The consummate volunteers - Dudley and James Grove
by Katie Nicoll on 13 Aug 2011
Dudley and James Grove doing what they do best - volunteering - 2011 Chester Race Week Ryan Cameron
Having lived in the Chester, Nova Scotia area for four generations, the Grove family name is old news to the locals. Jim and Dudley Grove live in St. Louis, Missouri.
They spent their summers at 'The Grove' with their two sons and daughter. Their son was married last year just after Chester Race Week, at the summer home, in the middle of a hurricane, with no water or electricity!
Grandpa Grove was very active at the Chester Yacht Club and several silver trophies, one of which was donated in 1935, can be found in the trophy case with the Grove name as donor. Generations before that, another Grove built the Grove Hotel/Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. Jim and Dudley Grove were both made life members of the Chester Yacht Club in 2005 for their outstanding contributions.
They spearheaded the fundraising events for the Lordly House in Chester, a historic home/museum and the original meeting place for the magistrates and clerk for the municipality of the district of Chester 1879 – 1919, until his son was no longer the clerk.
Chester Race Week will find them hosting the annual cocktail party for the 100+ volunteers, giving room and board to out-of-town judges and media, allowing numerous boats to use their dock and boat house, and helping at the yacht club ticket booth.
They are two of the most genuine likeable, fun, hospitable, friendly, welcoming, generous…. (have I got enough adjectives) that you will ever meet in or out of a yachting community. Chester Yacht Club is lucky to have them.
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