PREZ SEZ: Bill Bischoff, 2023 Year-In-Review
A year ago, I was elected as President of the San Carlos Friends of the Library, San Carlos Branch and what a tremendous year it has been! We would like to welcome our new SCFOL Life Members Kathryn Ruiz, Carol Ann and Roy Long , Kelly Peppo, Ruth Savage, and Erin Zelinski whose names have been added to the SCFOL Honor Wall in the Winer Family Community Room & Art Gallery.
On Saturday August 5th we celebrated “We Bought the Lot.” It was 28 years in the making; a long-awaited event for all members of SCFOL and the entire San Carlos community. Over 250 people attended, Mayor Todd Gloria and many dignitaries attended.
A huge thanks to David Ege, our Branch Manager, for allowing the Friends to play the role we had during this celebration. Thanks to Ann Mac Donald, and Jerry and Sue Hotz, who greeted the dignitaries, and spoke to the media giving the background and history leading up to the day. A well-earned thank you to Judy Williams and Dottie Vieira for handling hospitality very much appreciated and needed on such a warm day!
And just as necessary is a thank you to Ron McFee, Roberta Irwin, Sue Dennis and the many volunteers for facing the challenge of having a successful book sale the same day.
We are looking forward to helping with the planning of the next big evet; the 50th Anniversary of the Branch on Saturday January 13th, 2024. Details to follow.
Thanks to Sue Hotz who keeps us all informed and updated on our website; sancarlosfriendsofthelibrary.org. As of November 2023, we have 146 Life Members and 133 Annual Members. Thank you to Bobbie Dennis for keeping up our membership records. And our gratitude to our Treasurer Jerry Hotz who keeps the many aspects of being our finances and accounts. Evie McGhee keeps our minutes and writes our letters too. Past-President Judy Williams chairs our new branch library committee. Dottie Vieira, our newest Board Member, is assisting Ege with plans for the 50th celebration.
Thanks to Barbara Stewart for her expertise in selecting talented artists who display their art each month.
Our monthly book sale with our popular Friday Members Only Sale and our well-established First Saturday of the Month Book Sale is the work of Ron McFee, Roberta Irwin, and Sue Dennis, and the many, many volunteers whose dedicated hard work has made this event so successful. Our thanks for all they do!!
We have at present 43 active volunteers, who from January-June 2023 gave a total of 2019 hours!!
A very Heartfelt thanks to David Ege, YSL Erin Moore and the San Carlos Library staff for all their cooperation with the SCFOL. It is a joy to be working with them all.
As my first-year ends, I want to thank everyone for their support and patience during this very active year.
To quote our Past-President Joan Hayes, “A greater group cannot be found.”
Bill Bischoff
President
