Surfcasters Groups Meets

For Awards, New Officers

The Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association will hold its annual banquet and awards ceremony Saturday, Jan. 26 at noon in the Baylies Room of the Old Edgartown Whaling Church.

President Jeff Sayre said the event is open to members and all those who are thinking of membership.

The association is a recreational fishing club now in its 19th year. The group has 150 members.

An awards ceremony will honor the top club anglers of 2007.

Items valued at a total of $8,000 have been donated for the annual raffle. Money raised goes to the association’s new high school scholarship fund, begun last year. Funds also go to the Red Stocking Fund and the annual Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club’s trout tournament. The club also supports trips for Martha’s Vineyard Boys’ and Girls’ Club members aboard The Skipper, a party fishing boat in Oak Bluffs.

Patrick Toomey of Edgartown’s Among the Flowers Cafe of is preparing the meal.

Tomorrow the club plans to honor Paul Schultz of Edgartown for his 19 years in the executive committee. Mr. Schultz, a vice president, is a long-time employee of he Trustees of Reservations and an active recreational fishing enthusiast.

Jeff Sayre is stepping down after five years as president. In his term, the association has doubled in members.

Janet Messineo, a past president, of Vineyard Haven is expected to be voted in as president. She is among the Island’s top recreational surf fishermen and runs Island Taxidermy.

Looking forward to her role with the association, Ms. Messineo said: “We do have a really good crew, a lot of willing people in the club. Years before we had a lot of ideas for projects but we didn’t have the bodies. Now we can be really creative.”