Deep Creek  Lake Sailing Association

Members of the Month

Charlie and Ellen Williams first came to Deep Creek in 1948, when five families from Bethesda, MD built cottages on Beckman’s Peninsula. As well as building their cottage, Charlie was among several who built a Thistle sailboat from a kit. In 1954 the Williams joined the yacht club; theirs is the second longest membership of all current members. If you want answers about early club history, just ask Charlie, who can give names, dates and many interesting anecdotes.

Both Ellen and Charlie have long been active members. Charlie chaired the Building Committee when extensive renovations were made to the club building in 1967-68, including the raising of the stone fireplace and digging of a  basement under the old building, and has been especially helpful regarding electrical maintenance. Ellen was one of those who initiated the weekly brunches in 1969, and was in charge of them during her husband's year as Commodore in 1971.

The Williams continue to spend much of each summer here at their cottage on Turkey Neck. Although less actively involved now, they were major figures in the development and growth of our club and deserve many thanks for creating the wonderful club we enjoy today.

2002 August Member of the Month--Ray Thayer

Ray first learned of Deep Creek Yacht Club from Sandy Douglass when Sandy was a guest at a yacht club in Ohio where Ray was Commodore. At that time, Ray was sailing a Y Flyer, but he must have been impressed by Sandy. Later when he transferred to Pittsburgh, he remembered Deep Creek and made a point to visit our club. Ray and his family started coming here in 1968 and joined the club in 1970. From that time, both Ray and Betty were active in club activities, with Ray racing his Scot with various daughters as crew.

Ray has made two very significant contributions to this club: The first was the lift for dock sections, which he designed and then had built one winter at his business in Pittsburgh. Probably few current members remember how hard it was to remove docks when it took plain old manpower to lift them from the water and place on them on the lawn--and the various methods that were tried to make the job easier. Everyone who now works to remove or put in docks surely should praise Ray for this contribution.

During the building renovation of 1994-95, it was Ray Thayer who was chief collaborator with Harry Filemyr to design and implement the work. Ray completed some unfinished business that Harry could not due to an untimely death.

Ray and Betty aren’t as active as they used to be, but they are still seen often at the club, and very much welcomed there.

2002 July Member of the Month--Joe Becker

Joe and Gerrie Becker and their 4 children came to Deep Creek in 1966, settling on Turkey Neck. Their Flying Scot was number 1200, "High Noon", which son Joe Jr. sailed with his father as crew. Meanwhile Gerrie Becker was helping Fred Steiding and Jim Wallace who ran the races at that time. When Jim Wallace could no longer supervise the races, Joe and Gerrie took it over in the late ‘60's until 1988. They were out faithfully every Saturday and Sunday for 20 years running every race with "spit and polish" precision from their boat "Infallible". They rarely missed, and then, only for weddings and funerals! It was when they retired from that role that the present system of rotating race commanders was started.

Joe had other talents that the yacht club called on also. His hobby was electronics, so it was Joe that we turned to for help with building an anemometer from a kit and helping to install it atop the flagpole. Joe and Gerrie were at Deep Creek nearly every weekend until her death in 1998. Joe sometimes sails from Annapolis with his daughter and son-in-law, but he still comes around on dock launch day and lends a helping hand.

2002 June Member of the Month--Bill Kennicott

Bill has been a staunch supporter of Deep Creek Yacht Club since 1965. He likes to tell the story of coming to the club one summer weekend in 1965 after seeing an article in a Pittsburgh paper about the competitive racing on Deep Creek Lake. By the time he went home, he had bought a Scot from Sandy Douglass and become a member of the club. Bill laughs as he remarks that he still has the receipt for his boat deposit that Sandy wrote on the back of instuctions for assembling a bird feeder. For 23 years, he sailed and raced his Scot, first in the A fleet and later in the "C" (for Century) fleet, until eventually he gave it to his daughter and grandson. When he finally gave up racing, he patrolled for the races through all kinds of weather for 5 years.

He served as Commodore in 1972. One of my favorite Commodore stories about Bill is actually about his wife, Jeppa. At that time, when a husband took the role of Commodore, his wife automatically became chairperson of the Brunch committee, which was supposed to make a profit to purchase equipment needed by the club. When Jeppa took charge of one brunch, she decided to serve lobster and champaigne--a grand idea, but a costly one. When it became apparent that Jeppa’s brunch would not only NOT make a profit, but would lose money, Bill quietly paid the bill and Jeppa simply said, "My Bill will pay for it--he can do ANYTHING!"

Jeppa was pretty nearly right at that, for Bill helped out on all sorts of committees, and often made anonymous gifts for the benefit of the club. Even into his late 70's you would see Bill out in the worst kind of weather on Dock Day, helping to put in or take out the docks. Whenever the club needs something, Bill helps make it happen.

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Copyright© 2002

Updated 09/28/05