America’s Boating Club of Lake Murray
Welcomes New Leadership

Cdr Mike Urquhart, P opened his farewell remarks at the 4 November 2022 Change of Watch with “Wow, here we are, November 2022 already! It seems we were just here but that was an entire year ago. It went by very fast.”

He went on to note that “despite a slow start to the year because of our causeway erosion issue, we still had a very busy and productive year. We also had some challenges, but we overcame those because of the countless contributions of our members.”

Prior to V/C David Allen, SN swearing in Lake Murray's new commander and his bridge officers, now Past Commander Urquhart recapped the many activities that the squadron experienced during 2022.

In addition to 12 bridge meetings and numerous business meetings, members performed a variety of community and civic activities including checking the reference lights on the lake, cleaning our adopted island, helping with the annual Dam Swim, sponsoring a day on the lake for residents of Thornwell Children’s Home and holding an Open House at Flotilla to promote National Safe Boating Week and the boating education opportunities offered by our club.

Speaking of education, P/C Urquhart reported members taught America’s Boating Course, Piloting, Marine Electronics and Operations Training during the year, as well as conducting a new member orientation and training for the Club’s Executive Committee.

“Our Vessel Safety Inspectors have completed 127 vessel safety inspections to date, with more scheduled,” he said, also calling for recognition of members who helped throughout the year at Flotilla Island Workdays to maintain, repair and clean the property, building and docks.

 “You can tell from this list that it takes the entire membership to keep our squadron afloat,” P/C Urquhart said before summarizing the group’s 11 “official” boating activities that included Lake Murray, several South Carolina rivers, the Intercoastal Waterway from Charleston to Hilton Head, and Lake Russell in Georgia. But beyond the fun and education offered by hands-on cruising, were the seven “official” and the many other spur-of-the-moment social events held at Flotilla Island throughout the year.

One of the most exciting events of 2022 was the week spent filming with America’s Boating Channel, P/C Urquhart said as he encouraged everyone to like and subscribe to the YouTube Channel.

P/C Urquhart the asked his bridge to come forward to be dismissed, presenting each a memento of their service. Turning the squadron over to V/C Allen, he said, “I want to thank all of you for serving on the bridge in 2022. The work you did was very helpful to me and to our organization. But more importantly, the work you put in aided in boater education and ultimately in safer boating, and for that our entire membership thanks you.”

Before beginning the formalities of the Change of Watch, V/C Allen noted it may be shocking to see him in a Class A uniform instead of a Jimmy Buffett t-shirt and shorts. “But tonight, I’m here not just as a Lake Murray guy but as a national officer – and this uniform represents the reality that we are a part of something bigger, with roots and connections and a history far beyond the waters of South Carolina. It’s a serious visual display of what we do as individuals and a club – education, public service, and the fraternal relationships we all have.”

“We all took an oath as members ‘to render assistance whenever possible.’ I believe that promise goes beyond the water. It goes to a sense of commitment to each other that we have not just as boaters but as people,” he said as he described what “we as a club mean to other, not just as fellow members but as friends and family who show up for each other when needed.”

He concluded by raising his glass to the members of America’s Boating Club of Lake Murray, the Lake Murray Power Squadron, with the toast “You do an awesome job.”

V/C Allen then called Tim Barnhill forward, with his wife Natalie at his side, to be sworn in as commander of America’s Boating Club of Lake Murray.

“Commander-elect Barnhill, 28 years ago I took the same oath you’re about to take. It’s wordy, but the words are an important reminder of what you as commander and we as members have committed to do for the public and for each other. I can promise you that your command will be a ton of fun, rewarding in a host of ways, and only rarely maddening. And it will be over sooner than you know.”

The newly elected Executive Committee was then sworn-in and Cdr Barnhill presented his bridge officers their flags.

During his acceptance speech before the 83 members and guests in attendance, Cdr Barnhill thanked everyone for their attendance, especially thanking his daughter, Ashley, and his wife’s parents, Norm and Charlotte Nickerson, for attending.

“It is an honor to serve as your next commander. I plan to follow the course of leadership of our past commanders who have served this great boating club of ours, America’s Boating Club of Lake Murray, the best boating club around.”

Noting that membership is now over 255, he said he would like to get more members involved in all that the club does. “My platform for 2023 will be ‘Can We Make It Better’ – of course we can,” he said. Two projects to help meet this goal are implementation of a new tool for email distribution and re-establishment of a mentoring program for new members.

The year will be filled with boating, social and civic activities, including a cruise in the Commander’s home waters of Georgetown and a new event just for the ladies in the squadron. Nat’s Ladies’ Day at the Island will consist of learning trailer skills, boat docking, emergency situations, and radio communications. The big event of the boating season, however, will be Lake Murray’s sponsoring the District 26 Cruise and Rendezvous May 19-21.

He concluded the evening by presenting P/C Urquhart a plaque thanking him for his service to Lake Murray. After which the past commanders in attendance took exception – noting several inconsequential shortcomings that had the audience laughing out loud – and voted to place Urquhart in limbo before awarding him the coveted Past Commander title. Of course, he was allowed to keep his plaque and the all-important Past Commander flag!

Click on the first thumbnail below for a slideshow of our celebration of the watch year concluded and the new one that has begun!