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The ways they help are so varied, and so appreciated. They stepped up big to help host the 2023 USBF Nationals. Of course, we can't show enough appreciation for our volunteers that make our delicious tortellacci. The members that run our leagues put in a lot of time over many weeks to make sure all enjoy their bocce play. We are so grateful for our bartenders that keep the bar open and the drinks coming. So many contribute in different ways to keep our 50+ year facility and world-class courts maintained and looking beautiful. Our member events entertain all of our membership, but are organized by a small handful of people. There are also volunteers behind our website, newsletters, social media, emails, and Club cookbook. And our board members keep it all running and ensure we are respecting our legacy while looking ahead to the future.

This month we are having a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for all of our volunteers as a small show of appreciation for all they do for our Club. If you are one of our 2023 volunteers, you have my sincere gratitude. If you aren't, talk to me about how you can get involved in the future!

Tom Holleman

President

2023 Elections

Our official election day is Sunday, November 12, 2023. The board positions up for election are below. 

• President (currently held by Tom Holleman) 
• Recording Secretary (currently held by DeeDee Niebling) 
• 3 of the 7 Trustee positions (currently held by Lenny Innocenzi, Bruce Bertucci, and Miles Russell) 

We encourage members who would like to share their time, knowledge, and experience to consider running for office. Each of the incumbents does have the option to run again. To run for a position on the HBC Board, you must be a current paid member and have also been a member for at least one year at the time of the election unless an exception is approved by the majority of the Board of Trustees per the eligibility requirements in our bylaws. 

Please send your request to be a candidate for one of these positions to any of the following. All candidate requests must be received by 10/12. 

1. Email our to-be-appointed election supervisor at hbcvote@gmail.com.
2. Put your name on the bulletin board at the entrance to the club.
3. Email any member of the board and copy the email address hbcvote@gmail.com.
4. Mail to the club at Election Supervisor, Highwood Bocce Club, 440 Bank Lane, Highwood, IL 60040. (Please allow time for delivery if sending via postal mail; if it is not received by October 12, 2023, the request will be rejected.) 

Watch your email for additional details about candidate forums and election procedures.

New Board Appointment

Due to the combination of competing family & work commitments, Tim Tolari has regretfully resigned from the board. We thank him for the time he served! With the Trustees' unanimous approval, President Tom Holleman appointed Steve Thornberry as a new Trustee. Steve's term runs through December 2024.

Club Championships Underway

The annual club Championship tournaments are nearing completion! The tournament allows individual players to showcase their skills and enjoy friendly competition. The Men's Championship match will be played on Friday, October 13th at 7:00p.m. The Women's Championship match will be played at the same time or sometime shortly after.

As of October 1, 2023, we are down to the final four men - Tom Holleman vs. Todd Mikell and Anthony La Barbera vs. Miles Russell. The final four matches will be played this week. Lauren McDermott and Brigid Reidy have qualified for the final four of the women's tournament, but the 2 other semi-finalists have not been determined yet. Check the poster boards at the Club to see who is advancing and who is not!

Thank you to Steve Thornberry for doing an amazing job organizing this year's competition.

October

16 | 6:30 p.m. Volunteer Recognition Dinner

22 | 3:30 p.m. General Membership Meeting & Candidate Forum

27 | 6:30 p.m. Fish Fry and Comedy night

November

12 | HBC Board Elections

17 | 6:30 p.m. Dinner and Bingo!

December

3 | Children's Christmas Party

15 | Christmas dinner and holiday sing along

31 | New Year's Eve Gala

League Updates

Due to continually increasing demand for our leagues, the board has approved some changes for 2024 in order to better enable access to our leagues by all of our members.

1. Members will be limited to participate in no more than 2 leagues at any one time. This will only affect a handful of members, but it will help free up some spots for others. Exceptions will be made when there are no other members to fill a league spot.
2. We will create and publish a full year league calendar so membership can better understand when leagues are scheduled throughout the year.
3. League related announcements will be made more holistically, so members can better understand their choices when determining which league they'd prefer to participate in.
4. Schedules for mixed leagues (e.g. Tuesdays and Sundays) will be synchronized, making it easier to manage the member participation between them.

The Thursday Summer Indoor league just finished, the Thursday Outdoor league concludes this week, and the new Tuesday Mixed league recently began. We will soon be announcing a Sunday Mixed League to begin October 22nd. Those that could not get into the Tuesday Mixed league will be given priority.

The Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday Men's leagues will begin the first week of November. Those three leagues are team invite only.

The Thursday afternoon Pick-Up League is available to all members (and guests) whenever they would like to participate.

Thursday Night Summer Indoor League

Congratulations to Team Boylan (Carla Boylan, Paula Perrelli, Bianca Ori, Karen Palmieri, Mike Ronzio, and Leslie McGregor) who battled Team Innocenzi in 3 close matches to win the Thursday Summer Mixed League. This was a league with many new and beginner players. Thanks to all who participated, and for being helpful, patient, and welcoming to all the players!

Thursday Afternoon Pick-Up League

Our afternoon pick-up bocce games are resuming on Thursday afternoons. No need to sign-up in advance, just show up and play! Schedule: Check in and warm up 12:00 PM, games start at 12:30 PM

Open To: Players of all skill levels

Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members

Club Rule Reminder

As a reminder to members bringing your own liquor to the Club is not allowed due to liability risks. This is true regardless if the bar is open or closed. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

The Club recently welcomed the following new members:

Quinn Epstein

Ida Fiore

Photios & Katharine Frangos

Lisa Giardina

Tom & Jeanne Morizio

The Club honors the memories of our members and their loved ones.

The bulletin board in the card room has space to place memorial cards, and news of a loss can be shared with Peter Pieracci who will share the information with our members.

Frank S. Saliba

Officers

President

Tom Holleman

Vice President

Mary Ann Pedersen

Treasurer

Heidi Peddle

Recording Secretary

DeeDee Niebling

Trustees

Frank Bacci

Bruce Bertucci

Lenny Innocenzi

Frank Lomoro

Peter Pieracci

Miles Russell

Steve Thornberry