This oral history interview is a project of the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The legal rights of this material remain with the Outrigger Canoe Club. Anyone wishing to reproduce it or quote at length from it should contact the Historical Committee of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The reader should be aware that an oral history document portrays information as recalled by the interviewee. Because of the spontaneous nature of this kind of document, it may contain statements and impressions that are not factual.
Part 2
An interview by J. Ward Russell
June 22, 1995
JWR: This is Thursday, June 22, 1995, I am Ward Russell (JWR) a member of the. Outrigger Canoe Club’s Historical Committee. Our Committee has, for some time, been conducting an on-going program of oral interviews with prominent long-time members of the Club. Today it is my pleasure to interview a member of a kamaaina island family and a past president of the Club, General Benjamin Cassiday (BBC), U. S. Air Force, Retired. We are in the Board Room of the Club this afternoon on a beautiful Hawaiian spring day. Ben, good afternoon.
BBC: Good afternoon.
JWR: Delighted to have you here.
BBC: Thank you.
JWR: . . . even though you were a little bit late!
BBC: Yeah, [Laugh] – very late, as a matter of fact.
JWR: Tell me a little bit about you…Where were you born?
BBC: I was born in July, 1922, right here in Honolulu – Kapiolani Hospital. My mother was from a kamaaina family, as you say, my father was Air Force, in those days an Air Corps lieutenant, stationed up at Fort Ruger. They had two sons, myself and my brother Paul. I spent a lot of early childhood here but dad being an Air Corps officer did move around a bit, but he was able to swing two deals where he actually was re-assigned back to the Islands. I really left the Islands in 1936. I went to Aliiolani School up in Kaimuki for my grade school, and then I went to Punahou for a couple of years when my dad was transferred back to the Mainland, and I went to Culver Military Academy in Indiana. I graduated from there and got an appointment to West Point, which I had always wanted to do. I wanted to fly and a career as an Air Force officer sounded pretty good to me. I went to West Point, graduated in 1943, went to war – World War II – went into Africa and up into Italy, France and Germany. I flew 117 missions by the time the War was over. I had gone from lieutenant to major in two years, only because I survived. Following that, I had a normal Air Force career mostly in fighter planes. I got all the standard GI medals, and a couple of extras that were a little bit different. In all, a very interesting life.
JWR: Ben, tell me about those medals that were a little bit different.
BBC: The Soldier’s Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the British Flying Cross for leading the only raid ever on Venice Harbor. Another story within itself.
JWR: An interesting life! All around the world in so many different places!
BBC: Yeah, I was moving all the time. I commanded fighter wings in Europe. I was in Korea as a Navy Exchange officer during the Korean War and flew off a carrier, then I went back to fighters. I did have a tour at the Pentagon. I was assigned to the Air Force Academy when it was first started. I was the ninth officer assigned there and I was the first commander of the Cadet Wing, the new cadet wing at that time. I was there the first four years of its existence. It was very interesting only because everything was new – no ivy on the walls, no examples to copy, no traditions; everything on our own.
JWR: During the War did you spend any time in the Islands? Did you spend much time at the Club?
BBC: No, in 1944 I went to Africa, then to Europe and did not return to Hawaii until 1947 after the War was over. But, believe it or not, in 1936 when we lived out at Niu, my mother was a great friend of David Kahanamoku, not Duke but David, his brother, and I wasn’t a very good swimmer or surfer and my mother asked David to help. He taught me to swim and he taught me to surf, and he also signed me up for the Hui Nalu.
JWR: Hui Nalu!
BBC: Hui Nalu, which at that time was under the old Moana Hotel in kind of a hole in the wall where we kept our boards and things, but it was not until I came back here in 1947 that I bought a board – I bought it from Gay Harris, it was one of those old balsa-redwood jobs. It must have weighed 10,000 pounds, at least it seemed to me when I was dragging it out to surf. That’s when I really started having a lot of fun surfing, but I did surf all through my days at Punahou.
JWR: You surfed while at Punahou?
BBC: I was at Punahou and I came down here and surfed almost every day – at the Hui Nalu.
JWR: At the Hui Nalu.
BBC: . . . and I joined the Outrigger when I came back in October of 1947.
JWR: What prompted you to join the Outrigger?
BBC: I had always wanted to join it, I don’t know why but when I was a kid I thought it was not that important. David was my mentor and he was at the Hui Nalu at that time, and I just thought the world of him.
JWR: In ’47 you were active here in this Club?
BBC: I was and he was.
JWR: Oh, he was?
BBC: Oh, yes, most of those good old timers did join the Outrigger as time went on and David was there when I returned, as were most of his brothers; Duke was here all the time – you would know more about that than I. I didn’t really know Duke – I met him a few times, but I wasn’t acquainted with him.
JWR: Everybody seemed to know Duke but not many know about David. I was very fond of him,
BBC: I was too, I thought he was a real winner, the nicest gentleman I’ve ever met.
JWR: Well, let’s see . . . That was 1946 when you joined the Club?
BBC: 1947
JWR: 1947. When did you get out of the military?
BBC: I graduated in 1972.
JWR: 1972, Graduated! [Laughter]
BBC: Kicked me out, or whatever word you want. [Laughs]
JWR: What started your activity in the management of the Club – how did you get involved?
BBC: Well, I was always interested in the Outrigger and I always kept up with it, and a lot of my good friends, Tommy Arnott, you and a few others were presidents over the years when I was gone. I kept my membership during that time – it was a Nonresident type, because I was in Turkey, Europe, Japan or some far off place where I couldn’t really use the Club, but I didn’t want to lose that membership, so I maintained it all during that time. When I came back, I found all my good friends, like you and others working really hard for the Club. I became interested in how this place was being run – and exactly what had happened during the move and subsequent years.
JWR: When did you first get elected to the Board, do you remember?
BBC: Well – my guess is in the late 1970’s. I was on the Admissions Committee for quite some time, and went from there to a directorship, and then after that I became President.
JWR: I want to go back a minute. You said you were familiar with the old location in the thirties, and then, of course the move down here. What were your impressions of the new Club?
BBC: Well, I loved that old Club; playing with those top volleyball players. I wasn’t much of a player but enjoyed trying. The fun time at the beach, and everything was great. I really felt at the time when I knew the Club was moving, I have forgotten where I was in the world at that period, but I knew the move was going to be a real change and challenge, but I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to make my own evaluation, and I can honestly say I was more than pleased. I thought you guys had done a great job – everything, the building, the site, although the waves weren’t directly in front of us as they were down at the old Club, we had a new set of waves and did the same thing right out in front of us at the new site – so it was fine. Not fine, it was great!
JWR: Have you any recollections of interesting anecdotes or things that happened to you when you were at the old Club? As a youngster growing up and whenever you returned to Hawaii, going out with some of the....,
BBC: Yeah – Not that they are interesting to anybody else, but they certainly were to me, because I was a bachelor then, and this was the center of my social activities. I met a lot of great people, male, female, kids, everybody else – this was just a grand place to be – I was only 24-25 at the time and it just could not have been better.
JWR: What sport did you participate in, in high school or at West Point -what events?
BBC: I was a hurdler/sprinter in track. I was high point man on the West Point track team in 1942; I was on the relay team that won the Half-Mile Relay Championship of America in the 1943 Penn Relays. I was invited to try out for the Olympics in 1948. That was my main sport – I also numeraled in boxing at West Point. I managed to remain undefeated one year, but the next I was regularly defeated [Laughter] so,….
JWR: You involuntarily retired?
BBC: That’s right, I had slowed up some place [Laughter]. Those were good days. When I came back to Hawaii in 1947, I knew a lot of people I had known before I had left in 1939, many had gone to war too – and we had so many things in common to sit down and talk about, and lie about, and brag about and everything else. The last war story was always best. But it was always good, always fun.
JWR: We had a series of managers during that particular period. Do you remember any of them? Any impressions?
BBC: Well, Gay Harris is the one I really remember because when I came back as a young major, I hadn’t really established much in the Islands in comparison with other people…They knew my family, my cousin Jimmy Pflueger -everybody knew Jimmy – Paul wasn’t here at the time – he was still in college. I didn’t know that many people, but old Gay was so good to me. I don’t think I even had a sponsor. I don’t even remember how I got in. I came down and gave the Club a hundred bucks or so and he said, “You are a member”. [Laugh) I am not sure that is exactly correct, but as far as I am concerned that is the way I remember. [Laughter]
JWR: You don’t even know what the membership really meant.
BBC: I don’t think I really did. [Laughter.) I am sure they had had some kind of interview, but I don’t remember that.
JWR: Well, they were probably very glad to have you.
BBC: I think Gay also wanted to sell me a board. [Much laughter]. He got rid of the surfboard and got me at the same time!
JWR: Do you still surf?
BBC: No, I surfed when I first came back a little bit, but those big waves and my body didn’t quite get together.
JWR: How many years were you on the Board?
BBC: I was on six years.
JWR: Six years. You were elected President in what year?
BBC 1983. We had a kind of a foul-up Board session. As a result of the annual elections members of the Directorship who were above me in seniority were replaced, which put the automatic program of presidential succession so to speak, out of order, As a result I was only in the fourth year of my six-year term when Bob Moore, the outgoing President said, “Well, you’ve got it next”. That’s the system as it worked out. So I was on for two years as President rather than the normal one and I didn’t work my way up through all the channels everybody else had.
JWR: I’m glad it turned out that way as the Club was extremely fortunate to have had you as President for two terms. What were the highlights of your Presidency?
BBC: Well, basically – we had problems like…I am kind of evading this because of personal friends and all that, but there were certain problems within the Club that maybe still exist. Some problems never go away. The dining room, the service; we needed to take a fresh look at our manager, and that happened, of course, and this was one of the things that really bothered me. Our previous President, I believe, it was Bob Moore, but anyway he appointed Colin Chock, head of the search committee, and the Board sat down and drew up parameters of what they wanted in a club manager. These parameters were pretty direct, reportedly non-violate. Every candidate had to meet these parameters in order to be considered. Well, Colin did a hell of a job for us. He brought the people up, interviewed them, and he and his committee finally narrowed it down to about three to five people. We met, we narrowed it down further to two, and right about that stage these people were highly qualified, they’d been managers in some very outstanding clubs throughout the country, and they had records which spoke for themselves. Something happened to alter our plans. After all this research, somebody brought up the fact that well, each of these candidates was earning around 50,000 bucks a year, or more, which today is not a big figure. In those days it was, and the Club’s financial situation was not that strong. It wasn’t weak – the Board just didn’t want to spend that kind of money…chintzy is a good word.
JWR: A lot of money.
BBC: In those days it was. At that time it wasn’t any real issue about Ray Ludwig, he’d been the assistant manager and everybody enjoyed him and liked him. His figure was a lot lower, but unfortunately he didn’t meet most of the criteria for the job and that created somewhat of a dilemma for the Board. We had to decide whether we wanted to save money and get Ray or to stick to our guns – the criteria we laid out. The Board vascillated around in taking the vote but finally Ray was selected. I told Ray at that time that I knew I was about to be President and that I voted against him. It wasn’t against him, but for the need to meet the criteria. He didn’t quite fit – he didn’t quite fit? – he missed by a lot of what we were looking for. I wanted Ray to know from me that I had voted against him. I didn’t want him to find out from somebody else that the new President didn’t want him. And to be very frank with you, I was wrong, because Ray was a damned good manager for quite some time – he has since been relieved and I am not into the whys and wherefores and so forth, but Ray was a very good manager while I was there. That was one headache – there were other problems within the Club blamed on the managership.
JWR: I think Ray did a good job while he was there. Times change, conditions change. I am not privy to the reasons for the recent change of managers, but I did get the impression from some circles that they thought Ray did not have enough initiative to introduce new concepts and new things, and was not quite as capable as other people were. I don’t know if that was the reason for the change. Have you any thoughts on that?
BBC: Well, I do as a matter of fact. I’ve seen this, not only here. Throughout my Air Force career – there are certain problems that never go away, you can change face, you can do a lot of things, and you get somewhat of an immediate reaction and improvement, but for whatever reason things seem to go back to the same position they were in previously. I hope it doesn’t happen this time around. Ray and his staff were always good to me; maybe because I was Club President.
JWR: When I was President Ray and his staff always treated me very well and I was very happy with him. I could see things that needed to be done, that should be done, so maybe the change is all for the better, I just hope that Ray gets a good job and that the experience he had here will better prepare him for opportunities in the future.
BBC: I sure hope so, too. You know, there is another thing that was always an issue, still is an issue and is going to be more outstanding as time goes on, and that’s the ownership of the property here. We had a chance at one stage of the game when we made the offer which was more than honest, but evidently we didn’t sell it correctly to the Elks Club.
JWR: What property is that?
BBC: This is the property on which the Outrigger Club is located. I felt very sincerely that we should have even upped the ante at that time to try to get it within a reasonable cost, because down the pike sooner or later that is going to be a problem. You and I won’t be here to see it, but why do we want to leave it?
JWR: Yeah, yeah.
BBC: …..and now we can already see that this property has gone up greatly in value, and had we back, say, twenty years ago come up with a little bit more and maybe bitten the bullet.
JWR: Can you recall specifically what the offer was to the Elks Club at that time?
BBC: Four million bucks, give or take.
JWR: $4 million
BBC: And they came back, these are facts and figures I don’t know; but I just can’t understand the reason they didn’t take the four, which multiplied over 20 years at a normal interest rate, would have given them a hell of a lot of money. More than they’ll ever get out of it when they sell it. I believe the headquarters of the Elks Foundation automatically got half; that reduced their take to two million dollars and they thought, of course, at that stage of the game they were going to get this place back anyway, so why pay $2 million that was theirs. You were right here and you probably know the story better than I do, but as I understood it they originally needed cash so badly that they readily approved and accepted the terms of our 99-year Lease agreement. Despite this some of their members now contend that we took advantage of them. In fact, we helped them out considerably. But they have forgotten that.
JWR: They certainly have. We were very generous to them. They always think that we took them for a ride.
BBC: Yes, you are right,
JWR: It’s too bad. Are you familiar with any offers that have been made since you were President?
BBC: I have not heard a dollar offer. I heard that the Long Range Planning Committee has dealt with them recently on occasion. After I left the Presidency I served on the Long Range Planning Committee about two or three years later. We tried to resolve some of the issues then, hoping we could come up with a better figure, because the land was worth more. Very unsuccessful.
JWR: Something just recently might interest you. I ran into Ray Mongeon the other day and he said he was going to attend a meeting of the membership of the Elks Club to discuss a recent proposition that has been submitted to them by the Outrigger Canoe Club.
BBC: I know nothing about that.
JWR: I don’t either. I am trying to find out.
BBC: I’ve never heard of it. I am glad to hear it if it is something that makes sense, let’s do it.
JWR: I saw Ray Mongeon today, and he said, “I want to talk to you”, but he was busy. I am still waiting to find out what it is all about.
BBC: Who was that?
JWR: Ray Mongeon,
BBC: I thought you said Ray Ludwig, that’s the reason I was wondering…..
JWR: This is just recently. Are there any particular members of the staff you remember over the years, besides Ray?
BBC: Anzai is one. Some of those guys have been here before I was born I think! Liz is still here; Eddie, of course. I think Liz is about third on the totem pole. No. It is Ruby Yabiku. Another person I really liked was our former financial manager, Charles Hee. He kept us straight and narrow. I liked him. There is another thing that happened when I was President, really a little bit afterwards. It was about the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.
JWR: This is what?
BBC: The Outrigger Foundation. Ron Sorrell, then the Club President was very instrumental. The reason being he was concerned about the large amount of money going to canoeing every year and he felt that if we could get some kind of a foundation to support that with a 501(c)3 tax exemption that we could really, really go a long way with it. Well, everybody liked the idea. However there were a number of things which had to be worked out…..
JWR: Can I interrupt you for just a moment? Refresh your memory, maybe?
BBC: Sure.
JWR: I was one of the original trustees of the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.
BBC: That’s right.
JWR: One day Tom Lalakea, who was our President, asked me to meet with him. At our meeting he broached the idea of joining together the Outrigger Canoe Club with the Foundation, so he asked me if I would talk to somebody at the Club, and if you remember, I came to see you.
BBC: That’s right. You know I had forgotten about that. By golly, I’m glad you pulled that one in, [Laughter] after 20 years one’s memory plays weird tricks sometimes. That’s a good one. Then you and I and the Monsignor (Kekumano) got together…..
JWR: …..and Cline Mann……
BBC: …..a whole bunch of good people, and we finally worked up a proposal and a charter which was approved by both organizations. We had $40,000 I think, Duke Kahanamoku had twenty, so there was a two-to-one ratio of money going into the combined organization. The idea, basically, came from you I guess, at least it came from Tom . . .
JWR: Tom (Lalakea) to me. He was the original person who suggested it. He suggested it to me and I thought it was a great idea.
BBC: One, is that we had the resources, and two, you had the name, so when we put the two together it worked out legally and well for both of us.
JWR: And we were all getting too old to go out and raise money. We saw this vast pool of funds and fund raising resources at the Outrigger Canoe Club – so rather than go out singly to raise money, here’s the way to go! [Laugh]
BBC: Well, it worked out well, too. We met as you probably will remember up in Monsignor Kekumano’s office, and I have to give full credit to Tom for suggesting and the Board – the committee, I should say – for steering that thing through. Because even at the very closing there were some people opposing the idea. They were concerned that the philosophy and aims of one or the other organization might take over the whole thing. We were very careful, you remember to maintain and preserve the objective of each group. To do this we set a board ratio of two members of the Outrigger to one member of the community, because that was the initial funds put in. We had fund raisers and all that, big auctions…it was a good deal…..
JWR: Oh, I think it was the smartest move the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation ever made and I have to give full credit to Tom for coming up with the idea and to you for pushing it through.
BBC: Well, whatever it was it worked.
JWR: You know, I have conducted some, I guess this is the 15th interview I have conducted for the Club. This is the first time that we ever mentioned the amalgamation between the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and the Outrigger Canoe Club Foundation, so I am glad we have this one on tape. Ron will be interviewed, I am sure, and I think he could comment on that, too. I think you were really primarily responsible.
BBC: Yep. That’s right. On this side I was, there is no doubt in my mind either, because I had the time. A lot of people like yourself working, helping, and advising and what have you, but I had the time to devote almost 100% of my energies toward getting this thing rolling before it was too late. I give Ron full credit for his leadership on the Outrigger side of it
JWR: Yeah.
BBC: …..but there were other people who want to take credit for that, too, and I’ve heard them, but having sat right at this table I know who did it – at least I feel I know who did it. The idea came from somebody like Tom and yourself over to us, and I thought it was great.
JWR: It came from Tom. He called me and said, “I want to talk to you”, and he broached the idea to me, because I was one of the founders of the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, and I listened to him and I said, “Tom this makes good sense” and I said, “do you want to set up a meeting with Ben to discuss it?” and that’s how it came about, and I have to give you the credit, it was one of the best moves that…..
BBC: Well, I never dragged my feet on it, but I wasn’t sure it would work as easily as it has. I thought there would be a lot of crossfire and a lot of discussions, and I guess as time went on there were some differences of opinion but basically a very solid and good idea.
JWR: I have one question to ask you, How did you decide who was going to come first? The Duke Kahanamoku Foundation or the Outrigger. Canoe Club?
BBC: Well, I wish I could say I thought of it, but I didn’t, it just came out that way. [Laugh] I think that we had two-thirds of the money [Laughter]…but actually, I think it is better that way because, there was a lot of discussion of exactly what you are saying. People think it is an Outrigger thing named ‘Duke Kahanamoku’ or it is a Duke Kahanamoku thing within the Outrigger, so there were a lot of thoughts as to the way it would work.
JWR: I remember talking to Tom; of course my position at that time, “Don’t let the Outrigger overpower you with respect to the purposes of the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, which is to provide money, scholarships, for deserving people. I didn’t want it all to go to athletics, it should be kids who have a concept of Duke and all he stood for to enter the idea of the Foundation.
BBC: Ward, it worked that way, too. On the original Board, I was Vice President, Tom was president, Gladys Brandt – she was not about to let the Outrigger get ahead of her. [Laughter] There were a lot of people who made sure that the pennies came out right.
JWR: And, I would suggest that it looks now we are getting more of the athletics involved, but I think if you look at some of those people you don’t hear about because they are not big athletes, you’d probably find that the ratio is about the same.
Does anything else come to mind that you want to talk about’?
BBC: I will never forget one year when I was President – this has nothing to do with my being President, incidentally – Honolulu Magazine, ran a survey of the four major clubs, the Outrigger, Waialae, Oahu and Pacific on about ten different subjects: food, food service, the beach, the athletics, ambiance, all they could imagine to score the best on a ten-point best, one point worst basis. Outrigger came out so far ahead it was just amazing; and that gave us a real good feeling that we were doing it right. I am concerned right now, and. I think it is probably a matter of money. I don’t see our dining room, food service department being as good as it used to be. I might be mistaken, I hope I am, but I guess I worry about it and I thought that one of the reasons that Ray…I just want to say I know the new manager will take a look at that. We have the automatic built-in ambiance in the entire Club area, the beach, and we’ll always have that. Now, the food and its cost and the service are becoming an item of concern for many people – including myself on occasion – and I just hope the new manager will take a hard look at it to upgrade some of the things that need attention; still, you can’t beat the Outrigger.
You asked me a little about why I like it. I think I have built more friendships here than I would have in any other way – more nice guys, and more nice people and more helpful people, you know helping me, having been gone for so long in the military, come back to Hawaii and appreciating and liking the Islands as I do even though they have changed a lot. The people haven’t – they are all great.
JWR: This has been an interesting interview from the standpoint that you are the first person who has experienced such a great change. You were not with the Outrigger continually, you know, you experienced it when you were a youngster, you experienced it during the War years, and all of a sudden you have seen it after it moved from the old location. What do you think about the move?
BBC: Well, there again, I am somewhat repeating myself but I’ll say I was not happy about the thought of moving, but I didn’t have a solution either. I was too far away to even know the reasons except, of course, the lease, but when I came back I couldn’t have been more pleased. I just thought this was such a good move, much more professional club and fun club, the trees, the beach and the water in front of us – everything. We don’t have people crowding in from the beach and all that kind of stuff. We lost a little hit of the ability to carry a board to the beach and paddle out to the easy surf, but…..
JWR: It has become a family club.
BBC: That’s what I like. To me it always was a family club, I was here back in the forties when I first joined. It was a family club then, but I think even more so now. It sure was a lot of fun then for my age group which was in the middle twenties. You know the other thing that happened when I was on the Board, we were having a hard time with our paddling program. It was not that we were losers but we were not winners, you know we were always in second and third place. I’ve forgotten who came to me and said, you know the name of this Club is the Outrigger – let’s get with it, let’s start seeing what we can do about raising the quality and all that. Cline Mann played a big part in all the fun and games around here.
He had always been our “beach’ leader. We called on him to help the program again become a winner. He worked with the coaches, as well as the paddlers. He restored teamwork and cohesiveness in all of the beach and paddling programs. He was always “there”, providing guidance and support.
There were many others, too Tommy Arnott, Thad Ekstrand, Fred Hemmings, many of the younger members. But the point is that they were all here, while I was here (on the Board), and I think those guys really got their teeth into improving our program during the six years that I was on the Board. I give them full credit because they were old-timers who knew what needed to be done.
JWR: It has been a wonderful experience for me. I enjoyed your interview. When you conduct these interviews you get different slants… Anything else you can add?
BBC: No, but if I think of something I’ll call you. [Laughter]
JWR: This has been a real pleasure. This has been a privilege having you and getting your view point on some of the things that happened to the Club and are, still happening to the Club. If there is anything you can think of that you want to add, why just let me know and we’ll have another meeting.
BBC: Thank you.
JWR: Thank you very much. You realize it took about 35 minutes.
BBC: Just like you said.
JWR: That was a good interview.
OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB
HISTORICAL COMMITTEE
BENJAMIN BUCKLES CASSIDAY, JR.
Nomination for Life Membership
BENJAMIN BUCKLES CASSIDAY, JR. has served the Outrigger Canoe Club in a distinguished manner beginning as a member on December 15, 1947. He has served in many capacities, as a committee member, chairperson, director and officer as follows:
Chair – Admissions & Membership Committee – 1978
Director -1979
Secretary – 1980
Vice President Operations – 1981 & 1982
President – from February 28, 1983 to February 25, 1985 (2 years)
During his tenure as president the Club benefited as follows:
In 1983:
- Improvement of landscaping.
- Improvements in signage and new bulletin boards.
- Improvements to employee’s restrooms.
- Kitchen renovations (Phase II).
- Construction of new beach stand & water fountain.
- Complete rewrite of Membership Handbook.
- Intensive study and review of reciprocal clubs.
- Winged “O” awarded to Henry Keawe Ayau, Jr. and Charles William Brooks, II.
- Josephine Hopkins Garner and George Brangier awarded Life memberships.
Membership increased by 15 to 3,662 and member equity increased by $453,301 to $3,280,115.00.
In 1984:
- Improvements to snack bar.
- Upgrade of locker room fumigation.
- Purchase of new wine bar.
- Study of security to curtail non-members and unauthorized persons the use of Club.
- Outrigger Foundation achieved $75,000 in assets.
Membership increased by 96 to 3,758 and member equity increased by $468,000 to $3,749,000.
In addition; he served the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation as follows:
Director – 1986 (first ODKF Board) – 1994 – 1995 – 1998 -1999
Vice President – 1987 – 1995 – 1996
President – 1997-1998