PRÄSIDENTEN - ECKE
Grüßt’ Euch, liebe Freunde!

Well, it’s official, we have a new 1st Vice President. Olaf Haustedt had some stiff competition to contend with, but after his long and eloquent speech, the members voted him in with a landslide victory. It was actually unanimous. Not one vote was cast for someone else.

Congratulations Olaf, and welcome as a member of the Board of Directors.

We really had a good turnout for the General Membership meeting. 90 members and a few guests were present.

I thanked and sang praises to all the hard working volunteers.
Everywhere you look around the Clubhouse, things have been repaired, replaced, and repainted. Willi and his crew just keep on working.

The Choir Concert was splendid. The whole afternoon had a really special atmosphere. Eine gemütliche atmosphäre. Those of you that attended, please spread the word that next year, this is a can’t miss happening at the Club.

Heidi, thank you so much for arranging the Schwarzwalder Quintet from Germany for the Spring Dance. The place was packed. WOW!!

Please check out our redesigned web site and revisit it often to watch the progress in the new design and information updates.

Lastly, it’s not too late to call in your reservations for the Anniversary Ball. I would like to see you there.

Immer Euer

Wendel Jenkins
German American Societies President

Remember our April Spring Dance with the “Schwarzwald Quintett” from Germany?
Following letter was sent to us, please read and enjoy...

Dear members of the German American Societies,

"We have been in the USA seven times already, and we've played in German clubs many times, but we have never experienced anything like this before!" Frank Trenkle, the leader of the Original Schwarzwald Quintett begins to gloat. "Such friendliness, such warmth - unbelievable! And the dance floor was always full of people - that makes it really fun to make music!" We are still filled with unending enthusiasm, and not only the musicians but the other people who traveled with us, who mostly had visited America for the first time, are still completely floored. "From the first step we took into the clubhouse, we felt completely at home" is the resounding tenor. "Heidi immediately hugged us all," Irmgard said, who has already experienced some of German-American club life. "And that's not to forget all others who have treated us so very kindly!" Many participants already praised the "excellent German cuisine" in the evening at dinner and reiterated the sentiment the next morning at the opulent breakfast. "Real 'Broetchen' and homemade marmalade" - it was all very well received. At this point and in this context, I will relay the gratitude of the whole group for your generosity. "Unbelievable, unforgettable, fantastic" are the superlatives out of everyone's mouth. This experience stay will forever be ingrained in our memory. Maybe these memories can be renewed some day. Frank and his musicians can well imagine to "musically visit" El Cajon again. For me, at least, there is no question. Such evenings make me deliriously happy, when I see that the "little piece of home" we bring along ingrains itself in people's hearts. That is the impetus and motivation to return - and I will return!

With best regards, Peter and Martha Degan, Agent of the “Schwarzwald Quintett”

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The German American Societies wants to welcome our new members who joined our club since January 2008:

Robert and Marie Hart, Christine Freed, Jessie Garay, Anja Mc Gee, Roger Wasserman, Bill Tomkins, Charan Crews, Nancy Wilming, Policarpa Webb, Robert Garcia, Debbie Fox, Mark Fuhriman, Richard and Darlene Jackson, Yonah Graves, Roy Seifert, Thomas and Andrea Maier, Gerald Holmes, Daniel and Michelle Knapp, and John Freed.

Many of you have already participated in some of our club events, signed the volunteer list and also joined undergroups, like Choir, Damenkreis and Karneval. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND INTEREST IN OUR CLUB!

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GENERAL CLUB INFORMATION:

After our Anniversary Ball, the club will be closed for summer vacation from
June 5 and will reopen on August 10, 2008,
on which date we will be celebrating our annual “Open House/Membership Drive”.

All business affairs and questions in that time span will be handled and answered by
ROSE BENSON, 2nd VICE PRESIDENT

You can call the club office : 619-442-6637 (which will be periodicaly checked by her) In emergency call her cell number: 858-337-6413. Rose will be happy to help you. She is my right hand and informed in all club matters. Knowing me, I will be calling her from Germany quite often... Where Willie and I are going to be in the month of June!

Due to many youth activities in the month of May we have been very busy at the club ( Graduation of Students in the “Samstags Schule”, AATG awards to Grossmont High school students and a “Kino Abend” for German students from Grossmont College). I am very pleased that we were able to find a few more young “Helping Hands Angels” who show great interest in our club activities!