One of the must-see
attractions at the annual
Madisonville Wooden Boat Show is
the "Boats for Kids" tent operated by
Guild members, their families, and
friends. At the tent, children of all
ages demonstrate their creativity by
designing boats to be built from the
piles of raw materials on hand.
Each creation begins
with the child selecting a
foot-long mini boat hull and two
pontoons (added for stability).
Like Mardi Gras Krewes, the Guild
begins preparation of these
components long before the event.
About April, they receive the raw
lumber (donated for the past few
years by the
Poole
Lumber Company). Work groups
meet to cut and shape the lumber
into the 1200 to 1500 hulls and
twice as many pontoons that will
be required. Additional material
is prepared for masts, topsides,
sails and flags.
The hulls, pontoons, and
assorted pieces that have been
picked out by the children for the
topsides of the boat are next
carried to one of ten to twelve
woodworkers that are on duty at
any given time during the two-day
event. At each workstation, the
child dictates the assembly, under
the "no reasonable request
refused" dictum. For extra
entertainment, the woodworkers
delight in ignoring the
second-guessing and attempts at
coaching from parents, who are
roped off from the "kids-only"
area.
