Every once in a while, the stars align for an ACBS Chapter where dynamic leadership and enthusiastic participation take things from ho-hum to WOW! Judy and Alan Hills, at the helm of the North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont Chapter, are working hard to create engaging opportunities for classic boating enthusiasts.
Judy, a Florida native, has been involved with boating all her adult life, and when she married Alan, their interests in boating and old boats aligned. They raised a blended family of seven children, all of whom lived with them. Five were Alan’s and two were Judy’s. When the kids were all out of the house, Alan and Judy had more time to engage fully in their boating interests.
They found their way to ACBS when Alan was checking out the local boat yard not long after moving to New Bern in 1994, There, he met Leif Eriksson (his real name!) and became fast friends. Leif was a member of what was then known as the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill Triangle Chapter of ACBS. The chapter was looking for a local photographer, and knowing Judy enjoyed amateur photography, Leif encouraged them to get involved.
Alan and Judy really liked the people they met, the chapter’s mission, and wanted to get involved. They loved the idea of adding more events and more excitement to the chapter lineup so when Judy retired in 2017, the Hills offered New Bern as a new site for the annual chapter boat show. Though the bulk of chapter members at the time lived closer to Raleigh, the chapter leadership agreed. Alan and Judy got busy planning and co-chairing the show which was a roaring success, bringing in more money and chapter recognition than previous shows due primarily to selling advertisements in the show program, an idea borrowed from the Smith Mountain Lake ACBS chapter.
When their chapter’s name was changed to North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont (NCC&P) in 2019, it better reflected the broader geographic reach of its many members.
Alan decided to run for Chapter President, and began his tenure in January 2019 and Judy got involved in the monthly newsletter, Messing About in Boats and created a new chapter website. Alan was again elected as President in 2024 and Judy has served as chapter secretary she since elected in 2021.
Over the years, the chapter has added more outings to the calendar and member participation continues to grow. The NCC&P chapter has also gained ACBS International recognition including awards such as:
- 2020 ACBS Chapter Growth Award: Greatest Number of New Members;
- 2020 & 2024 ACBS Chapter Growth Award: Greatest Percentage Increase in New Members;
- 2021 & 2024 ACBS Small Chapter Publications Award.
- 2020 President Alan Hills won the ACBS Broken Gunwale for his misadventures during a chapter weekend trip to Lake James in North Carolina
- 2025 the Chapter won the ACBS Broken Gunwale Award their misadventures during a poker run in New Bern, NC
The Hills help to organize monthly events, often inviting members of neighboring chapters such as Smith Mountain Lake and Blue Ridge to attend. The chapter also supports events such as the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat Show in Beaufort and the Cape Fear Community College Boat Show in Wilmington. Additionally, while ACBS supports a scholarship to the Cape Fear Community College’s Boat Building Program, the NCC&P Chapter is also proud to have provided scholarship support since 2015.
The NCC&P Chapter continues to grow steadily. The most fertile ground for recruitment is at non-ACBS sponsored boat shows where the chapter sets up a table or booth. What keeps members coming back are the new friendships and engagement they enjoy. Some examples of fun activities the members enjoy are an overnight cruise on the Pamlico River (Washington to Bath, North Carolina), North Carolina Maritime Museum Boat Show (Beaufort), Lake Lure Classic Boat & Auto Show (sponsored in Lake Lure, North Carolina by the Blue Ridge Chapter), Chesapeake Bay Chapter Boat Show (St. Michael’s, Maryland), evening picnic & run on Jordan Lake (Raleigh area), day cruise with lunch on the Neuse River (New Bern), Smith Mountain Lake ACBS Boat Show (Moneta, Virginia), Chapter Boat Show (New Bern), and the chapter Christmas Party (Raleigh). There have been several pop-up events as well. It is the kind of chapter to which people want to belong.
The Hills also can’t say enough about their Chapter’s “membership guy,” NCC&P membership coordinator, Jim Alexander. They attribute their member retention success solely to Jim.
So, while this article focused on Alan and Judy Hills, they say it takes more than a dynamic duo to turn a chapter around and it definitely helps to have a committed team. Taking a chapter from ho-hum to WOW! centers around a key word: “FUN.”