This month, I am stepping in to fill the two pairs of shoes of Karen and Norm Abbot.  As Vice President, I am wishing them well in their decision to move back north to be near family, especially grandchildren.  I know it was a tough decision for them since they enjoyed the Cape Fear region and all the new friends they made – especially fellow CFMC club members.  I want to thank them on behalf of the club for their tenure as co-Presidents of the club.  The ideas and suggestions they brought from their previous club will be missed.

Since we lost our co-Presidents, I will be serving as acting President for the next two months. Elections for new CFMC club officers will be held at our annual holiday party, Sunday, January 12, 2025. Currently, there are several positions to be filled – President, Vice President (yes, I am at the end of my two-year term), Activities Chair and Facebook Manager.  We are currently forming a nominating committee to solicit potential candidates for these positions, but if you have an interest in serving the club in one of these positions, please let one of the current officers or Don Wahl know that you would like to be considered as a Board member.

In this column I wanted to express our appreciation to Ron and Judy Carmichael for their work in planning the Rodeo trip that unfortunately had to be canceled due to the devastation caused in western North Carolina by hurricane Helene.  Although we were disappointed, we are fortunate that we don’t have to deal with the aftermath of the storm.  Prayers still go out to those affected by the storm.  In mid-September, we were in the area of Asheville and Black Mountain scoping out a future club outing to Little Switzerland.  We hope to be able to plan this trip for next year.

As always, the CFMC club is looking for potential outings (in addition to our monthly coffee socials).  It is difficult at this time of year with the holidays rapidly approaching, but there is still time to pull together a quick outing.  And the weather is still warm enough for a top- down drive before the colder weather arrives.

Until we talk again, stay healthy and safe.

Rick Judson