This story was written for the club newsletter in 2010 by Stan Belland.

How the Kup Got Its Name

Official Version by Stan Belland

Your speculation on the origin of the Lame Duk Kup (note correct spelling) compels me to raise my voice from the wilds of Cambria, where some of us TC Geezers go to leave our ivory (or what’s left of our 401ks).

Back in the ancient times, when the presidency was determined by whose turn it was, I was left with the job. We had had a traditional problem planning the January event because it had to be planned too early for the new events chairman who was selected at the Holiday Party in December, to get his feet under him. I got the idea of establishing a January event that could be put on by the outgoing Board (“lame ducks”).

Esther and I were at a swap meet somewhere out in the desert and found a brass duck of no discernible function. It was no good as a decoy (wouldn’t float) and, although anatomically correct, was too ugly to adorn the mantle of anyone but someone who had won it. After some wrestling with our financial situation, we paid the $3.00 and took it home. We had the thing engrave with its title (I think Joe Douglass did it with a rusty nail) and the Lame Duk Kup was born. The spelling was to protect our copyright from pirating by other organizations (fat chance) and because it is not really a cup at all.

It turned out to be just as hard for the lame duck board to plan an event and now it had to be a contest so the Kup could be awarded. After several years of straining, Bob Wilmer kindly took it over as a kite-fly which was easy to put on and left us nears the King’s Head Pub in Santa Monica for a lunch and a pint and an award ceremony.

Finding a blank space to engrave the winner’s name became a problem, resulting in several names being put on medallions around the Duk’s neck and someone attaining the honor of having his name engraved around the Duk’s nether orifice.

That, boys and girls, is a heck of a lot more than you wanted to know about this curious old relic. (The Duk, not me.)

– Stan