The food is gone, the flags folded and stored in mothballs, and the launch is drained and winterized. The last cup of coffee has been brewed and downed and the only regular faces on site every day are Jim Matel and Donna Brewer. Work day last Saturday was well attended and the myriad of large and small jobs required to put the club to bed were accomplished with ease, skill and speed. Donut holes and coffee were the rewards along with the satisfaction of a job well done.

Over 80 members stepped up to the plate to attack Jim Matel’s to do list and by 11 a.m. Commodore Lee Krow pronounced the task completed and the club buttoned up for the winter.

Step back one day from work day to Friday night when a record 75 members attended the closing potluck supper. Under the direction of Andy and Alice Mutch, and with a staff of tried and tested veterans, a generous helping of new members gathered to enjoy a wide variety of casseroles, salads, rolls, vegetables and the piece de resistance, a delicious Smithfield ham cooked and served by Chef George. Ice cream with a fabulous butterscotch sauce topped off the meal.

The Gillespies were honored and given a standing ovation for their many years of leadership of the opening and closing potluck summers.

The news of the evening is that Chef George has agreed to return to our kitchen for next summer and the summer of 2015 as well. What is even more of interest is a strong and probably valid rumor that the season will extend through the entire month of September in 2014. Congratulations to the Krow administration for understanding that September is one of the prettiest months of the year and that our membership is here in the Harbor and anxious to make use of the club’s facilities and programs.

Who said the season was over? Thursday, Oct. 17 is our annual Halloween Party, this year to be held at the home of Alice and Andy Mutch on Plummer Road on Southport. Hosted by the Mutches and Gardiner Rapelye, 1730 is the time to arrive and as usual with the fall and winter events it is BYOB and appetizers. As for costumes, “You make your own choice.” If you have an alter-ego, bring him or her along; or, if you prefer to observe rather than participate, that’s OK also. Call Alice at 410-353 3861 if you have any questions. Park with care along Plummer Road and bring a flashlight for the trip home. By the way, there was some wine left over from the bar and it will be available at the party for aficionados.

Peggy Chapman reports that the lunch bunch is now safely ensconced in their winter home at the Center Café. “We had a great group of seven last Wednesday. Free little cookbooks were a gift all enjoyed. See what surprises you miss when you don’t come? We bid farewell to Lucy Scribner, heading back to Charleston — and welcomed Sandi Hakanson, now fully retired, who will grace us with her sunny presence often. The Center Café now serves wine, so you can enjoy a glass with your lunch if you wish, as one regular member often does.