The Historical Society’s summer began on June 24th with our annual Scholarship Fiesta Dinner at Doheny State Beach and our weather has been perfect for enjoying 4th of July fireworks and city concerts. History visited Dana Point Harbor when the schooner “America” docked at the Ocean Institute and the public was invited to board and to view the America’s Cup exhibited at the Dana Point Yacht Club on July 19. Hopefully, many of you had a chance to see the historic schooner and the trophy, affectionately known as the “Auld Mug,” originally awarded to the schooner America after winning a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. The impressive America’s Cup is an ornate sterling silver ewer inscribed with names and individual races of the two yachts that have raced for it and has had matching bases added to accommodate more names over the years. The Oracle Team US and the Golden Gate Yacht Club are the current defenders of the America’s Cup with the 35th race scheduled sometime in 2017. Any yacht club that meets the race requirements has the right to challenge the yacht club that holds the Cup.
The 2014 DPHS Home Tour Committee is racing to organize and launch our Fourteenth Annual Home Tour on Sunday, October 5, 2014. We also invite sponsors to help fundraise for the publicity, printing and transportation costs of the tour. As you know, the home tour is our main fundraiser to preserve Dana Point history for present and future generations. Our “Coastal Living, Niguel Shores Style” tour requires hiring shuttles to take guests inside the gates of Niguel Shores. Founding sponsor Dan Raphael of Coldwell Banker, Capistrano Beach, has renewed his sponsorship of the tour for the 14th year. The Dana Point Nursery is also a sponsor and we hope you, our members, will put a good word in with previous sponsors and your favorite investment broker, insurance agent or any number of businesses to recruit a sponsorship. Sponsors’ ads and/or names will appear in our Home Tour program (to be received by each guest on the tour), listed on our web site and in our advertising. In addition to financial support from our sponsors, as outlined in the enclosed brochure, we also welcome in-kind donations for our opportunity prize raffle to be held at the reception after the tour. Prizes could be dinner for two with a bottle of wine from your favorite restaurant, membership in an organization, tickets to an event, a vacation condo stay, etc. Of course, we want you to spread the word. Tell your friends about the tour and consider volunteering as a house or bus docent. There is a lot of organization involved and we appreciate everything the committee is doing for this traditional event.
You will want to mark your calendar for our General Meeting on Wednesday, September 24, at 7:00 pm at the City Council Chambers. In observation of the 25th anniversary of our city’s incorporation, graphic artist Rick Morgan will speak about designing the official seal of Dana Point. He is an entertaining conversationalist who also enjoys the study and history of flags.
At our September meeting we will also introduce the first commemorative Dana Point Historical Society holiday ornament, which features our city’s seal, in honor of Dana Point’s 25th Anniversary. Kirsten Reynolds and I have been working with Rick Morgan and the city on the first official Dana Point Historical Society ornament, the first in a series featuring our history, 1835 to the present. This is a limited release of 300 ornaments, each finished in 24 karat gold enclosed in a custom presentation box. Orders will be taken for DPHS members who wish to order in advance, so bring your checkbook. The ornament is $25, tax included, and will be released on Home Tour Sunday when Rick Morgan will be present to sign the ornament’s enclosed description card.
The Board of Directors wishes to express our thanks to the DPHS members and their guests who made the June Scholarship Fiesta Dinner such a success. Please read the article and see pictures from the event in this edition of the News Drogher.
On a sad note, we will miss our longtime board member Mary Williams, who passed away August 25th. In her role as Docent Chair, Mary, in her sweet but persuasive way, tirelessly recruited volunteers for our museum which she supported with her time as a docent as well as with financial contributions.
Mary would have been pleased by all of you who volunteered for our booth at the Toshiba Tall Ships Festival. Please support and attend or volunteer for the October Home Tour. I hope to see you at our September meeting, which promises to be an entertaining and interesting evening following our summer hiatus!
Barbara Force Johannes