NEW CLUB HOURS

Effective October 1st, Monday-Thursday 5:30-10 pm, Friday 4-10 pm.

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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

The annual membership dues of $40.00 has remained the same for many years. This amounts to around $3.30 a month, or the cost of a good cup of coffee! It is our hope that all our members will renew early so you can enjoy the new benefits available (see below for NEW benefits for being a member of the Utica Maennerchor). As you support your German/American cultural club, we give thanks to our founders on the anniversary of our 160th year. What an accomplishment! We hope you will sponsor a new member this year as we encourage growth in our family-friendly organization. Membership dues forms and return envelopes are enclosed. Thank you!

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SAUERBRATEN DINNER SUCCESS

Thanks to our 30+ volunteers and all who came in to purchase our delicious dinner. We had a wonderful event, and the flow of take-outs downstairs and sit-down dinners upstairs went smoothly. Thank you all and we'll see you April 13th for our spring dinner.

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CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS

Many of our Christmas Customs come from Germany. Among them the Christmas Tree; several favorite Carols (Silent Night first sung in 1818 in Oberndorf near Salzburg); St. Nicholas the patron saint of students and children/feast day Dec. 6th; Nutcrackers; glass tree ornaments and the candy cane. According to legend, the first candy canes were made in 1670 when the choirmaster at a cathedral in Germany gave sugar sticks to the children in the choir to keep them quiet during a Christmas ceremony. The candies were bent into the shape of shepherds' crooks in honor of the occasion.

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CHORUS CHRISTMAS BENEFIT CONCERT

Our Concert will be held on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8th at 2 p.m. in the upstairs ballroom. In place of an entrance fee, your generous donation this year will benefit The House of the Good Shepherd. "Since its inception in 1872 The House has preserved childhood innocence and provided thousands of children with a promising future. The House is a nonprofit human services agency providing care to vulnerable children and families, many with backgrounds of abuse and neglect that compromise their safety and development. Currently, they provide care to almost 1600 children and their families annually."

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CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE

Friday Dec. 13th during Fish Fry - We are looking for our Club bakers to bake their favorite SMALL, delicious cookies and bring a batch to the Club on Wednesday, DEC 11th between 8 - 11 a.m. so our 'elves' can fill our cookie tins. If you are a baker, please sign up on the bulletin board list, or give Secretary Judy a call (315) 736-7014. This annual Christmas fundraiser is a real treat and your $10 donation for 1 lb. tin or $15 for 1&1/2 lbs. tin is appreciated. These also make nice gifts!

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CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER TICKETS

As our dues cannot possibly cover our operating expenses, our Club fundraisers are an opportunity for all to help with the much-needed support. Tickets are included with this mailing of $5 each, or 6 tickets for $25. Your prompt return will give you the opportunity to perhaps win $500 first prize, $250 second prize or $100 third prize. Wouldn't this be a nice Christmas present? The drawing will take place on Dec. 20th during Fish Fry with a possible visit from Santa if he is not too busy! Your support is appreciated. (Mail delivery is at times slow. Perhaps you'd rather drop the envelope off at the Club bar).

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DEPT 56 ALPINE VILLAGE

A special thanks goes to Mr. Tom Klar of Maryland for his 2011 donation of the Dept 56 Alpine Village scene. For the uninitiated, the Dept 56 Alpine Village is a popular series of collectible miniature buildings and figurines that recreate charming European villages, particularly those in the Alpine regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

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EDELWEISS SCHUHPLATTLERS by Gracie Schell

Frohe Weihnachten from all of us to all of you!!! November turned out to be a quiet month for as "Christmas on Main Street" was cancelled. We continued to rehearse our Christmas & regular dances weekly, getting ready for our December performances. Our Christmas Shows are as follows: Dec.8th - Syracuse German Club Christmas Party, 1-6 p.m.; Dec. 14th - Ilion Holiday Hoopla, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Dec. 14th - Little Falls Christmas, 4-5 p.m.; Dec. 20th - Sitrin Center, 2-3 p.m. We will take Christmas Bookings until January 6th, then we'll take a break for the rest of January.