The Membership Services Committee is made up of a diverse group of people with a wide and differing amount of talents, interests and enthusiasms. We have some who choose to work on almost all the projects, and we have some who volunteer for one special project. So no matter which type of person you are or how involved you want to get, it is all up to you. We love you and accept you anyway. We are grateful and thankful for your offers to help.

Some new members to our committee are Carol Bellavance, who delivers our welcome bags to all newcomers to the watershed, and Annmarie and Eugene Janczyk, who are very knowledgeable and artistic. Annmarie has just finished making all the signs you see up around the lake advertising the dance.

Now I need an enthusiastic person to take over our mailings, another to handle our neighborhood watch program, and yet another to handle all the ads for the newsletter. If there is someone out there with a dream for our lake, I need you!

As a committee, we carry out many projects throughout the year such as the wine tasting, the dance, the laurel festival, the Penguin Plunge, the Highland Lake Triathlon, the tag sale, the cleanup days . . . (Shall I continue?

The list gets longer!) Let this be your year! Let this be the year you say “I want to be part of that.” Think of the joy at Christmas we receive when we go caroling. I think it pleases us just as much as it pleases those we carol to. Promoting the experience of one young lady in the laurel festival is amazing. I think I was more excited she won than because the Association took first place for the best float. It was so exciting to have our candidate, Alison Shea, become Laurel Queen. What a great feeling. And besides that, we have made a lifelong friend. Alison came to visit us at Christmas, and it was so great for me to see her maturing and now attending college. What a fantastic young lady, and I had a part in her life! Thank you, Alison . . . sincerely.

Helping the Special Olympians has also been very fulfilling in the past. Standing out there in the bitter cold handing out hot dogs and hot chocolate is so invigorating. I encourage everyone to come out and watch the brave people jumping in the freezing water. (Freezing for a reason!) See the enthusiasm that abounds on the faces of these people. It gets contagious. Come join us in giving to the Special Olympians. Come have a cup of soup or a hotdog and give a gift of your time and money to these special individuals. Besides, being there is just good fun for all. The Penguin Plunge is being held this year on February 3. Registration is from 10 to 11:45, and the plunge is at noon.