AMA Golf 2020

Twenty years or more, the American Marketing Association of Saint Louis has hosted a golf tournament at the nine-hole municipal Creve Coeur Golf Course. The board was seriously considering cancelling this year in the face of the global pandemic. Fortunately, it was decided to go ahead with the plan, albeit with appropriate measures to social distance. The event was scheduled for Friday June 26 months ago. Uncertainty seemed a prevailing theme for the year to date but about 30 golfers managed to play nine on a sunny day with a warm breeze.

Panera box lunches and donated specialty popcorn (from Dave Shogren's export company) greeted the golfers that included healthy support from the University of Missouri, Saint Louis, AMA chapter board members, and veterans of this annual event. The post-game activities were truncated but the shotgun start allowed AMA to treat the course like a private country club for a few hours. Tim Brinks, the director of golf operations, made sure our event ran smoothly, even as a number of players arrived having decided to participate at the last minute.

A few highlights: Annie McBride (on the heels of a successful term as chapter president) rode with incoming president Greg Dietrich.  Dr. Perry Drake agreed to ride with me and our foursome consisted of current and alumni UMSL Tritons Kevin Rielly and Sean Gabris. Ted Ruzicka returned and played with Daryl Vandever. Marketing professors Michael Elliott and Bob McCarthy and acting dean Joe Rottman and UMSL’s Dan Lauer and student foursome Oscar Gordilla, Kyle Colman, Carter Cassell and Maxwell Wooten. A celebrity cameo appearance by past president and lifetime achievement recipient Dr. John Lewington and playing partner John Shambri. John Grizzell, Mark Bretz, past champion Dave Cox, Dave Dunlap, Randy Niederer and his son Ben Niederer. Ian Brown probably earned closest to the pin on #9 as he was filling in for Nick Niehaus. The colorfull Bob Mogley brought his ten-finger grip. Sebastian Montes rounded out the UMSL crew.     

Post game awards and recognition activity had to be truncated for safety sake but I hope everyone knows that we are all winners on this glorious day. Stay safe.

P.S. Seth Kerr, former board member who moved to NY sends best wishes and would have traveled to be with us but decided not to risk travel in this Covid - 19 fearful environment. Tom Shaughnessy and Rowdy Jones somehow missed this year too. And where in the world was Dan Diveley?  

Happy Fathers' Day 2020

When father gets home

He’s gonna be mad

Nah, he’s my dad.

Need a few bucks

For a mitt and some pads

I’ll just ask my dad.

Borrow the car

For a night out lad

I’ll get the keys from my dad

Given a choice of any other pop

No need to ponder good and bad

I’d choose my very own dad

Looking back over time

It makes me glad

To know he’s the one I had

  

Fathers’ Day Reflection

I’ve said it a million times. Moms get the throw-away “Thanks Mom” and secretly smile. They selflessly forge ahead knowing how invaluable they truly are (we hope they know). After all, without Mom you got nothing. I like to say “Thanks Mom” every time I encounter the mention of moms (mine, yours, every mom - past present and future).

But as I consider father’s day 2020, I’ve lived long enough to see my own kids as parents and I am astounded how wonderful they are. I love dem kids (and I love their kids too).  

My daughter has been a camp counsellor and youth group director fine-tuning her maternal skills with remarkable compassion and empathy for years. Her mom (my wife) is legendary. She is the sort of mom who demands accountability from teachers, coaches and anyone else who might be on the guiding path for our kids. Being a mom comes so naturally to my daughter. It’s no wonder that her 4 year old is a showman, a swimmer, and an expressive communicator. He has a high motor, the kind organizations look for in potential team leaders. My daughter credits me with a beautiful array of influences to her creative energy from technique of the week to nonsense poetry. But she knows how important her mom has been especially now that she is navigating the hopes and dreams of a toddler who is growing up so fast.

I am also the father of a remarkable father. I’ve witnessed my son in some most imaginative play with his boy who will be 4 in December. When his boy was a newborn we smiled at the miracle of birth even as the streets outside the hospital were covered in ice. His mom promised not to let the celebration of his birth get lost in the annual shuffle around the December holiday season. I could not help telling my boy what a great father he was as he changed diapers and coaxed delightful giggles from their baby boy. My son was quick to respond “I learned from the best.” Aww shucks, that makes me smile even years after I first heard him say it.