Welcome to our visitors:  Kaitlyn’s mom and her Aunt Maggie 

• We are considering giving New Members gifts when the join our club.

• Social Committee News - In April we will decide our picnic date, time and location.

• Tentative plans for Gathering in Chicago for the dates of April 28, 29, 30 

• There will be a Swap & Sell on March 19^th at European Imports in Niles, IL.  The hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  You must be a NCC recognized club member to sell.  Anyone can make purchases.  No secondary dealers selling, club members only!

• Comments on VillageD’Lights & Celebrations - Village D’Lights is “easy reading with lots of details”.  Celebrations has improved not such a sale gimmick.  Club agreed that Village D’Lights is delightful, better than The Chronicle. 

• Ronald McDonald representative Andi will be at our meeting in April and will be presented with $3,000.  We have $4,000 in the charity fund, but are holding back $1000. $500 towards the maintenance on the McTrain Project and $500 towards creating future displays at Ronald McDonald House.  We are hoping to have a Summer Display which Don Alton has volunteered and a Halloween display which Chuck and Patti Kennedy have volunteered.

  JUST DUCKY NEWS:

•   Almost all New Dickens has arrived.  Catalogs are in and a complimentary copy is available to club members.  The rest of North Pole “S - A - N - T - A” buildings should be available in Mid-April.  There will be an Easter Egg Hunt with discounts available.  The new cordless lights (decorator set) require 4 “AA” batteries.  Life expectancy on batteries is 200+ hours.  The life expectancy on the LED Bulb is 10,000+ hours.  The lights automatically shut off in nine hours.  An adapter can be used instead of batteries.

NCC NEWS:

• NCC has a $4 off coupon for the subscription to Village D’Lights.  John Eckerle has information on the Regent 8 Roundup, July 15, 16, 17, 2005 in Austin, TX.

Future Meetings: