Dear Members and Friends,

Wasn't our March meeting fantastic? They don't come much more diverse than that. We had all those beautiful cakes Mark, Marvin and Frank from Henry &Henry brought for us. With that display you just had to come away with at least one new idea! We also had a convention report from Tom Rinear, there's more about that inside. Maureen Thie and Mary Pat Pace filled us in on the decorating contest; congratulations Richard and Wayne for jobs well done. We were able to honor Glenn

Soled for all he has done for our association. Also, we were privileged to host 18 bakers from Ukraine. These bakers are from the Kharkov region. Dr. Belal Siddique from the U.S., and associated with an economic development group is working with small businesses in the Kharkov region. The purpose for their journey to the United States is to learn the workings of the baking industry in a free market system. They also wanted to learn about out trade association. While they do work together cooperatively to some extent, they see the need for an association of their peers. They wanted to know the benefits of an organization such as ours. They also wanted to know if there were any negative aspects to our association. I think our meeting did a great job illustrating the cooperation among our members, the camaraderie, and the learning possibilities. After the business meeting, the visiting bakers presented me with a booklet highlighting the industries in the region, and a coin set commemorating the regions struggle for freedom during World War II. They explained that they would like to become involved with our association in a way that would see us exchanging products and business ideas, etc. The bakers I talked with through Sasha, their interpreter, were very friendly and eager for information. The group toured several bakeries and related facilities during their trip. They were very interested in our operations and products. Once they return home, it will take them some time to review all of their video footage. I wish for them health, happiness, and prosperity, just as I do for all our members. Welcome to our newest members, the Kharkov region bakers.

Sincerely, your President,