When our annual group vacations started at Senza Fretta in 1999, we found
something that we were doing repeatedly on most nights. We were hanging out
on the deck until late into the night just talking, listening to music and having
a few drinks (just a few). We had done the same thing during all the other years’
vacations, but, because we were at a different place every year, it never really took
on any noticeable routine. I believe it was during the second year at Senza Fretta,
we started calling these gatherings the “deck monkey meetings”. That was the
"associations" beginning...
Soon after we began with the name—the “Deck Monkeys”, naturally some sort of initiation into the group had to be invented. So, the initiation was to eat an oyster on the deck to be a member—simple as that. However, since we are at the beach in the summer, which has no months with an “r”, fresh oysters are not available. But canned ones are plentiful at the grocery store. We use the canned smoked oysters, usually from Korea or some other obscure place nowhere near the North Carolina shores. For those that had a hard time with consuming the naked oyster, we voted to allow the use of a Ritz-type cracker.
Of course more elaborate things became part of the whole induction ceremony. There’s
a stuffed monkey in a deck chair that attends. A whole CD was made with songs that
refer to a monkey in the song, e.g., “Monkey Man” by the Rolling Stones, or, of course,
Hey, Hey We’re the Monkeys. New inductees are paraded across the deck to the music,
must act like monkeys, and are individually given an oyster on a Ritz to eat. Two
years ago, Cheese Whiz was voted to be allowed to be sprayed on the oyster cracker;
only some imitation cheese-type food like the Cheese Whiz spray is permitted. All
current members can vote on these major actions or amendments. Two years ago a
“Pledge” (see below) was written for the annual ceremony and/or induction of new
Deck Monkeys into the Deck Monkey Association (“DMA”). Photos are taken and the
celebration continues into the night. Sometimes there are no new people to join
the DMA, but the group still has the oyster ceremony with all the bells and whistles
each year—like a “renew your vows” kind of thing.
Every member gets a certificate of membership:
If you’d like to become a certified member, email us at deckmonkeys@yahoo.com with a picture of you “downing” the oyster and include your name and mailing address in the email. Also state in the email that you and the gang recited the pledge, which goes as follows”
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Soon after we began with the name—the “Deck Monkeys”, naturally some sort of initiation into the group had to be invented. So, the initiation was to eat an oyster on the deck to be a member—simple as that. However, since we are at the beach in the summer, which has no months with an “r”, fresh oysters are not available. But canned ones are plentiful at the grocery store. We use the canned smoked oysters, usually from Korea or some other obscure place nowhere near the North Carolina shores. For those that had a hard time with consuming the naked oyster, we voted to allow the use of a Ritz-type cracker.
Of course more elaborate things became part of the whole induction ceremony. There’s
a stuffed monkey in a deck chair that attends. A whole CD was made with songs that
refer to a monkey in the song, e.g., “Monkey Man” by the Rolling Stones, or, of course,
Hey, Hey We’re the Monkeys. New inductees are paraded across the deck to the music,
must act like monkeys, and are individually given an oyster on a Ritz to eat. Two
years ago, Cheese Whiz was voted to be allowed to be sprayed on the oyster cracker;
only some imitation cheese-type food like the Cheese Whiz spray is permitted. All
current members can vote on these major actions or amendments. Two years ago a
“Pledge” (see below) was written for the annual ceremony and/or induction of new
Deck Monkeys into the Deck Monkey Association (“DMA”). Photos are taken and the
celebration continues into the night. Sometimes there are no new people to join
the DMA, but the group still has the oyster ceremony with all the bells and whistles
each year—like a “renew your vows” kind of thing.Every member gets a certificate of membership:
If you’d like to become a certified member, email us at deckmonkeys@yahoo.com with a picture of you “downing” the oyster and include your name and mailing address in the email. Also state in the email that you and the gang recited the pledge, which goes as follows”
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