USS-Saratoga-MI: Meetings Page

Meeting Minutes 05Apr08

The Meeting was called to order at 2:30 P.M. by Tom Laquiere at the Mt. Pleasant VFW. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Don Chantrenne handed out copies of the By-Laws for the U.S.S. Saratoga Association and this was followed by a discussion about the By-Laws. It was decided that members read the By-Laws and we would discuss any changes that need to be made at the next meeting.

We discussed where to hold our next meeting on October 18^th. It was decided that James Bill would make arrangements for the next meeting to be held at the Country Buffet in Saginaw at 1:00 P.M. The Country Buffet is located on Bay Road, South. Further information on the next meeting will be posted to the website previous to the next meeting.

We signed up (2) new members, and have a Marine that is also interested in Joining our chapter. Shipmate Ron met him at McDonalds and invited him to join our Meeting, but he couldn't.

Food will be available.

The Treasure’s report was read (by Don Chantrenne) and approved and the Secretary’s report from the last meeting were also read and approved.

It was decided that membership dues would be from January to January. There was no preparation for any Lunch, and everyone was hungry so we voted to close the meeting at 3:40 pm. We all Met at the bonanza steak house for lunch,then a few of us went to the Soaring Eagle for Entertainment and fun. It was a good meeting and we were kind of rushed because they Had a party scheduled for the room at 4:00pm. We are learning as we go,and this being only our third get together I think we are going to be OK.

Meeting Minutes 07Oct07

Pledge of Allegiance was said and introductions done, the meeting was called to order at 1:20 p.m. at the Lansing American legion. There were 17 people present counting both husbands and wives. Meeting minutes were read but Bill Kramer had an issue with a couple of the items. He wanted a correction in membership–to be open to any interested person in becoming a member, kind of like an associate member with non-voting privileges. This was discussed and voted against as the by-laws of the U.S.S. Saratoga Association only include persons serving aboard the Saratoga. Hugh Fuller made a motion to accept the By-laws as they were for the U.S.S. Saratoga Association. It was voted on and passed. Bill Kramer also wanted to amend the part of last months minutes where it was stated that $20.00 be paid to a speaker. A Guest Speaker would get a free meal only. Ron Coryell made a motion that this be accepted and Roland Akre seconded the motion. Bill Kramer also brought up about the $25.00 funeral money to be sent to the U.S.S. Saratoga Museum in honor of a deceased member instead of to the Michigan Chapter. Motion for the change was made and Ron Coryell seconded it. Minutes were then accepted.

Executive Officer Bill Kramer reported about the Reunion that was held in Orlando, Florida. The amount of people attending was the worst they have ever had. The ladies that sold the raffle tickets at the reunion saved the day by selling enough raffle tickets to cover most of the loss. The 2008 reunion will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana and 2009 in Branson, Missouri. If the U.S.S. Saratoga has been moved by then we will hold our reunion aboard her in 2009. Bill Kramer also had papers for those interested in filing for a Cold War Ribbon. It was also mentioned that the Ship’s store is going through a transition so ordering things from them might be a little bit of a problem at the present time

We took a break for lunch then resumed our meeting with a discussion about a response to Tom Laquiere for lunch at the next meeting. We need to let Tom Laquiere know if we are planning to attend the next meeting which will be held in April of next year. Don Chantrenne was going to check on a meeting place at The American Legion in Mount Pleasant so those who attended could go to the Casino if they wanted to either before or after the meeting. Meeting to be possibly on Saturday instead of Sunday.

The Treasurer’s report was read and approved. We decided to hold our next October meeting at the Indianapolis, Indiana Reunion. The brick that we paid for at the last meeting should be installed around the flag area by December at the Lansing American Legion Post. It was suggested that someone stop by and check it out if they happened to be in the area. A donation of $2.00 from Robert J. Dean of Redford, Michigan was made to help the cost of mailing newsletters to members.

To all Michigan Shipmates

Well it looks like another summer is drawing to an end, with the temps dropping in the morning, and slowly rising in the afternoon. It won't be long now and fall will start to take affect, and then old man winter comes back to Michigan. Kind of a sad thought when you stop to think about it, but on a happier note, Saratoga's reunion is just a few days away, in sunny Orlando Fla. and to those of us who are lucky enough to be going, I say enjoy yourselves it should be a great reunion. This letter is a notice to remind everyone of the next Chapter meeting, which will be this month at the American Legion Hall in Lansing (same hall as our first meeting). It will be October 07, 2007. We plan on having lunch at 1:00 PM, so lets try to make it if you can. I am sending a copy of the minutes of he first meeting so everyone will be up to date on what we voted on and passed. We have (19) enrolled members so far and we are looking for more, so come join the gang and meet some of your shipmates that were on the Sara before, during and after you. Make the meeting if your not going to the reunion and help build our Michigan Chapter.

God bless your and your families and God bless Sara.

Tom Laquiere

anyone that has an Email address please sent it to me laquiere@wowway.com

This letter is for all Michigan Shipmates

We had our first chapter meeting in Lansing on Sunday at the American Legion Hall, and we had a pretty good turn out, no thanks to mother nature (it rained all day). But 19 people did show. We had lunch at 12:30 and for the money it wasn't bad, here was chicken, ham, scallop potatoes, peas & carrots, rolls and coffee and tea. We started our meeting after lunch, around 1:30.

We elected officers to run the Michigan Chapter of the Saratoga, then we voted on how often we would have a meeting, and it was decided we would meet twice a year, starting October 07, 2007 and we would meet at the same place in October, (in Lansing at the American Legion Hall).

The officers elected were (Skipper) Tom Laquiere, (Executive Skipper) Bill Kramer, (Chaplin) Tim Hart, (Secretary & Treasurer) Don & Linda Chantrene and there will be a newsletter sent to all members that will be done by Maxine Thompson. We voted on membership dues, and it was decided $20.00 a year would be the yearly dues. We also purchased a brick to be planted in front o the Legion Hall along with other bricks dedicated to the U.S.S. Saratoga CV3/CVA60 that was paid for by our Michigan Chapter.

My thanks goes out again to everyone that made our first meeting, and for all the help and support that was shown. The Saratoga Michigan Chapter is on it's way. I hope that our membership will increase in the months to cone, so we can all plan and enjoy or get together every six months. I know w it will be a good chapter, because of all the good people hat have showed interest in getting the chapter started. I will close for now, and may God bless all of your, and God bless "Sara"

Thank You Tom Laquiere

The 1^st Meeting of the Michigan Chapter of the U.S.S. Saratoga was called to order at 1:30 P.M. at the American Legion Post in Lansing. He Pledge Of Allegiance was said. Bill Kramer introduces himself and thanked everyone for attending the meeting and also Tom Laquiere for his effort to get the Chapter going.

Bill Kramer said that our primary goal is to promote fellowship and social activity between members who served aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga including wives and families and deceased member’s families. This would be for persons interested in Associate Members and meetings would be Non-Political. There will be dues, a 50/50 raffle with a 50/25/25 at a later date, meals to be paid for by the members who attend the meetings. The general individuals who served aboard the Saratoga would be members

And associate members would be wives or relative of both the living and deceased. He discussed when we would be meeting, possible uniforms, hats, jackets, t-shirts possible dues and how often and what time the meetings would be held. We also discussed briefly having a speaker attend our meetings and possibly a price o $20.00 to be paid to the speaker. Further discussion will be held regarding other meeting places, advertising, and uniforms. He also suggested hat we save soap, cream and sugar that we receive while we are traveling to donate to the VA as sell as tabs from pop or beer cans to go to Tabs for Tots. He suggested that instead of sending flowers for a deceased member, we donate possibly $25.00 to the Chapter fund. He also suggested hat we vote on a Skipper to run things and Executive Officer to fill in when the Skipper is absent and a Yeoman to be Secretary to take notes and a Treasurer to keep track of the money. Two signatures would be required to sign checks. We need a Master-of-Arms, to keep the meeting under control and a historian to take pictures and keep track of news notes and a Chaplin for Prayers.

Elections were held and Tom Laquiere was voted Skipper, Bill Kramer Executive Officer, Don Chantrenne, Secretary and Treasurer. Dues were to be $20.00 yearly with $10.00 to start with this year. Lifetime membership for a wife would be $10.00. James Bill recommended meetings should be held every 3 to 4 months but it was decided to hold them every 6 months as people would have to travel in bad weather. Voted and passed, meeting would be held in April and October. Meetings should be held basically at an American Legion or VFW Post at least once a year. It was decided that Associate members can vote.

Maxine Thompson volunteered to do a Newsletter for the Chapter. James Bill wanted to discuss a perpetual Lifetime membership where a separate fund would be set up to continue paying deceased members dues. There was quite a discussion on this subject and most everyone who attended had never heard of such a thing. The discussion was tabled at this time to be continued at possibly the next meeting. There has been no decision made as to how much a lifetime membership would cost to begin with. This will also need to be thought about and voted on at a later date. Don Chantrenne took up a collection of $50.00 for The American Legion for a brick with U.S.S. Saratoga CV3 CVA/CV60 Reunion Assoc. for letting us hold our meeting there. The drawing was held for the 50/50 with Don Chantrenne being the winner of $23.00. Ron Coryell made a motion to close the meeting which was seconded.