2011– 2012 Annual Report - Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Irénée du Pont Jr.
Wilmington, Delaware
Museum Supporter since 1965
Irénée du Pont Jr.’s ties
with the Museum and
the Chesapeake Bay run
deep. His first memories
of this area date back to
1937 at the Miles River
Yacht Club Regatta. At
age 17, he and a friend
sailed around the harbor
in St. Michaels, tying up at
Navy Point and watching
all the events. Years later,
Irénée met Bronza Parks,
Irénée du Pont Jr. aboard the Barbara
Batchelder in the fall of 2011.
who built the Barbara Batchelder for him and his wife
Barbara, the skipjack's namesake, in 1955.
“I only knew Bronzie for the last two years of his life, but
he was one of those people who was gifted with the ability
to make everybody feel like they were Bronzie Parks’ best
friend. Everybody he met, he made them feel that way.
After our boat was built, my wife and I began making
regular trips to St. Michaels, and then to the Museum when it
was created in the 1960s. The Museum is a real gem of a
resource on the Chesapeake Bay. I look at all of the good
works it's been doing with programs, exhibits, and outreach
to the community, and I’m impressed.”
“If you’re a stranger to this region of the
world, or you want an introduction to the
Chesapeake Bay, then the Museum is a
good place to start. What they’re doing,
and not just with restoring the Rosie
Parks, but really, restoring Bronzie’s
legacy, and the legacy of his family, well
it’s an important part of why people
should support and care about the work
that is done here.”
–Irénée du Pont Jr.
Captain
Mike Reagoso
Pasadena, Maryland
Museum Supporter since 1988
Growing up, Mike Reagoso
recalls family vacations in
St. Michaels, highlighted
by visits to the Museum.
The Museum made such
an impression on him that
as an adult, he proposed
to his girlfriend in the
Hooper Strait Lighthouse,
where they later married
in 2000. Now with four
children, Mike and his wife
Susan appreciate the
Museum as a place that
Susan and Mike Reagoso were married
on the Tolchester Beach Bandstand in
2000, and now enjoy bringing their four
children to the Museum.
inspires and captivates the attention of both kids and
adults, educating them on the rich history of the Chesapeake
Bay. His company, McAllister Towing, is also a sponsor of
the recently opened Push and Pull: Life on Chesapeake Bay
Tugboats exhibit.
“Any place that inspires kids to learn while having fun is a
great place in our book, and the Museum does a great job
of this. From the Mister Jim to boatbuilding, to all of the
wonderful static and changing exhibits, the Museum has
something for everyone of every age, and what a wonderful
cause to support. When I was first approached to support
the Tug exhibit, I was thrilled to see that others had taken
an interest in the industry where I make my living. To see an
opportunity for others to learn about something I am so
passionate about was tremendous.”
“With the Museum being so much a part of
my life since I was a child, the opportunity
to support it and promote the tug and
barge industry at the same time was an
easy decision. Everything I have seen the
Museum do has been first class, so if you
are passionate about the Chesapeake Bay
and want to support a good cause, this is
the one.”
–Captain Mike Reagoso, Vice President of
Mid-Atlantic Operations for McAllister Towing
Honorable
John C. North II
St. Michaels, Maryland
Museum Supporter since 1965
The Museum exists today,
in large part, because of
a small group of dedicated
individuals, who were
determined to create a
place where Chesapeake
history could be preserved
and celebrated.
Judge John C. North II is
one of those individuals,
serving on the original
board of governors, and
as counsel negotiating the
purchase of much of
Judge North holds the Commodore Bartlett
Trophy, which is presented by the Museum
to the winner of the final log canoe race of
the season. Judge North's log canoe Island
Bird has won eight times since 1972.
the Museum’s property. He served as its first vice president,
later its president, and drafted the original articles of
incorporation of the Museum in 1968.
“My great-grandfather was William Sidney Covington, who
built the famous log canoes Island Bird and Island Blossom,
which we are fortunate enough to own. The Museum has
been a very important part of my life and my family’s life
because so much of my family’s heritage is represented in
the Museum’s exhibits. It is, by all odds, the most important
institution of its kind to the entire North family and we
are delighted to continue to endorse and support it to the
fullest extent.”
“The Museum is the repository for historical
artifacts and memories of the Chesapeake
Bay. There are other museums on the Bay,
of specialized interest, but only this Museum
incorporates in its vision the necessity of
maintaining the Bay’s history and significance
on a very broad scale. It is of paramount
importance to those of us concerned with
the vitality and culture of this area to take
an interest in this wonderful Museum that
has developed over the years to a degree
far, far in excess of what I personally
envisioned those many years ago.”
Carol & Bill May
Hutchison Island, Florida
Museum Supporters since 1992
Bill and Carol May have
sailed up and down the
East Coast, from Florida to
Lake Ontario, their summer
homeport, for many years.
In 1987, after showing
their boat in the Annapolis
Sailboat Show, they decided
to visit St. Michaels,
and they have made the
town a regular sojourn
during their travels ever
since. In the beginning, their
interest in the Museum was
Bill and Carol May with grandkids
Charlie and Kate.
as an inexpensive place to tie up the boat, but over the
years, the Museum began to play an increasingly important
role in their lives.
“It’s a magical spot, and we’ve been going north and south
for years and years, and we’ve spent a lot of time on the
Chesapeake. The Museum has impacted our life quite a
bit—we got to know some of the people at the Museum
very well, and have become friends. It’s an integral part of
St. Michaels, which we think is a wonderful little town.”
“The Museum is important in preserving
history and teaching others about the
Chesapeake Bay. And what the Museum
is doing, not only for history, but really,
indirectly at least, is to make people very
aware of the importance of saving the Bay.”
–Bill May
–Judge John C. North II
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