Dear Jaycees:

It is my pleasure to welcome each of you to what will be another great year of camaraderie and service by our membership. For the monumental year ahead, I encourage you to become a major part of the many planned efforts and events that are certain to set the stage for our organization’s continued success.

2006 begins our 52nd year as a service organization. We have much history to live-up to and an outstanding tradition to carry forth. The backbone of the 50 years of Jaycees has been and will continue to be the shared good fortune of a committed and dedicated membership, willing to serve others. It is often through the simple efforts of our membership that great things are accomplished. For example, it was 40 years ago when the Jaycees had the foresight to launch a town referendum that retained the land to create the Madison Surf Club. Working together, Jaycees conceived and built Jaycee Field and the press box at Strong Field. Today, our annual series of successful athletic event fund-raisers, the Turkey Trot (28th year Anniversary), Madison Triathlon, and the Madison Masters Golf Tournament, provide crucial financial support for our beneficiaries (local high school scholarship programs, community improvement projects, local hospitals, special needs, and social gatherings). Quietly the Jaycees have given their time to help the hungry of our communities, put a smile on a child’s face with a call from Santa or a renewed bike, or volunteered to assist others in time of need –Jacob’s Beach playground, Arts Barn, CF walkathon. All of our works are made possible through the true strength of the Jaycees - the willingness of our members to serve others.

While such achievments preserve our proud tradition, the organization’s future lies in the vitality and constant renewal of our membership ranks and continued development of our existing membership. Simply put, we must embrace all our existing members and make them an integral part of our organization. Keep in mind that we are a unique organization in that we strive for great deeds yet with no binding requirements of our membership. We are a group without many formalities, no pomp-and–circumstance, and no secret handshake. Our members are asked to step-up when called upon. We are of a like nature, fulfilling our Creed (OK some pomp!) by getting the job done, and maintaining that “service to humanity is the best work of life.”

So please join me in preparing our organization for the many years ahead by making our new organization as tight a group as the “old Jaycees”.

David Parcells

President, Madison Jaycees