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Can believe that 5 years has elapsed since we started our great organization? It really has grown and, hopefully, it has served our members well. In my effort to continue serving our members I have declined to be your president for another term. Just how can that be? Doesn't serving mean to continue volunteering? Yes, it does but I need to be volunteering for other duties within CIWGA. Believe me, an organization that continues reelecting the same president year after year will become an organization that will fail to serve it's members. The group will be doing the same thing year after year without the infusion of new ideas. A new president (as well as other new officers occasionally) will inject new ideas and try new techniques.
I am so thankful that Russ Buechler and Gary Craven have agreed to serve as Co-Presidents for the next two years. What this means is two guys, that are truly great Ponderers, will be injecting their twist on this great organization. I have told them that they can rely on me to help in lining up programs or anything else they may need. When you think of it, please give these guys your vote of confidence. You will have the best leading our group.
I am also thankful that Lisa Harmison has agreed to continue to serve as our editor. This really is a great newsletter and you have Lisa to thank for it. With the changes she has proposed it will even be better.
I want to welcome our new Director from Nevada, Chad Godfrey. He is very enthusiastic and will be a valuable addition to our Board of Directors. Again, I am confident that he may have a new way of how our group does things.
The next couple of months we will not have normal meetings but we will have a Holiday Dinner. This dinner will be Dutch treat. We will be getting a great meal of your choosing at a reasonable price. We have a fairly private dining area reserved for us and believe me we need to be private!!?? Who else would want to hear about water gardens, fish and stuff like that??
This will be an opportunity for me to lead the group one last get together as your Big Toad. We will not have any kind of business meeting nor program. We will have a good time with great stories about ponds, fish and whatever other lies I can dream up!! This will be an opportunity to just socialize with other ponderers. Bring family and friends - they are all welcome. Of course, all Chapter members are welcome, also. Hope to see everybody at the Dinner.
The Big Toad, Jamie