I can’t believe it is already October. The leaves are turning red and gold and the temperature is slowing dropping. Our golf season has flown by. It's not over just yet, however, and I know there are some members who will keep playing until the snow starts falling. Hey, if you're still having fun, why not?

Our second annual Rally for the Cure in August was a huge success. We were blessed with good weather and a fine turnout. We raised close to $800 which was donated to the Susan B. Komen Foundation supporting the effort to find a cure for breast cancer. Thank you to everyone who participated. We had many donations for the raffle which were greatly appreciated. This is certainly a worthwhile charity event. I hope everyone enjoyed the day.

The golf outing at Grassy Hills was so much fun. The weather was great and the course was in really good shape. They had beautiful flowers all over the course. The Golf/Ski challenge this year was more of a day of golf with new friends. The level of competition was erased by camaraderie that hopefully, will continue into next year. We followed golf with a nice dinner and good conversation. It is always fun to welcome new people into our group.

Our next golf outing is scheduled for Oak Hills in Norwalk, CT on October 18th. Details have been sent to members via email and also on our website. We have contacted the sun gods and they have agreed to provide a perfect day. You are probably receiving this newsletter after the fact, so a recap on the event will appear in the next newsletter. As it will probably be our last organized outing of the year, we're hoping that we end the season with a bang!

We have started to plan the holiday party. Please mark your calendars for December 20th. All the details about the party will be in next month's newsletter. We hope everyone will be able to attend. It's always one of our most popular events of the year and a great time to connect with other members in a non-golf environment. Also, it's the only time of year when you see members all dressed up. That alone is worth the price of admission!

I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new members and hope that you will try to join us at each of our activities. We have a wonderful group of people. Also, to our renewing members, I'm very happy that you decided to continue with ASGA. Your support and enthusiasm helps it all to work. I had a conversation at the most recent first Friday dinner about how many nice people I have met in our golf group. It is wonderful to know that playing golf can lead to some very dear friendships.

You have already received an email this month asking for nominations for positions on the board. Please consider taking on one of the roles. Anyone can run for any position. It does not take a lot of time. The board meetings are held once a month. We usually meet at a restaurant that is convenient for everyone. We share dinner and then discuss the activities of the golf group. We always have a few laughs and it is another way to build some great friendships. Everyone has something they can bring to the table. Please get involved and help the Fairfield/Westchester chapter to be the best chapter in the country (it already is one of the best!). You will make some great friends, have an opportunity to help select courses to play and make suggestions for other activities you would like to see the golf group offer to its members. We need your talent. Please help us by volunteering to take on a position on the board. The positions are: President, Golf Chair, Social Chair, Membership/Communications, Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity. This is a rewarding part of being a member of the group. I hope you will consider getting involved.

We have been holding our first Friday dinners at Rowley’s in Norwalk recently. We have had an excellent turn out since we changed to Rowley’s. Maybe we can even plan a friendly competition of either pool or darts after dinner one month. We can talk about it at our next gathering. Rowley’s also usually has a live band, so maybe we can do some dancing. I know we have some dancers in the group, I've seen you dancing on the greens after making a putt.

Don’t forget our third Friday dinner at Sterling Farms Players Club on October 17. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Lastly, I would like to apologize for being so lax about doing the newsletter. I did not realize how many of you actually liked getting it. I will try my best to get it out promptly each month.

Kathleen Blackall
President