Lee Ann and Steve Carlson

Changing of the Guard
This month sees the changing of the guard at the chapter house. After two phenomenal years at the helm Norris Warner has stepped down from his position as president of your chapter and you have now given me that role. I am scrambling to learn just what this new role entails, so if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions, don’t be shy. I am going to need all the help you can give me. I am confident, based on the actions Norris took to develop the Team 35 concept, that I will get great support from everyone. This is Norris’ greatest legacy. He did a fantastic job of guiding, inspiring, cajoling, and leading the chapter to its current solid state.

He began the quest for tax- exempt status for our chapter and gained the aid of Pat Wegner and Joanne Warner to craft the necessary documents and the offices of John Killian to review them. These documents are now complete and have been submitted to the IRS this past Friday. This was a mountain of work for this group of dedicated volunteers.

Norris also laid the foundation, (well, I had to say it) for the chapter building extension. He found the best talent for the job by getting Buzz Heye to volunteer to provide preliminary layouts, plans, and surveying the existing structure.
Under Norris’ watch our chapter has fostered growth in many activities, from Young Eagles to Corvair Engine College to the school project sponsored by Al Almond.

I am pleased to report that one of Norris’ longest running projects has now been completed and installed. That’s right, the new concrete benches are ready for sitting. Norris and John Latour get the kudos for this one. It was an endless task for Norris to find and get the concrete ends made for these benches. This was fraught with false starts and blind alleys, but that was only the half of it. After he took delivery there was considerable handwork to be done, and the slats had to be made and finished. These benches will be a comfortable source of pride for our chapter for years to come. Thanks also go to the bench sponsors, Betty Day, Al Almond, and Bob Masters.

The old benches have been retired and they now need new homes. See Norris Warner about placing one of these in your yard. They only need a little touching up.

Look elsewhere in the newsletter for a recap of last month’s meeting. We had a grand time with a great program and some terrific food. Don’t forget to see Norris if you’d like to get a couple of those great wooden Christmas ornaments hand crafted by the De Groots. These ornaments are only $8.00 and are a real bargain for you and a benefit for our Air Academy Scholarship program. Also, don’t forget to play hookie on the 100th anniversary of the birth of aviation, 17 December. We will be flying Grey Eagles out at the chapter house starting at 10am.

The chapter house has received some much needed electrical improvements thanks once again to our resident electrician, Louis Johnson. Taking out the trash at the end of the meeting just got a lot safer as Louis has installed a back door light. He has also put in a hall light and a ceiling fan in the kitchen. I could say we get a charge out of the bright ideas from Louis Johnson, but I’ll just ask you to give him a pat on the back next time you see him.

The chapter has clear direction for the future. Based on our previous leadership, we will continue to pursue enlarging the clubhouse, as our funds permit. Based on input from the membership we will emphasize our core strength, which is building and learning about experimental airplanes. We have a great deal of experience in the chapter to draw on. Everyone has a unique skill, unique knowledge, and unique experience to share. Step forward and be an active part of Team 35.

Steve Carlson