Banquet 2002

N. Loprire

It is cold, there is snow on the ground and the outdoor sporting season is in temporary suspension for most of us, but coming sooner than you think is the "official" kick off of another fishing year. Yes, the Neshannock TU 24th annual spring banquet will be here sooner than, the tax man. The banquet will be held Saturday, March 23, 2002. The location is NEW this year. The Normandy Banquet Center at the VFW Post 6166, on Rt. 62 east of Hermitage, will be our hosts. The buffet this year will include chicken marsala (has a delicate wine and mushroom sauce) plus two additional entrée’s and for desert spumoni ice cream or sherbet. Manager Tony DeGennaro is promising to help make this, the best banquet yet.

We are pursuing Greg Hoover; fly fishing expert and professor from Penn State, as our special guest tier along with our own Dr. Charles Moxley. With these gentlemen, a solution to a tying problem is just a question away. Of course, we will have the "card raffle" for some of Jim Brown’s elegant rods and some terrific prizes in the Big Bucket Raffle. If bidding is your game we will provide opportunities for items simple to extravagant.

If you can find another event that will out do this evening, then go. I feel confident that we will see you at the banquet. The evening’s festivities will cure your cabin fever and may supply some of the new equipment you have been dreaming about. It is a chance to relive the past seasons successes and "would have got him except for that branch" story with friends.

We are always looking for prize donations from local businesses that may be in your area, or maybe some hand tied flies. We will have tax-deductible forms available at the January meeting. Help us out if you can.

Get your banquet tickets early to have a chance at a $100 gift certificate from Native Custom Rods (Jim Brown) and don’t forget the 50/50 raffle tickets. Last year we presented over $500 to the winner in cold hard cash. Tickets will be available at the January meeting, Neshannock Creek and Books & Hooks fly shops, Benjamins restaurant, mail and any board member. Please check out our web site at www.neshannock-tu.org to get copy of the banquet flyer and other information. Feel free to download the flyer and make copies. Flyers will also be available at the ticket locations listed above. Remember to reserve MARCH 23 and we will see you at the banquet.