SAS Update August 2006

Dear SAS Members,

This year’s National Day Celebration was not only a birthday party for Switzerland but also an event to promote the swissroots campaign, cosponsored by the Swiss Consulate.
We had an overwhelming turnout, and for the first time ever (or as long as I can remember) we had to turn down registrations. Although we would have liked to have EVERYBODY there, we simply could not accommodate more then the 240 (yes!) members and guests on the decorated grounds of Kurt’s restaurant in Duluth. Again we apologize for that.
The weather was not fully cooperative, but at least we could stay outside for the traditional wine and cheese aperitif sponsored by Consul General Ulrich Hunn and his wife Marie-Claire – thank you! – while enjoying live entertainment by Alphorn music (Gary Bang, VA, and Jim Ghighi, SC), “Fahnenschwingen”/flag throwing (Erwin Buerlimann, VA), and a demonstration of “Schwingen”/ Swiss wrestling.

A big highlight was the special presentation to our founding member Hans Broder, who was honored with a commendation by the Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, for his significant involvement in helping the Swiss community in Georgia for more than 50 years and for his leading role in the founding of the Swiss American Society of Atlanta. The majority of Hans Broder’s family of 8 children, 22 grandchildren and 6 great-grand children was present and certainly made for an impressive picture.

Upcoming events
With this mailing you receive the invitations to

• a Sunday Fun Picnic in the Parc, September 17, and  
• a Hike at “The Edge of the world” / Amicalola River, September 23

While the Picnic is certainly a leisurely event and the Hike is geared towards the more adventurous among you, you are of course welcome to come to both of them.

Also in the making are

• a “Bündner Abend”,
  at Restaurant Summers Street, Kennesaw, on Sunday, October 29
• a Samichlaus visit to the children,
  at Garden Hills Pavilion, on Saturday, December 2
• the festive Christmas Party,
  at Restaurant Violette, on Sunday,December 3

You will receive the respective invitations in due time, but make sure you mark your calendars already so you will not miss out on the fun!

We bid farewell
Christiane Jaun and Marco Hilty with Lena will be leaving our Club. Before relocating to Switzerland they will travel to the West and hopefully enjoy a wonderful vacation. We wish you all the best for the big move!

Congratulations!

• Natalie Hagmann-Cho and Christian Cho are the happy parents of their daughter Nadia, born July 3, 06. Nadia had her first appearance with the Club at the 1. August Celebration.
  
• Adriana Mettler has her book “Verschobene Grenzen” published. For more information on the author and ways to order please check out her web site http://www.adrianamettler.com/.
  

Our Club is in a real growth spurt!
We the following new members we have now 150 adults and 81 children! Please welcome:

• Micheline and Alois Baggenstoss, Silver Creek
• Nancy and John Bell with their children Elizabeth (1992), Olivia (1993), and Ethan (1997), Alpharetta
• Daniela and Andreas Bruhwiler, Dalton
• Anita Hill and Philippe Hagmann with their daughters Sabine (1988) and Rachel (1990), Marietta
• Bernhard Burgener, Alpharetta
• Robert Thomann, Dunwoody
• Hans Kaufmann, who got married to our member Verena Grieder, Newnan – congratulations!
• Alfred Lakos, husband to Evelyne, and Edward Mikulcik, husband to Berti, also became members

We had the opportunity to meet some of you before, and we are looking forward to seeing all of you at one of our next events – welcome!

Obituary
Our thoughts are with Fredi and Adriana Mettler with Simon and Fabian who lost Fredi’s father in Switzerland.

SAS Board Members 2006/07

Helen Freiermuth President
 Rene Welti Vice President 
Markus Engel Treasurer 
Berta Mikulcic Secretary 
Beat Schindler Director 
Anton Buehlmann Director 
Alfred Mettler Director 
Sybille Hoegger Rionda Director 
Monica Camacho-Bandlin Consular Liaison 
Astrid Wilkens Webmaster 

Feel free to contact any of us in case you have a question or suggestion. Also, if you would like to come to one of our Board Meetings - or actually become a Board Member - please call Helen for details.

For the SAS Board
Helen Freiermuth, President

Visit our new web site www.sasatlanta.org – thank you Astrid for creating an attractive platform!