From all that I have found, the 1969 Lone Star Boat Racing Association Awards Banquete for the 1968 racing year would be the first time Baldy was elected to anything regarding boat racing. Baldy studied the rule book front and back from the first time we every pulled a crank rope. He met and became friends everywhere we raced. I stayed in the background, but Baldy walked the pits and shook hands, and got to know a lot of racers and their families. He was not politicking. Baldy just like to get to know everyone and talk.

I think the Lone Star Banquete in Baytown was the first we attended because I had won a couple of awards. I don't recall any previous banquetes or annual meetings, so I am pretty sure this was our first, especially since it was the first time we stayed at the Tower Hotel.

Baldy was not pursuing any elective office. We were just there. Most of the people in attendance were long time boat racers and Baytown Boat Club members, but Louis Williams and a contingent from Beaumont were there as well as the San Antonio bunch and some from the Dallas area and South Louisiana. A few of us came up from Corpus Christi area including Dan Waggoner and his family, Steve Jones and his family, but I don't recall the Wetherbee's making the trip.

The referee that had run the races when I started, Homer Alford, had for some tragic reason taken his own life. His wife Joy (who shot the turkey in the head on a hunting trip Baldy arranged a little over a year earlier) was reelected scorer, and Jim Dailey, who was part of Bruce Nicholson's team was elected referee to take Homer's place. Jim continued to serve along with Buddy Aylor later as referee for Lone Star until it went under in the mid 80's.

All these officials that were elected were nominated from the floor. Presiding officials of Lone Star would ask the members in the audience who they wanted for each office. For the most, it was unanimous with only one uncontested name presented for the office. When it came to Referee, I think there were names bandied about because that was one office that Homer had held for awhile and it was one no one expected to have to fill. Joe might remember more about this, but I think after all the talk was done, and maybe a few were asked and declined, the person everyone kept coming back to was the steady, reliable, and always at every race....Jim Dailey. Then when it got to the racing commission, Baldy was nominated to be one of the commissioners. The Corpus Christi Boat Club had lost a number of members since the late fifties and early sixties, and I think there was no representation in any official capacity. So while Baldy was not seeking any office, his interest in the sport and his vocal opinions, plus the fact that he had already put on three successful races in South Texas, and had one on board for June his name was put up for a member of the racing commission. As noted in the NOA notice, Baldy was elected, and he went on to other elective offices as our racing progressed.