From your President

Hello Gators,

          Our Club has so much momentum with exciting trips and activities for everyone!  Please visit our website, read our weekly email blast and look through this newsletter to find out about them and sign up.   Please let your friends and co-workers know about us so we can increase our membership to allow us to offer even more fun.      

     We kicked off our ski season with a big crowd at our fantastic Ski Fever event on September 8^th.  All would agree that this outstanding affair was “WHITE HOT”!  Our ski trips, socials and special activity events were marvelously showcased.  We enjoyed the splendidly decorated surroundings, feasted on appetizers and pizza, and danced to the music of a DJ.  Debbie Haselmire, Pattie Bochniak and others worked very hard to plan and organize this delightful evening for you.  Kudos to all! 

    With the huge attendance, we easily reached a quorum for special election for the bylaw amendment that would restore the $500 discount on a trip for the President and Past President.  This amendment passed by a large margin, and I thank everyone for voting.  Since my support of this amendment creates a conflict of interest, I will be donating my benefit to the Club.    

     I just returned from the Oktoberfest trip, where 16 Gators celebrated for two days in beer tents in Munich with thousands of revelers.   We also visited the amazing medieval walled city of Rothenberg, Germany, the beautiful, historic city of Salzburg Austria and the spectacular Zell am Zee area of the Austrian Alps.  It was an exciting, once in a lifetime adventure.  Bill Lobb led this trip with no trip leader compensation, and I thank him for his generosity and for his organization and planning.  

     Our spectacular bike and barge trip in the Provence region of southeastern France in May 2017 still has a few spots left.  Estela Basso has graciously volunteered to lead this trip for no trip leader compensation.  Competitively priced at $2,600, this will be a magnificent yet affordable journey,  so please sign up. 

    Our Discover Alaska cruise on Princess Cruise Lines scheduled for August 2017 is selling well.  It features a 7 day cruise with a 3 day land package.  If you sign up before November 15^th, you will get the incredible 3 for free offer that includes a free cabin upgrade, free gratuities and $150 in spending money per cabin.  We already have a fun group of Gators signed up, so please join us!

     Our ski trips are selling remarkably well, with four trips already sold out and two others (Lake Louise/Banff and Big Sky) with many spots sold.  If you still have not signed up for a trip, please do not delay!   Look in this newsletter and on our website for more information.

     September was an active month featuring our first visit to the Palm Beach Kennel Club, where the Gators enjoyed betting and watching the greyhounds race while sitting in air conditioned comfort.   Thanks go to Eileen Long for organizing and leading this fun event.  We also enjoyed “Let’s Get the Ball Rolling”, where we bowled at Jupiter Lanes and partied afterwards at Kirby’s Sports Grill.  Thank you, Debbie Haselmire for organizing this event.  It was fun, fun, fun!    

     Be sure to celebrate Halloween early at Betty Williams’ party on October 15^th.  There will be costume prizes, so be sure to wear yours.  Join us on October 22nd for our next bowling event.  Ride with Ben Smith as our leisure bicycling season begins on October 29^th at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.  Come to our Friday night happy hours, planned for you by Bonnie Boaz.  It’s a great way to start the weekend with your Gator friends. 

     The volunteers on our Social and Special Activities Committee meeting are working hard to bring you wonderful parties, events and trips this year.  We are looking for more members.  If you would like to get more involved, please join the committee, volunteer to lead an event or trip, or offer to assist other officers.   Help us to make your Club even better. 

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.   

Sincerely,

Sharon Long

 President

Hello Gators,

      Our Club is offering so many exciting events and trips this year that there is something for everyone!  Please visit our website, read our weekly email blast and look through this newsletter to find out about them and sign up.   Please keep spreading the word about us to your friends and co-workers.  The bigger our membership grows, the more fun events we can hold.   

     On September 8th in place of the General Meeting we are offering Ski Fever.  Debbie Haselmire and Pattie Bochniak have been working hard spearheading the effort for this amazing celebration of the kickoff of our ski season for your entertainment and enjoyment.  Kudos to you both!  This signature event is going to be “WHITE HOT”!  Our 2017 ski trips will be showcased, and you can meet and greet our ski trip leaders and assistants.  We will also have information on our many non-ski events. Enjoy dancing to the music of a live DJ.  Socialize with your friends.  We will offer appetizers and a cash bar. 

     We are holding a special election for a bylaw amendment at the Ski Fever meeting that would restore the $500 discount on a trip that the other elected Board members and Appointed Directors except the Member at Large receive that had been removed in 2014.  I support this amendment, and if it passes, I will donate my benefit to the Club.  We need a quorum of 20% of the membership, so please vote. 

     Please consider signing up for our spectacular bike and barge trip in the Provence region of southeastern France.  The barge provides complementary breakfast, 3 course dinner and packed lunch. The cycling difficulty level is easy and they even have electric bikes for rent.  On your daily bike rides, you will visit castles, beautiful countryside and wineries.  Estela Basso has volunteered to lead this trip for no trip leader compensation so that you can get a lower price.  Thank you, Estela, for your generosity on behalf of the Club.  We have reduced the price to $2,600, an amazing bargain – all the more reason to join us on this fabulous journey. 

    Just announced is the Discover Alaska cruise on Princess Cruise Lines that VP / Special Activities Debbie Haselmire has arranged for us in August 2017.  It features a 7 day cruise with a 3 day land package.  This extraordinary adventure includes panning for gold, a sternwheel river cruise in Fairbanks, a natural history tour in Denali National Park, and a scenic journey by train from Denali to ship in Anchorage.  This has always been on my bucket list, so I have already signed up!  Please join me!

     Our ski trips are selling remarkably well, with two trips already sold out and others with many spots sold.  If you still have not signed up for a trip, please do not delay!   Look in this newsletter and on our website for more information on the incredible ski season VP / Ski Trips Estela Basso has planned for you.

     August was an another active month featuring the fabulous trip to Old Town in Kissimmee organized by Debbie Haselmire.  It was capped off with a group visit to the gangster themed Capone’s Dinner Show led by Dorothy Rettay.  Thank you, ladies!  It was fun, fun, fun! 

     We marked the last of three summer Blue Jean Night Out happy hours at the Snuggery in Palm Beach Gardens on August 16th.  We brought appetizers to share.  Everyone socialized and played games.

     Check out our Friday night happy hours, organized for you by Bonnie Boaz.  It’s a wonderful way to start the weekend with your Gator friends. 

     The volunteers on our Social and Special Activities Committee meeting are working hard to bring you great parties, events and trips this year.  We are looking for more members, so please come to the next meeting on September 27th. If you would like to get more involved, please join the committee, volunteer to lead an event or trip, or offer to assist other officers.   Help us to make your Club even better. 

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.   

Sharon Long

PRESIDENT 

Hello Gators,

          I am thrilled that our Club has so many exciting events and trips planned for this year.  Please visit our website and look through this newsletter to see them.   Please keep spreading the word about what we have to offer to your friends and co-workers.  The larger our membership grows, the more fun events we can hold.    

     I would like to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors – our new Secretary, Kathy Levas and our new Member at Large, Cheryl Barnes.  Thank you, ladies, for volunteering to serve the Club.  

     Please consider signing up for our bike and barge trip to the Provence region of southeastern France.  The barge includes all meals. The cycling difficulty level is easy and they even have electric bikes.  On your daily bike rides, you will visit castles, beautiful countryside and wineries.  Join us on this fabulous journey. 

     On the weekend of August 26th-28th, the Gators will take a road trip to Old Town in Kissimmee organized by VP / Special Activities Debbie Haselmire.  We will be treated to live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights, a muscle car show on Friday afternoon and a classic car show on Saturday afternoon.  This will be capped off by an optional gangster-themed dinner and show at Capone’s organized by Dorothy Rettay.  

     In place of the September General Meeting on we are offering Ski Fever, a celebration of the kickoff of ski season.  Our 2017 ski trips will be showcased. Meet and greet our ski trip leaders and assistants.  Get information on our many non-ski events. Enjoy dancing to the music of a live DJ.  Socialize with your friends.  We will offer appetizers and a cash bar.  This is one of our signature events that should not be missed.  Debbie Haselmire, Patti Bochniak, Estela Basso and others are working hard to set it up.  We need volunteers to help them.  If you are interested, please contact Debbie. 

     Our ski trips are selling remarkably well, with two trips already sold out and others with many spots sold.  Please look in this newsletter and on our website for more information on the incredible ski season VP / Ski Trips Estela Basso has planned for you.

     July was an another active month.  We started the month with a Fourth of July celebration at Betty Williams’ house.  There was a huge crowd who brought dishes to share.  The highlight was the amazing fireworks display, thanks Randy Czapkewicz and Bill Lobb.  Thank you Betty, for another wonderful party!  Next we had the fantastic “Let’s Knock ‘Em Down” event on July 16th organized by Debbie Haselmire, where we spent a Saturday afternoon bowling at Jupiter Lanes, followed by a fun after-party at Kirby’s in Juno Beach.  We awarded prizes for the best and worst bowlers.  We marked the second of three summer Blue Jean Night Out happy hours at the Snuggery in Palm Beach Gardens on July 19th.  We brought appetizers to share.  Everyone socialized and played games. (Look for the next one on Tuesday, August 16th.)  This was followed by a wonderful morning of snorkeling in the clear blue water under the Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park led by Kathy Levas.  Thank you, Kathy!

     Check out our Friday night happy hours, brought to you by Bonnie Boaz.  It’s a great way to start the weekend with your Gator friends. 

     The volunteers on our Social and Special Activities Committee meeting are working hard to bring you great parties, events and trips this year.  We are looking for more members, so please come to the next meeting on August 30th. If you would like to get more involved, please join the committee, volunteer to lead an event or trip, or offer to assist other officers.   Help us to make your Club even better. 

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.   

Sincerely,

Sharon Long

 President

 Hello Gators,

     Our Club is off to a great start this summer.  We welcomed a number of new Gator members and guests at our June meeting.   Please keep spreading the word about what we have to offer to your friends and co-workers.  We need to encourage more people to join in the fun. 

     It is with great sadness that we mourn the sudden, unexpected loss of longtime active member Phil Houston, husband of immediate Past President Evie Houston.  Phil was a tremendous asset to the Club and will be greatly missed. 

 We are offering a bike and barge trip to the Provence region of southeastern France.  The barge includes all meals. The cycling difficulty level is easy and they even have electric bikes.  On your daily bike rides, you will visit castles, beautiful countryside and wineries.  Join us on this fabulous journey.

    June was an active month, starting with our inaugural Clematis Street Pub Crawl organized by Karl and Debbie Haselmire.  We visited four hand-picked establishments that welcomed the Gators with specials on drinks and appetizers, complemented by a scavenger hunt run by Patti Bochniak.  We started at O’Shea’s playing pool, moved on to the Railway Station Taphouse where we played giant Jenga games , followed by hamburger specials at the Grease Burger Bar and capped off at our final stop at the Tin Fish where watched the last race of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. Patti supplied official race tickets so that we could place our own bets.  We ended the evening with dancing to live music.  Thank you, Karl, Debbie and Patti! 

     June also marked the first of three summer Blue Jean Night Out happy hours at the Snuggery in Palm Beach Gardens on June 14th.  We had a big crowd who all brought appetizers to share.  Everyone socialized and played pool, air hockey and other games. Thank you, Ben Smith, for organizing this fun event!  Look for the next one on Tuesday, July 19th.

     Thirty lucky Gators took a chartered bus to the Miami Marlins game, where the Marlins beat the favored Chicago Cubs 9 to 6.  We even got to witness a Marlin’s home run followed by the lights and motion of the marlin display.  Thank you, Bill Lobb, Theresa Cappelino, Scott Boller, Tif & Gene Keever and Don & Kathy McGee for helping to run this exciting event.  

     We have lots of terrific, entertaining events planned for July.  The calendar of events can be found both at the end of this newsletter and on our website.  Detailed information on all of our events can be found within this newsletter and on line.  Watch your email for our weekly blast.

     Check out our Friday night happy hours, brought to you by Bonnie Boaz.  It’s a great way to start the weekend with your Gator friends.  On Saturday July 2nd, we will kick off the month with a Fourth of July celebration at Betty Williams’ house.  Next will be an afternoon of fun on Saturday July 16th with “Let’s Knock ‘Em Down” bowling at Jupiter Lanes followed by an after-party at Kirby’s Sports Grill, courtesy of Debbi Haselmire.  Bobbi Gaugh will host the second Blue Jean Night Out event at the Snuggery on Tuesday, July 19th.  Thank you all for planning such an exciting schedule. 

     I just went to the Social and Special Activities Committee meeting, and where our volunteers are working hard to bring you great parties, events and trips this year.  We are looking for more members, so please come to the next meeting on July 26th. If you would like to get more involved, please join the committee, volunteer to lead an event or trip, or offer to assist other officers.   Help us to make your Club even better. 

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.   

Sincerely,

Sharon Long

PRESIDENT

Hello Gators,

   I am both honored and grateful to be taking office as your new President.  I would like to welcome our renewing members and those who have newly signed up.  Our exceptional Membership Picnic that broke recent attendance records really helped.   

   I would also like to welcome the newly elected officers who will be serving on your Board with me.  We have a fine group of Board members who are dedicated to serving you. We are looking forward to a fabulous, fun filled year with great events and trips. 

   I would like to thank everyone on the outgoing Board who dedicated a lot of their time and effort to making this past year a wonderful experience for you.  I am succeeding the outstanding President Evie Houston, who has dedicated herself to making this Club the marvelous, improved organization it is today.  I am sure all of you have noticed how well run our meetings are, and consequently how much more fun they are.  Evie showed amazing courage and fortitude during her tenure.  She has given me really big shoes to fill, and I hope that I can make her proud.  I would like to thank Rich Wennet as Past President for his years of service to the Club and his thoughtful advice.   We outdid ourselves with a superior ski program under Estela Basso, an outstanding special activities program Debbi Haselmire and an excellent social program under Dorothy Rettay.  Debbi and Dorothy collaborated on several events with the help of the combined Planning Committee that they chaired.  Behind the scenes, Liz Loeffler as Treasurer kept our finances in order and facilitated the functioning of the Club and all of our activities.  Patti Bochniak worked hard on recording all of the event payments as Event Comptroller Director and Pam Strickland did a superb job as Membership Director.  Our Communications Team,  including Estela Basso, Walter Marussich, Sharon Giannotti and myself worked tirelessly this year to keep the website and weekly email messages looking professional and up to date.  Kudos to all!

   As the outgoing editor of Gator Tales, I would like to thank all of these Board members for their help in making this newsletter a success.  Terri Cosgrove, as your new Secretary, will be taking over for the next issue, and I am looking forward to working with her.   

   We have lots of terrific, entertaining events planned for June.  The calendar of events can be found both at the end of this newsletter and on our website.  Detailed information on all of our events can be found within this newsletter and on line. 

   Check out our Friday night happy hours, brought to you by Bonnie Boaz.  On Saturday June 11th, we will have our first ever Clematis Street Pub Crawl, courtesy of Debbi Haselmire.  This summer Ben Smith and Bobbi Gaugh are planning not one, but three Blue Jean Night Out events at the Snuggery, starting on Tuesday, June 14th.  Then on June 25th, we will be taking a chartered bus to Miami see a baseball game featuring the Marlins versus the Chicago Cubs, organized by Debbi Haselmire.  Thank you all for planning such an exciting schedule. 

   We are looking forward to another great year.  If you would like to get more involved, we would love to have you.  Please join our Social and Special Activities Committee, volunteer to lead an event or trip, or assist other officers.  

   Thank you for the opportunity to serve you..

Sincerely,

Sharon Long

PRESIDENT 

Hello Gators,

          This has been a fabulous February Ski month. Lots of trips, lots of fun for the Gators. Defending our trophy in Telluride, our brave racers zipped down the Nastar track. We proudly took second place, defeated by a mere one second.

          It was exhilarating and nerve wracking watching these talented skiers race to the finish line. We could only help them by cheering and keeping our fingers crossed for luck. Lacie Greenwald took the medals for fastest female under 20 and for the top overall female. Brett Greenwald received his medals for fastest in his age group and top overall male. Rich Ruvido proudly took second place for fastest male skier, please keep racing for the “Gators”. Thanks to all of you that raced.

          These FSC (Florida Ski Council) trips are full of fun with extra dinners and parties. If you haven’t experienced an FSC trip, consider signing up next year. Thanks to Cheryl Barnes and Chris McArdle for their help in making this trip a perfect ski adventure.

Words can’t describe how wonderful the skiing was in Taos. Fresh powder before they arrived and beautiful sunshine all week. Taos is such a quaint place and everyone is so friendly there. Because of their reasonable price on ski lessons Taos is the place to learn or get more advanced. Led by Patti Bochniak, everyone had fun and came home safe. We have pledged to return to this gorgeous town.

.

          Some Gators just repacked their suitcase, and then took off to Austria. I’m sorry I missed this trip. Gator travelers bragged about the extra-large exquisite snowflakes, packed powder with sunshine skiing. They were impressed by these picturesque Alps along with the fabulous sight-seeing places. What more could you wish for? Described as a Winter Wonderland in your Cinderella dreams. It was a dream come true for 42 Gators. Lead by Bill Lobb and Lee Chitty, they did a fabulous job. Thank you.

          We had a fun filled February general meeting. We also celebrated Valentine’s day. Thank you to our social committee who decorated with big red hearts, heart plates and candies. Following the meeting, Valentines was topped off with scrumptiously delicious pasta, dancing and socializing.

          Ray Collie led our next Ski trip to Winter Park. A delightful mountain to ski. Complementing all types of skiers. This was our 5 day ski trip (aka our budget trip, loved by most Gators). It was back to back with Vail, so some ambitious skiers caught the bus to Vail and met up with the Gators.

          Please attend our Happy Hours every Friday to meet new Gators. Bring your friends and let them share our social Gator evenings. I know they will want to join and be a part of our friendly club.

          I would love for all you Gators and your friends to come to our general meetings on the second Thursday of each month at North Palm Beach Country Club (951 U.S. 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408). Besides the fact we have a good time we also have a lot happening with new trips and adventures being introduced.

          I would like to meet all of you in person and get to know every Gator and your guests.

          Thank you for being a “Palm Beach Gator”. It is “you” that makes our club a success.

          I’m honored to be your President.

Evie Houston, President

December President’s Message

Hello Gators,

          Where does the time go? Here it is December. This year has flown by and we have had some exciting Gator Activities. The winners of the Halloween Costume Happy Hour night. Best couple, Antoinette Adams and Jeff Saxton dressed as big sexy pirates. Best lady,  Barbara Lioi with a dashing Marilyn Monroe costume, most creative was “Gina”. A new member who put together her own pirate outfit.

          We had some really great costumes; Laverne & Shirley, Samba dancer, cowgirl, angels, spider web, Dutch couple, witches and so many more. Thank you all for coming in costume and making Halloween an exciting fun evening.

          River Ranch was a huge success. Sharon Long did an amazing job putting this event together for all of us. I had never been there and didn’t realize what a fun filled weekend it was. Besides being a beautiful place, River Ranch has everything you could imagine to do. Some played golf. It was a interesting 9 hole course. Lots of fun. I heard stories of those that went horseback riding, archery, skeet and trap shooting. They all had a blast. Everyone was talking about what they did and enjoyed it all. Ted Reed cooked us all lunch at the camp grounds. It was so good. Thank you Ted.

          Manny Sarria, Gina Drayton and myself went zip lining. Of course it was a zip line for toddlers but we screamed all the way down. The good news is now we are ready for the adult size! LoL

The Rodeo was the high light of the evening. Towards the end it decided to rain but it didn’t stop the Gators from gong to the Saloon to line dance. Sharon Long had parties at her cabin where we got to know some new Gators, eat and dance. As I said, it was simply a fabulous fun-filled weekend.  Another BIG “Thank you” to Sharon Long, Walter Marussich, Estella Basso, and Betty Williams for all the work you did sharing your cabin for us to eat, drink and party.

          Our November general meeting was a great success with some new members joining and signing up to go skiing with us for the first time. Walter Marussich, our VP of Ski Trips may be soft spoken but this guy gets the job done. And done right! “Actions speaks louder than words!” and this guy is full of Action. Walter we can’t Thank you enough for all the hard and timeless work you do behind the scenes. “Thank You”.

          Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. It’s a thankful time of year. Now we all probably want to shed our extra turkey pounds so we can eat more later. That’s just Life!! Enjoy it all. We want you all to join the Gator Holiday Party December 3^rd. Check it out and sign up Wow!! Thank you all for being Gators and making your club more enjoyable.

Thank You All,

Evie Houston, President

Hello Gators,

          We certainly had an exciting busy September. Abe Tessler led 30 Gators to Spring Lake for Labor Day Golf Outing. We not only had a group dinner but happy hours with delicious appetizers every evening. He group tournament champions were Scott Wiely, Evie Houston, Jan Hartough, and Sandy Koenig. On Sunday Scott also won the bottles of wine along with his teammates Annie Thompson and Bob Wyman. Weather was great, not as hot as expected.

          At our September Ski Club meeting, we were so happy to announce that we added a Spring Break Ski Trip “Lake Tahoe”. Ray Collie trip leader and Rich Ruvido assistant. We now have seven fabulous trips for you to pick from. Have your family and friends check our website to get all the details. (www.gatorsnowskiclub.com) All our trips are so much fun and well organized. All you have to do is sign up and leave the work to us.

          A group of 26 just returned from San Francisco. What a fabulous trip that was. Terry Sussman first led us to Fisherman’s Wharf where we stayed for two nights. We had free time to walk around to view the sights and dance to the street music. Everyone enjoyed the city bus tour where you saw it all plus being told the history of San Francisco. The cool wind blowing our hair wildly was such a delightful break from our South Florida’s heat. Going over the Golden Gate Bridge on top of the sign seeing bus was a thrill seeker and/or just plain scary. Everyone survived the Alcatraz Tour. There were no escapees on the loose!!

          Traveling down the road was a lunch stop at The Tides Inn Wharf. Famous from the movie “The Birds” Thank goodness the birds had moved on. Strolling through Armstrong Redwoods Park with a cool wind blowing and taking pictures of the huge trees made you appreciate our Countries beautiful nature.

          Driving down the coast viewing the Pacific Ocean and mountains was breath taking. Next we visited the Korbel Champagne factory. Yes, of course, we sampled lots of different champagnes. Wow!! On down the road we traveled to wineries.

          The next couple days we visited 5 different ones. We drank lots of samples plus the wine tour history on all the wineries were very interesting and made you appreciate all the work that goes into making a bottle of wine. The wineries were all top class and very impressive. The whole trip was a lot of laughs and even more after each winery. Surprise!! LOL!!

          I mostly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you on this trip. It was such a pleasure traveling and being with you all. Thank you. “You” are what made this trip so memorable.

          In just a couple days, Thursday October 2^nd our Ski Gala Party will be hosted at The Lake Pavilion(Clematis and Flagler) in downtown West Palm Beach from 6pm to 10pm.  Invite your friends and neighbors that would like to come and check out a fun Ski Club that also does so many other trips and events. We have seven snow ski trips to pick from. See you at the Gala October 2^nd and the regular general meeting October 9^th.

          Thank you all for being members of our wonderful and fun “Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club”. I’m proud to be your President.

Thank You All,

Evie Houston, President

Hello Gators,

           I’m very excited about being your new President and serving our Club.  I want to thank Rich Wennet for doing an outstanding, fabulous job for two years.  I hope I can fill his shoes. Thank you, Rich!  Plus I want to thank the entire Board for the great job they did last year.  They all worked together as a team and did a lot of positive, fun things.  Lee Chitty did a super job last year getting our IRS status restored. Thank you, Lee!  I’m looking forward to working with our new board members and club members this year.

We have lots of interesting, fun ski trips planned.  Some are out West, some abroad and some in Canada.  Also, other activities are planned that we will all work on together to try and make it a fun activities club. Examples include: golf outing in June, golf getaway over 4th of July, bowling, Disney trips, ball games, wine trip to California, and bike & barge trip in Europe. Wow! Thank you, Betty Williams, for hosting a spectacular Memorial Day Party. You’re the “Best Betty”.

 We are looking forward to a great year.  Tell your friends about your Ski Club.  All come and join us on Saturday, June 7th, Noon to 4pm, at Carlin Park for our free membership picnic. Have a great time – join the Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club. We want you!

Evie Houston

 President

To All of My Friends,

            It  is with heavy heart that I write my last President’s message. The past two years have just flown by and it seems like yesterday I took the helm of our club. I can’t tell you what a joy it has been to work, play, ski and socialize with all of you. We have come so far and accomplished so very much. I am most grateful for all of the support, encouragement and help I have received along the way.

Let me begin by thanking the finest and most outstanding Board of Directors I could ever have hoped for. Past President Dr. Bruce Holtzman - The pertinacious brain behind the Board; Treasurer Walter Marussich – The assiduous warrior who never stops until the task is flawlessly accomplished; V.P. Ski Trips Sheri Agnew – The sedulous strategist who engineered a perfect ski season; V.P.’s of Socials and Special Activities Betty Williams and Connie Flow – The perfect party team whose generosity was only out done by the fun, happiness and smiles they created; Secretary Tammy Walkoff – The soul of wisdom and humor; Communication’s Director Estella Basso – The brilliant indefatigable queen of computers who brought us into the 21^st century; Membership Director Harry Patat – The fount of all membership knowledge; and I saved the most dynamic for last, our Member at Large Pam Strickland – The warm generous heart & soul of the Board, whose unflagging energy was an inspiration to all. I also wish to thank our preeminent & peerless trip leaders, John Paglialungo – Vail; Marie York & Kathy Salata – Park City; Everett Barber & Cheryl Barnes – Snowmass; Chris McArdle – Keystone; Evie Houston and Terry Sussman – Beaver Creek; and Linn Lambert – Grand Canyon for the unsurpassed time, work & effort they devoted to almost 250 Gators in making our trips simply stupendous.

The Gators are a member driven club and I want to acknowledge the people that make us great, in no particular order. Allen Trefry – Welcoming greeter; Ben Smith- Bike rides and guest leaders, Letti Falko, Chris McArdle, Ray Collie, Tim Kuhn, Vic Lopez, Estella Basso, Ron Harris & Eileen Long; Bill Loeb- Grant Seafood Festival; Randy Czapkewicz- Photography; Alan King & Ward Cotthaus- Wisdom of the ages; Lee Chitty- Fixing the IRS issue; Abe Tessler- FSC Delegate & Election Chair & Springlake golf; Dorothy Rettay & Nina Amodio – Bowling; Dick Miller – Marketing; Tim Dai – Typing President’s Message; Eric Hewko Jim Peterson & David Shue- Legal Eagles; Rich Ruvido, Bret & Lacee Greenwald, Karl & Denise Taylor, Norma Barbee & Kevin Rohrer-The Florida Cup; Mike Agnew – Sports America and Audio System; Tom Osborne- Great Party. I apologize because I know I missed many great Gators who gave of themselves for the Happiness of others. Please forgive my failing memory but know you are appreciated.

In closing let me thank all of you for the king and generous support you have given me over the past 2 years and I know Evie Houston, our new President, will bring our club to new heights of success.

IT IS GREAT TO BE A GATOR!!.

With Warmest Personal Regards & Respect,

Rich Wennet, President