MBYC Archives Located At The Holland Museum
T92-1286. Macatawa Bay Yacht Club.
Records, 1904-2008. 9.5 linear ft.
Abstract
The Macatawa Bay Yacht Club collection consists primarily of clippings, correspondence, financial reports, minutes, photographs, programs, and stock certificates. The bulk of the material is dated between 1940 and 1980. There are approximately 200 photographs of individuals and groups, many of which are dated and identified, within the collection. The collection also contains minutes of the meetings of stockholders and board of directors from 1929 to 1990. Of special interest are the programs for the years 1904 and 1905 and “Memories of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, A Historical Perspective 1899-1999” published for its centennial year.
Accession No: T92-1286
Provenance: Macatawa Bay Yacht Club
Donor: See Accession File
Photographs: Images in Boxes 3 and 4
Processed by: Leon Witteveen, July 1994
Shirley Weersing, 1999-2008
Alicia Kruithoff, January 2009
History
The first mention of a yacht club reported in the local newspaper was in 1895, it was called the Grand Rapids Yacht Club. Located in the Bayne and Barber Boat House at Ottawa Beach, the name was changed to Macatawa Bay Yacht Club. In 1898, the decision was made to build its clubhouse at Jenison Park.
The new club house was completed in 1899 at a cost of $1500. It was a two story building with wide verandas on both floors and a large dining hall and ball room. This same year the club adopted a design for its ensign burgee, which was used not only as a flag, but also on stationery and yearbooks. This design is still being used by the club.
At the close of the 1911 season the Yacht Club decided to make the organization more on the order of a county club, which would be more convenient for the rapidly increasing number of people arriving by automobile, as well as yachtsmen. Plans included a garage near the club house and a drive to the club door.
Another new club house was constructed in 1939, which included a large lounge, a dining hall, a private dining room, a locker room for men, a rest room for women, a commodious kitchen, two rooms for staff use, and an extensive porch. This building was destroyed by fire in July, 1963, and the present club house was constructed in 1964.
Scope and Content
The Macatawa Bay Yacht Club collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material and chronologically within each category, except for boxes 6 and 7, which contain clippings chronologically, and large scrapbooks/photos. The largest single heading consists of correspondence dated between 1929 and 1990. The correspondence is primarily general in nature, but includes two folders of material relating to the construction of the new club house in 1963-1964.
Other major categories included in the collection are clippings, financial reports, minutes of the meetings of stock holders and board of directors, programs, logs, newsletters (MBYC Newsletter, The Bilge, and Windscoop), and yearbooks, and cancelled stock certificates. Of special interest are the programs for the years 1904 and 1905.
The collection also includes photographs of individuals and groups of members. Many of these are identified and dated. There are numerous scrapbooks that contain clippings and memorabilia from the years 1963, 1964,1967 and 1986. The Centennial Committee 1998-99 file contains the musical script, reproduction of Christmas card, history of Oz, etc.).
Container List
Box 1
Articles of Incorporation (State of Michigan), 1957
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
Macatawa Bay Junior Association, 1983
Bilge, The, 1945, newsletter 1959
Blueprints, 1972, 1976
Christmas Card, 1999
Constitution and By-Laws, 1939, 1945, 1951 (2 items), 1960
Correspondence (39 folders)
n.d., 1929, 1934, 1936, 1939-1940, 1942, 1945-1950, 1953-1968
Box 2
Correspondence (cont.)
1966-1968, 1970, 1972-1973. 1982-1983, 1985-1986, 1989-1990
Financial Reports, 1948-1950, 1953-1958
Financial Reports, 1959-1969, 1972, 1983-1986 (22 folders) (See Minutes and mailings for remainder)
Guest Log, 1966-1975
Ladies Sailing Fleet, 1966-1996
Ladies Sailing Fleet History 1966-1993
Memories of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club: A Historical Perspective, 1899-1999
published 1999
Minutes
International 110 Fleet, 1961-1963
M.B.Y.C., Board, Membership Annual Meetings
1929-1941, 1943-1949, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s (thru October 1979)
Box 3
M.B.Y.C, Board, Membership Annual Meetings/Minutes cont.
November 1979-1981, 1982-1986, 1987-1990
Newsletters
The Bilge, 1945
Newsletter, 1959, 1970-1978, 1982
Windscoop, 1983-1990
Photographs, n.d. (40), 1930s-1940s (50), 1960s (77), 1973 (mostly 1950s)(36), 1973-1977 (26)
Box 4
Photographs cont.
1980-1989 (65), 1984, 1987, 1990- (9, but with 2 larges packets of pictures)
Placemat, 1996
Programs, Logs, and Yearbooks 1904-1995
1904-1905, 1936, Macatalk News, 1940-1941, 1943-1954, 1957-1958, 1961-1980, 1981-2000, 2002-2009
Racing Rules
M.B.Y.C., 1962
Nipper Class, 1959
North American Yacht Racing Union, 1953-1959
Lake Michigan Yachting Association, n.d.
Sears Club Regatta, 1954
Seamanship Course, n.d., 1950, 1954, 1957 (4 folders)
Box 5
Stock Certificates, 1939-1973 (6 folders)
Windscoops (all mailings) 1991-2008
Box 6 (small document box)
Centennial Committee 1998-1999 (musical script, Xmas card order, Oz history)
Clippings (14 folders)
n.d., 1927, 1934, 1938-1939, 1940, 1941-1947, 1948, 1955, 1959, 1965-1974, 1975-1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981-1984, 1985, 1987, 1999
Box 7
1953 Minutes binder of Bon O. Aspy
7 Large Photos (Cabinet AS1-FC1)
Scrapbook, 1963
Scrapbook, 1964
Scrapbook, 1967
Scrapbook, The 5th Annual S2 7.9 North American Championship, 1986