The West Florida (Sarasota) TCC chapter had an enjoyable luncheon on Oct. 23, 2013. We welcomed two new members to our meeting: Susan Bailey and Gary Conroy.
We also had members who attended our previous get-togethers: Ken Chamberlain (who has attended every function since we started), Tom Gregory from the Orlando area and Mike Kasum.
This was the smallest group we have had. Normally our first meeting in the fall is in November, but my husband and I leave on a long cruise on Oct. 25 so we moved the date up. Many of our members are traveling or have not returned to the Sarasota area from their sojourn North.
It was an enjoyable gathering as we regaled each other with tales from our travels. Mike Kasum told us about a train trip to Canada to attend a summer camp many years ago when he was 11 years old. Having no passport, he was at a loss as to how to provide adequate identification for the border crossing. Mike came up with a unique method: His mother had stenciled his name on his underwear and he removed some from his suitcase to show the border guard who he was and it worked.
Tom Gregory’s first overseas trip involved a 40-day cruise from the East Coast to Vietnam, which he categorized as “exotic” and it was free. The troop ship was a World War troop ship and needed to stop on the West Coast for repairs.
Ken Chamberlain was employed by a major airline and he traveled as much as he could. During the course of his travels over the years he met William Holden and Rhonda Fleming.
We plan to have our next meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
—Lillian O’Leary, Area Coordinator
