I still have trouble believing that another year will end soon, but here we are. Our next meeting,
on December 9 at Pardini’s, will conclude the year. As before, this meeting will be one of our La
dies’ Days, and we can look forward to an enjoyable show by the Bullard Talent students. It will be
a fitting program to follow Jim Hiney’s excellent presentation of his experience on the recent Hon
or Flight. Jim’s talk and pictures made for a meaningful Veterans Day meeting.
Since this marks my last column as Big Sir as well, at least for now, I want to say how much I ap
preciate everyone involved in making Branch 169 work so well. I particularly appreciate the work
everyone on the BEC put in to help cover my rather significant shortcomings,
We should all thank those who volunteered to serve as officers next year: Ernie Sopp (Big Sir); Lar
ry Rowe (Little Sir); Jim Forden (Secretary); Luis Rodriguez (Assistant Secretary); Nick Lopez
(Treasurer); and Duane Evans (Assistant Treasurer). I look forward to their formal installation in
our December meeting.
I hope all of you will provide the same encouragement and support to the new officers that you
gave me, and particularly to Ernie, who not only filled in for me this year when I was sick, but who
volunteered (as opposed to being voluntold) to reup as Big Sir.
In addition, I want to thank Bernie Hollenbeck, Jackie Lovato and Bill Prince for their work with
Membership and Sunshine, Ed Dorn for his work with Activities, Ted Fox for putting the Newsletter
together, and Roger Stewart for being our representative on the state Board Advisory Committee
this year. I’m sure I forgot some people who also deserve thanks and praise for their work. I cer
tainly had no intention to forget you.
I wish you all the merriest of holidays and the happiest of new year’s. See you and your significant
others on December 9.
John Eleazarian
Big Sir
