SSMBC "Oldies" Photos from the 1970's
This page was updated on June 4, 2021
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The SSMBC was
originally formed in the mid-1970's. What was it like back then?
No internet! No email! A news letter (by yours truely) was typed (on a typewriter, of course) and mailed to members.
Meets were held at various places - but it all started at the very same Lake Seminole Park pond we use today. We had a meet/display at the old (long gone) Gateway Mall in St. Petersburg. We had several meets at Crest Lake in Clearwater during the Sun 'n Fun Festival. The "Model Boats" part was Sponsored by the "House Of Hobbies." We held "business and strategy" meetings at a long gone hobby shop on Seminole Blvd in the crowded back room. Boat meets then shifted to co-founder Mike Sriver's home in Clearwater, where he had a small pond adjacent to his back yard. After a while tmike moved to Safety Harbor, but this time he had a much bigger (and deeper) man made pond where we operated. All the time the original SSMBC met, there was no membership fee. Contact was by phone, very informal.
The fate of the SSMBC came about when two of the found members, Mike & Lew (me) had to leave the club. Mike moved back up north - Chicago area - and I started a family and had to bow out. A few members held on occasionly meeting at the pond. Thie kind of rolled into the BAEB after a few short years.
Ironically, like the original SSMBC, back then the club was formed to "rescue" scale model boater from around the area so we could unite in a common hobby. At one time the BAEB was a large club, membership dues, elected officers, rules, etc. But the end came when a few members tried to change the club into a sailboat club. Only a small amount of members changed over. Some just "had it." The BAEB was ruined. So,it was time for the SSMBC to again come to the rescue. That happened in January 2014. Not it is 2021 and we are over seven years old and are having a great time.
No internet! No email! A news letter (by yours truely) was typed (on a typewriter, of course) and mailed to members.
Meets were held at various places - but it all started at the very same Lake Seminole Park pond we use today. We had a meet/display at the old (long gone) Gateway Mall in St. Petersburg. We had several meets at Crest Lake in Clearwater during the Sun 'n Fun Festival. The "Model Boats" part was Sponsored by the "House Of Hobbies." We held "business and strategy" meetings at a long gone hobby shop on Seminole Blvd in the crowded back room. Boat meets then shifted to co-founder Mike Sriver's home in Clearwater, where he had a small pond adjacent to his back yard. After a while tmike moved to Safety Harbor, but this time he had a much bigger (and deeper) man made pond where we operated. All the time the original SSMBC met, there was no membership fee. Contact was by phone, very informal.
The fate of the SSMBC came about when two of the found members, Mike & Lew (me) had to leave the club. Mike moved back up north - Chicago area - and I started a family and had to bow out. A few members held on occasionly meeting at the pond. Thie kind of rolled into the BAEB after a few short years.
Ironically, like the original SSMBC, back then the club was formed to "rescue" scale model boater from around the area so we could unite in a common hobby. At one time the BAEB was a large club, membership dues, elected officers, rules, etc. But the end came when a few members tried to change the club into a sailboat club. Only a small amount of members changed over. Some just "had it." The BAEB was ruined. So,it was time for the SSMBC to again come to the rescue. That happened in January 2014. Not it is 2021 and we are over seven years old and are having a great time.
So let's take a look at some of the models...
Photos were converted from 35mm slides. Some brief
information is available for some of the photos. Click on the
photo(s) below:
