Christmas at Val’s was our biggest Club meeting of the year in terms of attendance. It was also one of the warmest and most cheerful. Room and table decorations by Jenny and Joan brightened the room and set the tone. Table decorations included lighted centerpieces, each containing a Model A Ford filled with Christmas gifts, small favors filled with Christmas candy, and sitting next to each place setting a small toy reindeer.

Raffle prizes and individual gifts to club members were small model cars. Model A’s or T-Birds, a copy of the larger one sitting home in the garage. Our thanks to Joan Peterson, Jenny Jump, Nel Richmond, and Al Thomas and John Bettencourt for their raffle and gift contributions. In addition, anyone owning a Model A Ford received a gasoline filler cap courtesy of the Club and Walter Caplan. Needless to say, no one went home empty handed.

Following the introduction of Officers, (railroaded into another year of service) we honored our tour leaders with small tokens of our appreciation from See’s Candy Co. Then followed a special presentation of commemorative T-Shirts to all who made the trip to Kalamazoo and Dearborn, Michigan and the Henry Ford Museum.

Our Santa, Tom Mullins in real life, neatly trimmed hand and foot in his traditional red suit, distributed the gifts with the help of his elves, Scott, Walter, and Jenny. Santa’s first gift presentation was to little Ethan Mahl, a charming two year old, our youngest Club member. Ethan is the son of Jonathan and Gabriella Mahl and grandson of Gunard and Jeanine Mahl.

We had several special guests this year. Bob Farina, our tour leader for “Fathers Day at Saint Anne’s Home”, came all the way from Magalia, California to be with us and Terry and Tom Machado, our tour leaders for the “Ironstone Tour”, were down from Stockton. Our friends Jill and Jerry Schwab from the Santa Clara Valley T-Bird Club were guests of the Club. Jill and Jerry have been active volunteers helping with the Annual Crab Feed in February. And we can’t forget club members Dave and Marilyn Chiotti who came down from Santa Rosa to be with us.

The party concluded with the raffle and then we all headed home with family and friends, our gifts, and our memories of the 2014 Christmas Banquet at Val’s. “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”