F. Markey J. Mazerat John Menge
J. Edmond Merilh John T. Michel N. H. Moody Charles G.
Moreau Dennis Lenauc
Leonard Nicholson Yorke Nicholson W. E. Norris R. F. O'Brien Lawrence O’Donnell John Olsen E. A. O’Sullivan Henry Peters
A.	W. Powell Judge H. H. Price George R. Rea James Rea
E. H. Roberts Dr. A. R.
Robertson John C. Shansy
B.	C. Shields Dr. J. M. B.
Spence L. N. C.' Spotomo
C.	A. Thiel, Sr.
S. T. White
1922-On the Flag Ship Winnifred Commodore E-J. Leonard of Bay-Waveland Yacht Club and guests.
Ihinif -	>.	'''	••	s- ^	>	«	-	>	\r\
1926 Membership card from Charles A. Breath,Sr.
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