(Submitted by Ken Gorny)
I would like to thank all of the candidates for offices in the Western Sector of the USBF for accepting their nominations to serve for the next 2-year term starting in January 2023.
As current President of the Western Sector, I would like to express my appreciation for all of the current officers, especially our Treasurer, Marsha Jones and Laura de la Rosa, Treasurer for the National USBF, who reestablished the USBF’s non-profit status and put us on a sound footing. Marianne Schmidt, Secretary, helped me with the Zoom meetings and all the correspondence sent to our members. The Membership Committee, including Cynthia Rivera, Marsha Jones and Diana Pellegrini, established a system to send out and track memberships, and welcome new clubs and members.
The Newsletter Committee, including Alan Knox, Jerry South, and Brad Cotton, with Nancy Mueller, made progress in publishing newsletters and contributing to the national website, and JoAnn Jacobs maintained the USBF Facebook site for the Western Sector, However, there is much for the new leadership to do, building on our first steps. I believe I speak for all of us who have chosen not to run for an additional term, when I say that we are here to cheer on and support the new Board with all of the knowledge we have gained during our time in office.
I am encouraged to have heard some of the candidates express their intentions to focus on promoting bocce to youth groups, schools and families. Their youthful energy and familiarity with social media are bringing in many younger players. We all benefit when new bocce courts are built, existing courts are improved, and new players are welcomed into the USBF bocce family. Building partnerships between public parks, private corporations, individual donors and politicians can accomplish wonders, with the right people pushing and organizing events that can bring us together.
The new Western Sector officers that were officially elected at the November 14th meeting are Lisa Watson, President; Ron Fideldy, Vice President; Margaret Shindelus, Sector Representative; Colleen Randazzo, Secretary; Marsha Jones, Treasurer and Populous Director; and Natalina Bernardi, Mark Bigel, Martha Crosley, and Jessica Libien, Populous Directors. Ben Campbell has volunteered to help Jessica Libien with the Outreach Committee.
We have certainly weathered some hard times during Covid but we have been making progress as we have adjusted to live and play with its restrictions. By continuing to work as a team we can accomplish much of what we set out to do. We each have a role to play, and no one can do it alone. The organization is what the members make it!
Stay Safe and I hope to continue seeing all my friends on the courts.