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Winter Chapter Meeting, January 2003

Cleveland, Tennessee
17 - 19 January 2003

Greetings and salutations from beautiful downtown Cleveland. Once again our Chapter meeting was held in the picturesque Chalet de Cleveland. Our members braved the sub-zero weather to make our winter meeting. It is said that even one member decided to join the Polar Bear Club and dip in the pool located adjacent to the Chalet. It would have been much better is there had been water in the pool. As it was, this brave soul simply dozed for a few moments at pool side, waiting for the weather to turn balmy.

As per our custom, most of the troops arrived on Friday and spent a few hours mingling with other members and guests in the now iniquitous Hospitality Room. At some point designated drivers were chosen and it was off to the world-famous Cleveland, Tennessee American Legion for a night of wining and dining.

Saturday morning popped up bright and early and those of us that could still navigate drove the few hundred meters (we figured our cars needed the exercise more than we did) to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant for a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, hot cakes and coffee. For some strange reason, the hearty breakfast didn't quite fit the bill. Maybe it was those two yellow eyes staring back at us from the plate. At any rate, the hot cakes were good and the coffee even better.

Meanwhile, back at the Hospitality Room preparations were being made for the Chapter meeting that would start precisely at 1400 hours (give or take an hour or so). Our Chapter meetings are always punctual and, with our Prez officiating, fast. The minutes, the financial statement and sick and lame reports flew by. Before we knew it we were voting on the next site for the Spring Chapter get-together. You guessed it---beautiful downtown Cleveland, Tennessee.

There was nothing left to do between the end of the meeting and our dinner hour. We would have frolicked about outside but the temperature was hovering just at +10 degrees and, since the hotel staff had closed off the swimming pool, there was no reason to depart the premises. And, as usually happens, the dinner hour was upon us.

The doors to the dining room were supposed to open wide at 1800 but for some strange, unaccountable reason, they didn't open until 1830 (or there abouts). You could tell, of course, that no one was paying attention to that fact by the queue that had appeared outside the dining room doors. And the mad stampede when the doors were finally opened.

There was no auction this time around. After dinner the troops filed into the Hospitality room once again for a final nightcap. This was a rather long nightcap, lasting through the wee hours of Sunday morning.

And once again, as the sun rises above the I-75 overpass, it is time to bid adieu to this picturesque Chalet and beautiful downtown Cleveland. We climb aboard the various makes and models of automobiles and drive off into the rising sun. Hey, wait a minute! Isn't that Bobby, waving his arms frantically, running after Wayne? We will have to wait until our next meeting to find out if Wayne noticed that Bobby was not with him. We'll have to wait until April to see if Bobby had to call Ann. We'll have to wait until April to see if she drove all the way from Chattanooga to get him. Ah, so be the life and times of the Special Forces soldier.

A somber note: Mike Zaiden (D-19), a member of this chapter and former President, died in his hometown of Florence, KY on 10 January 2003. Memorial Services were held in Florence on 14 January 2003. Chapter XXXIII was represented by Art McRae, Herman and Rose Daves and Jim Hash.

And now, if you like, you can wonder through the Chapter Meeting photos. Enjoy yourself!

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Copyright © 1994 Chapter XXXIII All rights Reserved.

The Larry Alan Thorne Special Forces
Memorial Chapter XXXIII Winter Meeting
was created 18 March 2003
and last update 3 April 2008