[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 31524]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZES THE GERMAN AMERICAN CLUB OF SPRING HILL, FLORIDA ON THEIR 
                            25TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 14, 2007

  Ms. GINNEY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, the Fifth District 
of Florida that I represent is made up of people from around the United 
States and the world. With perfect weather, low taxes and friendly 
residents, it is one of the fastest growing areas of the country. As 
you might expect, one of the cultural groups that have flocked to 
Florida for the last several generations are German Americans, many 
from my former State of New York. On Sunday, November 18, 2007, the 
German American Club of Spring Hill, Florida will celebrate its 25th 
anniversary with a dinner and dance extravaganza.
  The club, founded in 1982, was organized by Friedel Rohn, along with 
Christa and Fritz Neumann. The first social meeting was held at the 
home of Friedel Rohn in January 1982 with 10 people present. The first 
``official'' meeting was held in June 1982 with 22 members present. 
Today there are nearly 300 members and the club is still growing 
strong.
  The first officers installed were Friedel Rohn as president, 
Margarethe Grabert as vice-president, Norman Armonat as treasurer and 
Ruth Hughes as secretary. By March of 1983, the membership had 
increased to 60 members. The club began hosting many functions and 
socials throughout the year, including its own Oktoberfest. As the 
years passed, more dances and social events were added to the calendar 
and the membership continued to increase.
  In 1992, when the club celebrated its 10th anniversary, the club had 
grown to over 170 members. In 2002, the club's 20th anniversary was 
celebrated with a membership that had increased to over 235. Today the 
25th anniversary will feature 285 members, with room to grow for the 
future. Having attended several of their club functions, I can tell you 
that German American Club members stayed true to their roots and know 
how to cook a delicious schnitzel and dance to a great polka tune.
  Madam Speaker, over the past 25 years the German American Club of 
Spring Hill has worked to uphold the German culture, spirit, tradition 
and heritage. The club's members and officers have made Spring Hill and 
Hernando County a true home to German Americans from around the world, 
and are to be commended for their commitment and dedication. With the 
continued support of their membership and officers, I look forward to 
help the club celebrate their next 25 years.

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