Last Saturday afternoon families and friends emerged from every corner of the Southwest Shore Colony -- from cabins near the dam and cabins near the Castle Rock Trail, and from everywhere in between. Over 200 people of all ages, many wearing blue Big Bear Centennial T-shirts, converged on Keystone Point to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Southwest Shore Colony. What a celebration we had! The early settlers smiling down on us must have felt a sense of pride and satisfaction to see that the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation they initiated 100 years ago, is still alive and flourishing in the Southwest Shore Colony of 2012. Please read more about the Centennial Celebration Dinner last Saturday night. Those of you who attended the celebration will long remember the event. Those of you who were unable to attend missed "the party of the century!"
The celebration was made extra special by the unveiling of the Southwest Shore Centennial Album, a beautiful 10" by 8" hard-cover book that contains nearly 200 pages of photos and history about the first 100 years of the Southwest Shore Colony. Over 100 copies were distributed to Association members on Saturday, and each person remarked about how wonderfully the album captured the essence and feeling of the Southwest Shore experience. If any members do not yet have a copy and would like to order one, please read the ordering details.
We were honored and blessed to be a part of this milestone celebration in the life of the Southwest Shore Colony. We are in awe of the early settlers, who braved incredible obstacles just to get to the Southwest Shore in those early years, and who then persevered to carve out modest, rustic living quarters so that they and their families could enjoy the wonder and beauty of their surroundings. Let's strive to be good stewards ourselves of the Colony for whatever portion of the next century we are here, so that future colonists of the Southwest Shore will be celebrating our legacy at the 200th anniversary. Have a great summer!