NEW CLUB HOURS

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

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2025 CLUB MEMBERSHIP DUES

Your $40 membership has remained the same over the past several years. New cards will be postmarked by the middle of January and will also allow you the benefit of a free drink each month when you present your card. We are finalizing additional discounts that will be announced early in 2025 for our members. Please remember that your membership supports the only German/American cultural social Club in the area. Thank you!

As we celebrate our 160th year it is our hope that many of our members will bring in a new membership, either a family member or friend, in order to grow our membership. Please stop by to make new friends and enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the Club!

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GREETINGS from President Steven Schafer

Happy New Year from your Utica Maennerchor family. We hope 2025 is filled with happiness and good health! This year is especially exciting as we recognize and celebrate the 160th Anniversary of our beloved club. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our wonderful organization. Prost!

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SUPPORT YOUR CLUB OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES

You are invited to join your Board Members at a brief General Meeting on January 6th at 5 p.m. downstairs at the Club. The following slate will be officially accepted: Officers: President - Steve Schafer, 1st Vice President - Raymond Beck, 2nd Vice President - Cindy Yount, Treasurer - Kathleen Wameling, and Secretary - Judith Schwenzfeier. Trustees: William Gregory, Martha Culan, John Perrone, Fred Kilmartin, William Kritzler, Shirley Hilts-Adams, Lynn Allen.

Thanks to the above volunteers for keeping your Club and finances in good order. We have two more Trustee positions available. If interested, please contact one of the Officers for complete information.

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GERMAN CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Jacob Agne, Jr. was the architect for the first "home" of the Utica Maennerchor at 323 Columbia Street in 1892 until 1963 when the property was turned over to the Utica Urban Development Commission. He was the President of the Utica Maennerchor at an unknown time. He also founded Utica Cutlery in 1910, the manufacturer of stainless-steel cutlery.

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VOLUNTEERS FOR SNOW DUTY

To date we have been lucky not to have had much snow, but you know the snow will soon be upon us. We have a snow plowing contract with Steveners, but sidewalks and walkways are the Club member's responsibility. We have a snowblower, shovels and snow melt, but we can always use peoplepower. If you arrive at the Club and work needs to be done, please help us out. Sean Scott has done a great job for us in the past but is having knee issues and could use your help. UMC is your home away from home, so please take pride in it and help us out. Thanks!

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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

As you enter the Club, have you noticed our beautiful winter village in the display case that was made by our own Calvin Anacker? The Village was donated in 2011 by Tom Klar of Maryland. We are so grateful for this gift. If you look closely, all the little houses have German identification.

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CHORUS

Thank you to our Chorus members for a wonderful Christmas benefit concert. We were able to donate $900 to The House of the Good Shepherd whose representative graciously attended and accepted the funds. The cookie & coffee treats after the Concert were enjoyed by all who attended, and we thank you.

The following week the Chorus presented their Concert at Preswick Glen to the delight of the residents. We are thankful for our Director Mark Radlowski and Accompanist Margaret Fisco for their time working with us. Each week, Mark has also been working in our Chorus Library along with Carol Lawless and Beverly Gregory organizing our music in a manner that will be easier to select as our voices are changing and our chorus members are decreasing.

You can't possibly imagine the music we have accumulated over the years as German/American choruses have failed to exist, and they have donated their music to our Club. As winter months are approaching, the Chorus will take some time off and resume at a date to be determined in March. Happy New Year to all!

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EDELWEISS SCHUHPLATTLERS by Gracie Schell

Our Dancers concluded December with four Christmas Dance Performances, and a mini-Christmas one, all held within the same week! We started the month on Dec. 8th, performing at the Syracuse German Club's annual Christmas Party. Once again, we were well received and finished by including the audience in a dance. Then came our busy week.......Dec 14th - performing first at the annual 'Ilion Holiday Hoopla', before we headed right over to the "Little Falls Holiday Festival", dancing yet another one-hour show. Everyone really enjoyed our show at these different Holiday Events.

On Thursday, Dec. 19th, we were one of the featured performers at Utica's "City Hall Christmas". What a festive, busy event for the children of the Utica area! We had a grand time dancing in the middle of City Hall in front of their big Christmas Tree! Afterwards, we all went over to Utica's Irish Cultural Center (ICC) and performed two of our Christmas Dances for everyone at Five Points Pub. Some dancers even joined in singing a Christmas Song with the folks there! Then we went upstairs at the ICC to participate in the weekly "Irish Ceili Dance Class" that I teach there each week. It was so much fun doing Irish dances while wearing our German dance outfits! Dec. 20th found us inside the Sitrin Community Center performing for 35 residents there. As with our Syracuse show, we finished our Sitrin performance by doing the beautiful "Lantern Dance". The dancers and their rehearsals will be on hiatus for the month of January except for our group's annual "End of Dance Season Christmas Party" held near the end of January. (Note: In February - We might bring back Square & Circle Dancing again....you'll have to wait & see...)