Grußworte der Präsidenten
President’s Message
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
We can look back on a successful, active 2012. The youth exchanges and fundraising events all did great. The Stammtisches were well attended.
On a more somber note, we lost three of our older active members. Karl Mandl, Rich Berkel and Clint „Slick“ Stoeber all passed away last year. They will truly be missed.
While we have a little break in the activity, 2013 is setting up to be a very busy year also. Planning has already begun. The budget was passed at the January Board meeting. And the calendar of activities has been set. The calendar is located toward the end of the newsletter. Please mark YOUR calendar to participate in as many events as you can.
One of my disappointments for 2012 was the attendance at the quarterly Membership meet- ings. So we are going to try something different this year. Instead of the regular business meeting, we will have a very abbreviated one followed by a program.
The February 21st meeting will have a presentation by Diane Walsh from the St. Clair County Genealogical Society. Her topic will be „Pitfalls in Genealogical Research“. I know many of you have done some digging into our family’s history. You have I’m sure that you have run into some roadblocks. How do you proceed? Come to the meeting and get some an- swers to your quandaries.
In addition to the program, Diane asks that if you have some nagging questions to please send them to me to be forwarded to her. She could do some research before the presentation and be more prepared to help you.
Don’t forget to let Hilda Koluch know if you will be attending. We need to give Fischer’s enough time to set up properly for the meeting. In addition, that will put your name in the kitty for one of Hilda’s fantastic attendance prizes.
See you there.
Have a wonderful and prosperous new year.
Jerry
News from Paderborn
Dear Friends in Belleville and Around:
At the time this contribution to the BSC newsletter is written winter has got its grip on Paderborn in the same way as it has in Belleville – it has been cold here for a few weeks and we are having snow.
We remember our Thanksgiving dinner when about 160 members and friends gathered to celebrate this US holiday which is so impor- tant to our friends in Belleville. Jerry Reilmann had sent an address that was well received by the guests.
Now we have been busy preparing two youth exchanges for 2013:
A group of 12 students will come to Belleville in summer for a three- week stay, accompanied by two new chaperones, Sebastian Schulz and Benedikt Otto.
In mid-August three or four students from Paderborn will come for a three months “Sister City Cultural Exchange”.
We are grateful to the hosts who will accept these young people to their homes and to those who will organize the exchanges.
On June 23 rd DAFK will celebrate its 25 th anniversary at the Rathaus of Paderborn.
Our sister city organization establishing a relationship with Belleville was founded on Sep- tember 23 rd , 1988. The late Ellen Rost was the initiator and first president.
During the festive event on June 23 rd we’ll expect the distinguished member of the European Parliament, Elmar Brok, Chairman of its Foreign Committee, to deliver an address. The US Consul General in Düsseldorf, Stephen A. Hubler, has been invited.
We hope to welcome friends and representatives from Belleville on this occasion.
We also hope that more visitors from Belleville will come to Paderborn in 2013.
Best wishes
Bernd Broer
President
Dr. Otmar Allendorf
Secretary