Honoring a Skål International Orlando legend....
Dear Fellow Skåleagues,
With much sadness, I share the news today that our beloved Skål Orlando Member Bob Bader has passed away.
Bob made his career with American Airlines for over 25 years and was an outstaning leader in Skål for over 40 years. He joined Skål Memphis in 1982 and served as President of that Club in 1988 and 2010. He also served as Skål USA President from 2007 to 2008.
His family has shared that there will not be a public memorial service, but we will be honoring Bob in the next Skål Orlando Newsletter and at the end of the year holiday gala, as we also honor Tom White.
Cards of condolence can be sent to Emily Bader at 871 East Lake Sue Avenue, Winter Park, Fl. 32789.
May he rest in peace!
Jesse Martinez Dear Skalleagues: The Skal USA Executive Committee listened to you! We are doing everything possible to help your club grow its membership! Beginning tomorrow – October 1, you will NOT charge the $30 activation fee to any NEW members!!! Skal International raised their 2025 dues so the new membership dues will be $155.00 combined for SI and SI USA membership dues. Skal USA will absorb that expense for the activation fee. In addition, we are running the membership contest below where individual members can earn points for EVERY new member they refer to your club or anywhere else in the United States!!! Referrals can help members win up to $1500!!! Remember, anyone joining between October 1 – December 31 will pay the $155.00 for SI and SI USA dues, your club will charge your own chapter/meeting fees. They won’t owe USA or SI dues again until January 1, 2026! Please, please share this information with all your club members!! It takes their participation to make the contest work effectively! This is a first opportunity of this type where the members have an opportunity to individually make a difference while getting recognition!! Skal, Karen |
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Join the Skål Revolution: Bring New Members! Win Cash! |
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September 1 through December 31, 2024. |
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New Membership Referral Program
Starting September 1, you have the opportunity to earn cash for every new member you sign-up to your club or any other USA clubs.
Along with the fantastic benefits that come with membership—like networking opportunities and the chance to connect with friends and colleagues (Skålleagues) across our esteemed clubs—NEW MEMBERS will enjoy an incredible offer: 16 months of membership for the price of just 12.
Yes, you read that correctly—16 months for the price of 12! |
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How It Works For every new member you sign up, you receive one entry into our cash prize drawing. The more entries you accumulate, the greater your chances of winning!
Club members have the opportunity to win cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500 USD!
Applications are easily tracked through our online application form—simply have your potential new member fill in the "who introduced you to Skål" section of the application with your name.
Once the form is submitted and the new member's membership fee is paid, you’ll earn your entry. Keep referring as many new members as you can to maximize your chances of winning. (Complete rules and regulations will be available upon request)
How to Participate Every club president will receive printed promotional "rack cards" to distribute to all members within their club. This card will outline the numerous benefits of membership and provide talking points helpful for your personal outreach.
In addition to the printed version, we will also provide an electronic version for you to distribute to potential new members. Look for both materials pre/post Labor Day Weekend.
Good luck to all! |
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Wayne V. Lee, Jr Skål International United States of America, VP Membership - 2024 Skål International New York Club President - 2020-2023
Weekly Engagement Join us for our weekly "Friday 5pm Toast." During these virtual chats, we’ll be answering questions about the contest and welcoming new and prospective members—feel free to invite them along!
In addition, we’ll provide guidance on how to update your profile on the Skål International website (because you want to grow your business, right?).
Our weekly calls will cover essential topics such as new member orientation, best practices for 2025 club installations, Project Future, club sponsorships, fundraising strategies, and, most importantly, how to attract new members in your specific market.
For those who may not know, Club New York initiated the Friday afternoon toast on March 27, 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, and we have not missed a single Friday since! That marks an impressive 230 consecutive weeks—over four years of consistent connection and engagement.
This platform allows us to stay connected and encourages active, retired, young (check out Project Future) and new members to engage actively, which ultimately leads to greater retention.
Join us weekly "Live at 5" AND connect with us on our social channels! Login at 4:45pm, ends by 5:45pm.
Skål USA moves forward with new Governance Plan |
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At our recent NCM, held on September 25, 2024, the membership of Skål USA voted on the Bylaw changes that incorporate the new Governance Plan for the National Board, Skal International USA. Following several meetings, including the 2024 NASC in Winnipeg, two additional Zoom meetings with all member clubs to discuss the changes and seek input and recommendations, and after careful and thoughtful deliberations of the Executive Committee, the new Governance is now in place. With the adoption of the Bylaws, this upcoming election for the 2025 Board of Directors is set to transition to the new Governance Structure. As we move forward to making this significant change for the future of Skål USA and our membership, the vision of our President, Ms. Karen Trevino and the current Executive Committee, will come to fruition, benefiting our National Board and engaging many more members to get involved. Our future is indeed bright. Thank you to all of our membership for your attention and contributions to making this a solid and needed change. A special thank you to Holly Powers and Mok Singh for their tireless work and commitment to bring this forward and ensure all the necessary changes to our Articles and Bylaws are in place as we move forward. This election will be exciting, and I encourage all of our members to fully engage in the process. Thank you again, and to each of you, Skål ! Barry H Biggar Auditor Skål USA |
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Andrés Omar Hayes for Skål International Vice President/President-Elect 2026 |
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Dear Skålleague,
Time has flown and the election is nearly upon us. As this pivotal time draws near, I want you to reflect on why SKÅL is so important to the Travel and Tourism ecosystem. This incredible international organization is a place where you have a voice. Let’s continue our momentum of working together with the committees making a difference, and most importantly let’s remember that each member is represented by their Regional Director.
What a difference it is to be heard. That is why I ask for your support, so we can continue the process of making a difference. Let’s continue to build strategic alliances with other tourism organizations, let’s stand firm against human trafficking, global industry challenges (such as the lack of workforce talent), and most importantly, let’s increase our membership by mentoring young professionals by our legacy members, opening new clubs, and maintaining our current membership base. Collectively, with global entrepreneurship and corporate experience, we can take our beloved Skål to the next level.
Fellow Skålleagues, this is not a Me campaign, but a We campaign. I am convinced that working together is the best and most successful path forward.
I look forward to continuing to advocate for you as a member and for your club and to position Skål International as the key organization that serves as the voice of Hospitality and Tourism.
Please follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook page here on Instagram @andreshayes.SkalWorldCandidate, and also view my promotional campaign video using this link.
I hope I can count on you for your vote. I look forward to meeting you in person in Izmir at this year’s World Congress.
We are SKÅL! One SKÅL! |
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Andrés O. Hayes President 2018, Skål International, Washington, DC Director, Region 1, International Board |
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Skål New Jersey twins with Skål Hamburg |
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Since 2005 Skål New Jersey has taken a group of its members to visit with other Skål clubs around the world. To date we have made 17 trips and visited 37 clubs. The clubs espouses the idea that Skål is global and suggests we should network not only locally but nationally and internationally! Along the way we have twinned with 18 clubs.
Early in September a small group from the club flew to Germany to visit and twin with Skål Hamburg. After a brief one day stop in Berlin the group which consisted of, Jim and Roberta Dwyer, Phil Papa, Tim O’Neill and Iris Salazar from Skål New York, took the short train ride to Hamburg where they were cordially greeted by Skal Hamburg President Hubert Neubacher and club VP Katja Kruse. To say that they rolled out the red carpet is an understatement. They simply couldn’t do enough to show off their beautiful, charming city and the hospitality of their amazing club. |
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Among our wonderful surprises was a cruise on the Elbe River, walking tours conducted by Katja, fabulous meals and more! We learned about century old churches, incredible architecture and their famous Paternosters, continuously moving elevators! And the Elbphilharmonie, the new symbol of the city, is a masterpiece of function and design. Skål Hamburg has 180 Active members which is a tribute to its charismatic president Hubert. His company, Barkassen-Meyer, operates 11 tour boats and he seems to know all of the hospitality and tourism hierarchy in the city. He surprised us by posting our twinning events on digital billboards around Hamburg. |
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On our second night he invited us to a major tourism event at the Harry Potter Theater where we were introduced to the producers and to many of the tourism leaders. The following evening our twinning event was held at the Opernloft, Hamburg’s opera house, where we were serenaded by local opera stars before our ceremony. We were joined by Johann Jungwirth, President of Skål Germany, who made the trip from Bonn to Hamburg to attend the twinning. The ceremony itself was memorable as it was onstage in front of over 100 members and friends where Hubert and Jim gave speeches, exchanged gifts and flags and signed the twinning documents. This was followed by a networking dinner with club members and performers. Some solid friendships were forged!
Our final evening was capped by front row seats at the Elbharmonie concert hall featuring the Hamburg Symphony and a choir of 160 members. The views and acoustics were incomparable. Before the concert and during the intermission Hubert invited us to the private club at the venue.
This was Skål at its finest. A global family coming together to share ideas and form bonds of friendship. |
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Aloha from Tysons Corner Virginia!
The Skål International USA Executive Team gathered for their annual National Conference Meeting on September 24th & 25th to discuss many important issues so we may have a member zoom meeting on September 25th.
The following were discussed: · Approval of 2024 Spring NCM and AGM Minutes · Skål International Region 1 news and Skål International VP nominee discussion from Andres Hayes · Project Future Classification and Category presentation by Mark Irgang · 2024 Financial Forecast by Art Allis · 2025 Financial Budget presentation by Art Allis · Membership and Budget presentation by Wayne Lee · Presentation of By-laws & Article of Incorporation membership approval by Barry Biggar · PR and Communication discussion by Simeon Miranda · World Congress Attendees discussion by President Karen Trevino
We also had the opportunity to celebrate with the Skål Washington DC club at their annual lobster fest benefiting the Florimond Volckaert Fund. Many great members attended and we had the opportunity to have fellowship with new, present and retired members of the Skål Washington DC. A shout out to Barry Biggar and the President of the Skål Washington DC club, Ana Lopez for organizing our meeting and for creating a wonderful venue for their Lobster fest! Here are some great pictures of our NCM meeting and Skål Washington DC 2024 Lobster Fest!
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much),
Simeon
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Latest News for Skål International |
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2024 Skål International World Congress News |
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Click the Link Below to Follow Skål International USA's New Facebook Group! |
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2024 Quarter 3 Skål USA Anniversaries |
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- Skål RDU/North Carolina on 43 years - August 10th
- Skål Boise on 22 years - August 13th
- Skål Myrtle Beach on 29 years - August 16th
- Skål Pittsburgh on 64 years - September 1st
- Skål Orange Coast on 48 years - September 10th
- Skål Tampa Bay on 65 years - September 25th
- Skål San Francisco on 76 years - September 29th
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2024 Quarter 4 Skål USA Anniversaries |
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- Skål Portland, OR on 56 years - October 3rd
- Skål Las Vegas on 61 years - October 21st
- Skål Orlando on 52 years - October 28th
- Skål Colorado on 66 years - October 30th
- Skål Northeast Florida on 57 years - October 30th
- Skål Sacramento on 38 years - October 31st
- Skål Santa Fe on 34 years - November 1st
- Skål Nashville on 49 years - December 22nd
- Skål Southwest Florida on 7 years - December 28th
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Skål USA Journeys is the quarterly official publication of Skål International USA. A special edition will be sent out when there is breaking news to share. We want to share your news with SKÅL members across the country. If you have breaking news or Club news for the newsletter, please send them to info@SkalUSA.org. |
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Skål USA Journeys & Lightning News Editor | John Stine | Vice President PR & Communications | (407) 443-2782 |
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