The Grand Finale...
FOS Pizza Party
November 16, 2023

The annual FOS pizza party was again held at Aurelio’s Pizza in Frankfort this year.  Over 40 members and guests attended our end of year event.  We also were excited to welcome a few new members and their guests.  Welcome!

The evening began at 6:30 as members filed in.  Many paid their dues and renewed membership for another year.  Of course, this can still be done by mail or online, but it's nice to get it out of the way at the pizza party.  The pizza and salad came out about 7:00 and it didn’t take long for everyone to dig in.  By then everyone was pretty hungry.   Ice cream was for dessert, and it seemed like most members enjoyed a dish or cone after their meal.

After dinner Jodell began the business portion of the event.  We voted for a new graphic artwork design which will be used on the Ride Illinois brochure and on social media.  A decision was announced that t-shirts would not be for sale at Spring Fling this year, but there are plenty of other opportunities to display the new design. There were three design entries and members had the opportunity to vote during dinner.  JoDell won for her entry which will be displayed on the Home page once editing is finished.

JoDell then discussed the probability of charging $5.00 for members for the pizza party next year.  Costs keep going up and membership dues no longer cover the pizza party and other club expenses.

The Board also decided to end the practice of purchasing water in individual plastic bottles for events.  Water in paper cups will still be provided.  We are hoping to do our part to support the environment and reduce waste.   There were a lot of reusable water bottles given to members that might want to take one with them. 

In addition to the water bottles, the club also gave away t-shirts from previous years.  Those were also quickly snapped up.

It was also a big night for our raffle; many prizes were given to lucky winners.  

Larry announced mileage awards.  Bikers were also awarded prizes for their efforts.

Last but not least, was the election of officers.  Lois Jacob stepped up to be our new Vice President for 2024.  Returning officers are JoDell as President, John as Treasurer, Sally as Secretary, with Kathy and Lee returning as Directors at Large.

The evening ended about 9:00 Everyone went home with full stomach and a smile on their face.

Sunday October 22, 2023

FOS End of Season Potluck

Great weather, good turnout, and of course, good food!

Nineteen members came on a picture-perfect day to Goodenow Grove to bike, hike and/or attended this year’s informal end of the biking season. Prez Jo Del invited other clubs to the event, and both JBC & Major Taylor came out and did the 33-mile bike ride organized by Jo Del. Bernie led a six-mile hike along trails through the woods. After biking or hiking, it was back to Goodenow for the 1 pm potluck.

After a few (well, several) tries, our charcoal grills were lit and ready for hot dogs and smores! Andi & Hugh brought propane grills to keep other items warm, including chili. lasagna, and hamburgers. Deli sandwiches and potato salad graced the tables, and other dishes and desserts were plentiful too. We are very fortunate to have a generous membership for our events. Thanks to everyone who came.  It was a good time for all.

FOS GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY MAY 24^TH

CHANGE OF VENUE:  THE ORLAND PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Member-at-large Kathy McElligott arranged a great program on Fire & Personal safety due to her affiliation with the Orland Fire Protection District. She began the meeting with a brief overview of the Fire District and then turned it over Mike Ercoli, Fire Prevention Supervisor.

Mike introduced himself and briefly went over what a Fire Protection District does. He then explained one of the biggest offerings of the District, which is their Knox Box program. A Knox Box stores house or commercial keys in an impenetrable steel safe that hangs from a front door  It can also be  wall-mounted, depending on the building. The keys are for first responders so they can quickly & easily gain entry to help those who are experiencing an emergency. It’s easy and it’s fast. Time is crucial when lives are at stake. And, there is no need to ram or chop the front door down. To find out more about the Knox box program, visit Home (orlandfire.org) and look for Residential Knox Box Program under the Public Information tab at the top of the page.

Next, Mike spoke on the importance of having smoke alarms & carbon monoxide detectors. The need for these valuable warning systems is high due to the high prevalence of petroleum products in homes & commercial buildings. Whereas in the 70’s, most dwellings had cotton/wool fabrics, office chairs, curtains, etc. that burn at a slower rate, nowadays most of these things are petroleum-based which acts as an accelerant for the fire. In the 1970’s, most fires allowed a resident

4-5mins to escape from a burning building. Today, that rate is 2-3mins; fire doubles in size every 30 seconds.  Early warning is critical!  Beginning in 1988, construction of buildings mandated hard-wired smoke alarms be used during construction, and Fire Marshals championed to have the alarms be 10 year sealed alarms. Most smoke alarms should be replaced every 8-10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms every 4-6 years.

Mike then did a Q & A with the audience. Larry mentioned that Ride Illinois provides a bike safety course in conjunction with the Fire Protection District. Mike was familiar with it and told everyone about their 3 day safety camps for kids, which also is on their website.  He concluded with an important tip; always feel free to call the fire department, the police department. They are there for our safety.

JoDell spoke for a few minutes about the upcoming Spring Fling. So far 15 people have signed up online for the upcoming event. Thursday June 1^st will be road marking day, Friday June 2^nd will be food & supply shopping day. JoDell’s daughter Grace will be overseeing operations at the Monee Reservoir. MaryLynn will be doing registration. JoDell will ask Will County if the $70 payment for a concrete slab at the Monee Reservoir site could be applied towards our future Will County Forest Preserve activities.