Summer 2008

The Fall 2008 newsletter has been published. The newsletter features lots of pictures from our fun-filled third party.

The Summer 2008 Board Meeting was held in Orlando on June 21, 2008. Topics discussed include the successes of the cruise raffle and this year's party, as well as the dates for next year's activities. Read all about it in the meeting minutes.

Spring 2008

CONGRATULATIONS to our club members, RALPH AND GERALDINE BLANCHARD whose youngest son, CHRISTOPHER, will be marrying SALLY BRITTON of Boca Raton, Florida. Christopher and Sally will be married March 29th at the Palm Beach Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, where the reception will also take place. The bride and groom plan to honeymoon in TAHITI! Congratulations to Christopher and Sally as well as to their parents,our club members, Ralph and Geraldine Blanchard.

Brandon Mason, son of club members Stephanie and Lee Mason was recently featured in The Suburban Choice for his achievements in swimming. As the Co-captain on the boys relay team, Brandon has helped lead his team to a successful season. Read the full article.

Fall - Winter 2007

Kick off the holiday season with an island-style fundraiser. Don't miss your chance to win a cruise for 2 to the Bahamas. More information is available on our Spotlight Cruise Information page.

The Fall 2007 newsletter featuring news from our second annual Party has been published. Check it out for a recap of the party and other upcoming activities.

The 2nd Annual Bon Vivant Club Party in Orlando, FL was a smashing success. The festivities kicked off with a spectacular view of the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis from nearby Cape Canaveral. We then had our Meet and Greet Social gathering featuring a cash bar, hors d'oeuveres, mingling, and dancing to DJ-spun favorites from the islands. The bash culminated with the big event, a fabulous selection of food, followed by dancing, prizes, and a whole lot of fun and frolicking. For more information visit the June Spotlight page. A full party recap featuring photos can be found on the 2007 Party Recap page.

The date for our third party has been set. Join us June 20-21, 2008 in Orlando at the Holiday Inn Select for more food, fun, family, and friends!

March, 2007
The Bon Vivant Club has released its March 2007 party information newsletter to our members. The newsletter includes the party registration form and additional details for this year's Party, to be held June 8-9, 2007 in Orlando, Fl. Additional party information can be fouind on the 2007 Party information page. You can also find the Membership form on the member essentials page.

January, 2007
The Bon Vivant Club has released its January 2007 reminder letter to our members. The letter features details for the upcoming second annual party, now extended to a 2-day event, by popular demand. Take a look at the January 2007 letter, which also includes a membership form. You can also find the Membership form on the member essentials page.

You spoke and we listened! The Bonvivant Island Club 2nd Annual party will be held June 8-9, 2007 in Orlando, Florida. More information can be found on the 2007 Party Information Page.

October - December, 2006
The Bon Vivant Club has released its holiday newsletter on December 11, 2006. The newsletter features details for the upcoming second annual party, now extended to a 2-day event, by popular demand. Take a look at the December 2006 newsletter.

Congratulations to our members Louis & Nancy LaPlace on the birth of their great granddaughter, Faith Noelle Himes, who was born on December 23, 2006. Baby Faith who weighed in at 6 lbs 6 ozs, is the daughter of Chris and Natasha Himes and granddaughter of Vivian and Michael Vega. With the birth of Faith, the LaPlaces now have 3 great grand children. Congratulations to all the parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

Congratulations to our club member, Livet LaPlace for a special French award. Mr. LaPlace and another French Citizen, Mr. Clothaire Berry, two French citizens who reside in St. Thomas and retain homes in St. Barthelemy, were honored at a celebration on August 24, 2006 in St. Barthelemy, French West Indies. Mr. Livet LaPlace of Frenchtown and Mr. Clothaire Berry of Northside were awarded the French Medal of Honor of St. Barthelemy, along with a plaque bearing their names. To make this memorable occasion more remarkable, the Honorable Bruno Magras, Mayor of St. Barthelemy presented these awards to the recipients. Although Messrs. LaPlace and Berry have lived on St. Thomas for many years, they often travel to St. Barths, as this tiny island is their home away from home. Over the years, these men have made significant contributions to people of French descent, and are role models to many."

Congratulations to Kelsey Mason, daughter of club members Lee and Stephanie Mason for her achievements in Ballet. Kelsey auditioned for the Evolving Pointe Ballet Company in August and was selected to the Junior Company. She also auditioned for a role in their Christmas presentation of The Grinch and won the role of Cindy Loo Who. WTG Kelsey!

Congratulations to Brandon Mason, son of club members Lee and Stephanie Mason. Brandon was one of 2500 students nominated for the Govenors Honors Program for Chemistry. He now must go through 2 sets of interviews, one at the county level and one at the state level before he is selected as one of 70 finalists. If he is selected he will spend 6 weeks in Valdosta, GA over the summer of 2007.

September 2006
Proud grandparents and club members Ralph and Geraldine Blanchard have been blessed with their second grandchild within a month. Kiersten Blanchard, daughter of Mark and Angela Blanchard, was born on September 6, weighing in at over 6 pounds. Parents and grandparents are doing well. Congratulations to the Blanchards!

Congratulations to Eric LaPlace, son of Mark and Denise LaPlace, for his great educational achievements. Eric, who is in Junior High, has been nominated to represent the Central Florida Alumni at the 2006 National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 2006
Arielle Catherine Virgin, Daughter of Tonya and Josh Virgin and granddaughter of club members Ralph and Geraldine Blanchard was born August 8, 2006 in Melbourne, Florida.  The baby weighed 8 lbs 3 ounces.   Mother and daughter are doing well and so is the father, and grandparents.  Congratulations to the new parents and grandparents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2006
Bon Vivant celebrates each and every one of our members, who bring a wide variety of experiences to our club. Periodically we will spotlight our members and share some of their experieinces. Visit our new Spotlight Page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cha Cha Discussions are online. We have created an ad-free discussion forum for the use of our members and their friends to discuss items of interest to the Bon Vivant Island Club. The forum is very easy to use and we encourage you to try it out. You may simply view the postings, or you may join and post or respond to messages and polls. The FAQ section has some frequently asked questions that will help you get started. Check out the discussion forum. If you have any trouble, please contact the Sue Blanchard.

June 2006
WOW, what a great turnout! We danced and partied well into the night, with great food and lots of prizes. There were many reconnections of friends and family, and by all accounts, everyone had a great time! Check out the new newsletter and the new 2006 Party page recapping a great night. Plans are already well underway for Next year's party. Stay tuned!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In our efforts to keep the Bon Vivant Island Club a club belonging to our members, we are constantly soliciting your feedback. At the party, we asked you to fill out a brief survey about our event. We have tallied the results and are very pleased by everyone's comments. Visit the Survey Results Page to see what your fellow party-goers thought of the party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Party Pictures are posted! The first round of pictures from this year's party have been posted. Links to the slideshows can be found on the photos page and the new 2006 Party Page. Just click a link to view the slideshow!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many people have indicated how helpful the pre-programmed directions were, and we will continue to maintain it for future events. We anticipate moving the location of the party around, so we've removed the directions to this year's party. However, you can still use the directions page to map out driving directions to and from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Andruskos would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and are happy to report that Andy is doing quite well and is able to return pretty much to his normal routine!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andy Bernier, son of Jackie Bernier of North Carolina and grandson of Lila and livet Laplace of French Town was married to Rene Pollard, daughter of Dona and Herman Pollard of Atlanta, GA, on June 24, 2006 in Atlanta. Andy and Rene live in Orlando, where Andy works as a chef at the GR. Marriot and Rene works at the Swan Dolfin Resort.