This year, my home circle, Fr Daniel A Lord Circle 801, is hosting the Michigan Columbian Squires State Bowling Tournament and Bowl-a-thon. The proceeds of this fundraiser will go to Special Days Cancer Camp and St Mary’s Children Family Center. We usually get 80 to 100 boys and adults to come to this event. So far, we’re looking at about 40 bowlers and only about $500.00 in pledges. (We usually get over $1000.00 in pledges.) One of the reasons for the lack of participation is a storm on the east side of the state. (Devin Olson is getting a couple of inches right now.) I’m hoping that some extra pledges come in, because these are some really worthy charities.

We got here around 11AM today, and the Bruce Hopkins and the boys got to work setting up tables for lunch, while JimE and I went to pick up milk, orange juice, and hamburger buns. We came back and had lunch with the rest of the circles that showed up. We heard a talk from the Executive Director of Special Days Camps and a representative of the Catholic Men’s Conference, who this year is having a breakout session for youth (along with a price discount courtesy of the Michigan Knights of Columbus). We then had a state meeting, where we prayed for the safety of Phil Thelen on MySpace. Next, everyone had some free time, so some played basketball while others sat around.

Later, we went to Mass, then had dinner and a talk with Father Jeffrey Day. The boys really got into it, and hopefully something fruitful comes from it. Fr. Day did an outstanding job, and I hope to meet him again.

After that, the boys held an investiture, prayed the rosary, and then more free time and a snack of nachos and cheese with all the fixin’s. It was lights out at 11:30PM and everybody got to sleep… or so I hoped.

Some of the boys from our circle decided to play a trick on one of their own, but were not very quiet about it, so I was up most of the night listening to them walk around the bleachers. GRRRR! In the morning, I was cranky and tired. We had an outstanding breakfast (all the food for the weekend was prepared by my brother-in-law, Jim Vote, of Vote Catering), then we cleaned up the gym for a basketball tournament being held later that morning, and we drove off to Ford Lanes for the tournament.

It was a shooters duel, with Matt Sobkowski of Richmond besting me once again. (I’ll get you next time, Hit Man!) The Squires of Circle 801 bowled strikes to earn Tel-Way burgers, and Chief Counselor Jim Vote bought some snacks for everyone. There was even a 300 game bowled (in 9 pin no tap). Once we finished, we said our goodbyes and departed. And a good time was had by all!