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1st Pin-Property of Curt Whiticar-Circa 1949
2nd Pin-Property of Max & Sally Glassburn-Circa 1980
3rd Pin-Property of MJ Grell - 2007
(Click on each to enlarge.)
Dating back to the 1940’s, the Stuart Sailfish Club has taken a leadership role in marine conservation. As early as 1941, the Club and its early members encouraged the release of sailfish. In fact, Curt Whiticar, when he wasn’t building boats or fishing, designed the first gold sailfish release pin to be awarded to those who released their catches. (From our website Home Page, see “About SSC”, then “Our History”, then “History of Release Buttons”.)
As recently as the 1980’s, the Club issued pins, although it’s unclear whether the tradition was continuous or whether it stopped and started up again. At some point, the awards were discontinued, because the cost of gold and the pins became too great for the Club to sustain.
Now, thanks to the interest and generosity of one of our current members who offered to underwrite the cost, the tradition has begun again. Club records were researched going back five years (as far as our records go on this issue), and at our Annual Awards Dinner on November 10, Andy Kubiak and Neil Subin awarded thirteen Club Members solid gold pendants recognizing at least 25 releases. They are:
Mary Jo Grell ...............Ian Wichers
Sky Wichers ................Rudy Polselli
Joe Lehner ..................Marshall Busha
Tommy Holder .............Vance Strausburg
Mark MacDonald .........Fritz Grell
Michael O’Neill ............Donnie Holder
Lorraine Francis
Guidelines for earning a Release Pendant are:
1. The Club will award a Pendant to any Member who achieves a total of 25 billfish releases during his/her tenure as a Member. Only those releases recorded with the Club as part of its annual release tournament are eligible, and all rules of that tournament apply. (Rules may change from time to time.)
2. Those Members who achieve release totals exceeding 25 are eligible to have a small diamond added to the pendant, each diamond representing the next increment of 25 billfish releases.
3. The Club will recognize and award these with a certificate which makes them eligible for the next level.
4. Pendants and diamond certificates will be awarded two times per year to those reaching increments of 25 releases during that period of time.
5. The Pendants will be provided by the Club, while any additional diamonds are paid for by the member angler.
Dating back to the 1940’s, the Stuart Sailfish Club has taken a leadership role in marine conservation. As early as 1941, the Club and its early members encouraged the release of sailfish. In fact, Curt Whiticar, when he wasn’t building boats or fishing, designed the first gold sailfish release pin to be awarded to those who released their catches. (From our website Home Page, see “About SSC”, then “Our History”, then “History of Release Buttons”.)
As recently as the 1980’s, the Club issued pins, although it’s unclear whether the tradition was continuous or whether it stopped and started up again. At some point, the awards were discontinued, because the cost of gold and the pins became too great for the Club to sustain.
Now, thanks to the interest and generosity of one of our current members who offered to underwrite the cost, the tradition has begun again. Club records were researched going back five years (as far as our records go on this issue), and at our Annual Awards Dinner on November 10, Andy Kubiak and Neil Subin awarded thirteen Club Members solid gold pendants recognizing at least 25 releases. They are:
Mary Jo Grell ...............Ian Wichers
Sky Wichers ................Rudy Polselli
Joe Lehner ..................Marshall Busha
Tommy Holder .............Vance Strausburg
Mark MacDonald .........Fritz Grell
Michael O’Neill ............Donnie Holder
Lorraine Francis
Guidelines for earning a Release Pendant are:
1. The Club will award a Pendant to any Member who achieves a total of 25 billfish releases during his/her tenure as a Member. Only those releases recorded with the Club as part of its annual release tournament are eligible, and all rules of that tournament apply. (Rules may change from time to time.)
2. Those Members who achieve release totals exceeding 25 are eligible to have a small diamond added to the pendant, each diamond representing the next increment of 25 billfish releases.
3. The Club will recognize and award these with a certificate which makes them eligible for the next level.
4. Pendants and diamond certificates will be awarded two times per year to those reaching increments of 25 releases during that period of time.
5. The Pendants will be provided by the Club, while any additional diamonds are paid for by the member angler.
