Contra Costa's 50th Anniversary Highlights Council History

Sea Power, Mar 2004 by Atkinson, Peter

The Contra Costa, Calif., Council saluted the 50th anniversary of its charter into the Navy League with a celebration Jan. 23 that gave members, friends and visitors a chance to relive some of the council's history, and take a little piece of it home.

As part of the celebration, the council put on display photographs, various historical materials - including a copy of the charter - and documents that had been collected from members, according to council President William Sharkey. The 85 or so attendees were invited to take some of the photos and documents home with them after the event - which featured a speech by National President Sheila M. McNeill and the presentation of a citation from Navy League headquarters to the council in honor of the occasion - concluded.

"Since a lot of the stuff had just been sitting in boxes, we thought if people saw something they liked and wanted, it would make for a nice keepsake," Sharkey said.

The Contra Costa Council's origins trace back to the post-World War II era, according to Lorraine Hughey, editor of the council newsletter and two-time past president. But much of what was on display during the 50th anniversary party had been collected during the past two decades, said Sharkey. Both Sharkey and his wife, Jeanne, have been council members for 20 years or more, and have served two terms as president.

Several members who attended the anniversary have been with the council for more than 30 years, including Jack Cochrane, who is celebrating his 40th year of membership, and past President Richard Breitwieser. But documentation of the Contra Costa Council's history from the time they joined and earlier is difficult to come by, Sharkey said.

The Fuzzy Lens of History

Indeed, the same may be true for a number of councils, according to council members who spoke with Sea Power. Unless a council is careful to designate someone to maintain official files, meeting minutes, etc., the materials can easily be lost. And even if council documents and memorabilia are collected, the documentation sometimes is not diligently maintained. Files, papers, photos and other materials can end up stashed in boxes or file cabinets in members' basements and attics and forgotten, or worse, destroyed.

Historical documentation not only can provide a record of how a council came to be, but also show the important role it played in supporting efforts on behalf to the sea services in its local area. Council histories also feed members' appetites for lore and legend about their organization and related maritime events.

But because of the loose-knit nature under which many councils formed - especially in the early days before a more formal structure was established - histories can be somewhat fuzzy, sometimes comprising a collection of anecdotes passed on by word of mouth or gathered from snippets of old clippings from newspapers and newsletters, rather than official documentation.

"Records and archives need to be kept, otherwise the information is lost," said Burt Olson of the Twin Cities, Minn., Council. In doing some background research on the origins of the council, Olson found that historical records were scattered and "council presidents did not catalog or central file" materials relating to the council.

He and Upper Midwest President Marv Mirsch spent four days tracking down information on the council's chartering via phone, tax and e-mail. While the Twin Cities Council was incorporated March 27, 1978, Olson and Mirsch found evidence of an unofficial organization - originally Naval Air Reservists from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area - and meetings dating back to the 1960s. In 1973, operating under the aegis as a Navy League council, Olson said the group even sponsored the Twin Cities Naval Sea Cadet Division.

The Contra Costa Council sprang up following World War II in the community around Concord Naval Weapons Station, which was an annex to the Navy's Mare Island facility in nearby Vallejo that had an active council, according to newsletter editor Hughey. Word spread of the Navy League among area veterans, weapons station workers and community members who supported the station and the ships it supplied. "They thought it was a good idea and decided to form a council, I guess that's how it formed," she said.

The Contra Costa Council was chartered on Jan. 26, 1954.

Council No. 1

There now are more than 280 Navy League councils around the world. However, it was not until some 40 years after the national organization was founded in New York that the Navy League began officially chartering councils in 1942.

The councils were to provide a localized focus for its mission and goals by: educating community leaders about the importance of sea power; giving direct support for those serving in the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine; supporting sea service family members; and supporting the communities' youth.

Council grassroots, however, go back much further. Vallejo, Calif., "Council" activities are mentioned in the local Vallejo Times-Herald at least as early as 1934, according to council member and former President Kenneth Zadnick, who's been tracking its history for the past several years.