John W. Damisch's take on the 2010 Annual Meeting

Editor's note: It is tradition that longtime ISBA member John W. Damisch (John the Farmer) provide his personal recap from annual meetings. Here’s his colorful take on last weekend’s 2010 Annual Meeting (click here to read his take on last year's Annual Meeting): This year I was not going to give a critique of the ISBA Annual meeting ... but some people asked for it so this is only my personal reading. Outside it was hot, hot, hot ... inside cool, cool, cool. George Mahoney and John O'Brien were dressed like peacocks in their best ... gorgeous clothes and frequent changes! Mark Hassakis had the best bow tie for the annual dinner. Travel to St. L. was by American Airlines (price was $219 r.t.) plus the monorail from STL to the Hyatt Hotel ($1.75 each way). Judge Terry Brady and Paula Holderman on the plane going to - and Judge Alex White on the return. Rooms were spacious ... good view of the Mississippi River, bridge and the Casino Queen sitting near the bridge. Opening reception sponsored by ISBA Mutual had delicious groceries ... meat, piles of shrimp, Asian, Mexican, American, and an open bar. (only saw one person that was over served) couple hundred friends and new friends. The biggies (Mark H, officers, Board members etc) ... went out on a bus out for dinner. At 9:30 p.m there was a reception for Mark H. on the roof of the hotel, overlooking the Arch, and under full moon, more extensive groceries and full bar. Promoter of this party was George Mahoney...about 150 people (invitation was in our packet when we registered). Friday: new section officers had a big breakfast and got their marching orders for the coming year. Noon awards luncheon had a full house, I sat next to Justice Karmeier. Justice K went to a one room country school as did Chief Judge Jim Holderman, Herb Franks and your author. Maybe we should form a "One Room School Alumni Club" since some of us were the anchor as well as valedictorians of our one room school graduating classes. Friday night was the reception and the dinner ... lots of tuxes and finery ... excellent dinner ... the band was LOUD ... great for the younger set ... and they loved it. Satuday was CLE - for CLE section coordinators with Paul Osborne (Chair of CLE) and CLE Exec. Heaton in charge. Assembly ... with some of the boring stuff (but necessary) ... not enough box lunches ... but who needed a box lunch after all the other eats (and a few drinks). Some moaning about ISBA annual meetings being out of state - Wisconsin and Missouri - Collinsville and a couple of other Little Egypt places were suggested, but public transportation is impossible. I personally like Wisconsin and have camped at Big Foot Beach State Park nearly every year for 10 years. Conclusion: Great hotel; great views and a lot of good friends, tax deductible and for those that could not make it you missed a good time for you and your family. John the Farmer. John W. Damisch