Another month has gone by and we are still adding new members. A thanks needs to go to Diane Bauer for handling all these numbers and lists for so many of us. “It takes a village as they say.” My time is on the downside and there are so many things I want to say and do before I can’t. I cannot say enough thanks for all the support I have been given and am receiving from our volunteers. As I have told many of you in conversations, the majority of us worked hard for years. Some of us still do. At 76 years old, I feel 19 when I get up in the mornings and it is because I live the good life with the right kind of people. Thanks to all of you, you inspire me, and you make me a better person. I tell my husband Burnie, “I am going to die at 104 on the dance floor and that means you have to be 106.” For many of us, when we retire-as THEY call it-we begin to realize that we are no longer as useful as we were for so many years. We begin to question this growing old stuff. After 2 years in retirement, I could not handle being idle, so I went to school for a new career. We bought a townhouse in NMB in order to be here more frequently for the dance. Finally in 2010 we moved here full time. My life changed at that time by becoming full time with the best group of people anyone can surround themselves with. THE OD SHAG CLUB MEMBERSHIP!!!  I have watched our membership grow this year and watched as people have realized they can, again, feel like they contribute. They can share their talents, their knowledge and skills and feel good about being able to add to the experience-whatever it is. Our parade group stepped up and shared and worked and worked. Our golf cart fundraiser group stepped right up and have done amazing things. Our golf tournament people are coming forth daily to pull it together for September 17. Our Junior SOS people came out in numbers. EVERY SINGLE MONTH our food crew does their thing. There are too many to mention one by one, but they all are here for the rest of us. Please say thanks. Ladies and Gents each of us is blessed to be a part of this club. Some of us may have more bumps in the road than others. If that happens to you, hold out your hand and tell someone. Most of our membership are loving, honorable, giving, caring people. Most of us want to make this club be the best it can be. To do that it cannot be about power. It has to be the desire to make it the best!!! YOU can help us meet that goal. Bring us your ideas, share your knowledge and skills. I can assure you, your current President wants your input.

For this reason and others, I am going to pick a monthly spotlight person (who is not on the board) through December from our membership who goes beyond for this club. He or she may or may not be known to you. If not, walk up and introduce yourself and see for yourself why they are important to the club. I will do my best to provide a picture.

Our first spotlight is on Lou Martino. Lou is our web master, our photographer and has been, until Covid, our co-chair of our dance team. He has been a member of this club approximately 30 years. He does most of the picture taking and All of the website changing and posting.  He knows our bylaws inside and out and wants things to be done right. He is also a really smooth dancer. If you see a guy with a mischievous smile on his face and a camera in his hand it is probably Lou.  As co-chair of the dance team, he shared his knowledge of the dance with many organizations, conventions, schools and members. Say hi and thank him for years of honorable service to our great club. Tell him we need him.

Stay tuned for next months Spotlight for the month. Until then, remember to be kind to one another and treat each other with respect, have fun and dance like no one is watching. It is with your feet you move but it is with your heart that you dance.