LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Sailing in Cardboard Ships

Give a group of club members five large sheets of heavy cardboard, a very large roll of plastic, a large roll of masking tape, six bolts and nuts and what happens?  Whether high school teens or somewhat older adults, those items scream for a home-built boat and a Cardboard Regatta.  Our community regatta involves more than building and launching a boat.  Entrants also write and perform skits to entertain everyone beforehand.  (It is always better to do any activity PRIOR to setting out in the boats.  Some of them are surely going under.)

The largest of our four lakes is the scene for the Cardboard Regatta.  Teams are made up of the many clubs within the community.  There are two primary categories; single sailor and two sailor.  There is also a contest for the largest number of sailors to go down in one ship.

The fire chief leads everyone down through the park to the water's edge.



The crowd gathers by the lake.




These sailors made it high and dry.




These sailors did not...but they surely had just as much fun.

Trophies are awarded and everyone moves to the pavillion for hot dogs and hamburgers.

Community spirit abounds here in our community.  There is always something to do.  We have a club for almost every activity you can imagine.  And if we don't have a club for it...you can get a bunch of people together and start one.  We recently added a Pickle Ball club.  (I must admit I had never even heard of pickle ball before the club was organized.)

While everyone enjoys being a club member, not all the clubs are designed for sports or fun.  We have a "Good Neighbors" club that provides meals when someone is not well, whose members will drive others to appointments, pick up medicines, etc.  They organize cookie bakes for a nearby prison.  The cookies are sent so the incarcerated parents can share homemade cookies with their children when they visit.  Perhaps best of all they maintain two large lending closets.  They have accumulated a large amount of therapy supplies, wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, lift chairs, and even hospital beds that residents can borrow if necessary.  In response to the number of grandparents living here, they also maintain a large inventory of cribs, playpens, strollers, etc. that residents can borrow when little grandchildren visit.

Life is good around here.

17 comments:

KB said...

That contest looks like an absolute blast! There must be so much laughing involved! A great idea to pull the community together.

Vicki Lane said...

What fun!

And what a terrific community!

Vicki Lane said...

And by the way, Janisse Ray will be in Cedar Mountain.

Oct. 2 Muddy Sneakers Charleston dinner fundraiser, Cedar Mountain, NC, 2 p.m. Contact Aleen Steinberg, chickasaw@citcom.net

Ms. A said...

Oooo, I'd want my boat to be water-tight. Best I can recall... all that water up there is COLD!

Karin said...

That sounds like a fantastic lot of fun! We experienced community spirit to such a degree in Wyben, MA when we lived there over 30 years ago! In our large city our community is more our church. Hubby and I attend the church at the nursing home where I work and we would have loved to be a part of this!! What a blessing your community is to all!

George said...

The Cardboard Regatta sounds like fun for everyone. You definitely live in a vibrant, caring community.

KGMom said...

Oh, this does look like fun--wet, but fun.
What an interesting community bonding experience.

Cicero Sings said...

What a hoot! What a novel ideal! How nice to live in such a community minded community.

Rudee said...

You chose a wonderful retirement spot. The regata looks like so much fun.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Paper boat races were a featured event every Sept at Harborfest in Onancock, VA (next town over from ours). The event was open only to youngsters, but this year there will be no races, but not sure why they were cancelled. As your post showed, they were always a lot of fun with some guaranteed sinkings.

LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE...GOD'S GRACE said...

Looks like everyone had such a great time!! Oh, and I love the idea of the Good Neighbors club! A great way to show a caring spirit for others!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I love these clubs that you have shared with us. But, Pickle Ball??? I will have to look into that one. :)
The boat regatta looks like a blast!

troutbirder said...

What fun! I'm really impressed with the community spirit. :)

The Bug said...

What a lot of fun! As much fun for the onlookers as the participants I'd think...

That community closet is SUCH a great idea! We bought my walker after my surgery (figuring one or the other of us might have need of one again in the future), but it would have been nice to just borrow one for the two weeks I used it.

Anonymous said...

I've never seen boats made of plastic and cardboard. It really looks like so much fun. I love it!

A community closet is such an excellent idea. I wish there was something like that here (maybe there is, and I don't know about it!), because my 91 year-old MIL really wants to try a motorized wheelchair/scooter at her assisted living facility. Sure would be nice if there was one available for her to practice on.

Wayfarin' Stranger said...

I had no idea what "Pickleball" was, but I was sure that Google did. Looks like fun. As for cardboard regattas, looks like a good excuse for a swim! Jim

Folkways Note Book said...

NCmountainwoman -- Great post about community. That boat regalia would be one for good laughs.-- barara