February 2009

Dear friends,

I wanted to give you an update regarding the Club you´ve come to love and appreciate over the last 10 years. Recently, CLC leaders met in Schaumburg to discuss the Club´s future, both short and long term. One of the decisions taken was to combine the two executive groups which used to run the Club (the Board of Directors and the Executive Council) into one group, the Leadership Council, which I will be chairing this year. This structure will last until the needs of the Club dictate that we perhaps go back to our original leadership setup. Another decision taken was to focus more of our energy this year on social and cultural activities.

As the year unfolds, I will be meeting with representatives of all constituencies wishing to work with CLC, be they Lebanese, Middle Eastern, or American. As Lebanese, we are proud of our tradition of openness, and we certainly intend to practice what we preach. One of our most important communication tools, our web site, is finally ready to play its expected outreach role, and you´ll be able to know about our events, whether it´s dinners in Chicago, or a zoo outing in Brookfield. Our newsletter is as popular as ever, and I encourage you to support our advertisers; they play such a crucial role in supporting every free issue we publish.

My and the other leaders´ "door" is always open for suggestions. CLC doesn´t exist in a vacuum, but through the aspirations and activities of its members and supporters. It is the collection of shared memories which make the hard work of running the Club so worthwhile for me and all those who contribute their time and efforts. Let´s have a fun 2009 together...

Your friend in Chicago,

Elie Dabdab, Chairman

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