HOW THE CHURCH MOUSE GOT ITS NAME........

              As the story goes: Bob and ‘the Boys’ would assemble around 5PM at Bauer’s garage in Mar Vista. I must add this was not your normal  ‘garage’. This one sits on a hill with a view of Catalina.  

 

The subject of rising costs of marlin tournaments would come up. Then the thought of a “ Brown Bag Tournament”  But who will run it?  Well since Bob,- OK Carol, is so organized, why not them?  

 

 Then what about a name?  Bob had a reputation for leaving the ‘meeting’ early. He was nicknamed  ‘Church Mouse’. Still with me?

 

 O.K. now a logo.  It seems there was this picture of ‘Santa’ fishing from a row boat.  A friend of Robert Veltri transformed it into......Oh you get the picture.  

 

 The rest is history, as they say.  Little did we know.  

 The first year was small, 18 boats, no shirts just hats, visors and flags. True to Bob they were “Tan on Tan.”  Even with two babies, I had to hand color each hat and visor. What really made this what it is, was; Bob Blair suggesting that the proceeds go to Kids in Avalon.  Again, little did we know.

 As the years went on, more boats, more charities and more fun.  Somewhere along the way came raffle tickets, pieing the infamous Harbor master John Phelps, among other things.  

 Since this is such a fun group..........practical jokes are the norm.  It was nothing to wake up and have ‘Oasis’ turned around in the harbor.  Team ‘ICE BREAKER’ somehow went out of the Grid and found a Mermaid and naturally they had to weight her in.  She looked surprisingly like a Bud girl we had. 

 Also, one year, it seems some people had way to much time on their hands not to mention a lot of old bedsheets.  ‘They’ stenciled OASIS on the sheets then draped them on all the tournament boats.  We even had a airplane asking “Where is the OASIS?

 Well Bob couldn’t let all this go by let's say unnoticed.  So at the Gala Banquet, along with the winning trophy, came the infamous “Buttuters”  

 Given to teams and individuals who went above and beyond the call to get themselves noticed.     

 Reel Express decided to get in some practice and went out and caught, I believe, two fish before the tournament.  They managed to come in 2nd that year.

 

 Robert Veltri on Spare Parts, had some bad line. He got a buttuter and a drop line.

 

 Harvy and Patty Wills on Loco Conejo never really took the Church Mouse too seriously.   They would leave the harbor around 10A.M. and be back in by 1P.M.  Something about “Hula,Hula”  

 

 Rich Bauer has had his share of Buttuters, Its hard to believe that the man who is the “Golden Mic” would go around all day with his mic keyed.  One year everyone was looking forward to listening to him on the air, and what does Bill Melville do?  He takes him way out on the back side so it’s impossible to hear him.  We think someone got to Melville. 

 Al Berry and crew on Reel Loco earned their Buttuter by dressing in orange Cal-Trans uniforms.

 

 Many buttuters never made it out of the harbor,.  They get lost, run out of things,  have all girls, fish with bananas on board, not getting in on time, falling overboard,  miss the boat on Tuesday.  Pretty much no one is safe.  Even Oasis got one... something about wrapping up leaving the harbor.  I was on shore organizing, so they can’t blame me for that one.

 

 The all time winner has to be Jeff Jefferies on Jet Lag.  He has won for running out of fuel,  (it’s a 50’ Hatteras), running out of water (it’s a 50’ Hatt)  clogging both heads (it’s a.................)  I’d stay clear of him this year.  

 

 The 10th annual was a big milestone raising just over $62,000 Dr. Frank Blair, a promenent supporter of Catalina, pledged to match $10,000 if we could raise it at the banquet.  Well the money started pouring in. All prizes monies were donated back by the winners and many teams and individuals helped with the cause.  At the Captains meeting that year Team ‘Oasis’ was presented with a set of beautiful rods and reels from the First years participants.

 Also in 2000 a very special team entered, None other than the original ‘Church Mouse complete with row boat.........  and a tale or two.    Of course no tournament would be complete without ‘Rosie’ on the pier. If  you would like to learn even more about the Church Mouse, a video from 2002 will be available at this years events, which includes scenes from the very popular pie throwing event.  Not sure what prompted us to think that throwing a pie at the Harbor Master made any sense, but it is the Church Mouse and it’s a huge money raiser.   John Phelps always got to pick the pie that Teri Gill gladly volunteered to build each year. After Johns ‘retirement’ the Honor was passed to Avalon's Mayor, Bud Smith,  then to the present Harbor Master Brian Bray.

 This brings me back  to the heart of the Church Mouse.  So many people are a part of this and our family plays such a major role.  Our girls thought  this was how everyone spent their summer vacation.  We’ve had  constant support from Bob’s dad, RJ and Donna Rich who's house we took over for 3 weeks in August, my Mom, Bert Nelson, who took care of the girls and sometimes me, and most recently The Boys, Bobs brother, Tom, who would remind Bob it was a fishing tournament and maybe he should put out some lines, Bob’s sister Clare, Sandy and Son, Wes Bredin, who feeds, fetched, carried, sorted, and tore 12,000 raffle tickets,. Bob’s cousin Gary Butte, who is in charge of Raffle tickets, and sometimes Bob and I. Numerous nieces &nephews have helped out through the years, Summer and Josh Butte, Cara Butte, Ashley, Trish, and Heather Jefferies, and Jesse Butte, and our daughters Maggie and Kimi, who have grown to appreciate what the hard work is all about.  And if you read their community service report, you have to wonder why Bob and I show up. There is also our extended family, Jane Griffin, I feel she is my adopted daughter, as she is there for anything and everything, and our close friends Mark, Pam, Kendra, Devon, and Rushton Bray. Over the years different people would step up to the plate and help out.   Most recently, Riff Hintemeyer on Sea Dancer.  Since he frequents so many sport and tackle shops he is a perfect co-originazer, in charge of donations.