A group of 110 members and guests enjoyed a sunny afternoon at our favorite spot...
Ristorante Valparaiso in Mijas where
Rafael and his staff welcomed us with open arms once again. Rafael's "Cocktail Hour" has become quite a popular thing with our Club, and meeting up with our good friends and fellow members from Estepona, Marbella and Fuengirola Chapters made the day very special indeed! With wine or cava in hand, and trays of canapes constantly passed around, we were all able to chat, have our photos taken and catch up with some friends that we haven't seen since Thanksgiving. Because the rain stayed away again for us, we were able to be outside on the terrace in the sun! What bliss!
Our Host, the President of the American Club Central Board and President of the FMB Chapter, David Kylan, welcomed us all an our Consular Agent, Ms. Bobbye Aaron read a little history of our Club. (see what she wrote below)
The music got everyone up as usual and we burned off some of those calories! We ate, laughed, danced and basically had a fantastic time!
Events like these can not go so smoothly without lots of time, organization and mostly dedication of some special members from all the Chapters. A huge "thank you" goes to the
Fuengirola Chapter Team for organizing the day and for acquiring all of those raffle prizes! Also thanks go to
Pamela Becque for the Estepona Chapter
and Monika for the
Marbella Chapter. Last but not least, thanks again to our fabulous photographers, Brian Wynne-Hughes from Estepona and Troy Davis from FMB, for all the photos they took that day which you can see in the Gallery
HERE
On to 38 Years!
PRESENTED BY: BOBBYE AARON, US CONSULAR AGENT:
On The 37th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE AMERICAN CLUB OF THE COSTA DEL SOL
It is a pleasure to be with you again for the celebration of the founding of the American Club of the Costa del Sol. There have been many changes since its inception, back in 1973, at the behest of Ambassador Horacio Rivero in Madrid, and Consul General Curtis Cutter, in Seville.
The proposed American Club was formed to “act as an extension of the Consulate with certain consular services along with various social activities, with committees to assist the American community – such as a Hospital Visitation committee, a Welfare committee to visit Americans in jail and other duties, and a Welcome committee for newcomers.” The purpose and function of the newly organized club was stressed as: self/mutual help with and among Americans on the Costa del Sol.
There were 500 charter members of the American Club, and the first celebration was for Washington’s birthday, held in February 1974 at the Marbella Hilton Hotel (now the Hotel Don Carlos). There were five original chapters of the club at that time: Marbella, Fuengirola, Málaga, Nerja and Torremolinos. In May of 1974, the Civil Governor approved the Constitution of the American Club. By September 1974, there were 675 members. In mid-1975, the Nerja chapter decided to merge with Málaga, and in late 1985, Estepona was organized as a chapter for the first time. The first President of the Club was Dr. Paul Castelle.
Realizing that the American Club, no matter how active and involved its members were, could not replace the consular services which were needed for the American community in this area, Consul General Cutter was finally able to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Castelle as the first Consular Agent for this area in December, 1974. He held that post until 1980, at which time I took over, doing my best to fill the shoes of a man who was awarded a Meritorious Honor Award for his dedication and service to the American community, and helping to advance the overall interests of the United States.
The dedication and concern of the Americans who organized the original Club speak volumes about what is important to us. In addition to working to help Americans on the Costa del Sol, we have become involved on many levels with local charities, helping people in countless ways. By becoming an integral part of the community, we contribute much to our adopted country, and should continue to remain informal ambassadors of America.
Being part of the American club means being proud of being an American, wanting to share that feeling with others, by helping others to know who we are and what we represent, in order to do our part in helping to make the world a better place.
Congratulations to all of you, and to the Associate Members, who contribute so much to the Club, and who help it to further its goals, and to make it truly international in scope. May you continue to flourish for many more years.
Bobbye
