Author: Scott Habicht

 Corral #4 Logo

ORIGINS
In 1958 a group of Colts fans on a bus from the Franklintown Inn to a Colts football game decided to form a club to control seating arrangements on the bus and assure each passenger of a seat thereon. This arrangement proved so successful and enjoyable that the fans, all friends and neighbors (and season ticket holders), decided to explore the possibility of forming a Colts Corral. A meeting was held in November 1958 between seventeen of those Colt fans and members of an existing Corral. The decision was made to apply to Don Kellett, Vice President and General Manager of the Baltimore Colts, for a charter in the name of Colts Corral #4. On June 10, 1959, Colts Corral #4 was officially chartered at a banquet at the Franklintown Inn and was attended by 35 new members. Don Kellett was guest speaker and presented Corral #4 with their official banner. The late Chuck Thompson, sportscaster for the Colts, was the Master of Ceremonies on #4’s Charter Night.

Original Sanction Letter
>Click to Enlarge<

And so, the Corral #4 story began.

With its origins at the Franklintown Inn (later the Millrace), Corral#4 also spent time at the following establishments over the years: Goetz’s, Vaccarino’s (later Cobblestone’s), Loverde’s, Buell’s, and the Judge’s Bench. A gradual migration from Baltimore to Howard County occurred as the years went on.

Club membership grew quickly, but, since a membership ceiling of 100 existed for Colts Corral #4, there was a waiting list to join the club.

Bus Trip

COLT FANS TO THE CORE
Colts Corral #4 held a large block of tickets to Colts home games and most of the membership traveled together on a bus and sat together at the games. In addition to attending every Colts home game, members organized bus trips and flights to quite a few road games. Trips to away games often became full-week trips.

COLTS AND COMMUNITY
Corral #4 was active in a variety of charities including throwing Christmas parties at the James Lawrence Kernan Hospital and Industrial School of Maryland for Crippled Children, sending a group of kids to summer camp every year, volunteering and raising funds for the Rosewood Children’s Center and the Linwood Children’s Center.

1963 Unsung Hero Award Banquet
left to right: Don Shula, Artie Donovan,
and 1963 Unsung Hero Bobby Boyd

Annual social events included a banquet to honor an Unsung Hero from the Colts, a banquet for the installation of new officers, numerous dances, auctions around Christmastime, bull roasts, crab feasts, trips to Hershey, and beginning in 1967, the Council of Colts Corrals Convention in Ocean City. One of the highlight trips was when a busload of 50 Corral #4 members traveled to Canton, Ohio for the induction of Johnny Unitas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Benefit Dance Ticket from 1962

EVIL IRSAY
Bob Irsay, in 1984, moved the beloved Colts along with all of their memorabilia to Indianapolis. What a sad day it was, but the Colts Corral #4 story did not end here.

In 1985 Baltimore secured the USFL Stars and Corral #4 became Star #4 and bestowed their efforts upon this new team. Star #4 ran bus trips from the Judge’s Bench down to College Park to watch the Stars. Though the stadium in College Park was ‘dry’, it has been rumored that a number of contraband beverage packs were seen flying over the fence into the waiting arms of Star #4 members. When the Stars left after a year, the decision was made to return the name to Colts Corral #4.

Being without professional football from 1986 through 1993, discussions were held concerning disbanding Corral #4. It was decided to keep the club together.

Following a few years with no football, membership tailed-off in 1986 to around 50 members. At one point membership dropped to as low as fourteen members, some of which are still members of Ravens Roost #4 to this day. Mark “Jaybird” Golibart spearheaded the effort to keep Corral #4 together and others who stuck with the club during those dark years were George “Buzzy” Suter, Hildie Suter, Barb Peterson, Betty Golibart, and Henry “Shorty” Miller. The frequency of meetings went from monthly down to an ‘as-needed’ basis.

Then Jim Speros brought the CFL and the Stallions to Baltimore in 1994. The Stallions brought the CFL Championship Grey Cup home to Baltimore in 1995. Corral #4 stood behind the Stallions both years. When Art Model announced he was moving his NFL team to Baltimore, some sentiment still existed among Corral #4 members to keep the CFL Stallions. The way Baltimore had been treated by Paul Tagliaboo and the NFL over the years, it had alienated quite a few people.

CORRAL TO ROOST
When the Baltimore Ravens began play in 1996, Colts Corral #4 joined the Council of Baltimore Ravens Roosts and was renamed to Ravens Roost #4.

Roost #4 membership grew steadily over the first few years and skyrocketed with the NFL Championship in Superbowl XXXV. Roost#4 has been hovering at or slightly above 100 members ever since.

Jaybird Golibart served as Roost #4 President from 1996 through 2000, succeeded by Rob Ewin (2001 – 2002), Jeff “Frosty” Volmer (2003 – 2004), and Ken Bauer (2005 -2007).  “Frosty” Volmer has served as and continues to serve as Roost#4 President from 2008.

THE TRADITION CONTINUES

Roost #4 at Polar Bear Plunge to benefit Special Olympics

Roost #4 is still active in raising thousands of dollars annually for a wide variety of charities including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Believe in Tomorrow Foundation, Special Olympics Maryland, Gilchrest Hospice of Howard County, the Ray Lewis Foundation, Big Ed’s Band Foundation, and many others.

In March 2005, Roost#4 awarded the first of two $1500 scholarships to two senior Howard County football players at their annual bull roast. Future plans are to continue the scholarships on an annual basis. Roost #4 raffles-off two season tickets to Ravens games to raise money for our Scholarship Fund and also holds a number of other annual fund-raising events including a bull and oyster roast and a golf tournament.

Roost #4 member social events include tailgate parties at all Ravens home games, road trips to a number of Ravens away games, an annual Holiday Party, summer picnic, and of course, the annual Council of Ravens Roosts Convention in Ocean City.