We served 186 delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Thanks to everyone for participating in the Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Basket Programs. The Ladies Auxiliary worked very hard to assure needy families in the area had an abundance of food. AMVETS purchased the turkeys to help with expenses. Kudos to our members for supporting the Angel Christmas Tree and Toy Box Programs for the kids. The Ladies Auxiliary always goes the extra mile to assure the kids have a wonderful Christmas and AMVETS and the SOA made cash contributions to assure all of the needy children are taken care of. Special thanks to all of the volunteers for their dedication to the programs.

Members who attended the standing room only Veterans Day Service were moved by the speech of our resident door greeter and World War II veteran, Garry DeBoer. I want to thank the Honor Guard, officers, guest speakers and volunteers who made the day memorable. Some veterans who reside at Avanti Nursing Home attended the service; they loved talking with the members and all commented on how much they enjoyed the service and buffet lunch.

Hopefully, you will get the Newsletter is time to be reminded of our annual New Year’s Day Good Luck and Prosperity Dinner (see page 9 for details). Don’t forget to sign up for our Gambling Cruise in Port Ritchie on January 23rd. The last cruise was a big success, so don’t miss out on a good time. We have planned a Super Bowl Party on February 5th with food, beer specials and trivia contests. Bring your sweetie to the "Be My Valentine Dinner Dance" on February 11th.. The Ladies Auxiliary is hosting the event and there will be flowers for the ladies, a prime rib dinner, goodentertainment and valentine gift basket raffles.

As we begin the new year, I want to thank all of our members for supporting Post 1992. You have demonstrated your generosity with the children’s programs and fund raisers for good causes. You have always stepped up to the plate when asked to bring in covered dishes for our celebrations, and most importantly, have attended our many dinners, parties and celebrations. I also want to thank our dedicated group of trustees and volunteers who devote countless hours of their time and support. We strive to make Post 1992 the best it can be for our members and those we serve in the community.

Why not make a New Year’s Resolution to volunteer just a little bit of your time to help ease the burden of those volunteers who need some relief. Volunteering is a good way to meet new people and will make you feel that you are a part of something worthwhile.

Let’s all strive to make 2012 the best year ever. Our membership is constantly growing and Post 1992 needs everyone’s continued support in order to remain the biggest and best Post in the state of Florida.

Randy