2012 Chairman’s Message

It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you to the 80th year of the Southside Business Men’s Club.  Our club is rich in a history that includes a long standing tradition of service to our community.  Nearly every week, starting in 1932, we meet to hear interesting and relevant speakers, discuss topics of concern to us, the Southside and Jacksonville as a whole.  We seek out ways to become involved and to voice our collective opinion to our community and elected leaders.   Of course along the way we have some fun as we get to know our fellow members and discover ways to help each other in business.  You will find as I have, that this is the most social, political, charitable, civic minded business organization that exists anywhere.

This year we are truly fortunate to have as our President Galina Schott.  Galina is only our second woman President in the club’s history.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Galina for several years personally and professionally as well as being a fellow Officer here and I assure you that our club is in very capable hands.  

We also have a strong group of Officers and a very dedicated Board of Governors all working for what is best for our Club.  Many organizations recently have seen declining memberships or have even had to fold.  We however are a vibrant growing organization made up of some of the very best people who are now some of my closest friends.  We host a number of charitable events as well as social, fun programs.    We have a number of events we count as part of our tradition such as the Youth Achiever Program,  a children’s shopping spree during the holidays and honoring those who protect us, the men and women of our Sheriff’s Office, Fire and Rescue Department and our Military.  We volunteer at The Players, we have a float in the Veteran’s Day Parade we tailgate at sporting events and attend many as a group. The list goes on and grows each year as new ideas of things to do or where to be involved are brought up

The strength of our club is our membership; YOU!  In order to experience and benefit from all that our club has to offer you need to be involved in it.  So whether your passion lies in business or charity, civic or social there is plenty here for you.  I encourage you to take full advantage of your membership for if you do I assure you that you will receive far more from it than you imagined possible.

With Galina as President and our dynamic team of Officers and Board members we will have a fun, exciting and rewarding year.  Please take some time to get to know them and ask how you can become involved. I am grateful to serve as our Club’s Chairman for 2012.  If there is any way that I may assist you with your SBMC year please let me know.

Ken Dean