(note: this article was submitted to be published earlier in the month but due to personal issues I was unable to make updates to the website until now…..my apologies, Scott)

Happy New Year Ladies,

We now have 27 members with completed applications and dues paid. Marilyn Omiatek gave us a wonderful gift of seed money. Which truly touched me. Marion Omiatek was one of the founding members of the Men’s Council, 55 years ago. To have Marilyn provide us with seed money was a delightful gift. It was Marion who was always bugging me to do something. He would tell me, I don’t care what it is that you do, but you will find a way to bring our church together. Not sure I have done quite that…..Plus we know have 174.00 in the bank. Eight dollars is for pre-paid pins that I will be ordering by the end of week. If anyone would like a pin, please let me know, they are 2.00 each. Plus I have to pull money out for postage so those who do not have email receive this.

Let’s talk about snow, I love snow, truly. Please use your common sense when it comes to yucky weather and our meeting times. If school has been closed in EITHER Wauconda or McHenry, our meeting will be canceled. Several members, including myself reside in the McHenry School District. Those of you in Wauconda, might have nothing. Those of us in McHenry County might have snow up to our window sills.

I would like to thank the Men’s Council for allowing us to share their Christmas party. As well as allowing our Installation Ceremony. I would like to thank Tony from State for attending, and Jimmy Battaglia for running the ceremony. Since Sandy Decker was not able to attend due to sunning herself in CA. For those of you who do not know who Sandy is, she is my boss, my mentor, my friend in the Lady Knights. Sandy oversees the entire State of Illinois for the Lady’s Group for Knights of Columbus. Last, but not least, a huge thank you to Vinny for cooking us such a wonderful dinner. And let us not forget Tim Brunn for decorating, Chuck Edfors and Kevin S. for setting up, Scott Shuey for being Santa, and Larry Wolff, the Grand Knight, for being our host. Should I thnk my husband too? Nah, he will get over it….

For January, we only have the treats after mass the weekend on 1/14 and 1/15. We still help for the 11:00 mass, and the Hispanic mass. Please let me know if you would care to help. Judy was kind enough to share with me that parishioners might have some dietary restrictions. It would be nice to provide treats for these people. If anyone would care to bring some veggies, cheese platters, cut up fruit for treats, it would be a great help.

Our upcoming projects for us to figure out if we would care to be involved in are the following: re-tooled rummage sale, helping Transfig grade school with their annual Gala, a fun run day to raise funds for Judy’s charity, “Save the Girls”. Plus there is the Marion Omiatek Scholarship launching. It has yet to be determined exactly how this would be done.

If the Men’s Council chooses for us to help them in the Lenten Fish Fry’s, or the multi-church thingy on 1/29, I will let you know. As of right now, no decision has been made on their part.

I am sure I am suffering from being brain dead right now. So I probably have forgotten something. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season. Plus, there will no longer be a day time meeting. These meetings were poorly attended, and those who did come, missed out on the fun we have at the evening meeting. It was their decision, not mine to no longer have these.

I wish each of you a wonderful new year. Again, use your common sense when it comes to the weather and our meetings.

Elizabeth McGinty