Cruzin' Set the Stage for
the 2014 SEA Rally at The Hernando County Airpot in Brooksville,FL from January 26- February 2, 2014.
Clearance was gained for a group of Maestros to arrive at the Hernando County Airport on Saturday, Jan. 25 to “erect” the Rehearsal Hall for the Maestros. The now famous Rehearsal Hall is retiring after many years of providing space for the rehearsals and gatherings.
Arrival day for SEA
Maestros was January 26, 2014. Ever
ready to jam several Maestros “tried out….proofed” music.
Maestros arrived at
the Rehearsal Hall tent for a Monday morning continental breakfast to get the
pre-rally started.
Elected were David Fuller, President, Bob Mack, Vice President, Sandy Fuller, Secretary and John Reever, Treasurer. The National delegate is David Fuller and the associate delegate if John Reever.
On the third day of
rehearsals Maestros were set up in the Morning Coffee Tent. Because of downsizing by SEA this tent was
less than half the size of the usual tent.
Drums and keyboard and large instruments were moved in the day
before.
During the night a
forceful cold front dumped rivers of water at the Herenando County
Airport. The Maestro Director looked in
at 6:30 AM to discover “rivers” swirling around the drum set, and the keyboard. He began sweeping for an hour before help was
summoned. Intense sweeping, inside and
outside, only diverted some of the streams.
Meanwhile temps dropped to 46 degrees….and the Maestros, in their winter
wear, held practice in the damp tent.
Maestros enjoyed an
evening out to eat at a Café Masaryktown, a Cuban-Spanish Restaurant. Spirits were not dampened by the increasing moisture
falling from the sky.
The anticipation of
the first morning coffee was quickly drowned by rains that fell in the
night. The “floor-parking lot” of the
tent was filled once again. Just after
5:00 AM it was determined that a
cancellation was in order. No one would
want electric cords in the water or visitors sitting with wet feet and hot cups
of coffee.
The Maestro
instrumentalist provided pre-opening ceremonies for the gathering crowd.
Charlie Adcock, FMCA
International president, “hijacked” the Maestro baton to lead the group. Pure delight registered on his face.
National Anthems for
Opening Ceremonies were led by the Frustrated Maestros.
After two days of
canceling moring coffee Saturday, Feb. 1 finally dawned without rain. The
5:45 AM wake calls were not needed to alert some 50 Maestros. And sing and play their hearts out they did!!
The director for the
2014 rally was Charles Marston. The
chorus director was Cynthia Colter.
Sea Sharps held their
traditional luncheon at noon on Saturday.
Fairwell Brooksville
SEA is moving away after 16 years.
The rally will convene in Sarasota, FL next February 9, 2015.
The history of this airport is interesting. During WWII the
Herenando County Airport was a training ground for the Army Air Corp,
later known as the Air Force.
At the end of the war the base was surplus property that
could not be used for anything but an airport without Federal Aviation Authority approval.
In 1957 a world drag race record was set at 170 miles an hour and
a year later 180 mph. Hernando county took it over and leased one runway
to a company running a cattle feeding operation. The scale house is now
the FMCA office for this area.
Sixteen hundred acres of the airport was planted with timber and
timber sales were the mainstay of the airport. A trucking company leased
the runways for a training space. They left in 1996.
SEA is moving away from Brooksville , selling the building and
well known Taj tent. Chairs, tables and
physical equipment are being sold.
The town of Brooksville, FL is very sorry to see the rally leave
the area but adequate accommodations for a reasonable price cannot be achieved
at the Hernando County Airport. Many
members of SEA are sad at the need to leave, also.
