December 25, 2009

THIS THURSDAY

We’ll meet at the Quincy Boat Club for a little Holiday Cheer – Quincy Exchange Club style – on THURSDAY (12/31). Welcome any time after 11:00 a.m., we’ll eat between 11:45 a.m. and Noon. As mentioned in previous Exchangites, we are going to shake up the menu a bit and do a Shrimp & Crawfish Boil. Not necessarily your traditional holiday food but something special none-the-less. No reason for you non-seafood fans not to attend as we will have alternatives as well. Join us for a quick bite or for a couple hours for a rare THURSDAY meeting that should feel like a Friday. See you THURSDAY! (Obviously there will be no meeting on Friday, January 1st.)

SPECIAL OLYMPICS BASKETBALL THIS SATURDAY

Please don’t forget in the midst of all our celebrations and family time that this Saturday, January 2nd, is our Special Olympics basketball tournament at Quincy University. Hopefully you have signed up for a shift and are looking forward to the event. If you haven’t signed up but can help, just show up and we’ll find something for you to do – especially in the afternoon (12-3ish) where we are a few folks short. Gentlemen, if you have never been a part of a Special Olympics event, you are in for a treat and a reminder of what is right with sports.

NO MEETING LAST FRIDAY

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and were able to cherish time spent with family and friends.

FRIDAY BEFORE LAST

Cullen Duke handled the introduction for our speaker Greg Davis, and his assistant, Jennifer Sousa, respectively. The two were on hand to tell us about the Friends of the Trail organization. Friends of the Trails has 13.3 miles of trails already and a proposed total of 41 miles in the future. They have 12 corridors with the latest being the Cedar Creek Trail. (If you have not walked, jogged, or biked the half a mile section of the Cedar Creek Trail from 12th Street to 18th Street, check it out, it is most impressive.) Friend of the Trail continually install new bike racks around our community and one of their main project is to establish a rental bike rack at the new Lincoln-Douglas Interpretative Center. The organization hosts the Annual Bicycle Friend Ride which will be held next in August, 2010. (The Quincy Exchange Club helps to fund this event.) For more on what they are doing go to their web site at www.friendsofthetrails.org.

VIP DATES

12/23 – Randy Frese celebrated a birthday and Jim & Jodi Whitfield celebrated their 9th anniversary

12/27 – Doug Reed celebrated a birthday

12/29 – Gil Feld celebrates a birthday

12/31 – Club Christmas Party at Boat Club

1/1 – NO MEETING (New Years Day)

1/2 – Chuck Venvertloh celebrates a birthday

1/2 – Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at QU

1/11 – January Board Meeting

2/5 – Rick Hummel visit

2/8 - February Board Meeting

2/12 – State of the City

2/19 – Law Enforcement Day

5/28 & 29 – Gus Macker

9/10 & 11 – Smoke on the River

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Are you the only member?” Another Skip Rueter gem as Cullan Duke introduced the speakers on December 18th and told the group Greg Davis was a five-time president of the Friends of the Trail organization. You can always count on Skippy to ask or say the obvious…

THIS & THAT

My thanks to Jeff Dorsey for taking notes for me at the December 18th meeting. Here is what happened that day… Jim Totsch with the prayer, Mike Disseler leading the pledge, and Bruce Broemmel twisted tails (that apparently included an “Oh, My God” joke)… Bob Klingborg from the Quincy Area Vocational Center the guest of Lonnie Lemon and Mike Shannon, broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals, the guest of Jeff Dorsey… A big thank you to Eric Thomas for assisting with the set-up of the Power Point display. Another thank you to Kevin O’Donnell for providing a pen for Jeff to use since he forgot to bring one… Doug Greenwell mentioned the meat bundle deal that Dan Veihl is doing for Madonna House. For a $9.50 donation you can purchase a beef bundle with all proceeds going to Madonna House. News from the 12/14 board meeting - it was decided that President Kevin Curran and Gus Macker Chairman Doug Greenwell should attend the Gus Macker convention in Lancaster, Ohio at the end of January – on the club/Macker dime… President Kevin reading a list of the world’s shortest books such as “What I Like About Bill Clinton “ by Hillary Clinton. President Kevin made the membership happy by passing out dues bills. There are a few members who are delinquent from last year so please handle this as soon as possible. President Kevin presented Julie, our waitress since July, her half of the tip from the club. The other half went to Tony’s waitress (I believe it was Janet)… Tim Wiewel had the right ticket but picked the wrong card (nine of clubs) so the pot grows. Pot now over $315… Please keep President Kevin’s two older brothers, Jim and Mike, in your prayers. Both are battling cancer… Remember, no meeting on Friday this week but we will meet on Thursday at the Quincy Boat Club… Best wishes for 2010 to be the greatest year of your life! And, good luck with those New Year’s Resolutions… That's all for now, 'til next time, may God’s love, grace, and peace be with you and the ones you love.