GUESTS: Mary Ellen Leicht, Executive Director NJCAA, Dean Myrick, NJCAA Mens Region 22 Director both guests of Kathy Hanks, Duane Meinen a guest of Harley Macklin, Joanna Boss a guest of Terry Bisbee, Kirby Guernsey a guest of Dane Powers and honorary member Colby Davis.
FINES: Jeff Brewer and Stan Macgirvin were our morning Sergeants. Kathy Hanks was fined for arriving after her guests. Stan Macgirvin paid for pulling a Duke. Those of us who have been making t-shirts a few years know what that is. Duke Wiggins paid for starting that tradition. Duke also paid to announce Go Shocks!! Paul Brown was fined for a disparaging remark about Sergeant Jeff looking Rung Out. Jeff Brewer paid to announce that his wife Pat had her 3 year cancer free checkup. Congratulations Pat!!
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Randall Haltom confirmed that our 35th anniversary club social will be held April 30th on the east side of the encampment building on the fairgrounds to include all past and present members. Names of all former members are requested immediately for notification by mail.
PROGRAM: Kathy Hanks introduced Mary Ellen Leicht, Executive Director NJCAA. This year will mark her 7th year as director of the NJCAA and she has been with the organization since 1989. She was the first female to serve as executive director and she became the first female chief executive of any national intercollegiate athletics association in the United States. The NJCAA currently has 24+ sports with 40+ National Championships and they are looking to add even more sports in the future. Mary Ellen said this years competition is great, the quality and parity of the teams was excellent and Hutch was in it making for great basketball this week in Hutchinson. The NJCAA was pleased that the Hutch Wins campaign won out and the NJCAA Basketball Tournament would be returning to a newly renovated and ADA compliant Hutchinson Sports Arena for the next 25 years. This will now require the American Legion to do a complete re-write of the playbook on how it operates the tournament going forward. The NJCAA is working on promotion ideas for the 2017 tournament. Mary Ellen introduced Dean Myrick the NJCAA Mens Region 22 Director. Dean is originally from North Carolina and has been in Alabama as Commissioner of the Alabama CC Conference for 4 years. The commissioners select the at large teams and seat the teams. Mary Ellen said that the only negative to the arena renovation was the loss of the South parking area. Her hope is that the arena has better wi-fi after the renovation.
Lucky Ace Drawing: Brad Thompson drew the Ace of Clubs and won $5. There is more than $88.00 in the total pot; I missed getting the new amount.
Newsletter Drawing: Thad Bartley left early. $15.00 next week.
Newsletter question: What anniversary will our club celebrate this year?
Programs: March 25 – ?
Editor: Steve Conard