President's Message: September
Published on 9/1/2017
OK, ATMoB Universe – I have a confession to make. I almost let the Great American Solar Eclipse be about me and not the club. It’s bad enough that I chose to pass up the ATMoB trip to Columbia, MO, in favor of an event being held in St. Joseph, MO. It got worse when health conditions forced me to cancel everything and stay home. Poor me! I was darned if I was going to get depressed by viewing the partial solar eclipse from my back yard. Nosiree – I was hell-bent on skipping the whole thing and spending the day alone, fishing at a nearby lake.
It was an atmob-announce email that brought me to my senses. “Was ATMoB planning any kind of eclipse viewing event at the clubhouse?” it asked. My conscience reminded me that I was ATMoB President first, and bass angler second. So I cut short the pity party, put away the rod and reel, and responded that I would open the clubhouse a little after noon on Eclipse Day.
When I arrived, the Clubhouse was already open, and at least a dozen ATMoB members, family, and friends were set up on the observing field. More showed up, and by the time of first contact 30 to 40 attendees were enjoying the show. Some brought food and snacks; hot dogs and hamburgers were cooked up on the grill. The whole thing evolved into a full-blown eclipse party! I’d observed partial solar eclipses before, but never in the company of such an enthusiastic crowd.
They say that when the world hands you a lemon, you should make lemonade. On August 21, 2017, thanks to ATMoB, I enjoyed the sweetest lemonade ever!
Clear Skies,
Glenn Chaple, President