THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

As the days grow shorter and the air becomes crisper, the memories of our 2011 CAS Convention, “Around The World With CAS”, still burn brightly. In fact, I think we created enough memories in Madison to keep us warm throughout the harshest of winters! Of course, those memories wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our Convention attendees, and the encouragement of all CAS Collectors. Thanks to each of you, our dreams become reality!

Let’s offer a big thank-you to your hard-working Board of Directors, who invested plenty of time and energy into putting together our very own “World’s Fair”. Kudos to Barb Patzer, who does an amazing job as our Convention Coordinator. This year Barb outdid herself by also putting together our beautiful "CAS World Garden" centerpieces. Everyone wanted to take one home! And, what can I say about Lisa Louis our “Commemorative Queen”? Every year she keeps coming up with just the right Commemorative idea to match the spirit of our Convention. This year’s keepsake coasters and stands were no exception!

Mary Lamm-Feltman, our vice president, designed some very creative placemats, and, with Kathy Plehn, provided colorful print items to make our meeting room look like the ideal tourist destination. (Kathy’s selection of festive balloons added the finishing touch!) Thanks also to Tim Holthaus & Jim Petzold for providing our “Grand Door Prize”: a framed "Welcome" poster starring the CAS Egyptians. But, they didn’t stop there: Tim and Jim also again coordinated our very successful CAS Auction. And, my hat’s off to Heidi Hahlen who designed the popular “passports” given out to all attendees. This very creative idea gave our guests the feeling of actually traveling to foreign lands. And, thanks to Donald-Brian Johnson for once more making sure that our always-popular “On Display” contest came off without a hitch. (Don and yours truly also made sure our “Convention Souvenir Stand” was well-stocked with assorted knickknacks!)

Many thanks to all who participated in our successful Club Auction, with an extra-big CAS thank-you to Betty Carson, Shawn and David Slotten, and several “anonymous” folk, who donated the proceeds from the sale of their auction items to our club treasury.

And finally, many, many thanks to our talented quiltmaker-in-residence, June Behnke. Once again, June came up with a beautiful quilt for our Convention Raffle. June donates all supplies and time spent on this project, and this year, the fundraiser netted your club nearly $300! In recognition of June’s efforts, your Board has voted June and husband Jim “Honorary Membership” in CAS Collectors.

Have I forgotten anyone? I sincerely hope not! The ongoing contributions of each and every club member are deeply appreciated. Thanks to you, the future of CAS Collectors is a bright one!

And, now the moment you’ve been waiting for…drum roll please! I’m pleased to announce our theme for the 2012 CAS Convention! It’s "A CAS Summer Vacation", a one-of-a-kind “road trip across America”, as we “see the USA with CAS”! Think of all the fun in store! Your creative and hardworking Board is already coming up with ideas to make this the most exciting Convention ever, and you’ll find more details elsewhere in this newsletter. We’ve even included a registration form, so why not register now and beat the rush? And, yes our “Earliest Earlybird” contest is back as an added incentive for speedy registration; all paid registrations received by May 31, 2012 are eligible for the drawing. (Our 2011 winner, Ruth Paulson, received a very special CAS souvenir!)

Now’s also the time to start thinking about participating in our 2010 Club Auction. Want to weed out some CAS duplicates? Just looking to down-size your collection? By adding items to our auction bill, you’ll realize some extra cash, and benefit your club as well. As always, professional auctioneer Shirley Bauman will be calling the auction, helping you realize top dollar for your CAS treasures.

Finally, I wouldn’t be doing my duty as president if I didn’t remind you that your generous support keeps our club a viable organization. Is your membership is up for renewal? Check the mailing label on this newsletter. The renewal date is indicated. If your membership has expired, (or is about to), you’ll also see a “please renew” sticker. Then, all you need to do is send in the enclosed membership renewal form with your payment. That way, you won’t miss out on all of the benefits of your CAS membership (such as this always-entertaining newsletter!) And, as Santa always says: “CAS memberships make great ho-ho-holiday gifts!”

Until next time, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and have a happy and healthy holiday season! I’ll be looking forward to seeing all of you next August 25^th in Madison, for "A CAS Summer Vacation"!

Hank Kuhlmann

President