President's Message

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November is a special month of setting aside time to share memories and bounty with family and friends, from Friendsgiving to Thanksgiving.  And it is a time to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for and to count all our many blessings, and to look for ways that we can give back and help others.

 

Our Veterans Day Party was a fabulous event and celebration.  First, we had our annual chili contest.  Our First-Place winner was Glenna Watts who took home $75.00. Grady Denton came in Second Place and pocketed $50.00, and Sharon Winstead took Third Place and won $25.00.  All the chili contest entries were delicious, and as always, our generous members brought mouth-watering sides and desserts.  Larry Walker dressed in his full Marine uniform and brought two fellow Marine comrades who served as judges in the chili contest.

 

Next up we had our CSC 2026 Executive Board vote. A special shout out again to Larry Walker who served as the Nominating Chair, along with his Nominating Committee members Joan Raines and Julie Long.  Ninety-seven members in attendance cast their ballots and the results were as follows:

• Vickie Smith, President

• Susan Denton, Vice President

• Grady Denton, Treasurer

• Glenna Watts, Secretary

• Bob Klimas, Sergeant-At-Arms

Thank you to all CSC members who were present to cast their ballots and congratulations to the 2026 Executive Board!  

 

Our 50/50 Raffle winner was Steve Horton who won $187.00.  This was Steve’s third time winning so not only should he buy some lottery tickets, but we recommend you ask him to buy some for you, too!  CSC gave our portion, plus some extra given by a couple of folks, for a total of $220 which was donated to the Veterans Heart Group, an organization whose mission is to honor aging veterans.  Larry Walker and Dave Rogers, both members of CSC, are actively involved in this organization.

 

The rest of the evening was a wonderful tribute to our Lynn’s and CSC veterans that we appreciate so much.  First, CSC member Bobby Crump sang Lee Greenwood’s song “I’m Proud to Be An American” and the crowd joined in with pride for America and gratitude for all the freedoms we enjoy!

 

Our fabulous DJ Curtis Treece then called those in the crowd that have served our country with the Armed Forces Medley of hymns:  "The Army Goes Rolling Along" for the Army, "Marines' Hymn" for the Marine Corps, "Anchors Aweigh" for the Navy, "The U.S. Air Force" for the Air Force, and "Semper Paratus" for the Coast Guard. We were so proud to honor our veterans as the rest of us were able to shake their hands, hug them, and thank them for their service!

 

I do not have adequate words to express what a privilege it has been to serve as the Charlotte Shag Club 2025 President, and then to be elected as CSC’s 2026 President for a second term.  In many ways, there is a steep learning curve the first-year term as president.  We tried some new ideas – some worked and some did not.  With God’s help and blessing, with an effective Board working in sync, and with the help and commitment of each of our CSC members working together in 2026, we will make the upcoming year the best ever and the Charlotte Shag Club the best shag club in the ACSC!

 

I would like to reiterate something I recently said at Lynn’s.  Look around Lynn’s on any given Thursday CSC night.  We are a diverse group of people.  We come from different areas of the country or beyond, we are different generations, we have different political beliefs, we have different religious beliefs, we have different opinions on any given issue, and we have had many different life experiences.  But what brings us together is our love for dance in general, and specifically, our love and passion for the shag dance, the music, and friendships made along the way.  Let’s continue to focus on our shag community, what we have in common, and lift each other up!

 

As we head into the last month of 2025, many of us will observe Hanukkah as one of the most popular Jewish festivals.  And many of us will celebrate Christmas when God became flesh and entered the world in human history.  As the angels said to the shepherds “Fear not, I bring you good news”.  My prayer for each of us is to slow down during this season, and enjoy this special time of the year with family and friends.

 

I simply say, thank you. Together, we have made 2025 an awesome year for the Charlotte Shag Club!

Vickie
 
“Eat. Sleep. Dance. Repeat.”