President's Message - Kenny Ott

We are nearing the end of another year and getting prepared for Christmas and the New Year. We are also nearing the end of my years of service to this organization. For over twenty years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be the President of this extraordinary Club, STV Bavaria. I’m actually coming to an end of more than thirty years of being an officer with the Club. I began as a Trustee, then as 2. Vorplattler, followed by 1. Vorplattler. Then, getting closer to the top spot, with a term as 2. Vorstand and finally culminating in being elected to President in the late nineteen nineties. When I look back at that time, I knew I had the passion and desire to take the position, certainly the energy, but I was unsure of myself as a real leader. I was incredibly fearful that I would not be able to meet the expectations of the membership who were comfortable with the many great Presidents that came before me. I was a “young” man in my early forties hoping to fill huge shoes!

As the days turned into months, and then months into years, I learned from mistakes I made along the way. I also learned from asking for help from people who’d been in my position before me. But the single biggest lesson I learned was to not ever believe that this was “my” club. I was privileged and honored to be tasked with leading our Club and tending to it, caring for what many wonderful generations began and fostered before me. I knew that to accomplish this I would have to lead by example, and I hope that I never asked anyone to do anything that I wouldn’t do. Although in some cases, I did ask simply because those people were so much better than myself at the given task. I’ve had the extreme good fortune to have worked with some incredibly talented and gifted people who have helped drive our Club to the elite level we’re at. There are far too many people over the course of the past twenty plus years to name all of them. You know who you are. Thank you.

The immense pride I have in our Verein is tough to verbally quantify. The sometimes-daunting goals that have been throw at you from your leadership are not always easy to understand and obtain. Yet again, as I reflect for a moment, the enormity of what we’ve accomplished is truly amazing! We executed one Gaufest in 20213 and are planning another for 2023 to coincide with our 100-year anniversary. We hosted two Gauverband Delegates meetings, a judges training weekend, and several other workshops. Our competition has stepped up in the last decade and we have been North American Champions in three of the last five competitions for group. We’ve travelled to Germany twice and competed with great success and continued our relationship with our good friends from Grainet. A few years ago, our choir celebrated twenty-five years of Bunter Nachmittag, the only event in Northeast Ohio that is completely in German from start to finish. We added to our Tracht with updates on some older items and new items too, including a Club Dirndl! We have added a wonderful Glockenspiel to our list of accomplishments that, through your hard work and donation of time and talent, has become our biggest and most significant fund-raising activity. I know I’m forgetting a few things, but the list is pretty impressive.

For all the things that we’ve done, I tend to get a lot of the credit because I’m the President. I wish it were true. The real story is that each of you have done whatever you can to perpetuate and grow our Club. There are many wonderful ideas and concepts that have been tossed around, but they remain only that unless they are acted upon. That’s where you come in. I wish I could thank each one you for all the efforts you’ve donated to help make STV Bavaria an elite organization, but again, there are simply too many.

I do want to take a minute to thank my family. Thirty years is a lot of time for anything. When I was elected to President, I dedicated myself to the job. Sometimes that meant that my family took a back seat to things that “had to be done”. I often wonder if my children remember their early years as anything but “yeah that’s Kenny, he’s President of the Club, he’s my Dad”? I am blessed that they both have continued to be valued members of our Club and thank them for their understanding and patience. They also say behind every good man is a great woman. Nothing could be truer than having Regina as my wife. To have her as a sounding board, advisor, listener, dance partner (thanks for the 3rd place, Einzel pin), and companion is the definition of a rock (pun intended). She knows the countless hours that I was away doing Club stuff or on the phone taking care of Club stuff. I did it without thinking about myself, but it was because she was gracious enough to allow me to be me. Reg, from the bottom of my heart I thank you and I love you.

I have always enjoyed being President. But a while back I realized that it’s not healthy for our Club for one person to be President for such a long time. It’s important to get younger people involved and hear new ideas. It’s important to listen to our youth and support them the best we can. I hope you can join me when I suggest to you that this isn’t a goodbye, but rather a warm welcome to a new and younger regime that will work to ensure the continuity of Club for generations to come.

Merry Christmas and Happy and healthy New Year! Kenny