May 2023 Membership Update | |
National Bocce Championships Update
Sponsors Make a Difference
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The 2023 USBF National Bocce Championships will be held June 19-24 at the Highwood Bocce Club. As of now we have over 130 of the best bocce players in the country from 8 different states competing in 7 different events. This gives us all a unique opportunity to showcase our club, city, and members.
Hosting the national event is a costly proposition in terms of both volunteer time and financials, and the donations we receive in the form of sponsorships help ensure that our club can provide a high-quality event without a negative impact on our finances.
We set out to raise enough in sponsorships to cover a majority of our expenses, and thanks to our generous members, member & local businesses, and other bocce clubs we will meet this goal. The funds raised through sponsorships will ensure that we can provide our participants with an exceptional experience that they will cherish for years to come. On behalf of the Highwood Bocce Club, I want to express my deepest appreciation for our sponsors and their support of the National Bocce Tournament. We are truly grateful for your kindness and generosity.
Tom Holleman
President Highwood Bocce Club
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Blue ($5,000)
Anonymous Member
Green ($3,000)
Buffo's
Green/White ($2,000)
Small Ball United
White ($1,000)
Arrive Logistics
Italia-America Bocce Club of St. Louis
The Overpass Company
The Domenic Rinaldi Family
Red ($500)
ABT
City of Highwood
Coldwell Banker - Carol & Brendan Santi
Core Advisors
D and D Insurance Agency
Ekenberg & Ekenberg, P.C.
Al Kruse
Media Designers
Menoni and Mocogni
Pasquesi Home and Gardens
Pasquesi Plumbing
Sunset Foods
The Viti Companies - Insurance, Financial
Wintrust Financial Corp.
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Other Support
Julia Amari and Bob Tricarico
Brian Lock State Farm
Larry, Ken and Matthew Brown
Compass Realty - Mada Hitchmough
John Corrigan
DiMaggio Law
Done Deal Promotions
Etruscan Gutters and Roofing
Farmers Insurance
Giannetti Artisans
Hetherington, Karpel, Bobber, Teich & Pippin, LLC
Betty Holleman
IC Signs and Graphics
Little Tommy's Plumbing
National Italian American Foundation, Inc.
Sarge! book
Sons of Columbus Kansas City
Super Martel
Thursday Pick Up League Members
Toadstool Pub
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Nationals Championships Schedule
The schedule is set for the National Championships, and it includes a full week of events, with open competitions for players at different skill levels, and Punta Raffa Volo (PRV) competitions for advanced players.
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Sunday, June 18
Courts open for Practice 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., first come first served
Open B, Monday, June 19
Beginner/Intermediate, four person teams, USBF Open Rules
Women’s PRV Doubles,
Women's Precision Shooting
Tuesday, June 20
Two person teams international rules, and individual shooting skill contest
Mixed PRV Doubles,
Wednesday, June 21
Two person teams international rules
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Men’s Precision Shooting,
Thursday, June 22
Individual shooting skill contest
Men’s PRV Doubles,
Thursday,
June 22 – Friday, June 23
Two person teams, International rules
Open A, Friday, June 23 –
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Elite/Advanced players, four person teams, USBF Open Rules
Awards Banquet, Saturday, June 24
6:00 p.m. full seated dinner and awards presentation
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Court and Bar Closures
We have some upcoming maintenance scheduled for our courts that will require them to be closed for play.
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Friday May 5th: Club and courts closed all day to replace all indoor and outdoor lighting with LED lighting. We are taking advantage of the ComEd program for this and are essentially replacing all of the Club lighting at almost no cost.
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Friday May 12th through Sunday May 14th: The rubber baseboards along the court walls are being replaced. This will require removing all sand before installation and then laying down new sand after. Current estimate is this will take all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. With this schedule we should not need to interrupt any current league schedules but the courts will be closed all weekend.
- The bar will be closed on Mondays through July except for the week of nationals.
New Court Policies
The HBC Board recently discussed and voted unanimously on two important court policy changes.
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Non-League Play: Non-league play will no longer cost $1 per game and all contributions to the cash box by the courts will be voluntary.
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Court Time: If you have been on the courts for more than two hours and other members are waiting for a court, you must give up your court to these waiting members. If there is no one waiting, you are welcome to keep playing. Please inform a board member if there are members not following this policy.
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Renew Your Membership Today | |
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The Club's membership year runs from July 1 to June 30 each year (this changed during COVID when we extended memberships by 6 months). Your current membership expires on June 30, 2023. If you haven’t already, please make your renewal payment now, good through June 30, 2024. You have several options to renew. Please renew online if possible, this is the best way for our volunteer staff to process memberships.
1. ONLINE – Go to www.highwoodbocce.com and select the Membership menu item. Follow the link for membership renewal and select the correct membership type.
2. CREDIT CARD - Pay using your credit card (MasterCard or Visa) at the bar.
3. CHECK - Make a check out to Highwood Bocce Club. Mail it to the Club (440 Bank Lane Highwood, IL 60040), give directly to the bartender, or give it personally to Tom Holleman or Mary Ann Pedersen.
Non-Renewals
If you choose not to renew, please let us know so we can take you off the list. Key fobs will be turned off for members that do not make a timely payment.
Initiation Fee
If you do not renew for this membership year, but choose to renew in the future, you will be treated as a new member. New members must pay an initiation fee ($125 for singles, $200 for couples). You must maintain continuous membership to avoid paying the initiation fee.
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May
5 | Club closed for LED Lighting Replacement
7 | 9:00 am Club PRV Doubles Tournament
12 -14 | Courts closed for maintenance
19 | 6:30pm Member Dinner & Comedy night
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June
16 | Member dinner and Luau
19 - 24 National Championship Tournament
July
16 | General Membership Meeting
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The bar will be closed on Mondays through July. | |
Thursday Afternoon Pick Up Games
Afternoon pick-up bocce games will continue on Thursdays. No need to sign-up in advance, just show up and play! Players of all abilities are welcome. Check in and warm up 12:00 PM, games start at 12:30 PM. Cost is $5, $10 for guests of members. Thanks to Mike Ronzio for continuing to lead these afternoon sessions and to Ken and Betty Duffy for starting these afternoon sessions. Questions? Email Mike Ronzio at [email protected].
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Highwood Bocce Club Cookbook Available
Food Is Life! | Cibo É la Vita! Now Available on Demand at Amazon
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To order your copy for just $25 click https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMT439K8 or go to amazon.com and search on the book title of Food Is Life! | Cibo É la Vita! Limited copies will also be sold at the Club during events and gatherings. Buon appetito! | |
Easter Sunday the Club and the Modenese Society hosted the annual Easter Coccetto. The multigenerational celebration attracted a large crowd and the Easter Bunny made a special appearance. Thank you to everyone who made this special event possible. Thanks to our guest bartenders Tom Garrity and David Beresid paired with a match from the HBC we were able to donate $550 to Rainbows for All Children, a non-profit providing free and effective support groups for youths experiencing loss. | |
Bingo!
Everyone was a winner at Bingo Night, held on April 21st. Donna and her team offered a fantastic dinner and winners received cash prizes and gift certificates courtesy of Buffos. A special thank you to Bruce Bertucci for his excellent calling skills.
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Membership Meeting
The quarterly Membership Meeting was held on April 23 with pizza following the meeting. A summary of the reports presented has been posted on the bulletin board. The next General Membership Meeting will be July 16.
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League Updates
We welcomed back the Wednesday spring league on April 12 and the Thursday spring/summer league on April 27. The Wednesday outdoor league begins May 17th and is already full. Due to the popularity of this league this and last year we have added a Thursday outdoor league beginning July 20th, and it still has some openings. Contact Steve Thornberry at [email protected] or (224) 795-3936 with questions or to express interest in playing.
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Sunday Evening Team Champions
Congrats to Team Vole (Playoff Champs) and Team Biondi/Cervac/Sabido/Stiyer (Regular Season Champs) of the Sunday night league! Thanks to Mary Ann and Jerry Pedersen for hosting such a great league as well.
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Thursday Night League Champions
The winter Thursday night league concluded with a final between the gritty Gladiators and the ferocious Ferrets, with the Gladiators winning the day. Congratulations to Paolo Giannetti, Tim Tolari, Gordon Gruenes, Joe Blumenshine, Dave Massello (not pictured) and Todd Mikell (not pictured) on their championship victory! Special thanks to league presidents Bruce Bertucci and Gordon Davies.
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Wednesday Night League Champs
Congrats to the winner of the Wednesday night league team Campo de Fuoco and team members Keith Young, Danko Dykyj, Miles Russell, Julian Batula, Larry Shulruff (not pictured), and Chuck Dushman (not pictured)! Special thanks also to league president Ozzie Pasquesi.
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Club Events Calendar Online
A comprehensive club calendar showing all member events and league dates is now available on the website. The calendar also shows when private events are scheduled so members can understand court and club availability.
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Operating Hours
All members have access to the
Club via their key fob from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week.
Bar Hours
The bar welcomes members from 6:30 p.m. to closing (usually between 10-12 p.m.) Monday - Saturday, Sunday hours 12-6 p.m.
The bar will be closed on Mondays through July.
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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.
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Stay Up-to-Date
The bulletin board in the cardroom and the digital display in the court area are updated regularly with membership, financial, memorial, and business information.
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Plan Your Event
The Club is a great place to host a party with excellent food, reasonable rates, and attentive service. The Banquet Room has recently been repainted and is ready to welcome your group.
Donna Pieracci is the primary point of contact for booking parties. She and her staff handle all aspects of party planning, menu selection,
set-up, etc.
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Enjoy the Advantages of Italian Citizenship
Did you know that under the law of “jure sanguinis,” Italian citizenship transfers from parents to children by the “right of blood”?
If a family member or ancestor did not become an American citizen before the next generation was born, you have perhaps been an Italian citizen since birth— you just need the documentation to apply for Italian citizenship.
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Carla Marcocci Ojha, a resident of Lake Forest, can help you with this process. Also a dual Italian citizen, Carla studied in Florence, lived for an extended time in Bologna, and worked in Venice for the World Monuments Fund. Her background is in historical research with a passion for the genealogical sleuthing that brings Americans of Italian descent back to their roots.
To find out more about Italian dual citizenship, email Carla at [email protected]
or call or text her at 484-889-7514.
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The Club recently welcomed the following new members:
Cindy Clohesey
Diane DiVagno
Jason Gonzalez
David Hoffman
Thomas Knaus
Tony Maiore
Noah Shulruff
Anita Yablong
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The Club honors the memories of our members and their loved ones.
Roger Cortesi
David Fontana
Frank Palandri
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.
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Officers
President
Tom Holleman
Vice President
Mary Ann Pedersen
Treasurer
Heidi Peddle
Recording Secretary
Tim Tolari
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Trustees
Frank Bacci
Bruce Bertucci
Lenny Innocenzi
Amy Lazzaretti
Frank Lomoro
Peter Pieracci
Miles Russell
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