April 2, 1973 – 2007

The TBMC organizational meeting took place March 1973.  The Club was Chartered April 2, 1973. From 1973 to 1993 the fiscal year was October through September.  In 1993 the fiscal year was amended to January.

The Tampa Bay Mariners Club was formed April 2, 1973 to provide an interchange of information intended to improve the business of Marine Insurance and to maintain equitable and lawful business principles, along with high standards of ethical and sound business practices among its members.

The charter originally included individuals employed in the Management, Administration and/or Technical support of Marine Insurance. In 1983, membership criteria were expanded to include all individuals who were employed in the Maritime Industry and any or all allied fields.

On March 4, 1973, Tom McClave (Geo. F. Brown then Hull & Co. now Brown & Brown), met with other insurance people to see if there was an interest in forming a Mariners Club in the Tampa Bay area. Thirty-two attended a meeting at the Causeway Inn, Rocky Point, Tampa, Florida.

On April 2, 1973, Charters from clubs in Boston, Atlanta and Jacksonville were reviewed and the Tampa Bay Mariners Club Charter was adopted:

The Tampa Bay Mariners Club’s first officers were:
Dick Blake* – Skipper – Fireman’s Fund
Dom Politis – First Mate – INA-Insurance Company of North America
Frank Muoio* – Purser – MOAC-Marine Office of America Corporation
Alice Jardine – Yoeman – Aetna Insurance Company – i.e. Little Aetna

Traditionally, officers moved-up in line, and Don Politis became the second Skipper.

Other Charter Members were Woozy Bouck*, Margaret Porcelli, Dick Murdock, Rick Wheeler, Yvonne Boyle, Red Aydelotte, Tom Howland, Capt. John Brewster* and Skip Spanczak.

In 1976, the first female Skipper, Sylvia Bennett, CPCU, was installed – Sylvia wrote the Bennett Review Guide for the CPCU Society.

The 1979 Skipper, Yvonne Boyle, attended the First International Mariners Conference, held in Toronto, Canada. The Second International Conference was held in Tampa, Florida, in March, 1980. This Seminar was the beginning of the Tampa Bay Mariners Club’s annual educational seminars as well as the birth of the International Mariners Pin, “The Compass Rose” worn on the lapels of its members.

Each year, the Club’s Skipper had the challenge to conduct an educational seminar. With the assistance of members, the seminars were well-received and focused on a wide range of subjects of interest to those in the maritime industry.

In 1989, David Allen (past Tampa Bay Mariners Club member), moved to Ft. Lauderdale and with the assistance of the Tampa Bay Mariners Club’s officers, the Ft. Lauderdale Mariners Club was formed. On October 25, 1989, the first educational seminar was held in Ft. Lauderdale to coincide with the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, and the tradition continues.

Congratulations to the Mariners Clubs countrywide for their expertise, energy, dedication, time and efforts to the enhancement of the Maritime industry.

Yvonne Boyle
Tampa Bay Mariners Club
Past Skipper  – Charter Member