In
Celebration of the 100th
Anniversary of the Sagamore Beach Colony
A Colony – defined by Webster
as “a group with the same interests, concentrated in a particular
area” is alive and well in the 21st Century at Sagamore Beach. Life by our beautiful Cape Cod Bay continues to thrive as a year-round
community, remaining vital because of the many families who gather here to
support and bond with the community focus of its residents. We have been
“worthy of the challenge to perpetuate for our inheritors that which has
been left to our tender loving care,” as hoped for by Dottie and Don
Clark in their 75th Anniversary booklet. While many of the houses
of Sagamore Beach have weathered almost one hundred years, so also have the
traditions of family and neighborhood support.
Behold the Little Store’s
Christmas Tree-Lighting evening, with a visit from Santa bringing tidings of
joy to all children, or witness the same old spreading chestnut tree in the
village, surrounded by children on the 4th of July with their
decorated bikes, gathered in readiness to compete in the games at Hawes Field.
Or, be present at a candlelight moment of silence and prayer on the first
Anniversary of a terrorist attack on our Nation on September 11th, 2002, planned and organized by the children of Sagamore Beach. Family support
thrives here whatever the season and thus continues to secure the blessings for
our posterity.
While the state of our world is in
turmoil, Sagamore Beach, both a place and a gift, helps us place our focus on
perpetuating the older conventions and convictions that mutual responsibility
toward one another is both a heritage and a charge. In 1976, during our
Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration, Heimar Niit was serving as President
of the Sagamore Beach Colony Club. An immigrant himself, he recognized a need
to document our own history, and introduced the first yearbook in 1976, as an
important recording of all summer calendar events, and the names and addresses
of SBCC members. In 1977, he challenged all members in the Introduction to the
new book, “to accept and be part of a long tradition which has endured
only because of the willingness of individual members to shoulder the yoke of
responsibility again and again.” --- and ---“convey to our children
that these traditions must be in a constant state of repair; the flame must be
kindled again and again…For the flame is fragile, however beautiful the
light.” Each successive President has continued the publication of this
booklet and presently Barbara Doran Sullivan is more than successfully
supporting the costs with ever increasing numbers of advertisements from local
merchants. In fact, Barbara acts as an ombudsman for all who need some service
or help in the community.
But most importantly, the children
and traditions continue to thrive at our Day Camp. The Day Camp which became
club-sponsored in 1953 was transformed by Henry and Muriel Pappas in 1956. It
was redefined and restructured by Kathy Hegenbart, Beverly Niit and Ellie
Harold in the late 1970’s, because the afternoon session of older campers
had lost numbers. Thus, a decision was made in 1977 to begin a Teen Tennis
Program, encouraging participation by the older group, not quite of
working-permit age. Others of camping age, with professional directors in
place, would begin their day at nine, bring their lunch and head for home at 1:00 PM. Swimming, tennis, field games, arts and crafts, and teamwork were, and continue
to be, the essence of the 8 week program, culminating in a spectacular Camp Show, with Clark Hall filled to capacity. All activities are separated into
age-specific groupings. What was only a summer camp for summer residents has
become a neighborhood Day Camp with up to 100 participants. Outstanding Camp Committees and Directors have continued to upgrade and improve the Camp experience. A
first grader could conceivably progress through the delights of making sand
castles, experiencing an archaeological dig, participating in a scavenger hunt,
or taking a field trip to another treasured Cape Cod location each year growing,
and finally joining Jr. Team Tennis, while becoming a Jr. Counselor. By the
college years, this same person could possibly move on to the position of Assistant
Director and finally Camp Director, after college. Krista Niit, Amy Sharman, and
Katie Rowley did just that during the years between 1980 and 2001. Others such
as Christine Hegenbart , Jessie Anderson, Nick Anderson, and Jeff Doran have
taken their leadership qualities to the tennis courts as coaches for the Junior
programs. Many more campers have moved on to successful careers, engendered by
the Camp lessons of cooperation and team-work, not to mention the stage
presence one gains by participation in the final extravaganza - the Camp Show.
The Junior Tennis Program had
become so successful by 1980 that tennis professional, Alan Wynn, was hired.
Under the guidance and care of Nancy Anderson and George Doran, the program has
thrived, with different professional tutelage. Once a week, families gather at
the courts to enjoy exchange matches with such teams as Kings Grant from Cotuit
and Eel River from Plymouth. The newest category of “Junior
Hopefuls” encourages the younger children in the early pursuit of
perfecting this elusive game. Intergenerational camaraderie supports the Mother-Daughter
and Father-Son matches each summer, as well as the continuation of classic
match-ups in the Tiny-Gregg Tournament for the under 16 crowd, and the Adult
mixed-draw Bergstrom Cup.
Tennis today is played year-round
and the men’s group boasted that they only missed one weekend during the
winter season of 2001-2. The Men’s group filled all three courts in the
summer of 2002, every Saturday and Sunday morning. Women also participate on
weekends, and continue their women only program on Tuesday and Thursday
mornings. The tennis players, young and old, come from surrounding communities,
as the popularity and year-round appeal of our site by the Bay gains
recognition.
Other activities which have carried
us through the 80’s and 90’s have been a very successful family
night with a DJ for parents and children, golf tournaments, Monday-night bridge,
and the continuation of the Reading Circle, reintroduced in the 80’s by
Patti Fishe, and now presided over by Meredith Chase and Mary Doherty. In July,
summer reading suggestions run the gamut from fun to intellectually
challenging. In August, all community residents are invited to visit an
exciting destination via a slide show presentation at Clark Hall by Dr. Norman
Hill.
In 1983, a gala event was held to
celebrate the history of Sagamore Beach. Members of the Colony Club played the
various roles of our original founders and characters, such as Mr. Coleman,Ms.
Hawes, Carville Hands, and Sadie Webber. The finale brought us to the present
as Judge George Burke almost refused the application for citizenship by Mr. Niit.
While the spirit of the Colony is
alive and well, so also is the treasury which supports the varied lands and
buildings necessary to the above activities. Kevin White has brought us into
the 21st Century with careful management of our non-profit status,
in addition to putting in place a well-defined budget for our future goals.
Fund-raising events during the last
quarter century have included a Dinner Auction, hosted by Jack Williams of
Channel 4 TV fame, “Little Joe Cook” dance parties, lobster-bakes
on the beach and a barbeque on Hawes field, as well as the completion and
raffle of two quilts - one in 1984 and another in 1992, both of which were
hand-appliquéd and quilted by some 26 women. Around-The-World delicious presentations
of food, drink, and ambiance followed the next year by a repeat performance of
an Around-The-USA representation were outstanding events in 1997 and 1998. Friday
night cocktail parties, organized for several years by the Doyles were
supportive of our new members and a way of bringing people together to meet new
friends and greet the old.
And one more noteworthy event was
“The Case of the Sagamore Shipwreck,” a Haley Production mystery theatre
at its best, and the highlight of the summer of 1992.
Over 100 people began the evening at
an oceanside Tahitian setting at the home of Joanne and Scampy Mclaughlin,
while the murder mystery unraveled and continued at Clark Hall to the tastes of
a delicious Luau.
Thus, our Colony Club’s
survival and growth has been possible because of those who have shouldered the
yoke of responsibility and kindled the flames again and again.
Some of the almost century-old
homes still stand on the shores of Sagamore Beach, having weathered the infamous
blizzard of 1977 and Hurricane Bob in 1991. So too, our nation has weathered
the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. At the same time, so also has the
heart and soul of our colony weathered the years and stood together, drawn
closer in our human connectedness. Though conflicted with the challenges of
modern life and a highly technological world, we continually are inspired and
enlightened by our wondrous jewel on the Bay, returning to our older, more
grounded conventions.
Our leif motif is surely the
salient understanding that family life and mutual support continue to keep the
colony’s flame alive. As the tide of our affairs ebbs and flows, we here
on the shore continue to hold on dearly to our steadfast love of Sagamore Beach.
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