Hello Ames Jaycees!

Newsletter articles were due yesterday, and I haven’t received ANY of them! If you are planning to submit something, please do so immediately.

Here is your update for the week of Sept. 29.

This week:
Membership meeting
Thursday, Oct. 2 – 7 p.m. at Buford’s at the Quality Inn and Suites, 2601 E 13th
Membership meetings are a great way to learn about upcoming events, meet new people and socialize. Additionally, nominations for the 2009 board of directions will be opened. For more info, contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com.

Iowa Jaycees Convention
Oct. 3-5 – Friday night – Sunday morning at Best Western Des Moines Airport Hotel, 1810 Army Post Road, Des Moines. Leadership conference, Outstanding Young Iowan Banquet and third quarter individual awards will be presented. It’s a GREAT convention and one that will have people talking all year! It’s not too late to sign up. Contact state director Scott Long at scottlongjr@aol.com.

Upcoming events:
Membership meeting
Thursday, Oct. 16 – 7 p.m. at Buford’s at the Quality Inn and Suites, 2601 E 13th
Membership meetings are a great way to learn about upcoming events, meet new people and socialize. For more info, contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com.

Visitation to Clive
Friday, Oct. 17 – More details to come in the next few weeks — but we’ll be heading down to Clive for the Buc(k) beer night with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Please sign up with Scott if you’re planning to attend. If you don’t want to drive back to Ames, there’s plenty of room at Todd and I’s house! Contact state director Scott Long at scottlongjr@aol.com.

In other news…
STEP UP AND LEAD!
With our larger projects concluded, we’re looking to finish the year strong.

Project chairs and committees are being sought for the following projects:
Poker Tournament

The chapter is also in need of people to fill the following to committees:
By-law Revisions

If you’d like more information about the above list, please contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com.

Ames Chamber news

As a member of the Ames Jaycees, you are also a member of the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, please take advantage of the following activities!

Want to learn how to become a “celebrity” inside your sphere of interest?
Then GET NOTICED AND GET RESULTS!
Registrations are now being accepted for the 2008 Business Improvement Annual Conference: GET NOTICED AND GET RESULTS! This exciting event will be held Thursday, October 16, 2008 at the Quality Inn & Suites and features Jeff Beals, author of Self Marketing Power: Branding Yourself as a Business of One and host of the radio talk show Grow Omaha. Sponsorship opportunities are still available – contact the Chamber at 232-2310 for more information.

Water Plant Expansion Study Project Open House
The City of Ames Water and Pollution Control Department will host a project open house to share the purpose and process for the Water Plant Expansion Study and solicit input. The open house will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. While the public is invited to attend at a time convenient for them, specific times have been designated to target different customer groups.
Business/Industry 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Water Plant Neighbors 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
(E. Sixth St., E. Seventh St. , Carroll Ave. , Crawford Ave.)
General Public 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

A 15-minute presentation will be held at the beginning of each session to provide utility background and project overview. Information related to the history of the Water Plant, current and future water demand projections, photos of the treatment plant infrastructure, how the expansion study will be conducted, and additional opportunities for customers to provide input throughout the study will be presented.

Quotable.
Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.
- Robert Ingersoll

Peggy Nitchals
77th president
Ames Junior Chamber
Better yourself. Better your community.

Hello Ames Jaycees!

Here is your update for the week of Sept.22.

This week:
Friday After Work
Friday, Sept. 26 – Holiday Inn
This Friday After Work (FAW) will be held at Holiday Inn, . It starts at 5:30 p.m. and is a come-and-go event. Melissa has scored some special for us — so make sure you enjoy them! For more info, contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com.Upcoming events:

Membership meeting
Thursday, Oct. 2 – 7 p.m. at Buford’s at the Quality Inn and Suites, 2601 E 13th
Membership meetings are a great way to learn about upcoming events, meet new people and socialize. For more info, contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com .

Iowa Jaycees Convention
Oct. 3-5 – Friday night – Sunday morning at Best Western Des Moines Airport Hotel, 1810 Army Post Road, Des Moines. Leadership conference, Outstanding Young Iowan Banquet and third quarter individual awards will be presented. It’s a GREAT convention and one that will have people talking all year! It’s not too late to sign up. Contact state director Scott Long at scottlongjr@aol.com or 515-231-3044.

Membership meeting
Thursday, Oct. 16 – 7 p.m. at Buford’s at the Quality Inn and Suites, 2601 E 13th
Membership meetings are a great way to learn about upcoming events, meet new people and socialize. For more info, contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com or 785-554-8309.

Visitation to Clive
Friday, Oct. 17 – More details to come in the next few weeks — but we’ll be heading down to Clive for the Buc(k) beer night with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Please sign up with Scott if you’re planning to attend. If you don’t want to drive back to Ames, there’s plenty of room at Todd and I’s house! Contact state director Scott Long at scottlongjr@aol.com or 515-231-3044.In other news…
STEP UP AND LEAD!
With our larger projects concluded, we’re looking to finish the year strong.

Project chairs and committees are being sought for the following projects:
Poker Tournament

The chapter is also in need of people to fill the following to committees:
By-law Revisions

If you’d like more information about the above list, please contact Peggy at pres@amesjaycees.com.

Ames Chamber news

As a member of the Ames Jaycees, you are also a member of the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, please take advantage of the following activities!

City of Ames Parks and Recreation Commission needs to hear from YOU!
To generate a variety of ideas for future Parks and Recreation “Community Betterment” projects for the Capital Improvements Plan, the Parks & Rec Commission would like your input at one of the following open sessions:
o       7:00 p.m. | Monday, September 22 | City Hall
o       7:00 a.m. | Tuesday, September 23 | Café Diem ( 229 Main Street )

The Commission is seeking ideas for both large (gyms, indoor recreational pool, etc.) and small (playground equipment at a neighborhood park). Also at this meeting, the Commission will share information on funding streams, opportunities and examples of public/private partnerships, and an update on the Furman Aquatic Center . If you have questions, or if you are not able to attend one of the meetings but would like to share your ideas, please contact Nancy Carroll, Director of Ames Parks and Recreation: ncarroll@city.ames.ia.us

Business at Breakfast
Thursday, September 25 at 7:30 a.m.
First National Bank | 405 5th Street
Join us on the 25th for an opportunity to give a two-minute “shameless plug” about your organization while handing out business cards, brochures and/or any other promotional materials that describe your business or organization. If you’ve never attended before, make September’s Breakfast your first!
We purposely keep this event small to insure great one-on-one interaction with fellow Chamber members, so your RSVP is very important. Please contact the Chamber no later than noon on Wednesday, September 24 to attend (232-2310). The continental breakfast is free to all attendees, but we need your RSVP to participate. See you at Breakfast

Want to learn how to become a “celebrity” inside your sphere of interest?
Then GET NOTICED AND GET RESULTS!
Registrations are now being accepted for the 2008 Business Improvement Annual Conference: GET NOTICED AND GET RESULTS!  This exciting event will be held Thursday, October 16, 2008 at the Quality Inn & Suites and features Jeff Beals, author of Self Marketing Power: Branding Yourself as a Business of One and host of the radio talk show Grow Omaha. Sponsorship opportunities are still available – contact the Chamber at 232-2310 for more information.

Water Plant Expansion Study Project Open House
The City of Ames Water and Pollution Control Department will host a project open house to share the purpose and process for the Water Plant Expansion Study and solicit input. The open house will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave.   While the public is invited to attend at a time convenient for them, specific times have been designated to target different customer groups.
Business/Industry                4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Water Plant Neighbors          5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
(E. Sixth St., E. Seventh St. , Carroll Ave. , Crawford Ave.)
General Public                     7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
A 15-minute presentation will be held at the beginning of each session to provide utility background and project overview. Information related to the history of the Water Plant, current and future water demand projections, photos of the treatment plant infrastructure, how the expansion study will be conducted, and additional opportunities for customers to provide input throughout the study will be presented.

Quotable.
Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia. – Charles M. SchulzPeggy Nitchals
77th president
Ames Junior Chamber
Better yourself. Better your community.

There’s still plenty to do

It’s been an amazing eight months for the Ames Jaycees. We’ve had alot of successes and we have a lot to be proud of. And in a few weeks, we’ll find out the final numbers from Ames on the Half Shell. If you gave your time to Ames on the Half Shell this year, you’re invited to a appreciation party — to be held Sept. 12 at the Quality Inn and Suites. Shannon will be sending out more information soon, but plan to be there Friday night. From what I hear from Shannon, it’s going to be a good time.

Yes, Ames Jaycees. We really are No. 1!!! I’d like to give a huge thanks to Shannon Bardole, who stepped up at the last minute to chair Ames on the Half Shell. She’s done an amazing job and has a great night planned for an appreciation party. I hope to see you all there. Thanks for everything, Shannon!

As we wrap up our summer, it’s time to look to our fall and winter projects. We have Run, Punt, Pass, September food drive, Crush Party, new member orientation, Holiday Food Baskets, Holiday Tour of Lights and a potential poker tournament. It’s time now to step up to be part of these committees — as most of the project chairs have been identified. These are some of the community service projects that the Ames Jaycees are most known for. Did you know this is our 77th year running Holiday Food Baskets? With the planning that went into last year’s project, this year is set up to be even a greater success.

On top of these projects, we’ll be holding our meetings on the first and third Thursdays of each month, and we’ll be scheduling Friday After Work socials on the Fridays of off meeting weeks. The last meeting had an awesome turnout. It was great to see you all there! I encourage you to submit meeting topic ideas to Charby — whether its special guests and speakers or other ideas for individual development. We’re here to plan meetings that you’re interested in. Please feel free to share your thoughts with Charby and I.

It’s important to start looking ahead — beginning to consider what your level of commitment will be next year to the Ames Jaycees. Nominations will be opening soon for elections to the board of directors. If you know now that you don’t have time for that commitment, consider holding a director position. Directors are not required to attend board meetings, but are essential members of the Ames Jaycees leadership. We’ll also be organizing the 2009 Ames on the Half Shell leadership soon. Remember — it’s so much easier if you plan sooner rather than later!
I truly believe that service to humanity is the best work of life. And this year has helped me to be a better leader. I know I have a lot to learn, but I thank each of you for the opportunity to lead this chapter.

I’d like to encourage each of you to attend October’s Iowa Jaycees convention. It’s Oct. 3 and 4 in Des Moines (it’s nice and close!). All State conventions offer a great opportunity to meet Jaycees from around the state and learn from top trainers. You’ll find more information about this on page three. Take advantage of what the Iowa Jaycees has to offer and join us in Des Moines.

The October convention will also highlight the 2008 Outstanding Young Iowans and we will vote for our 2009 officers of the Iowa Jaycees. Fall convention is always my favorite — and those who attended last year will back me up. Right, Ben?

Proud to be an Ames Jaycee,

Ames Jaycees It’s time to celebrate!

Half Shell is done! 10 weeks,and only a little rain. A pretty successful season, I must say! Want to know how successful?

Come to the Ames on the Half Shell Appreciation Party for the announcement of the total that the project raised this year.

The party will be held on Friday, Sept. 12 at the Quality Inn & Suites in place of the FAW.

We have our own hospitality suite right across from the swimming pool. The night will include good food, good drinks, good prizes, recognition of our great committee, and a celebration of what our chapter accomplished this summer.

Be watching for more information to come soon.

Shannon Bardole
2008 AOTHS chair

FROM YOUR INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT VP

Happy September Ames Jaycees!

With all the summer activities winding down, that can only mean one thing, FAW’s are back on the schedule. What is an FAW? It an acronym for Friday After Work. We schedule one on the Friday nights opposite the weeks we have a membership meeting. Make sure to pay attention to your weekly email announcements from President Peggy on where the location will be next. If there is an establishment in particular in the Ames area that you would like to have an FAW please don’t hesitate to let anyone on the board know.

It has been a successful summer, AOTHS once again made a substantial profit, fireworks went off without a hitch and the float trip was fun for all those who attended.

Looking forward to the month of October, both meetings will have some time dedicated to local candidates running for public office. This will be your chance to ask questions to the candidates. One night will be Democrat candidates while the other will be Republican candidates.

For all you new members out there, in the next month or so we will also be having a new member orientation so you can become better acquainted with the all that goes on in the Jaycees.

FROM YOUR STATE DIRECTOR

What’s Going on Ames?

All-States are a great way to get to know other Jaycees from around the state. They are currently held each quarter and individual awards are given at each all-state. The July All-State was held in Toledo and there were over 100 attendees for the weekend. We had some great training in emergency preparedness including the citizen corps. We also had some training in the areas of CPR and the central Iowa drug task force. Below is a list of awards that the Ames Jaycees came home with following the July All-State!

Here is a listing of the Ames award winners from the July All- State:

10th Degree Jaycee Recognition: Peggy Nitchals
10th Degree Jaycee Recognition: Shannon Bardole
New Member of the Quarter: Kelly Junge
New Member of the Quarter: Chris Bennett
Local Member of the Quarter: Todd Hugen
Individual Development VP of the Quarter: Charby
Local President of the Quarter: Peggy Nitchals
State Program Manager of the Quarter: Shannon Bardole

The Ames Jaycees were also awarded with the following:

6th Place in the Parade of Chapters – Programming
6th Place in the Parade of Chapters – Overall

We are looking forward to another great all-state on Oct. 4- 5. There is some great training lined up as well as some fun social activities. There will also be a chance to help give direction to the Iowa Jaycees in the future by way of elections for the 2009 Iowa Jaycee Cabinet and with other voting opportunities. If you have any questions please let me know. The All-State will be held in Des Moines and the cost is just $55 for the conference. The Ames chapter helps cover the cost of the room so the cost to you is just $5/night for the hotel room. Please also see the fl yer that is included with the newsletter.

Thanks and see you soon!

Hello Ames Jaycees!

Hope you’re staying warm today! I’m looking for a new member who would be interested in giving feedback about our Web site. Chris Bennett has put together a prototype for a new site and we’re looking for a newcomer’s opinion. If you’re willing to give your input, please e-mail me at pres@amesjayceescom.