THE LITTLE SIR SEZ. Till next month, have a great day. Darryl Sweetland, Little SIR. June HOTLINE Editor: Dan Weller

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1 June 2015 THE BIG SIR COLUMN June is Ladies' Month Did anyone show up at the Hilton on May 11? Come on confess if you did because I'm going to have the hotel run their video tapes of the lobby to see if I can recognize any of our members. Good meeting last month thanks to our Little Sir and Fred Nelson, a member of his hard working committee. I thought Tom Barnidge was both informative and entertaining. I especially enjoyed the question and answer period, and I appreciated his candor. June is the month when we have two of our largest coed events. Jack Waddell and his gang present the Spring Ladies' Day lunch on the 8 th, and we have our branch BBQ on the 16th. This year the BBQ will be bigger than ever with about 150 Sirs and their spouse/partners attending. Remember, don't show up to the Hilton on the 8 th. We will be having a special drawing at our Ladies' Day Luncheon. Two lucky ladies will win a bottle of wine provided they are carrying a completed Sir Card. We are doing pretty well on the guest/new member front, and we're positioned to go another year without losing net membership. I think this will be the twelfth year, or so, and that's a Sir record. It is something we can all be proud of as we continue to enrich our members' lives and consequently, the lives of their spouses and partners. Continued on Page 2 Absences & Bringing Guests or SIRBR8Hotline@hotmail.com by Noon, Thursday before luncheon THE LITTLE SIR SEZ Well I think from everyone s comments we hit another homerun with our May speaker. Tom Barnidge, Contra Costa Times columnist, was a big hit. Well versed in subjects ranging from sports to city affairs he covered a myriad of subjects and kept us all engaged and at times laughing. We need to give a big thanks to Fred Nelson, speaker committee member, for lining up Tom. Thank you Fred. Now we don t have a speaker for June as it s our Ladies Day Luncheon and I hope to see all of you there. We do have an array of additional speakers lined up for the remaining of 2015 but I don t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet but I know you will be entertained. Now, we heard from Ed Benson about our annual BB-Q June 16 th and although it is presently sold out, if you re not already confirmed, you can still put your name on the waiting list. Quite often there are those that need to cancel for various reasons and you still might be able to attend. Contact Ed or Walt Schick if you want to be added to the wait list. Till next month, have a great day. Darryl Sweetland, Little SIR June HOTLINE Editor: Dan Weller Next SIR Luncheon: June 8, 2015 Lady s Day Luncheon Next Regular Luncheon is July 13 Concord Hilton 1970 Diamond Blvd., Concord Executive Meeting: 9:00am Social Hour begins: 10:15am Luncheon starts: 11:30am HOTLINE INDEX = Spouses/Friends welcome Page # General Branch Business 1-4 Branch Positions Activity Report 4 Annual Barbeque 4 Arts, Crafts & Hobbies 4 Astronomy 5 Bargain Bites 5 Birthdays 15 Bocce ball (All) 5 Book Exchange 5 Book Group 6 Bowling 6 Bridge (All) 6-7 Car Enthusiasts 7 Computers and Tech 7 Cribbage 8 Digital Photography 8 Dominoes 8 Explore & Eat 8 Fishing 8 Genealogy 9 Golf (All) 9 Heads Up Walkers 10 Hikers 10 Hotline Input 4 Let s Dine In (All) 11 Let s Dine Out (All) 11 Luncheon Menu 3 Membership Report Picture Gallery 15 1 Poker Pub Games 12 Single SIR Dine Out 12 SIRS at the Games 12 SIRS in the Garden 12 SIRS in the Kitchen 13 Sums In Retirement 13 Sunshine Report 3 Table Pool 13 Traveling SIRS 13 Wine Articles (All) 14 Writing Your Life Story 15

2 Big SIR continued Our next meeting at the Hilton will be July 13. Make sure you plan to attend. Did you know that our average luncheon attendance is among the highest of all the Sir branches? That's quite an accomplishment, especially given the size of our branch. I think it speaks to the friendship and collegiality among all our members and the excellent programs we provide. I'm so glad that when I was looking for a branch to join I selected ours. What a great bunch of guys. Well, that's it for this month. Ms Donna and I will see a lot of you at Ladies' Day and the BBQ. If you aren't making one or both of those events you're really missing out on a good time. Best, Big Sir Ed NEW ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER OR If you change any of the above, please notify Bob Barnes. If you need a new member s address (or phone number), you can also contact Bob Barnes at (925) or send him an . Bob Barnes sb8msec@hotmail.com Dave Perkins snikrepj@aol.com FOR ABSENCES AND GUESTS s sent to sirbr8hotline@hotmail.com for excused absences will be confirmed with a Reply it was received. Messages sent to personal accounts will not be answered. If a Reply confirming receipt of the is not received, it is the member s responsibility to follow up and ensure it was sent to the correct address. Either resend the or call the attendance number at by Thursday noon prior to the meeting. Please note calls to the telephone number will not be automatically returned since the greeting message confirms the correct number was reached. Please bring a guest, but if you want to be sure your guest has a place to sit and gets a meal, you need to do the following: Call the Attendance Secretary, Bill Peterson, on the attendance hotline: or by SIRBR8Hotline@hotmail.com on Thursday before the meeting. Then Bill can adjust his count for the caterer. MEMBER RELATIONS COMMITTEE Remember to carry several of our branch business cards in your wallet to give out to possible candidates for new members to our branch. Fill them out with your name and phone number as well. We will continue to award a random free lunch ticket on a quarterly basis to someone who is carrying a properly filled out card. Also, remember to give a couple cards to your wife or significant other to carry, filled out with your name and phone number. She can give these to friends and acquaintances who may know someone who qualifies for membership. Just a heads-up, for our upcoming Ladies Day Luncheon, your lady may win a bottle of wine if she has such a card with her. We continue to do a good job in bringing in new guests and members. Our number of guests and new members are ahead of our goal for this year. By bringing in new guests, we keep our branch vibrant and active. Good job everyone! Stan Johnson, Chairman of the Member Relations Committee COMMENT CARD CORNER At the May 18 SIR Branch 8 lunch two guests, 20 members, and two unidentified attendees submitted 12 Comment Cards. Five were "Impressed", 11 were "Satisfied", one was "A bit annoyed", one was "Mad as the dickens" and two gave no attitude. Food was the dominant subject, with 19 comments including sub-par, mediocre, so-so, nice, good coffee, good food, good vegetarian meal, good desserts (but not chocolate), one of the better menus, and great food but not enough lasagna. Six said the meal was not worth the price. (Note: it may be worth considering to explain the components of the meal charge again.). Service was complimented. There were two comments on the new member introductions; they were good, and they could have been done with more enthusiasm. One praised the speaker's interesting stories, great presentation, and excellent Q & A. The most interesting comment was that when we have a meal where portions are used there is not enough food. Also, the sizes of the portions are not consistent They would rather have a hamburger or a piece of chicken. SinSIRly, Jim Sowell LEGAL NOTICE This notice is available in the Roster and on the web site. RECRUITMENT As we do not have a meeting in June, for Recruitment purposes we are half way through the year. Our numbers look good, but we should not just concentrate on the numbers. Recruiting is much more. It is about giving to others what has been given to us. Let your friends and neighbors know how much fun you are having and invite them to a luncheon meeting. The Recruitment committee continues to look for new ways to introduce SIR to the community, but the best recruitment method in still the members of the branch. Keep brochures and wallet cards handy to aid in your discussions. Chair: Don Dennler dondennler@yahoo.com FREE LUNCH DRAWING FOR BRINGING GUESTS As an incentive to bring in new candidates for membership, a drawing for a free lunch will be held in January and in July for members who bring guests to meetings during the previous six months. You can use the SIR cards available at the check-in table to invite guests. For each new guest sponsored during the six month period, a member will have an entry in the drawing. Bring one new 2 of 19

3 guest, have one chance. Bring 3 new guests, have 3 chances! And for your efforts, you do not have to be present to win. RED DOT BAGES They belong to our new members; don t forget to say Hi and introduce yourself. So let s make them feel at home and let them feel they can talk about your SIR activities and ask them to join you. BRANCH 8 ATTENDANCE RULES Rule 60. This notice has been moved to the web site. TREASURER S REPORT Treasurers Report APRIL 2015 Branch 8 BEGINNING CASH BALANCE $15, TOTAL RECEIPTS $6, Monthly Luncheon $6, Dues $ Interest $0.16 TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $8, AT&T $14.00 Monthly Luncheon $6, Hotline $82.49 State Board Assessment $ Printing & Postage $ Other $ Gain or Loss ($1,389.98) ENDING CASH BALANCE $14, Larry Yarberry, Treasurer HELP WANTED [No Want Ads this month.] ATTENDANCE REPORT Attendance for the May luncheon Active Members: Membership Prior to Luncheon 321 Members Inducted 7 Excused Absences - 80 Unexcused Absences - 4 Members Attending 244 Others: Visitors - Guests - Speakers 11 Others Attending 11 TOTAL ATTENDANCE 255 Guest Bob Brown Bill Collins Ray Gallie Mike Gargaro Gordon Knight Sponsor Larry Lange Bud Grisanti Evan Sanchez Tom Doll Rod Hughes Bill LeMaire Ray Pixton Dave Rinehart Lowell Robison John Washalaski Derek Southern Rob Laaback Rob Laaback Bud Grisanti Ray Tenzer Bill Peterson, Attendance Secretary NEED A RIDE? Those Sirs who do not have transportation and would like a ride to the monthly luncheon are invited to call: Scott Graff scottgraff@comcast.net LUNCHEON MENU FOR MAY June Ladies Day Luncheon Contra Costa Country Club Poached Salmon or Grilled Chicken Scallopini or Vegetable Wellington VEGETARIAN MEAL OPTION We offer a vegetarian meal option to those who cannot eat the regular monthly entrées served at the luncheons. This is not intended to be a choice made each month simply as an alternative to the regular menu but to do our best to accommodate members health, dietary or religious needs on a permanent basis. Please call to discuss your particular situation. Bill Peterson, Attendance Secretary STATE SIR HAPPENINGS A complete archive is now on the State website at You can open the file and sort on any keyword by using the binoculars icon. Just click on the icon; type in a word like activity or activities in the box; and all of the activity articles will be indexed. The current issue of SIR Happenings is at Walt Schick SUNSHINE REPORT Since the last Hotline Report, the Committee has extended wishes for a rapid recovery to Ekk Keller. The Committee has extended condolences to the Ed Gass family and to the Bob Pate family. Sunshine Committee (br8sunshine@yahoo.com) Lawrence J. Mersmann (lmersmann@yahoo.com) ACTIVITIES AT OTHER BRANCHES The list is being revised. Look for an updated list here next month. 3 of 19

4 HOTLINE INPUT and WEB EDITORS IMPORTANT SINGLE HOTLINE ADDRESS: Send your articles and photos BEFORE the 20th of the month. Include meeting information and dates for the following month to keep your group properly informed about meetings, deadlines and upcoming events. Late reports will not be included in the Hotline. Current Hotline Editors (Hotline Coordinator *) Dan Weller* Barry Brown Chuck Joyce Ekk Keller Jim Ripley Website Editor, Webmaster, and Activities Page Derek Southern Website Editor - Bill Hunter wkhbill@pacbell.net Please be brief, we will attempt to keep the articles worded as you wish them to be presented. Please place the Chairman and other contact information at the bottom. While formatting and type style is left to the discretion of the Hotline Editors, we will try to preserve your format bolds and underline. Please avoid complex boxes and having the whole article in bold or ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS. For sending text, a word document or just typing into the message works just fine. Please avoid copying and pasting text from websites as this can require retyping before it can be used. To be sure your article is not missed, please put hotline activity and month into the Subject of your submittal Example: Hotline Activity - Poker for October We, your Editors and Webmasters, are here to serve you, and we need your very important input. For the Website, send input anytime, but expect some possible delay before input is added. ACTIVITY REPORT Remember how much fun Show N Tell was when you were a kid? I certainly do. It gave us an opportunity to show off our often hidden talents to our classmates. That s what Arts, Crafts and Hobbies activity chairman Al Steunenberg is making possible. The idea is to have one (or more) of our talented SIRs let the rest of us see their creative pursuits during pre-lunch activities. We d like to do it at least once a quarter. What s your art, craft or hobby passion? Painting, pottery, weaving? We d love to see your work. Making handmade wooden artifacts like tables, chairs or in Al s case, beautiful wooden boxes? It would be a kick to see your creations. What s your hobby? Model trains, stamp collecting, antique tea pots, vintage gumball machines? Bring them in and wow the membership! Arts, Crafts and Hobbies provides a great opportunity to share your creativity with the rest of us. Give Al a call at or send him an at als2nnbrg@comcast.net. He will save you a spot at the July pre-lunch exhibition. As always, thanks for your help. Phil Coordinator: Phillip R. Trapp Home Mobile Fax ANNUAL BRANCH 8 BARBEQUE Annual Branch 8 BBQ June 16, 3:00 p.m. till dusk Concord Community Park As this is written, we have 151 Sirs and spouses/partners signed-up for the BBQ, and we have room for 150. However, there are sure to be drop outs between now and the event so if you want to attend, please Ed Benson at ebensonbwa@aol.com or call him at , and he'll put you on the alternate list. Alternates will be taken off the list in first come, first served order. As it was last year, the event is being held at Concord Community Park. The Concord Community Park is on Cowell Road in Concord and is about 8/10ths of a mile equidistant between Treat and Monument. There is lots of parking and the walk is short and flat. Our space is between the tennis courts and the pool. Bring sunscreen, a hat, a lawn chair and an appetite for good food, drink and company. Payment of $25 per person was due June 5. There is no refund for cancellation after June 9; however, we will try to find a substitute for you. If you haven t paid by the Hotline publishing date, make a check payable to Ed Benson and mail it to him as soon as possible at 1289 Crown Court, Walnut Creek, CA, Our caterer and fellow Branch 8 Sir, Tom Borman, will be preparing BBQ Kinder's ball tip, beans, potato and green salads, coleslaw, rolls/butter and cookies. We will furnish the chips, dips, veggies, nuts, water, diet Coke, 7Up, root beer, beer and wine (sorry due to park alcohol regulations no hard liquor is allowed). All of this is included in the price. We will also be having last year's hit, barbequed sausage and this year's potential hit, chicken wings as appetizers. If you prefer a different drink, feel free to bring your own. The event starts at 3:00 p.m., dinner will be served around 5:00 p.m., and the event will end at dusk, or around 7:00 ish. Hopefully, we will have a nice warm day. The BBQ Committee, Walt, Tom, Phil and I and all our day of the event helpers are looking forward to seeing all of you there. Chair: Ed Benson ( ) ebensonbwa@aol.com ASTRONOMY There will be no regular meeting of the Astronomy Activity in June due to the Ladies Day Luncheon. However, we will be taking a tour of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on June 16th. Contact Bill Hunter or Leary Wong prior to May 24 if you wish to be included on the tour. 4 of 19

5 Our Web page at is updated frequently with new information, videos and links relating to upcoming topics. Bill Hunter, Chairman; Leary Wong, Chair: ARTS, CRAFTS & HOBBIES Arts & Crafts will have exhibits every three months starting in July and will expand the program based on interest. Chairman: Al Steunenberg BARGAIN BITES FOR MAY Once again, the Branch 8 Bargain Bites group filled the entire restaurant as 36 of us enjoyed a great meal at Savanh Thai restaurant in Pleasant Hill. We started with an appetizer of Chicken Satay (grilled chicken on a skewer served with peanut sauce) followed by a vegetable/chicken soup. Our entrees include Yellow Curry Chicken- Chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas. Not real spicy but with the delicious flavor of coconut milk. And Pad Thai- A wonderful sweet and sour noodle dish with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and egg. Also Kapraw Eggplant- Minced chicken, zucchini, onions, basil leaves, and bell pepper in a spicy garlic sauce. We finished with vanilla ice cream covered with crushed peanuts. We all left full and happy and many of us with a take home box, but the best part was the price-- only $17.50 PP incl. tax/tip. Our next adventure will be on Tuesday, June 30. Watch for the Announcement. Interested in being placed on the list. Just send a note to resmith62@aol.com and say Place me on the Bargain Bites List. You will receive personal s in advance of the Hotline. Chairman Ron Smith resmith62@aol.com Chairman Ed Benson ebensonbwa@aol.com BOCCE BALL OPEN PLAY The 2015 Bocce Ball Open season is in session. WE begin play at 8:30 am. We play on the Concord courts in Newhall Park. Newhall Park is located on Turtle Creek Rd. between Treat Blvd. and Ayers Rd. Play is open to all SIR members and partners. You do not require any knowledge of the game as we will show you how to play and explain the rules that govern the game of Bocce Ball. We provide all the equipment (Bocce Balls and score boards). I organize whoever comes to play into teams. If you have any questions, please call the Activity Chairman.This is the status as of May 15 th. Top % = 3 Games Name Branch Won Lost Games Winning % Larry Lange Multiple Additionally, there will be NO play date on May 29 th as the Newhall Courts have been leased for the day by another company. Chairman: Bob Barnes sb8msec@hotmail.com Assistant Chariman: Danny Rinaldi: dmrinaldi@astound.net BOCCE BALL LEAGUE PLAY The 2015 Concord Bocce Ball Federation (CBF) League season will begin on May 3, 2015 at Newhall Park and Baldwin Park courts in Concord. We play on the Baldwin Park courts which are located off Beach St. (near Port Chicago Highway and Bonifacio St.) Play is limited to 10 SIR members and/or partners and we have the requisite number. You do not require any knowledge of the game as we will show you how to play and explain the rules that govern the game of Bocce Ball. The CBF League provides all the equipment. If you have any questions, please call me (Activity Chairman). Our standings as of May 12 th : Games Played Won Lost Chairman: Bob Barnes sb8msec@hotmail.com Assistant Chariman: Danny Rinaldi: dmrinaldi@astound.net BOOK EXCHANGE If you read it and liked it, bring it! We encourage and want you to bring books to share. Our mantra is IF YOU READ A BOOK THAT YOU REALLY LIKED AND WANT TO SHARE IT, BRING IT TO THE NEXT SIR LUNCHEON AND DONATE TO OUR COLLECTION. Unfortunately we have started to get books donated that appear to be from someone's housecleaning: old textbooks, travel guides from 2000 (or earlier!!), etc. although we immediately weed these from our collection, it would be better if our members would remove these before bringing them to the meeting.. We have marked some of the boxes with red tape indicating NEW BOOKS which we place at the end of the table of our Book Exchange boxes. Just drop any new books or books from the collection you are returning in these marked boxes. That way everyone knows what is NEW. 5 of 19

6 Lastly, I wanted to thank Ken Main for his years of service in the Book Exchange. Ken was the Chairman of the Book Exchange for a couple of years and has been Assistant Chairman for several more years. Ken has become increasingly involved in the leadership of other Branch 8 activities and has decided to retire from the Book Exchange so he can focus on these other activities. Replacing Ken as Book Exchange Assistant Chairman is Alan Curtis...Welcome Alan As always, if you have any questions or suggestions contact any member of the book exchange team: Chairman: Tom Kerns, jtomk01@aol.com ( ). Assistant Chair: Stan Orlik, stanner1@sbcglobal. Assistant Chair: Alan Curtis, alancurtis@sbcglobal.net Assistant Chair: Rob Laabak, rlaabak@yahoo.com BOOK GROUP We read 'Eye of the Needle' by Ken Follett in May and for most of the group it was the favorite fiction book of the year so far. We learned a lot about Follett's approach to his craft from Dick Josephson, our researcher for the month, that gave insight into this and his many other successful books. During April, we are reading Amanda Ripley's 'The Smartest Kids in the world and how they got that way'. An interesting read. Lots of good discussion to come on that one! The Book Group meets the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. at Round Table Pizza on Treat blvd. me, Nick Maufe, if you are interested in joining us. Chairman: Nick Maufe ; Nickmaufe@gmail.com COUPLES BRIDGE The May 11, 2015 Couples Bridge session had 4 tables or eight couples, resulting in some very competitive games. Congratulations to George and Charlene Schulze, who took first place with 4380 points (including a GRAND SLAM BID AND MADE!) Second and third place were taken by the team of Ernie Sherne and Margaret Kozak with 3430 points and Ralph and Bobbie Schweinfurth with 2440 points. For our next game, we will be back on our normal third Monday of the month schedule (MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015). Mark your calendars! If anyone is interested in joining us, please contact Ken Main by phone or . We are always interested in adding more bridge players to our fun group. We meet at Round Table Pizza on Treat Blvd ( near Oak Grove) in Walnut Creek, with play starting at 1:00 PM. Join us for lunch before play begins as this helps pay back the restaurant for the use of their room. Also, the food is pretty good. On a sad note, Bob Pate (fellow SIR and couples bridge chairman) passed away recently. Peggy Pate thanks everyone for our prayers and support. Ken Main - Acting Chairman Phone - (925) mainkenneth46@gmail.com BOWLING Branch 19 SIR League - Branch 19 (Concord) sponsors a SIR league at Clayton Valley Bowl. There are eight four-person teams. Ladies are welcome if you would like to bowl with your life partner. The league ended on May 2 nd and will start up again in early September. Three-Peat: As usual, there was a battle for first place. Dan Weller s team, Grey Matters, won the second half of the season. They played the winner of the first half on May 2 nd for the season championship. The Grey Matters won the first game by seven pins. They lost the second game by 70 pins. But, they rallied from a 20 pin deficit in the eighth frame of the third game and won the game and the championship by 30 pins. This team has won three out of the last four seasons. SIR State-Wide Tournament Schedules, Applications, and Results Are On Line: To access the SIR State bowling information, open the state bowling web site at You can find tournament schedules, applications, and results on the excellent site. Upcoming SIR Bowling Tournaments: DATE June 3-4 June 16,17 LOCATION COMMENTS Pinole P a r a d i s e Spouses and guests are welcome at this event. Fairly close in venue, which is at the Pinole exit of I-80. CHAIRMAN: Dan Weller dweller@astound.net ASSIST. CHAIR: Jim Erickson erickson.jim@att.net BASIC BRIDGE The Basic Bridge format is open to players of many levels. Each table will have a coach. For beginning players there will be a review discussion after the hand has been played. The more advanced players have non-competitive, free play. All players are invited to ask questions and offer friendly advice on mistakes at any time. The sessions are co-ed. Basic Bridge is held on the first Thursday of the month from 1:30 3:30 PM at Round Table Pizza located on Treat Blvd. near Oak Grove Road. Come early for lunch as that is our payment for use of the room. Call Rod Spicer, , to be added to our reminder list. Rod Spicer, Chairman, , marod61@att.net Al Hudgens, Co-Chairman, of 19

7 BRIDGE DUPLICATE ONE Duplicate Bridge I met May 8, 2015 for the regular monthly session at Chateau II in Pleasant Hill. Top finishers were: 1 st Hubinger-Wool 36 points 2nd Grisanti-Regan 35.5 points 3rd Sherne-Schick 33.5 points Even though 2 teams tried small slams on two different boards, no slams were bid and made Top score on a board went to the defense when the Sherne Schick team set a doubled vulnerable 3 NT contract by 3 for a score of 800. One of the more interesting hands was a save where the E-W Milano-Gopal pair bid 5 clubs over a cold 4 spade contract in the N-S direction. Even though they were set by 4 (fortunately, not doubled) they limited the opposing N-S pair to 400 points. All the others played the board in the N-S direction at 4 spades making 7 for a score of 510. Thanks to Jim Regan for hosting and set-up. Subbing for Walt Schick, George Schulze will have the duties next month. Players are reminded not to use the parking close to Chateau II as that is needed for the residents and their guests. Dean Steichen will join the group on a regular basis as Gene Bingham s partner. Substitutes are often needed and any SIR wishing to play should contact: Bob Kahl, Chairman Dick Long, Asst Chairman Ton Hensley Asst Chairman BRIDGE RUBBER leave early. We finished the day with 3 ½ tables. Please let us know if you are coming to the game or not. Also if you need to make other appointments, then do so after 2:00 PM on the first Thursday of the month. It places a burden on the remaining players when you The best players this month were: Bob Sherman (4330); Dean Steichen (4200); Buddy May (3780); and Larry Lange (3370). The scores ran from 400 to 4340 with the median score being about Use it or lose it by playing bridge and all are invited to our game. We meet on the first Thursday of the month at Round Table Pizza on Treat Blvd. near Oak Grove Road. Our game starts at 9:00 AM. Try to be there by 8:45 so we can start on time. Please answer Al Welch s reminder early because the last man to answer may be eliminated if the tables are full. Rod Spicer, Chairman, ,marod61@att.net Al Welch, CO-Chairman, , maynal41@hotmail.com outing. BRIDGE DUPLICATE TWO [No input for this issue] Chairman: Max Creamer maxcreamer@sbcglobal.net ASS T CHAIR: Walter Schick walterschick@astound.net CAR ENTHUSIASTS It was reported during our May Activity meeting that the Tesla folks will not provide a plant tour for anyone other than a perspective buyer of their vehicles. Efforts continue to source another idea for a June Members have contributed many ideas for consideration and a listing of possibilities will be shared in next month's HotLine as to what we propose to do. Watch the Car Enthusiasts section of the web for future info as it didn't make the June HotLine deadline. The group will meet in June, on the first Tuesday (June 2nd) at the regular location, Round Table Pizza, Treat and Oak Grove, Concord at 1:00 PM. We are planning to rotate hosting the meeting at different homes for some of the future meetings. Advance notices will be provided when decided upon. Some discussion around finding a project for the group to work on is under development. We can't work on it as a part of the Sir's Activity meeting so it will be a separate activity. We'll get an out to notify everyone of the next outing when finalized. Contact either Tom or myself if you would like to join our activity. Chairman Chick Lowry, clowry2845@aol.com Chair Tom Mohrman (cell) mustangtpm@gmail.com COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY May s subject was TV Streaming. Neil Schmidt covered the different options and methods for connecting your TV to the Internet, along with a discussion of some of the things you can do with a connected TV besides streaming Netflix movies. Neil pointed out that the available devices and services are rapidly changing and suggested where this technology is heading. A review of Neil s talk can be found at There is no Computers & Technology meeting in June. We look forward to seeing you 9:15 AM, July 16, 2015, at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Drive. We ask for a donation of $5 to cover the cost of the hall rental, coffee and cookies -- but some months are free, so come and see if our July meeting is one of those! All SIR members and their guests (spouses included!) are welcome to attend. See you there. 7 of 19

8 Bill Phelon CRIBBAGE Cribbage Results for May 2015 May 6 There were seventeen SIRS who participated. Jerry White had the high score for the day with 290 points followed by Dan Smith with 237 points. Third place went to Steve Bishop with 230 points. May 19 We had thirteen participate in this session. Terry Mason had the high score the day with 313 points. Second place went to Don Atwater with 238 points followed by Jack LaSalle with 235 points and Jerry Ward with 201 points. The Cribbage Group meets on the first Wednesday and the third Tuesday of each month at Round Table Pizza on Treat Blvd. at 1 PM. Please join us if you have played Cribbage or would like to learn the game. Our next meetings are on Wednesday, June 3; Tuesday, June 16; and Wednesday, July 1. Overall Results thru May are as follows: Highest Individual Game Scores Frank Begert/George Schultz 123 Frank Begert/Herb Hellsten 121 Steve Bishop/Herb Hellsten 109 Larry Mersmann/Dennis Mierzwa 105 Dennis Mierzwa/Dan Weller 105 Highest Daily/Total Scores Herb Hellsten 435 Terry Mason 313 Steve Strobel 301 Frank Begert 295 Jerry White 290 Highest Per Game Average Score (50% of Games Played) Jerry White Herb Hellsten Frank Begert Don Atwater Terry Mason Chairman, Herb Hellsten Chairman, Ron Draper DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY hchell@astound.net r-draper@pacbell.net At our May meeting, we reviewed and discussed Black & White Photos. Surprisingly, in this era of digital photography, many digital cameras only take full color photos. The image must be edited to achieve a monochrome picture. In addition to the B&W photo discussion, the group covered the usual assortment of member s recent interesting photos and photos from past assignments. The next meeting of the Digital Camera Group is scheduled for 10:00 AM, Friday June 19, at the Ken Belfer residence. The general assignment for the meeting is Action Photography. Assignment Chairman Dave will be ing us some suggestions. Our June host, Ken, will be sending out reminders / directions, and looking for attendance confirmations a week or so before the meeting. Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided, for which we ask a $2 donation. All levels of photographer, from point and shooter to sophisticated DSLR users are welcome. Bill Phelon, Chair rpheon@juno.com Dave Davis, Vice Chair, dav.davis@comcast.net DOMINOES to play the game. Wanted: New Players for Domino's Have you wanted to learn how to play dominoes? Here's your opportunity. We are looking for members who would like to learn the game. The thought is to set up a table with beginners and one or two current domino players to show you how We meet at ROUND TABLE PIZZA located at 2960 Treat Blvd, Concord Calif. Hours of play are 11:00am to 2:00pm. We usually purchase coffee or lunch. We donate $5.00 each and we keep score by points. 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place take home the money. We'd love some new players and always have fun. Please join us on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month. Chair: Danny Rinaldi EXPLORE AND EAT dmrinaldi@astound.net Nothing new to report at press time. Please check the Branch 8 website: Chairman: Ron Woods - shepwoods@comcast.net Ass t: Larry McEwen; ; elmwoodeux@comcast.net AREA 2 FISHING All SIR members and guests are welcome and, indeed, encouraged to participate in fishing trips as well as attend the monthly meetings. Alohas to Rich Fiscina who caught 12 ono (yahoo) in three charters from Hawaii, and intends to go out twice more before he ends his month vacation there, and Brad Hatcher who caught and returned a 30 lb skipjack along the Kona Coast. Don Mittlestead caught baby tarpon in Campeche, Mexico. Pete Gates, Dick Thomson, Ron Maciak, Paul Dubow, Mike Corker, and Carl Moyer caught 8 stripers and a catfish on a guided trip to New Hogan Reservoir, fishing in the rain. Paul Dubow watched his friends catch Marlin to 165 lbs in Florida. He also caught some delicious yellow snapper and a shark on other trips. 24 fishermen enjoyed the annual spring fish fry in Carl Moyer s backyard. Joe Karg caught a keeper sturgeon from Martinez on a party boat. Paul King and Carl Moyer caught 3 nice trout from San Pablo Reservoir, and Carl and Ken 8 of 19

9 Konzak caught 5 rainbows at Shadow Cliffs Reservoir. Harry Sherinian, Terry Miller, Mike Corker and Carl Moyer caught small stripers and sturgeon in the Delta. Gordon Linebaugh and Carl Moyer caught some small stripers there also, and they rescued a baby goose that swam out too far. Tom Kostik and Mike Corker caught lots of Black Bass further up in the Delta. Ernie Wong and Ken Konzak made two trips to Pyramid Lake in Nevada taking Carl Moyer with them the second trip. They caught some of the beautiful and large Lahonton Cutthroat trout there. Carl Moyer fished the ocean for rockfish, and caught some on one of the few days this year when the ocean was calm. Big waves and big winds have marred the action on the ocean. The salmon catch has been very poor so far. We will be very busy this summer with: delta fishing for bass, catfish, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, and sturgeon; trout and catfish in mountain and local lakes, salmon and rockfish on the ocean. We live in a fishermen s paradise. Our next meeting will be Thursday, June 25th at the Legend Sports Bar and Grill at the Diablo Creek Golf Course at 4050 Port Chicago Highway in Concord. Meeting starts at 8:30 am. For further information, please contact Dick Thomson, Big Fish ( ) Carl Moyer, Branch 8 Coordinator, ( ) Romano Gnusti, Treasurer/Secretary, ( ) GENEALOGY The SIR Genealogy Activity is a new activity for the purpose of assisting members wanting to research their family's genealogy. Since this activity can be pursued on-line at home when the member chooses, there is not a strong need to hold frequent meetings. We are well aware there is a strong interest in genealogy. Your thoughts and ideas towards improving this activity will be appreciated. Anyone wanting advice or guidance in the research of genealogy, please contact: Chairman: Dan Smith dns.lns02@astound.net or cell GOLF 18 HOLES 18 Hole Golf June 2015 Did we like Franklin Canyon? 36 played the course on April 27. Of the 36, 29 (80%) played to their index or better. In addition, a Low Net of 57 was carded by Joe Maurino. Good going, Joe.Fred Nelson must have liked Franklin Canyon also, as he claimed closest to the pin. He missed a hole in one by 6 inches and he did make the putt. Breaking net 60 is likened to breaking a gross score of 80 (at least to us Seniors) Those breaking net 60 so far this year are: Ken Belfer, Delta View, 59. David Green 57, Brentwood, Dwane McGlothin, 59, Dublin Ranch, Ken Belfer 59 Dublin Ranch. Who will be the next to break Net 60/Gross 80? As for breaking 80, 2 of our golfers did so far this year, Bob Ryan, twice at Boundary Oak, 79 and 78 and Dwane Mclothin, 76 at Dublin Ranch. Area 2 Team Scramble Qualifier was played on May 28 at Deer Ridge There were 9 teams representing Branch 8. Results will be in the July Hotline. Looks like we are well represented and let s bring home a winner. And let us not forget our Carmel outing. June 1 was played at Rancho Canada East Course and June2 at Pacific Grove. Results will also be included in July Hotline. Dave Platter, Chair: golfplatter@hotmail.com Bill Koski, Communications: billkos36@comcast.net GOLF 9 HOLES We are still attracting around thirty players most weeks and anyone (with golf clubs or willing to rent some) is welcome to participate. Any new members who indicated they were interested and haven t had chance to join us yet please feel free to turn up any Wednesday around 8:30 am at Diablo Hills Golf Course in Walnut Creek we always have room for another player. Remember the weekly results are posted on the website and player stats based on the year are also posted thanks to our statistician and general information guru Dick Brooks. We also have a page for interesting pictures although to date we appear to be a very boring but stable group as no one has submitted any images for public view! The DAI tournament is this month on Thursday June 4 th. We are expecting over 40 participants, look for full details and photographs on our website and in the July edition of the Hotline. For anyone interested we are considering starting a self-help group to enable our players to offer tips on how to help others improve their games. Some topics suggested are How to line up your fourth putt accurately. Avoiding the water when lying eight in the sand. Pros and cons of washing your ball prior to playing a water hole. Any other topics anyone considers relevant please let me know Barry Brown, Chair: barry@bkbrown.net Phil Philpot, Chair: jr5753@comcast.net COUPLES GOLF May 13, 2015 Marshals Paul and Millie Hersch have broken another record for Sir Couples Golf! Today there were 32 playing golf with 34 gathering for lunch afterwards. The format for the day's play utilized the ladies' scores for holes 1,3,5,7, 9 and the men's scores for holes 2,4,6,8. The winners were Tom and Sally Strice (our newest members) and second place went to Gordon and Margaret Batesole. Then again, everyone was a winner because once 9 of 19

10 again the Couples Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day of golf, a delicious lunch and wonderful fellowship. Chairperson Paul Derby announced that our group would look into moving upstairs into the private dining room for future lunches as we have outgrown the capacity of Greenery Restaurant's Sports Bar. He will also investigate a shotgun start so we can start and finish at the same time. Paul will give us a recap of his findings prior to our next game Former Big Sir Leo Barrella announced that we have become one of the largest and most successful activities among the SIR BRANCH 8. Our next game will be on Thursday, June 11th at Diablo Hills. We welcome all to join our group. Please sign-up on the website, or contact Paul Derby at: derby.paul@comcast or mobile HEADS UP WALKERS June Walks One-hour walks start at 9:30 AM and usually are on flat surfaces. Most walks are out and back which means you walk for 30 minutes at your own pace, then turn around and walk 30 minutes back to the starting point. At 10:30 we leave the trail for coffee, refreshments and spirited conversation. Spouses and dogs welcome. 6/4/2015: Lafayette: Lafayette Reservoir. Entrance on Mt. Diablo Blvd., about 1 mile west of Happy Valley Rd. Meet at the EAST (far left) end of metered parking lot. Bring 4 or 5 quarters. Cafe: Noah's New York Bagels. Leader: Steve Pierce 6/11/2015: Walnut Creek: Arbolado Park, Ygnacio Canal. Take Ygnacio Valley Rd. to Oak Grove Rd. Then south past W.C. library to Arbolado Dr., left to Arbolado Park, meet at the upper parking lot near tennis courts. Cafe: Bagel Street Cafe. Leader: Terry Norton 6/18/2015: Walnut Creek: C.C. Canal Heather Farms. Meet at the Heather Farms parking lot at the far North end of San Carlos Dr. Cafe: Sweet Affair Bakery. Leader: Austin Prindle 6/25/2015: Walnut Creek: YV canal Walnut Ave.. Take Ygnacio Valley Rd. Turn South on Walnut Ave (do not turn on Walnut Boulevard). Go a short distance and turn left on Naranja Drive. Park there and walk back to Walnut Ave. The trail starts a few feet from Naranja. Cafe: Boudin Bakery. Leader: Barry Brown 7/2/2015: Concord: Iron Horse, Willows Shopping Center. Willows Shopping Center, meet at the south corner near the new Lazy Dog Restaurant. Cafe: Panera Bread Cafe. Leader: Bill Peterson Chairman: Dan Weller Home: Cell: dweller@astound.net Assist. Chair: Erland Persson, erland.p@comcast.net SIR HIKERS June 9, 2015: Iron Horse Trail North End. Easy Hike This easy hike will be from the Willows shopping center to the north end of the Iron Horse trail at Highway 4. The round trip distance is about 4.4 miles. The trail is level. There isn t much shade so be prepared if it is a warm, sunny day. We will meet at the Lazy Dog restaurant parking lot at 1961 Diamond Blvd, Concord. The hike will start at 10 am There will be an optional lunch at the Lazy Dog restaurant after the hike. Details of the hike, including CARPOOLING, DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAILHEAD, lunch, and photos are on the SIR Branch 8 Hiker Activity WEB page at Note: IF YOU ARE CARPOOLING, be sure the driver and passengers agree on whether to go to lunch or not. Hike Leader: Dan Weller Cell: dweller@astound.net June Coordinator: Martin Simmons martin@infinitylane.com June 30, 2015: Lake Anza Tilden Regional Park. Hard Hike A not-too-demanding 2.5 hour loop hike over 4.5 miles with an elevation change of about 400 feet. The hike begins at 10 am at the Brazil building parking lot. We head past Lake Anza, then beautiful Wildcat Canyon Gorge. We loop back via Meadow Canyon and Curran Trails, with an option to visit Inspiration Point, and finish by passing Lake Anza on the opposite shore. Lots of shade available if a warm day. Details of the hike, including CARPOOLING, DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAILHEAD, lunch, and photos are on the SIR Branch 8 Hiker Activity WEB page at Note: IF YOU ARE CARPOOLING, be sure the driver and passengers agree on whether to go to lunch or not. Hike Leader: Dave Morse dmorse88@yahoo.com June Coordinator: Martin Simmons, C: (925) martin@infinitylane.com Chair: Dave Davis, H: dav.davis@comcast.net Assistant Chair: Martin Simmons H: martin@infinitylane.com LADIES DAY LUNCHEON If you haven't already heard, there is still seating available for the SIR Branch 8 Ladies Day Luncheon: When: June 8, :45 AM.. Social Hour; 11:45 AM Luncheon Where: Contra Costa Country Club, 801 Golf club Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 10 of 19

11 Menu: Poached Salmon, or Grilled Chicken Scallopini, or Vegetable Wellington (Vegetarian) How Much: $35.00 per person Entertainment: Pamela Brooks, Vocalist Deadline to Sign Up: June 1, 2015 How Do I Sign Up: Easiest way is to click here for the May Hotline, then go to page 19: Jack Waddell, Ladies Day Luncheon Chairman # jwaddell@astound.net LET S DINE IN # 1 We met at the Lunns new digs in Faifield. What a road trip. The meal was fantastic. Our hosts prepared a stuffed pork loin with a side of spiced apples. Ed Bensons added his famous green beens. We started with Judy Smith's signature salad. Finished off with Karen Cassano's lemon cake, Grand Manier infused strawberries and whipped cream. The evening was started with appetizers by the Deness and Kargs. The wine was terrific and we stuffed ourselves for the trip home. Next dinner is July 17. Ron Cassano,head eater. Chair: Ron Cassano: roncassano@gmail,com LET S DINE IN # 2 The Dine in 2 group is alive and well and we will meet again in June. At this point the details are up in the air with all the travel and busy schedules, but we are on target for the rest of the year. Our merry group seems to enjoy our little soirees and look forward to them with a fervor. What started out as a simple dinner has now blossomed into a "can you top this" evening and "gourmet" is the watchword. Each dish is a delight. Unfortunately, we cannot expand as we have ten people and that is about the size that we can handle. As soon as we have an opening we will let you know but we are not anticipating that to happen as everyone seems quite happy at this point. So until next time, I am... Ed Cohn, fearless rep of Dine in 2 Co-Chair: Ed Cohn; gitano2@att.net Co-Chair: Bob Price sprice8126@yahoo.com LET S DINE OUT # 1 All Branch 8 members and their partners, as well as singles, are invited to join us for Sunday Champagne Buffet Brunch Sunday July 26, 2015 at Crow Canyon Country Club Jack London Lounge (private room) overlooks the golf course 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville, CA Gathering time: 10:30 AM Buffet Brunch: 11:00 AM Dress: Country Club Casual Buffet Menu: Omelet Station Hot Entree Station Salad Station Oriental Station Seafood Station Dessert Station Carving station Champagne and Mimosas included! Other alcoholic beverages available at Cash Bar $32.75 per person, tax and gratuity included RSVP:Dave & JoAnne Perkins (925) or snikrepj@aol.com by: Monday July 20, 2015 Make checks payable to: Dave Perkins 315 Ridgestone Court Walnut Creek, CA CHAIR: Ken Main mainkenneth46@gmail.com CO-CHAIR: Don Allen dondorothyallen@comcast.net LET S DINE OUT # 2 A Branch activity that encourages friendly dining in small groups (maximum of 4 couples). June being the month for Ladies Day Luncheon and the Branch Barbecue, no Dine Out 2 activity is yet scheduled. For announcement of future dinners, check our web page Hosts and guests are wanted for future Dine Out 2 activities. Contact chairman Don and look forward to a pleasant meal with friends. As a host you are expected to: Select a restaurant, date and time Arrange for a table of 8 and separate checks per couple As a guest you are expected to: contribute to a sociable evening and pick up your own tab. Dine Out 2 events will then be promoted for the benefit of other Branch 8 Sirs and their ladies. Groups of eight lend themselves to interesting conversations with fellow Sirs and their partners as well as allowing restaurants to show off its service and cuisine best. We are fortunate to have so many 11 of 19

12 restaurants in the area. Please share some of your favorites and host a Dine Out 2 activity. Chairman Don Atwater datwater@pacbell.net Assistant Chairman Jerry Milano jerrymilano@astound. POKER Come join us for poker! Players wanted. We offer refresher games at 10:15 before the Monthly Luncheon for any member who wants to try again. Call Dan Franklin if you want to sit in to learn. You can also sit in to help our new players. We now have 9 groups and the playing days are shown in the table below. First Monday First Tuesday First Friday Second Tuesday 3rd Wednesday Third Thursday Fourth Monday Fourth Tuesday Fourth Thursday Our groups meet usually from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Group members rotate as hosts, providing drinks and munchies. Deal rotates; dealer calls the game and antes a quarter-- three-raise limit. We play nickel, dime, and quarter. It s an inexpensive way to spend an afternoon with a great group of guys! Chair: Ekk Keller ekkeller@astound.net Asst: Dan Franklin montgall26@gmail.com PUB GAMES Darts & Pub Games, a new branch activity, gathers on the 2nd and 4th Thursday afternoons at 2:00 at Arties Countrywood Lounge 2068 Treat Blvd. Walnut Creek. All skill levels are welcome as some of us are learning the intricacies of dart throwing from those more skilled in this and other pub games. Members participating in this activity include Bill Cooke, Chairman, Al Welch, Assistant Chairman, Don Atwater, Bob Bailey, Tom Kerns, Ron Santini, Jack Schweitzer and Jerry Ward. We have room for more so please join us at the pub. Chairman: Bill Cooke, bwcooke@yahoo.com SINGLE SIRS DINE OUT In May our monthly Dine Out was hosted by Jerry White on the 5 th at The Pomegranate Restaurant in Walnut Creek. We had fourteen Single Sir s attend and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with spirits. Our June dinner will be hosted by Bob Cramer and will be on Tuesday, June 2 at the Pasta Primavera Restaurant at 2997 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek at 5:30 PM. The group enjoys getting out of the house once in a while to share a good meal and some lively conversation. Each month, a member acts as host and chooses a restaurant in the area with reasonable prices. We meet a 5:30PM and are usually out about 7:30PM. If you are a Single Sir, please check us out. Jack Stack, Chairman carjack@jps.net Herb Hellsten, Chairman hchell@astound.net SIRS AT THE GAMES Oakland A's Game Lets "Beat LA" with SIRs at the Games by attending the Oakland A s vs. Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game in Oakland on Wednesday afternoon, August 19, at 12:45pm. We have a block of great shady seats for this game at just $40 per ticket. Please contact Jack Schweitzer if you would like tickets to this game. Jack may be reached by jackschweitzer@ymail.com or by phone at Chair: Steve Schramm sschramm01@gmail.com Co-Chair: Tom Kerns jtomk01@aol.com SIRS IN THE GARDEN This April, SIG met on both Thursday and Friday, the 17 th and 18 th! SIG Members showed up to share their personal volunteer time, and help with a plant sale at Heather Farms. Thanks to SIG s who participated, helping to accomplish & surpass the fund raising goal of $ ! Some came with pick -up trucks, brought their wives, and even came from other branches! We had a great turn out. Our thanks go to Jim Nickels Br. 116 Treasurer (Elect for 2016) for joining us, with his truck and worthwhile efforts, to Steve Dawkins, Br. 146, a knowledgeable Chrysanthemum specialist for participating. Thanks also go to our Co-Chair Tom Mohrman, plus Tom Keehn & Bob Weiss and his truck with wife Susan in it! Tom and Bob are both new Branch 8 Members, contributing to SIR activities and social reputation! Thanks to Dave Davis & his high-tech, trusty camera+ pleasant disposition! It was a nice couple of days. The Gardens are sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek. Sons in the Garden is allowed a beautiful place to meet, free parking and a smart as they come, Garden Manger who supports our effort. Brian Larsen, has graciously assigned a key portion of the garden walkway, dedicated with signage, to Jim and Sandy Sowell s Day Lilly donation and Branch 8 Member s, which we maintain. Our May meeting was highlighted with a presentation on Care and Feeding of Orchids, by yet another newbie member Dan Chiappone who has the Chops to speak authoritatively, about the wonderful and mysterious world of Orchids! Join with us and feel the sun on your back while developing a better knowledge of gardening and soil and water conservation methods! Check out our Drought Tips on the Branch 8 Website: Tony de Losada, Chair- tonydelosada@gmail.com Tom Mohrman, Co-Chair 12 of 19

13 SIRS IN THE KITCHEN Cinco de Mayo was Late We had a great (if late) Cinco de Mayo fiesta at Casa Benson on May 19. The meal started with margaritas accompanied by guacamole, salsa, artichoke jalapeno dip and the associated dips. Next was a taco salad then the entree which included carnitas, beef enchiladas and Chef Jim's terrific frijoles. Finally, there was the dessert of churros and ice cream. The beer and wine flowed and conversation became more and more festive (umm, maybe loud, LOL). It couldn't have come together without the help of sous chefs Phil, Gordon Jack S. and Joe D'.. We managed to get the meal out with no loss of blood from anyone. Of course the set up, clean up and take down crews performed with their usual excellence. Thanks to everyone who pulls together to make all these cooking events happen. We will not be meeting in June as the Sir in the Kitchen gang is responsible for putting on the Branch BBQ. Even though we have a great caterer, there's still a lot of work with set up, drinks appetizers and cleanup. We'll be back at Casa Benson on July 21. The menu hasn't been set yet, but maybe we'll do a picnic with roast or fried chicken, ribs, potato salad, green salad and homemade ice cream. Sirs in the Kitchen is now at 50 members. If you want to join, drop Executive Chef Ed an (ebensonbwa@aol.com), call him ( ) or catch him at the monthly meeting. So far, we ve always had room for anyone who was able to attend, and our typical luncheon turns out 25 to 30, or so. You don t have to be an experienced cook (our members have all levels of cooking ability), and all meetings are held at Casa Benson. The usual shared cost for the luncheon and wine is $15, and that s the best deal in town. Should any Sirs want our recipes, Executive Chef Ed, and they ll be sent to you. Executive Chef: ebensonbwa@aol.com SUMS IN RETIREMENT The June meeting of the Area 2 $ums Investment Group will be on Wednesday June 24, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. at the Legends restaurant at the Diablo Creek Golf Course, 4050 Port Chicago Highway, Concord. Our guest speaker in June will be Matt Weaver, of Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling LLC. Matt s topic will be Managing Risk Without Being Left Behind. Bedell Frazier is a local registered investment advisory, headquartered in Walnut Creek. The firm was founded in 1975 and is celebrating 40 years in service this May. Matt joined Bedell Frazier in 2014 as a Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Bedell Frazier, Matt was an Investment Strategist at Wells Fargo Private Bank where he worked with clients to create allocation strategies and build portfolios to meet client investment objectives. Matt received his bachelor s degree in business from Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. He holds professional designations of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM). Matt spent 2 years teaching Operational and Investment Risk Management at the University of San Francisco. The Legends restaurant opens at 7:00 a.m., so come early and have a leisurely breakfast with your colleagues prior to the meeting. Plan to attend this meeting and bring a prospective SIR. Co-Chairmen: Gary Moore (Br-174) David Sutton (Br-8) Leary Wong (Br-8) TABLE POOL Did you ever play pool in your younger years? Have you ever thought about playing again but didn't want to go to the pool hall by yourself? Just like Golf you only become good at putting the ball in the pocket if you practice. It improves eye and hand coordination. It might even improve your game of Golf. Because you're a SIR member you have the opportunity to get together to play some pool (just for the fun of it). We play for approximately 2 hours. We meet and start at 11:30 on the first and third Mondays of each month at Masses, 2721 North Main Street, Walnut Creek. The cost is $5.00 for as long as you want to play. This is a special rate that Masses gives the SIR s members. You can also play during the day, at other times, for the same $5.00 fee. Just tell them you're a member of SIRs. We play mostly two man teams of eight ball, or a unique three-player game, called Crazy Eights, depending on the number of participants. There are plenty of tables, so come on down and join other pool players from Branch 8 and other branches in the area. If you have not played for awhile, don't be bashful. Come on down and join us and get some practice. We welcome new pool playing and potential pool playing members. Chairman: Jerry White (jdwhite8062@yahoo.com) TRAVELING SIRS The Traveling SIRS activity will be replacing the TRAVEL and the TRAVEL CLUB activities. Watch this space for more information. Chair: Ed Cohn Gitano2@att.net (925) Assistant Chair: Jim Lunn jwlassociates@comcast.net 13 of 19

14 WINE FINDERS 1 May is a quiet month as we meet 6 times a year on even numbered months. Our next gathering will be June 11, 6PM. hosted by Rob and Gay Laaback. Varietal wine selected is VERY dry Reisling, from west coast USA, excluding Alaska, all under $ Contact Bob Price if interested in experiencing a blind wine tasting with very convivial members. Chair: Bob Price: sprice8126@yahoo.com Co- Chair: Tony de Lasada delosoda@ix.netcom.com WINE FINDERS 2 This is an informal wine tasting occurring every even numbered month. Although this is a group that encourages couples participation, single SIR are invited and can come stag or pair-up with a SIR whose spouse is unable to attend. A type of wine is selected by each Wine Finder sub-group, then we do a blind tasting and rank all wines. Each couple brings a bottle of their wine priced under $15. Each couple brings an appetizer to serve 6 or 8 that compliments the wine selection. We meet at 6:PM at rotating host's homes, usually on the second Thursday of even numbered months. Each attendee also brings his/her own glass. If any SIRs are interested in joining our group(s), please contact either of the co-chairmen, or Bob Price (925) WF-#2 Chair: Ron Cassano roncassano@gmail.com WINE FINDERS 3 For our April event, Winefinders III convened at the home of Larry & Holley Yarberry, where the wines of choice were Spanish Reds. While warming up for the main event, the hosts spoiled our eager palettes with a couple of bottles of aged Tempranillo which were obviously out of our price range. These were accompanied by a generous array of goodies. The winning selection, by a landslide vote, was an AlBar Tempranillo furnished by Jim Sowell and available at Costco for $6.00. Some of the attendees took the opportunity to admire the gorgeous Rose bushes in the back yard before partaking of a unique presentation of selected desserts proffered by our hostess. We were delighted that Roger and Mardi Lockwara, who were committed to another event earlier in the evening, were able to join us for dessert and a tour of the Yarberry's spacious mobile home in which they spend a fair amount of the year traipsing around the country. Our next event is scheduled for June 18 and will take place at Jim and Sandy Sowell's where we will partake of reds emanating from Mendocino County. WF-#3 Chair: Larry McEwen, Coordinator CELLAR FILLERS WINE The last meeting of the Cellar Fillers Wine Activity (CFWA) was held on May 13 at Sir Jim Warner's home in Pleasant Hill. Ten members of Branch 8 and a guest winemaker from Branch 146 attended. A report on the wines evaluated was sent to the CFWA members and will be available on the Branch 8 website home page. It lists the wines, their rankings, price and source. June is a down month for CFWA. The next meeting will be held in July or August at Sir Dennis Mierzwa's home in Walnut Creek. The date will be pinned down and directions provided in the July Hotline. If you have questions or if you would like your name to be added to the mailing list, please contact: Jim Sowell, Chair, sowell4jim@aol.com, (925) or (925) cell Jim Warner, Ass't Chair, jdubew@hotmail.com, (925) BARGAIN WINES Sir Bargain Wines We'll Meet July 23 Well, the head wino and Ms Donna got back from HI in early May, and we thought we could pull off a meeting in late May or early June. But time has run out on us. We looked at June, but with Ladies' Day and the branch BBQ we feared that our winos would be in Sir overload. I've been having trouble contacting the yacht charter company. They have not returned my phone calls. However, we are not giving up yet. We have been looking at doing a wine tasting on a yacht leaving from Martinez around 3:00 pm. We would taste while motoring around the Carquinez Straits then have dinner probably at La Tappitia in Martinez arriving at the restaurant around 5:30 pm. Total cost for the two hour cruise, tasting and dinner would be around $50 per person. Our date for this adventure is July 23. We have a limit of 32 attendees and we need to hit that number to make the $50 charge work out. If the yacht doesn't work out, Hold July 23 and we'll do something else exciting. We now have 58 Branch 8 Sirs on our roster, and although this is a couples activity, single Sirs (or those single for the evening) are certainly welcome. Meetings are scheduled on an ad hoc basis usually in conjunction with major sales from wine outlets. We usually taste ten wines priced from $10 and below. We aim for four or five meetings a year. The Head Wino is Ed Benson (ebensonbwa@aol.com), and he s ably assisted by Jim Warner (jdubew@hotmail.com). Please contact either of them to be included in the participant list. Now, let s go find those bargains! Chair: Ed Benson ( ) ebensonbwa@aol.com 14 of 19

15 WRITING YOUR LIFE STORY Writing Your Life Stories will meet on June 23 and we welcome new members. We write short stories about events in our lives that are of interest to us and perhaps will be to our progeny. Meeting as a group and sharing stories (always voluntary) triggers our memories and keeps us inspired. We meet on the fourth Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at Vintage Kensington Place (in the second floor Game Room), located on Geary Road near North Main in Walnut Creek, just off I You will receive a syllabus to guide you in writing your own life stories. Dick Brewer revrpb@aol.com PHOTOS May Speaker Tom Barnidge Annual Fish Fry Pub Games Players 15 of 19

16 Membership Report as of: 5/17/2015 Applicants to be Inducted: 7 Name Badge Sponsor Harry Schadek MD-323 Hans Pable MD-184 John Meade MD-332 Stan Johnson MD-39 Arthur Westman MD-333 Darryl Sweetland MD-132 Thomas Trice MD-334 Darryl Skiles MD-58 Ralph Reamy MD-335 DeWayne Ruwe MD-297 James Rosenquist MD-336 Tom Bransford MD-309 Ronald Brown MD-337 Larry Lange MD-138 New Applicants: 7 Name Badge Sponsor Harry Schadek MD-323 Hans Pable MD-184 John Meade MD-332 Stan Johnson MD-39 Arthur Westman MD-333 Darryl Sweetland MD-132 Thomas Trice MD-334 Darryl Skiles MD-58 Ralph Reamy MD-335 DeWayne Ruwe MD-297 James Rosenquist MD-336 Tom Bransford MD-309 Ronald Brown MD-337 Larry Lange MD-138 Applicants On Hold: 1 Name Badge To Be Inducted Hormoz Baba MD-331 July 13, 2015 Members Requesting Inactive Status: 3 Name Reason Effective Tony Gilman Member Health 4/15/2015 Frank Dayringer Member Health 4/27/2015 Lu Hughes Member Health 5/16/2015 Inactive Members Resign: 2 Name Reason Effective Pump Pumphrey Deceased 4/18/2015 Bob Pate Deceased 5/8/2015 SIR Birthdays June 2015 Name Day Name Day Frank Begert 3 Don Cvietusa 14 Richard Bal 3 Lee Schneider 14 Ron Santini 4 Allen Makely 16 Walt Schick 4 Paul Hersch 16 Dan Smith 6 Rudy Ceragioli 18 Zip Zaro 6 Don Allen 19 Al Rosso 7 George Schulze 24 Steve Bishop 7 John Shumway 24 Ed Pearson 8 Ken Hodges 24 Jerry Milano 8 Carl Moyer 25 YK Chan 8 Jan Wasserfall 26 Gene Bingham 9 Bob Olson 28 Bob Bailey 10 Dwane McGlothin 28 Robin Lamont 10 Larry Mersmann 28 Dick Josephson 11 Ron Cassano 29 John Fuller 12 Ed Dijkman 30 Ron Woods 12 Obituaries for May 2015 Name: Bob Pate Partner: Peggy Pate Inducted: 4/9/2012 Deceased: 5/8/2015 Activities: Bridge Rubber Membership State Number Active 327 Applicants 1 Inactive 20 SIR Anniversary April, May, June 2015 Name Years Month Dwane McGlothin 15 June Joseph Kelly 10 April Ed Pearson 10 April Gary Plisco 10 May Jack Waddell 10 May Name: Pump Pumphrey Partner: Phyllis Pumphrey Inducted: 3/5/2004 Deceased: 4/17/2015 Activities: Digital Photography, Hotline Bob Barnes Membership Secretary 16 of 19

17 INDUCTEES MAY 2015 Name: Ron Brown Partner: Sara Brown Residence: Lafayette Phone: Major: Psychology College: University of Illinois Occupation: Manager Company: Brown Marketing Interests: Computers, Golf 9 Hole, Writing Your Life Stories Name: John Meade Partner: Diane Meade Residence: Martinez Phone: Major: Civil & Mechanical Engineering College: UC Berkeley Occupation: Project Manager Company: PG & E Interests: Hikers, Digital Photography, Explore & Eat Name: Ralph Reamy Partner: Barbara Reamy Residence: Walnut Creek Phone: Major: Pharmacy College: UC San Francisco Occupation: Pharmacist Company: John Muir Health Interests: Computers, SIRS In The Kitchen, Poker Name: Jim Rosenquist Partner: Forest Rosengren Residence: Martinez Phone: Major: Law College: UC Berkeley Law School Occupation: Attorney Company: BART Interests: Bridge, Suns In Investment, Digital Photography Name: Harry Schadek Partner: Ingrid Schadek Residence: Concord Phone: Major: No Degree Occupation: Tax Accountant Company:Bank of America Interests: Computers, Cribbage, Explore & Eat Name: Tom Trice Partner: Sally Trice Residence: Antioch Phone: Occupation: Senior Engineering Assistant Company: Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Interests: Golf 18 Hole Golf Couples Hikers Name: Art Westman Partner: Nancy Westman Residence: Clayton Phone: Major: No Degree Occupation: Machinist/Owner Company: Accurate Mfg. Co. Interests: Golf 9 Hole, Golf- 18 hole 17 of 19