The bcottpa was started by Norm Brick. We started at Norm’s farm southwest of Aberdeen, with a few guys and old Tractors. Just for fun. We had a stone boat that we pulled and people would get on and off along the way for weight. The Norm said he knew where we could purchase a weight transfer sled for $500. It ended up with Lloyd Brick trading a B John Deere for it. Lloyd was asking $400. For his tractor so we got a skid for $400. And a lot of work. Later Harry Swearingen and Gail Kimball made a new skid on an old truck frame. Most of you have seen it work at Onida.

With 10 people involved we each pay $50. In the kitty to pay Lloyd for his tractor. On Nov.24 1990 the bcottpa was officially formed. There were 10 members. Norm Brick was president. Laverne Brick was vice president and Llyod Brick was sec. Treasurer. $50. Was paid for a lifetime membership. ( I wonder where that went). The ten members were Norm Brick, Lloyd Brick, Laverne Brick, Bob Rudd, Ben Bendewald, Gordon Vicsland, Cliff Bader, Milo Herman, Gale Kimball and Harry Swearingen. We have lost four of them to cancer.

In Nov. of 1991 we voted to purchase a portable scale for $3386. Harry Swearingen, Vi Herman and jean Brick loaned the club the money to buy the scale. It was later paid back with interest. Before that we had to go to an elevator to weigh the tractors. One year we went clear to Bath. Can you imagine the hassle that made? Pulls for 1972 were Andover, Brown County fair, Onida and the Brick farm. In Onida that year we had 50 hooks. We thought we had a very large pull. In Nov of 1993 it was first suggested by Gale Kimball that we purchase a truck and go with hydraulics so we could drive to pulls instead of having to load the skid and haul it. There was no interest at the time. We bought our forst headphones in 1993. That made communications a whole lot easier. In Feb. of 1995 we bought a ford truck from Ned Dixon to make a skid truck.

Boy did we move up in the world with that! Also in 1995 we moved our meeting place from Norm’s farm to Gale Kimball’s shop. It was then with Gale president that we adopted the By-Law’s and such. In May of 1996 our president our pont system was started to encourage all members to attend pulls. In 1999 our present truck was purchased but was not put into use until 2001. There was a lot of hard work by several members to make it useable. We need to say special thanks to Alan Dixon for his contributions without which we could never have made it work. Thank You Alan!

We went from ten members in 1990 to our present membership of about 30. Many changes have taken place over the ten years with many more to come, all the better we hope.