On Friday, May 29th, 1998, a colour guard from the Father James Assembly of the Fourth Degree, led by a Highland Piper, escorted His Worship, Mayor Bill Erickson along the banks of the Thames River. "Oyez... Oyez... Oyez... 'Whereas.. the Thames River maintains its strong connections with North America's original inhabitants as the site of the contemporary Chippewa of the Thames, the Delaware of Moraviantown, the Munsee-Delaware and the Oneida of the Thames First Nations and .. Whereas... the Thames River valley was a major theatre in the 'War of 1812 and .. Whereas.. several of the mill sites along the Thames developed into important urban centres, each of which made further use of the river for shipbuilding and early port development (Chatham), for breweries and foundries ... Whereas... the K of C have seen fit to utilize this opportunity to educate citizens not only to the history of this river but to provide a showcase for boaters and marine operators... Therefore... we salute the K of C organizers, guests and citizens who are about to embark, on a voyage of pleasure on this natural treasure. God Make Prosperous the works of the K of C God Bless an Ever United Canada" After these words were proclaimed by the Town Crier of Chatham-Kent, George Sims, the mayor used a sword, provided by one of the Sir Knights, to cut the ribbon to declare the First Annual Boat Show of District 16 of the Knights of Columbus open. The boat show was the brain child of the Fraternal Advisor, S. K. Robert Strong. He along with the District Deputy, Michael Bechard, and representatives from the six councils in the district planned a weekend of fun, entertainment, and came up with a fund raising project to help the various charities in the community. The docks along the River Thames, as well as the adjoining parks were leased from the city for the weekend. Posters and flyers as well as media advertising spread the word amongst boaters and marina operators from as far as Toronto, Ontario, to various parts of Michigan, U.S.A. Those who wanted to display their boats, or boating related equipment, rented dock space - both dry docking, and wet docking - and brought along their crafts. Those who were looking for a boat to buy had the opportunity to "test drive" the boat of their dreams. Prices of boats displayed ranged from $20,000 to $350,000. Visitors came from far and wide and by the end of the week end, there were several happy owners, and of course, happy sellers. To add to the festivities, a refreshment tent was set up by the K of C, and this attracted several families. The local Businesses declared special "Sidewalk Sail Days" and offered bargains during the weekend. For this, the first annual Boat show to be a success there had to be a lot of the renowned K of C esprit de corps. Knights from every council volunteered their time around the clock, at the gates to control admission, on security to make sure that things went smoothly, and at the refreshment tent to serve customers. One of the items that was in great demand by both the boaters and the visitors was a supply of fresh ice. The youth groups from the various Council parishes looked after that, and raised some funds for their charitable work. Several thousand visitors enjoyed the weekend. Before it was over, some of the exhibitors made bookings for next year. The comments by the visitors were extremely favourable and most indicated that they would be back next year. All in all, it was an occasion that proved the truth that the second principle of the Order, Unity, really works.

This was District 16's First Annual Boat Show. Please watch this space for news of their next Annual Boat Shows in 1999, and many years to come.

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Some of the visitors on the Promenade	The Floating K of C Headquarters
A Highland Piper leading the Parade	Intently listening to the words of the Town Crier
"Oyez ... Oyez ... Oyez ..."	"Let the Boat Show begin ...."
His Worship Mayor Bill Erickson cutting the ribbon, held by S.K. Robert Strong and S.K. Tom Vella-Zarb	A quiet spot to take in a general view of the show
Flipping burgers and cooking Oktoberfest sausages	Or do you prefer Turkey Legs?
Try it before you buy it!	Some of the boats docked for the show
The "wet" docking area	The "dry" docking area
Identification badge of the Crew	Back of the T-shirts worn by the Crew