Organization News: Shellbacks Kicks Off 91st Year
October 24, 2024
The first fall session of Shellbacks was last week featuring Paul Lamont speaking on a cruising adventure in South India. There is a large lake in the south of India with a thriving marine culture in the area. We will explore how the residents of this area have embraced the water to assist them in their daily activities, and…..
As usual, Shellbacks has selected speakers and videos presenting a wide range of nautical and maritime topics, sometimes outdoor adventures with a focus on water.with 24 meetings loaded with friendly women and men who like nautical topics and interesting informed speakers. The format for this fall will be in person and zoom.
Moosemilk, the annual Holiday Celebration and fundraiser for the Naval Officers’ Association of Canada Scholarship Fundis scheduled for WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11at Mimico Cruising Club. You will be kept up to date by the Skipper and you may also peruse the Shellbacks web.
* see the PROCESS FOR ZOOM file for details on how to connect and participate in session. As for the food that will be served … it is up to you to prepare a delicious repast at home.
“Shellbacks’ host, the National Yacht Club, has asked that the program begin a bit earlier so that all guests can have a lunch uninterrupted by a presentation. Hence we shall be starting a bit earlier and having lunch after the presentation. The huge advantage is that our guest speaker will be able to eat with us, rather than competing with the clinking of our cutlery against china while s/he is speaking. Additionally, we shall beat the traffic home as we shall finish earlier. “
So, here is the new schedule:
1030-1100 – Shellbacks arrive at the National Yacht Club
1045 – Zoom participants enter
1100 – Hands to table – Ring the Bell
1115 – Introduce the guest speaker
1215 – Thank the guest speaker – Upcoming events
1230 – Pipes Out, Lunch
The 91st Shellback year includes these presentations:
October 23rd: ON ZOOM ONLY – Tom Garner returnsto continue his research on the Welland Canal, this time focusing on Beaver Dams – The Lost Creek. Since retiring Tom Garner has worked on the Welland Canals and Waters Project. He commented on the website: “If you ride your bike around the eastern Niagara Peninsula, around the Welland Canal, you see things that make you think “Hmmmmm”. The Welland Canals and Waters Project records my amateur investigation into the current (Fourth) and historical (Second and Third) Welland Canals, and the nearby waters!”
October 30th: ON ZOOM ONLY – TONY ROBINSON AND THE TIME TEAM bring us The Mystery Of The Shetland Viking Ship Burial | Time Team | Chronicle The Time Team crew trek to one of the outermost Shetland Islands, Fetlar, in an attempt to reveal the truth behind an ancient local myth. A cliff-top mound has long been known as the Giant’s Grave. But what does it conceal? And could it be connected with some Viking pottery found in a nearby garden? What the team discovers could be one of their most legendary finds. Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we’ll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
November 6th: Katrin Faridani will join us to share her research dubbed “Interconnected” – a visual exploration of the Toronto wastewater system, its connection to our drinking water and Lake Ontario. She examines the consequences of urbanization and the solutions for mitigating its negative effects for better water management in the Greater Toronto Area. Her pictures are fantastic!
November 13h: ON ZOOM ONLY – Mystery of the Great Mary Rose : Documentary on the Mysterious Sinking of the Mary Rose The Ghosts of the Mary Rose: Research into the skeletons on the Mary Rose as told by Colm McEwan, diver. The excavation took place in the 1980’s. This video takes a look at who might have been responsible for the sinking of Henry VIII’s warship. The Mary Rose was an English warship commissioned during Henry VIII’s reign that often served as the flagship of the fleet. It was built in Portsmouth, England, between 1509 and 1511 and served in the Royal Navy until it was sunk in 1545. The wreck was raised in 1982 and later put on display.
November 20TH: Lawrence Rennie & Phil Dawson return to share more adventures they had on the P&O Princess Line
November 27th: Bill McNaughton brings us The End of the Americas and the Stepping Stones.
December 4th: TBA
What is the Shellback Club?
The Shellback Club officially started in February 1934 and met at Eileen Bradley’s Tea House on Adelaide Street but had its roots earlier. Starting in 1924, some of the crews of large racing sailboats from RCYC met weekly in the summer to organize crew duties.
By 1934, these crew meetings had morphed into The Shellback Club as other sailors from clubs in the area liked the idea of sharing lunch and sailing lore . . . and even singing a shanty.
The Shellbacks meet most weeks (see schedule) in the non-sailing season at the National Yacht Club, 1 Stadium Road. Meetings are simultaneously held on Zoom. We start promptly at 1215 hours and finish about 1330 – 1345 hours. The guest speaker starts about 1245 hours. Come early to enjoy the company and a beverage.
Traditionally, to be a “Shellback” only requires attending (or virtually attending) a lunch meeting and joining everyone in singing a sea shanty. We have found some great shanties online for our ZOOM sessions.
