Reunion 1998!
Seven hundred Harbour Lights collectors invaded America's
smallest state early in October, 1998 -- and Rhode Island and it's lighthouses won!
Judging from the positive comments received so far, it
appears that Collectors enjoyed our second Family Reunion almost as much as we did!
After all those months of planning and preparation, we were
finally together again, ready to enjoy the one another and the beautiful lighthouses of
Rhode Island.
Collectors started gathering at the Westin Hotel in downtown
Providence as early as Wednesday morning for two optional pre-Reunion motor coach tours of
regional lighthouses arranged by Conway Tours. On Wednesday the tour visited Western Rhode
Island and Connecticut lighthouses and on Thursday the tour went to Cape Cod. On the
Monday following the Reunion, a third tour took 99 people to Portland Head Light and
worked down the Maine coast viewing and visiting other lighthouses. Other Reunion
attendees took advantage extra tours to visit Rose Island Lighthouse on Friday morning and
Sunday afternoon.
 Registration
We held a short pre-registration Thursday evening, then
continued all day Friday, October 2, from 8 am to 8 pm so our guests could sign in.
It was a chance to greet old friends and meet new ones. And
it was a chance for registrants to get their first glimpse of the Collectors Reunion gift
- a miniature Rose Island RI sculpture.
In addition to the miniature Rose Island lighthouse, guests
also received a cloth tote bag filled with goodies as well as a
schedule of events and tickets to exchange at various functions during the weekend.
Ship's Store and Gallery
On the third floor of the Westin, our "Ship's
Store" was open for business all day Friday with several brand new logo items
including a black suede leather jacket with a large "Harbour Lights"
embroidered image on the back. (It quickly became known as the "HL's Angels
jacket".) We took 125 to the Reunion and brought back only a handful. Other popular
sellers were books - including the "Legendary Lighthouses" companion guide to
the PBS series of the same name.
In the gallery was a display of all the Harbour
Lights lighthouses and Anchor Bay ships we've ever made. More than a few collectors had a
chance to see an original Cape Hatteras for the first time.
The display also included a few items that would later be
auctioned or given away on Sunday morning.
John Chidester, our Webmaster for www.HarbourLights.com,
was on hand in the ship's store demonstrating the new official web site and passing out
brand new Harbour Lights' mouse pads to visitors.
Friday Evening Reception & Dinner
All 700 of our closest friends and family gathered together
in one place for the first time on Friday evening for a reception at 5:30 and a "Home
Style" dinner at 6:30 in the ballroom of the Westin.
Reunion attendees had a chance to purchase "opportunity
tickets" for a drawing of unique and special Harbour Lights items.
(About this time the elevators of the Westin were being
taxed to the limit, frustrating many.
 It was to
be a regular challenge whenever we were gathering or leaving a scheduled event.)
After dessert, a guest speaker, Richard Clark, an avid
collector and member of the Steering Committee reported on the deliberations of Site
Selection for the National Lighthouse Center and Museum. Or at least he did until he said his
choice was not Staten Island NY, but Kansas City!
 That's when comedian Rick Ciesler revealed himself and brought down
the house laughing to his timely and topical humor.
To close out the official evening, the fifes and drums of
the Ancient Mariners of Connecticut woke everyone up with rousing renditions of sea chants
and original songs. We don't think anyone fell asleep during their act!!
After dinner, many collectors gathered in informal groups to
renew or make acquaintances.
Saturday - Cram Packed With Events!
We started with an early breakfast in the Westin
Ballroom. (When cousin Kim says 6 am, she means it!!)
One if by Land, Two if by Sea?
When our collectors registered, they were divided into two
groups. The 'Helmsmen' began their day on the water, aboard the Vista Jubilee touring Narragansett Bay and seeing Lighthouses from
the "working side". The 'Quartermasters' started with a motor coach tour
seeing totally different lighthouses from the land side.
The two groups crossed paths at the
 Newport Yachting Center near Ida Lewis Rock
lighthouse, for lunch under the "big top" tent. Next they switched places and
complete their day of touring many of Rhode Islands well-preserved lighthouses.
On the coach tour, we visited Point Judith Lighthouse,
Beavertail Lighthouse, Castle Hill, and made a picture 'op' stop at Ida Lewis Rock
lighthouse.
Bill, Nancy and Kim remained aboard the Vista Jubilee,
greeting and talking with each group as the ship made her way around the Bay. Bill was
seen snapping a good number of pictures along with the many, many collectors who also
captured their visit to the Reunion on film.
While viewing the lighthouses from the water didn't allow us to walk up and touch them, it did
provide the opportunity to see lighthouses that are nearly impossible to get good view of
from land. Some are on private property or are within gated communities that frown on 40
foot motor coaches as guests.
The captain kept up a running commentary during the water
tour, filling us in on the history of the lighthouses we viewed and
 positioning the boat so those on either side could get an
exceptional view. There were a number of times when it seemed like EVERYONE on board was
either on the port side or the starboard side to take in the view of one lighthouse or
another.
Guides on each of
 the
eight motor coaches we chartered for the land tour provided information
on the region and the lighthouses we visited.
You can see more pictures of the lighthouses we visited
by land and sea in the Reunion Scrapbook.
Great Ending to a Great Day!
The two groups finally linked up at the Westin about 4:30 pm
on Saturday. With a few minutes to freshen up and visit the Ship's Store and Gallery, we
were off again -- on foot to a really "Big Top" tent on the lawn of Rhode
Island's Capital Building.
 This time,
we were treated to a "Down East" dinner including Maine Lobster.
The evening ended with dancing under the "Big Top"
with music by "Millennium."
Sunday - 'Brunch With Bill'
A sumptuous brunch was spread out in the anteroom to the
Westin Ballroom for our collector family on Sunday morning. The informal brunch started at
8:30.
While the food was plentiful and delicious, there was an air
of anticipation as a number of highly sought-after Harbour Lights items (and a few
one-of-a-kind 'bloopers') would soon be available through either the opportunity drawing
or by auction. Proceeds from both were designated for the preservation of Great Lakes
lighthouses.
We began auctioning off some things that (at least to us)
had absolutely no value. But we found collectors thought them worthwhile as they
snapped up bus number signs, event posters and other one-of-a-kind Reunion memorabilia.
The most hotly contested auction items:
- A "dimestore watch at a Rolex price" as Kim
described it. The result of an early idea to produce a "Harbour Lights" wrist
watch with lighthouses around the dial. We had invested substantial amounts of time and
money before deciding to scrap the project. The remains: 12 prototype watches. One sold
for $500. Another was given away in the opportunity drawing.
- A one-of-a-kind 6" statute of Bill dressed in a
lighthouse keepers uniform (Kim suggested it could be used as a voodoo doll!) brought
$1,600!
- The only remaining pewter tree from the 1998 Old Field NY Christmas Lighthouse (mounted
on a genuine wood-toned plastic base!) $350
- Wrong colored clambake sign $150
- Anchor Bay Artists Proof of the Lightship Portsmouth $700
- Apron with Harbour Lights' annual buttons $300. (Kindly
donated by Dee Brandt.)
Perhaps the crowning jewel for the auction was a pair of sculptures of the
Kilauea, HI lighthouse. One was a one-of-a-kind early prototype that led us to decide to
augment the sculpture by the addition of a small keeper's quarters. The other of the pair
was a "paint sample" of the final sculpture. The pair of two unique Harbour
Lights lighthouses were won by Frank & Carolyn Carbone who outbid others at $5,000
(You can expect to see this lighthouse sometime in 1999, but we swore everyone to secrecy
on just when.)
The auction brought in a total of $9,090.
The opportunity drawing included many, many Harbour Lights lighthouses - including one or two that seemed to draw the most
interest - such as an original Cape Hatteras NC, (won by Mike Kaiser, right) and a
Coquille River OR (won by Peter Flihan.)
The original beautful water color of Rose Island
lighthouse by Mark Sherman was won by James Hilton.
Prints of this lighthouse were also given to each guest at the Reunion on Sunday morning.
Other top auction items:
- Paint masters or Artists Proofs of:
- Roosevelt Island NY
- Cape Canaveral FL GLOW
- Hunting Island SC
- Morris Island SC
- Montauk NY GLOW AP (original)
- Point Judith RI
- Crew shirt (like the ones worn by our staff during the event)
- One-of a kind Seven Foot Knoll MD sculpture won by Linda Boyd
- Six others won APs of the Seven Foot Knoll piece when it
comes out in 1999.
The opportunity drawing proceeds: $14,000. The grand total
of $23,090 is being donated to the Great Lakes Lighthouse Museum project for the
preservation of Great Lakes lighthouses.
Good Bye
We bid fond farewells to our "Reunion Family"
after brunch. Some were heading right home on Sunday afternoon, while others were
extending their stay to visit lighthouses (and other scenery) in New England.
The Reunion Remembrance: Rose Island
At registration, each person received a numbered miniature
of the Rose Island Lighthouse.
Unfortunately, the full size version of the Rose Island
Reunion Event exclusive did not arrive in time to distribute them at the Reunion. We
began shipping them to attendees on Monday, October 19.
Six thousand Society members chose to purchase a slightly
different version of the Rose Island lighthouse; those will ship to dealers the end of
October and early November.
 Using a book of tickets received at registration, we presented four
different "thumbnail" versions of Harbour Lights lighthouses to our Reunion
guests at various times during the weekend. The thumbnails included Rose Island,
Beavertail, Point Judith, and Southeast Block Island.
  
Our full-sized Point Judith RI Lighthouse will begin
shipping to dealers in early November.
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