Browning Hangar Closing?

Browning Hangar Development

Attention!

The Browning Hangar may be sold to developers soon!

Click on the link below to find out more!

Normally when the LBC has a tournament at the Browning Hangar we are able to submit a request to reserve the space unless someone else has already reserved it.

Recently, when the LBC asked to reserve the hangar for the Spring Tournament in April we were told that they were no longer taking reservations, and that sometime this year, the hangar would be closed to the public for construction.

Unfortunately, we don't have any details on exactly what is going to happen or when the hangar will be closed, however we have been able to find some plans proposed by the real estate developers.

The plans posted on the Internet indicate that the food trucks would be eliminated and replaced with parking spaces. The open space inside the hangar would be replaced with a restaurant,  a stage and seating - apparently eliminating any space for pétanque.

What can we do, if anything? That's what several of us are working to sort out, but no matter what, the prognosis for pétanque at the hangar appears to be grim.

We don't have any official facts, but "someone who knows someone" believes that construction could start as soon as 30 days from now.

The Jim Schwobel Wake

The people planning to have a gathering to celebrate the life of Jim Schwobel have chosen Sunday, June 11 to get together - hopefully at the hangar.

We checked with the people who take the reservations and learned that no other organizations already have the hangar reserved on that date.

That means we should be free to have the gathering for Jim at the hangar, similar to a typical Sunday afternoon, without making a reservation, as long it hasn't been closed for construction.

Sorry, that we don't have any more details for you at this point, but we will let you know as soon as possible if we get more information on what's happening with the hangar and plans for the gathering for Jim .

LBC Officer Elections – Online Voting Has Concluded

UPDATE – Online voting for 2023 LBC Officers has now concluded. But…you still have a chance to vote in person at the LBC Annual Members Meeting.
Monday, 13 November 2023
Central Market North, 4001 North Lamar Blvd
5:30pm – 8:00pm
See you there!
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Current Legation Boules Club members – now is the time to make your voice heard. The 2023 election for your LBC Vice President and Secretary is finally here, and the polls are open. Announced candidates are:

 

Vice President – Peter Gray
Secretary – Kim Lanzilloti

 

→ Electronic voting will run from 12:00am November 9th to 11:59pm on November 12th.
→ In-person voting will also be available at the LBC annual club meeting on Monday November 13.

LBC Officer Elections for 2023-25 – Nominations now closed

Happy Petanque People!

Nominations are now open for two-year board positions for LBC Vice President and Secretary.
Peter Gray, current board Vice President, is running for re-election to his post. Lynne Bougeois, after a stellar two-year run as club Secretary, has decided to step aside and allow someone else to try and fill her tiny/huge shoes. Kim Lanzillotti is an announced candidate to step into the position of Secretary if elected.
If you are interested in either of these positions, or would like to nominate anyone else for consideration, please submit your nominees below. Alternatively, you may email your nominations directly to Leigh Newsom.
→ Deadline for submitting nominations is October 23.
→ All the candidates’ names will be presented to current club members on this website and by email on October 25.
→ Electronic voting will run from November 9th to November 12th.
→ In-person voting will also be available at the LBC annual club meeting on Monday November 13. Meeting location and time to be announced soon.
Nominations are now closed.

Tour of Market in Annot

Marion Bermondy Buying Cheese

Here's a little tour of the market that comes to Annot every Tuesday.

It's right beside the pétanque terrain in the middle of the village.

A great place to get the fresh stuff you need for the week.

The honey they have here is incredibly good.


2023 Memorial LBC Carousel Tournament

You know it, you love it, you can’t wait for the LBC Annual Memorial Carousel Tournament – and now it’s just around the corner!

Fill in this form and register today!

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About the Tournament

The Legation Boules Club Annual Memorial Tournament is a fundraiser that benefits the historic Texas French Legation, home to LBC. Proceeds from the player registration fees, along with any additional donations participants may wish to offer, will be donated to the French Legation to supplement the meager state funding they receive for ongoing management and preservation of the site.

In addition, this is a Memorial tournament where we gather to celebrate dearly departed former club members, friends and raconteurs who were integral parts of the greater Austin petanque community, by engaging in a day of spirited competition and camaraderie found in the game they loved. Alléz chers amis!

Who Can Play in the Tournament? How Much Does it Cost?

Any petanque player, regardless of age or experience is welcome to join us for some fun and camaraderie. The tournament fee is $15 for current LBC members and non-members – non-members have the option of donating an additional $5 (total $20) for membership through the end of 2023, or an additional $20 ($35 total) for full membership through the end of 2024. Schwing!

How Does a Carousel Tournament Work?

Each player will register as either a pointer or a shooter, and draw a number at signup the morning of the tournament. This number will be posted on the brackets for the five rounds of play so you know where you’ll play each round, who your partner will be for each round, and who your opponents will be. There will be three rounds of games in the morning, followed by a lunch break, then two games after lunch. In a nutshell, you’ll play 5 games with 5 different partners against 5 different opponents on 5 different terrains.

Game scores and point differentials will be logged throughout the day for each player, and top performers will be awarded shiny medals and the accolades and admiration of the Entire World’s Sporting Communities. In addition, the top overall scorer in both the shooter and pointer categories will have their Eternal Glory immortalized by having their names engraved on the Legation Boules Club Trophy and Memorial Tournament plaque.

Don’t Forget the Potluck (Or Costumes)!

If you’ve been to an LBC tournament before, you know the lunch potluck is one of the highlights of the day – and if you haven’t been before, well now you know. LBC will provide water, coffee and pastries for the early morning, as well as recyclable/reusable plates and utensils; participants should bring mains, sides, and/or desserts to share, along with any necessary serving utensils and beverages they wish to imbibe/share. There is no cooking/cleaning infrastructure on site, so best to fully prepare any dish you bring beforehand, and plan to pack out everything you bring.

Costumes! Being a Memorial Tournament honoring the spirit of those who have left us too soon, and being late October, there’s also an All Hallowed Eve/Dia de los Muertos element to the proceedings. Prizes for Best Costume are a thing – do you have the threads it takes to assume the Best Costume Throne??

July 4th at the French Legation

Looks like the French Legation will be open on Tuesday the 4th of July!

Gates open at 10 AM.

Wear you red, white and blue or le bleu, blanc et rouge!

Not only is it a Free Country, it's Free Parking on the 4th!

Hope to see you there.

Jim Schwobel Memorial – Sunday, June 11, 2023

A Wake for Jim Schwobel

Friends, family and all kids are invited to a wake in celebration of his life that includes live music and pétanque – his two passions.

Sunday, June 11th, 2023 starting at 2PM

Browning Hangar

Mueller Lake Park

4550 Mueller Blvd.

Austin TX, 78723 

Inside the Browning Hangar

It’s a come and go, casual celebration and potluck.

Join us when you can and enjoy live band music, snacks and drinks.

You can give the game of petanque a try with Jim’s friends that play the sport daily.

Casual, cool attire encouraged.

Please bring a folding or camping chair and a reusable drinking cup if possible.

There will be an open invitation for sharing favorite stories of Jim “Tex” with everyone from 2:30-3:30pm.  

Jim had many friends, and not all of them are on our email list, so please spread the word to other folks who may not be pétanque players.

You can bookmark this page for the most recent updates.

What to Bring?

Pétanque players should consider this similar to any other of our tournaments and potlucks. Please bring your chairs, tables, coolers, water, ice, etc. You know the routine! Bring your favorite foods and snacks to share.

Questions or Suggestions?

Contact Michelle at 512-636-6082

Approximate Timeline:

12:45 to 1:45pm -  Setup time

Michelle and family members and others plan to arrive to start setting up tables for food & drink, along with some of Jim's memory items (photos, trophies, etc.)

1:50 to 2:30pm - Activities and Music

Live Band Music, Pétanque games, Food & Drink available for self service

2:30 to 3:30pm - Jim Story Time

Michelle (Jim's cousin) gives a welcome speech. People get to tell some of their favorite Jim stories. (Get ready to tell your own story!)


3:30 to 4:25pm - More Activities

More Live Band Music, Pétanque games, Food & Drink available for self service

4:30pm - Conclusion Formal Event

We all pitch in to clean up the space. Pétanque games are likely to go on for a while.

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Jim's Story

Jim “Tex” Schwobel

Jim “Tex” was born June 11, 1946 in New York City. He passed away on December 5th, 2021 in Austin, Texas, USA from a short battle with terminal cancer. He lived most of his life in his beloved Austin, Texas and was always planning his next travel vacation abroad.

He learned to swim in the big pool at Shipe Park, had his first date to a dance at Hancock Center, learned to water ski on Lake Austin and first sailed his wooden Sunfish on Town Lake before it was named “Lady Bird Lake”. Some of his fondest child-hood memories were spent at his grandparents’ farm near Eldorado, Texas where he learned to drive a tractor and car at the age of 9.

He graduated from McCallum High School in 1965 and received his Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977, making the Dean’s List and receiving the French Department’s “Diplome d’honneur” that same year.

One of his fondest adventures and learning experiences in life was purchasing a share of a sailboat in France and sailing the Cote d’Azure/Mediterranean Sea in the summer of 1975. He lived and attended universities during the next year in Toulouse, France and Konstanz, West Germany. It was during that year that he also learned to snow ski – a sport he enjoyed for many years after returning to the United States. While living in Toulouse, he played tuba in the Old Time Jazz Band.

In 1972, he started his professional career in the computer industry with Hycel, Inc., a Fortune 500 company in Houston, Texas. He began working for the Texas Department of Human Services in 1977 from where he retired in 2002 at the age of 55. During those 25 years, he was fortunate to work on the leading edge of the computer revolution with a great team of people who were not only co-workers but great friends. He considered his major accomplishment managing the Year 2000 End-user Computing Project during the 5 years before retirement.

He sailed on Lake Travis throughout the 1980’s, at one time serving as Vice-Commodore of the Lake Travis Cruising Association. His love of sailing was the catalyst for his purchasing and becoming the CEO of the Corpus Christi Sailing Center, Inc. in 1990. As a licensed US Coast Guard Captain (Master’s 50-ton) and Certified American Sailing Association instructor, he realized success as an entrepreneur with his company which he sold in 2002.

Starting in the 1970s, and continuing until his death, he made many trips to Europe, primarily France, England and Iceland, where he would spend months with friends from various cultures, visiting iconic sites and discovering unique places. He was particularly involved with the French game of pétanque and was Vice- President of the Heart of Texas Petanque Club in Austin, where he established a “twinning” between the 2,000members of Federation Petanque USA and the Jules le Noir Association, the birthplace of pétanque, and located in La Ciotat, France.

He also enjoyed traveling to Belize, Central America where he would spend weeks sailing and snorkeling along the world’s 2nd longest barrier reef. Upon his retirement, he once again picked up the tuba/sousaphone that he had played from Junior High School through college in the UT Longhorn Band. He was a member of the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, serving as Vice-President and Webmaster in 2003. He also played in the New Horizons Band, the Wurst Band, Longhorn Alumni Band and the Chaparral Dixielanders. In 2005, he formed the New Austin Polka Band. He enjoyed his many friends in these bands and especially enjoyed finding gigs and making music with them.

Review the 2023 LBC Spring Tournament

Great turnout, great day.  But at the end, it was:

1st place:  Victor Alonso & Peter Gray

2nd place:  Brigitte Rouault (San Antonio) & Ron Ragsdale

3rd place:  Jeff Brown & Jeffrey Locke (San Antonio)

4th place:  Mercedes Franco & Stephen Johns (San Antonio)

5th place:  Rudy Vallee % Alain Braux

6th place:  Carolyn Cornell & Edward Vaissiere

 Congratulations to all.  Food was exceptional as usual (a true oxymoron, certainly).  A special thanks to all of our non-Austin players who made this day particularly memorable.  Safe travels and hope you play with us again in the fall.

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