Our Beginning

In the beginning.....
In 1997 while on a business trip to the State of Maine, my husband (Mickey) and myself (Carol)
visited Portland Head Lighthouse. We were in awe of this magnificant structure and wanted to see more. Thus began our adventure of Chasing Lighthouses. In the few days left , we saw Cape Elizabeth Two Lights, Breakwater Light, Spring Point Light and Ram Island Light in Portland.
Each one so different and unique in it's own way. The more we saw the more we knew we were Hooked on Lighthouses.
Now by this time, we knew that Lighthouse Clubs were all over the coast and we were interested in becoming a member of one, preferably in our own area. We did our research and located two in our State of Georgia, but they were located so far away from the Augusta area, that we begin to think in terms of starting our own Club. We were making our plans and learned that a Folorida Club was taking a trip to visit Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and we thought it would be interesting, we contacted a friend we had met while visiting a lighthouse in Georgia and she wanted to go and bring a friend. We made the trip to Florida, met the President of Tampa Bay Lighthouse Club, Wayne Hawes and other members of the Club. We had the priviledge of visiting Cape Canaveral Lighthouse with the Florida Lighthouse Association, which is rare because it is located on the Base and the general public is not permitted except by bus and you have to stay on the bus. Wayne Hawes and some of the Tampa Bay Lighthouse Club members were very supportive of us and offered some information to help us to get started with our own Lighthouse Club.
We stated the CSRA Harbour Lights Collector's Club on November 9th, 2003. We had eleven people to sign up as Charter Members. Our first meeting was held at the Aiken Bookstore in Aiken, S.C.

Five Members attending were:

Back row left to right
Michele Bowen, Carol Scoggins, Mickey Scoggins
Seated: Mary Young & Dr. Henry Young.
Michele Bowen left us all too soon, but if there are Lighthouses in Heaven, Michele is the Keeper of one. We all miss her and we will always remember her as a Great Lighthouse Lover. She was an inspiration for forming this Club. She loved Lighthouses.

We appointed officers: Mickey & Carol Scoggins, Founders

                                                                                    Mickey Scoggins, President
                                                                                    Everette Guy, Vice President
                                                                                    Carol Scoggins, Secretary & Treasurer
                                                                                    Glen Hadden, Membership Chairman
                                                                                    Mary Young, Travel Coordinator

We held our first Christmas Party at the home of Mickey & Carol Scoggins. Each member attending was given a book entitled:
"America's Atlantic Coast Lighthouses a Traveler's Guide" in hopes that our members would use this book as a guide for traveling and find the excitement and joy of Chasing Lighthouses as we have. At our next meeting on January 10, 2004, we adopted Club By-Laws and also decided to add a little humor to the officers title. Changing President to (Keeper),  Vice President to (Assistant Keeper), Secretary (Keeper of the Logs), Treasurer (Keeper of the Chest). Parliamentarian, (Keeper of the Peace).
After one year we held an election for new Officers: They were:

                                                                         Mickey Scoggins, Keeper
                                                                         Glen Hadden, Assistant Keeper
                                                                          Carol Scoggins, Keeper of the Logs
                                                                          Julie Hadden, Keeper of the Chest
                                                                          Pete Cunningham, Keeper of the Peace

All officers would serve 3 year term and another election would be held October. 2007.

Anclote Key Lighthouse

At the invitation of Wayne Hawes, President of the Tampa Bay Lighthouse Club, we
attended the re-lighting of Anclote Key Lighthouse after the Tamp Bay Club had finished their restoration. This was their big project and they did all the work themselves.

Photos below: The boat that took us over to the Island. An awards Ceremony with Bill Younger, President of Harbour Lights, Inc. and a beautiful sunset waiting for dark and the re-lighting of the Lighthouse on Cedar Key Island, FL.

Photos of Cape Canaveral Lighthouse

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Below: Dr. Sonny Whitt, Civilian Deputy Base Commander with Michele Bowen & Macie Michele Bowen, Veronica Kinsey & Macie Mickey Scoggins, Michele Bowen & Carol Scoggins

Photos on Cape Canaveral at the Lighthouse.