The Steering Column
From your Co-chairmen

Wade Keene's Right Hand Drive

Hi everyone, we've had some pretty nice days for the end of November, so I hope you had a chance to get out. I did, to work in the yard, woo-hoo!! As you will read further on in the Driveline, Reinout, Jim, and I went on a field trip last month to reconnoiter a new place for the Natter and Noggin, McNally's Pub. They have fish and chips, real beer, pleasant surroundings - an actual pub. Seeing as the Chicago area has much more Irish immigrant stock than English (or at least more visible), the pubs reflect that so if we want a pub instead of a biker bar, we're just gonna have to accept that we'll probably be at an Irish one. Reminds me of the time I was in Irish Times in Brookfield (Editor's note: GREAT fish and chips) and some guy was spouting off about the GD English and how they better get out of Northern Ireland and how he'd go over there himself, and English are evil, blah dee blah blah blah... he probably couldn't find Londonderry on a map even if one snuck up behind him and planted a big, wet kiss on his Blarney stone. "You understand, dontcha? We've been oppressed .. where you from over there in Ireland?" he says to the bartender. "Newcastle," she says. Quizzical look on guy's face as he tries to figure out, and then asks if that is in the Republic or the North. "Its just south of the Scottish border," she tells him. He continues thinking ... just south of the Scottish border is in ... HEY! That's not in Ireland at all! You could almost see the wheels turning as he realized that his accent recognition skills, and maybe his world view, needed work. IRA wannabes may disagree, but I have it on pretty good authority that the main difference between an English pub and an Irish one on this side of the pond (aside from the clientele, possibly) is the sign.

In other news, I'm taking over Dave Mullis' job as membership chair. Thanks a lot Dave for handling those duties for so long. Enjoy your retirement from the CMGC.

Be sure to vote for next year's club officers. We have four people running for four offices, just enough. Maybe someday we'll have enough people that care enough to help run the club that we'll have a real election. For those that don't know, The two top positions function as co-chairs, but since we're an Illinois not-for-profit Corporation, we're required to have a President and Vice-President, hence the official titles. Of the two running for co-chair, whoever gets the most votes gets to be President. So there's a little bit of an election this time. You can also write someone in for any office.

****Important***** If your Driveline did not come with a ballot and envelope, call me at 708-798-1737 so I can send one to you.

Lastly, and most importantly, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy anything else to you and yours. Have a safe and happy Holiday season from all of us in the Chicagoland MG Club