Conley brothers continue inane family tradition
by Peter Jakey– Managing Editor
Their nicknames are about as unique as their ritualistic meetings. Every year for the last 41 years, four of Rogers City?s native sons get together to revel in the annual gathering of the Conley brothers, which they?ve dubbed with the silly-sounding term, ?Blubber Blast.? In 1966, Donald, 85, of Sterling Heights; Lloyd, 83, of Rogers City; Del, 78, of Rogers City; and Jim, 69, of Presque Isle, the sons of Lloyd Sr. and Meta Conley, were all living in Michigan for the first time since pre-World War II, and agreed that ?we should get together for a few laughs before we start going to each other?s funerals,? said Lloyd, who has the rotating president?s hat this year. That was when the life expectancy was in the mid 50s. ?Forty-two years later we?re still hanging around,? Lloyd added.
?BLUBBER BLAST,? stems from a day when the men were not as lean as they wanted to be. Tie in their early intention of wanting to have a blast, and the idea of the meeting name becomes clearer. The origins of the nicknames are not. Del goes by ?Hi-Poc.? Being the tallest of the group, the former Rogers City school administrator, had deep pockets, or high pockets, hence the nickname. The youngest, Jim, received his because his older siblings called him simply ?Little Brother Jim.? The meetings also started during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Eventually, Jim received the presidential moniker ?LBJ.? Lloyd goes by ?Spooner,? while the oldest will answer to ?Slatts.? ?We have no idea where that came from,? said Lloyd. Early meetings were short two-day affairs, gradually lengthening to the present five-day sessions.
MEETINGS HAVE taken place in many locations in the northern part of the lower peninsula but due to problems with travel and locating suitable lodging, they now gather at a cottage on Lake Huron east of Caseville. This Sunday, the tradition continues. Bird Creek Golf Course at Port Austin offers the one activity that?s left from earlier days, which included target shooting, river canoeing, pontoon boat rides, model power boat competition, games such as Jarts, Bocce Ball, and table games like ?Aggravation.? Much of the time now is spent reminiscing, taking walks and foolishness. ?The latter having been raised to a professional level,? said Lloyd. To think this is a fun and fluff, mini-family reunion, would be misleading. Each of the Conleys will hold an office. There?s ?prez,? ?veep,? ?seck,? and ?trez.? Each office has an official cap and a badge showing five, four, three, or two stars, plus their square squab emblem.
THE SQUARE squab is their version of a round robin ?pome,? says Lloyd. ?Yeah, we know it?s spelled poem.? One of the four writes three lines of a pome, sends it to the next to add the rhyming fourth line. He then dates it, writes his three lines, and sends it to the next. There is a two-week deadline. Interestingly enough, this routine has gone on uninterrupted since the first ?Blast.? To date, 127 pages of these pomes have been compiled. Postage spent over the years would probably cover publication of a few books.
?This whole ‘schtick’ brings to mind words like foolishness, silliness and frivolity,? said Lloyd, who insisted the other three brothers not be contacted about this article. ?True, it?s all of that and probably mor
The procedure was simplified a few years back with the addition of a permanent sign on which only the numbers have to be changed. The sign reads: ?These two guy?s ?n me ?n you,
Blubber Blasters ever true.
Join in annual prayerful rhyme;
Please, Dear God, just one more time.