[Bristol-Birds] BBC Historical Snippet - Sep 9, 1994

 BBC Snippet  
Sep 9, 1994, living off of BBC's success with having a "Baby Bald Eagle" 
float in the Bristol Jaycees 4th of July downtown parade, the club had the hit 
entry in the South Holston Lake boat regatta along with 70 other crafts 
during the Autum Chase Festival event. 

We cut large branches from trees and decorated the boat to make it
appear as a "floating" eagle nest.  Featured was a costumed replica of an 
eaglet on board.  Other boaters came throughout the evening to show
their children the baby eagle and to take photos of the float.   The evening 
was topped off with a roaring fire on the shoreline near the concert and 
fireworks where we cooked out.  Firewood was hauled on the
boat to the cookout site along with folding chairs for all.

Aug 1998, BBC won "first place" for its NASCAR-themed float boat entry 
in the Racefest Regatta.  BBC featured a live band aboard 
a paddle wheel boat at South Holston Lake.  The band entertained 
thousands at the fireworks show.  Hundreds of boats pulled together with
the BBC boat tied in the middle.  Featuring a saxaphone, the band played 
the National Anthem over the reflections of boat lights and sky-dancing 
fireworks.  For more than an hour the band played requests and popular 
hits of the past. 

Birder John Shumate was the head chef.  During the evening members
enjoyed a cookout on the boat with sit down dinning at tables.

Birders joined a large flotilia of boats returning to the docks late at night 
thru 
the darkness. The procession was led by Tennessee wildlife officers with
their patrol boat, complete with flashing blue lights. It was a charming 
full moon night.

The chief of police of Bristol Tennessee and his wife attended the event 
as invited and honored guest of BBC and spent the evening on the BBC boat.  
The chief's wife, Angela, has been typesetting The Migrant, journal of the 
Tennessee Ornithological Society, for more than 30 years.  The Wamplers
are casual birders.  She is an editorial assistant for the TOS publication.

From the archives of the Bristol Bird Club

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