We welcomed new members Bill and Hel Christensen also Bruce and Shirley Barrow. It is so nice to have our family growing!

After much discussion the motion was passed to keep our dues at $5.00 per person.

Keep June 7th open for a Tri Chapter meeting in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The Ellis’ are hosting and it promises to be an exceptional meeting.

Next on the agenda was the Mini-Convention with Milwaukee for October 2008. If you are interested in being on a committee please contact Nancy Strand.

We now have a Program committee – Al Hoch and Bob Groebner.

The Location committee - Bob Groebner, Bob Groebner Jr., Frank Held and Eddy Lindt will look into hotel possibilities in Northbrook and Racine.

I see a repetitive pattern of involvement here. Remember it’s OUR club and it would be nice for ALL of us to be involved somehow.

Next meeting is December 9th, starting at 3 p.m. at the Strands. Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible.

Also on December 9th is the Stein table at the Grayslake Antique Show. Bring steins you would like to have valued or information about it.

Great news, Marty Jahn is on the road to full recovery and we hope to see him December 9th.

A truly splendid presentation of GERMAN CHILD STEINS designed by Franz Ringer was given by Bob Groebner. Franz Ringer was a popular ART NOUVEAU artist and architect. Born in 1865. He designed everything from building facades, interiors of rooms and taverns, furniture, lighting fixtures and much more. He was a prolific designer of beer steins. Not just the design but the whole stein. His designs were executed in glass and pewter along with the normal stoneware of the time.

Bob brought his CHILD Steins designed by Franz that are based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Franz designed 11 CHILD Steins that were produced by J. Reinemann. It was fascinating to realize that some children also had their own steins.

I hope every one had a good time. We sure did. It was fun for us to host, and Bob enjoys roasting the pig. I also want to thank everyone for the delicious side dishes and treats that you brought. In fact, the recipe for Dian Rangl’s Peach Brandy pound cake was requested so often, I am attaching it to the end of the minutes.

Janell Fisher