DATELINE: Tuesday, December 16, 2003. President-Elect Jon Martin opened the meeting. President Liz Capron gave the invocation then led us in the pledge of allegiance.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: David VanStrien introduced his guest Tom Rasler from AAA of Michigan. Welcome Tom! Visit us again soon.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES: Amy McKean and Diane Bass will celebrate anniversaries this month. Osceola Skinner, Carol Milburn and Bill Haslett each have birthdays this month. Happy Anniversary to Amy and Diane and Happy Birthday to Carol, O.C. and Bill!

BRAGS: John Willis did a "brag by proxy" for Jack Frost who bagged the first deer of his life recently. O.K. everyone, Jack is officially in charge of providing the club with deer steaks, deer burgers, deer stew. . . . Tis the season! Congratulations Jack! Don Boyer bragged on Dave Morse and his entire family who provided a mini Christmas concert recently while ringing the Salvation Army bell at Wal-Marts. Seems entertainment encourages people to give more. Keep up the good work Dave, and thank your wife and children for helping out also. Liz Capron bragged that she had written two letters to be passed on to the family whose loved one donated a kidney and pancreas to her. She found out that the donor’s only son is fighting in Iraq and that he may not have gotten her letters. She is very thankful for the generosity of the family. Rudy Kappe bragged that he has ½ million miles in his frequent flyer account. He gets around almost as much as Santa Claus. Osceola Skinner bragged on Carol Milburn who came early to ring the bell at her appointed time, but had the kettle taken from her just a little earlier than planned. Seemed the Salvation Army coordinator thought it was time to close shop. Thanks to all those who are helping raise money for the Salvation Army and the many families it serves.

50/50 RAFFLE DRAWING: John Willis conducted the 50/50 raffle. Jon Martin took home the $19 pot! Congratulations Jon!

GUEST SPEAKER: There was no guest speaker today.

CLOSING CREED: Don Boyer led the group in reciting the Closing Creed at the end of the meeting.

"The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the great enterprises and ideals of American society." Robert F. Kennedy

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." Anonymous

"There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity." Anonymous

TODAY IN HISTORY: December 16th

1653: Oliver Cromwell, a leader in the English Revolution and ruler of England since 1649, is proclaimed Lord Protector of England.
1773: Bostonians empty the holds of 3 tea-bearing British ships into Boston Harbor to protest the British tax on tea imported to the colonies.
1944: The Battle of the Bulge begins as the Germans advance into Belgium and Luxembourg.
1966: The United Nations adopts the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and opens it to the general assembly for ratification. It becomes international law in 1976.

Jane Austen, English novelist (1775)
George Santayana, American philosopher, poet, and novelist (1863)
Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (1901)
Noel Coward, English playwright (1899)
Arthur C. Clarke, British science-fiction writer (1917)

One day a little boy asks his mom some questions about God. He goes up to his mother and asks, "Is God a Boy or a Girl?"

Not really knowing what to say the mother just says, "Well, son, he's both a boy and a girl."

So he asks his mother, "Mom, is God black or white?"

Again not really knowing what to say, the mother tells her son, "Well ,son, he's black and white."

So the little boy looks at his mother as though he finally understands and says, "Ohhhh, I didn't know that God was Michael Jackson!"

I was born on this day in 1770. Many piano students learn my Moonlight Sonata.

Ludwig van Beethoven is considered possibly the greatest Western composer of all time. He wrote symphonies, concertos, chamber music, sonatas, and vocal music. His best-known composition is the Ninth Symphony with its passionate chorus, the Ode to Joy. Beethoven began to lose his hearing in the 1790s and was completely deaf by 1818.