Message from the President

Welcome to the Southside Business Men's Club. It is a great honor and a privilege to be your President this year. Thank you for placing your trust and confidence in me to serve as your 80th President. I am grateful for all our past Presidents who have served our Club before me, especially for Belinda Mitchell, who did the outstanding job as our First female President.

For many years, our Club has worked hard for the improvement and betterment of Jacksonville. We are proud of our history and our accomplishments. This year, we will continue to support projects our Club has sponsored in the past. We will also keep our core values and traditions close to our hearts.

Today, I feel that there are more areas for which we have prepared ourselves to invest our time, talent, and resources.

One of my objectives for the Club this year is to increase recognition of the SBMC in our community. As we celebrate our 80th anniversary, I declare 2012 "A Year to Share", which I believe, as a Club, we already do very well.

As members of the SMBC, we share a common goal to serve the greater Jacksonville area. We share our love for the Club with others by inviting them to join us in making a difference in our community. Membership is the heart of our Club, the source of its life. With strong and committed Membership, we will pursue greater dreams, we'll pursue programs and projects that will address significant concerns of our community. It is why I am asking you to support our Membership growth through the year.

Since many people in our community have been negatively impacted by the economic downturn, it is my hope that we can share our resources with those less fortunate.

I encourage you to find meaning in some of our Club's activities that are close to your heart. Your involvement determines where the Club is today and where it will be in the future.

Our Club starts its 80th year in a strong financial and leadership position. I am fortunate to work with a team of dedicated Officers, Board members, and Committee Chairs and I promise you that we will work very hard to make 2012 one of the most memorable years in the history of the Club. I also promise you that we will have fun creating long-lasting memories. On behalf of our leadership team, I want to thank you for your support, your friendship, and for the opportunity to serve.

In conclusion, I'd like to share with you a quote from Henry Ford, "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success."

Let's make 2012 significant for our Organization! I am proud to be a leader of such a dedicated group of Men and Women this year and I look forward to working with you and sharing a successful year with all of you.

Galina Schott