It is a great honor for me to serve as the president of the OCWS. Watching the organization develop over the past several decades has been a great highlight of my life. With the summer over, we begin a new board year in October and plans for 2025.
Annual Business Meeting
Thank you to those who attended our Annual Business Meeting on Sept. 6. A recording of the proceedings is available to members on our website.
Board Elections
Please join me in congratulating our newly elected board members Fran Gitsham, C.L. Keedy and Daniel Vlahovic. They will be joining the remaining six board members for the 2024-2025 board term: Sue England, Linda Flemins, Fred Heinecke, John Lane, Rich Skoczylas and myself. Our volunteer board of nine directors spends countless hours organizing events and performing administrative duties. I would like to again thank them for their commitment to the organization and their dedication to making our amazing events and programs very successful.
Volunteer Recognition Reception
Before the pandemic, our volunteer recognition was handled at the in-person Annual Business Meeting. With the transition of the meeting to online, we have separated our volunteer recognition into a new event. On Oct. 20, we will hold our first Volunteer Recognition Reception 1 to 4 p.m. in The Courtyard at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. In addition to enjoying appetizers and wine, we will recognize the volunteers who have dedicated so many hours to the organization. Based on the number of hours volunteered in the past year (September to August), volunteers will be invited to attend the reception and receive a voucher for $10, $25, or $50 toward a future OCWS event. The President’s Award will also be presented at the event. Invitations will be sent in mid-September to those receiving awards. Space allowing, we will provide an opportunity for those not receiving awards to purchase tickets to attend and help celebrate our amazing volunteers.
Vintage Member Luncheons
This past May, we started Vintage Member Luncheons to help us prepare for our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2026. Attendees are helping us gather stories and information about the organization that we are compiling into a book. Invitations have been sent out through a join date of 2000. If you joined after 2000, look for your invitation in the future as we work through the list over the next 15 months. If you received an invitation to one of the previous events but were unable to attend, you will be kept on the invitation list until you are able to attend.
Upcoming Events
We have a host of upcoming events for you to attend. With over 1,000 members, it is important for you to purchase tickets as soon as they become available as they often sell out. Once they sell out, please contact our office to be put on a waiting list. Here is a brief list of upcoming events: Varietal Hours (every other Tuesday), Hocus Pocus Fall Social (Oct. 6), Winemakers’ Group Quarterly Meeting (Oct. 19), OCWS Outing at Laguna Canyon Winery (Nov. 1), Bubbles and Brunch at the Cannery (Nov. 3), Holiday Dinner Dance (Dec. 6), and Winemakers’ Group Holiday Potluck (Dec. 22). For more details on all upcoming events, please read the articles in this newsletter and sign up online.
Closing
Thank you to all our members who volunteer their time and attend our events. As a membership organization, we rely on your participation, and you have made this an incredibly successful organization over the past several decades. Sharing wine, food and good times with such an amazing group of individuals is a magnificent honor. Cheers to all!