Hip, hip hooray Sun Lakes Camera Club! This month we celebrate the club for its many achievements. First, let’s look at the Arizona Camera Club Council’s Spring Round Up. Hosted at the Sun Lakes Country Club on March 14, our members brought home a pencil box full of awards. Fred Giese, long time member and former president, brought home first place with his digital image, Best Point Ever News Print, in the Rotating subject of pencils, pens and parts of. In the Council’s category Creative – Print, member Jan Williams received a second place with her image, Honoring D-Day. The day was honored with two workshops by revered night photographer, Beth Ruggiero-York. Look for her book on the same subject matter release date May 2015.

The club’s first scavenger hunt was filled with memorable images, joyful camaraderie and a winning team of three. The festive event had 12 teams entering images in eleven subject categories. Once the scoring was complete, our three judges – Anne Marie Divoky, Dan Dragoon and Paul Rost – were required to select one category to break a tie. They chose the category Dog or Cat to which the higher scoring image picked Team One as the winner. Congratulations to Jan Williams, Pam Wolf and Raul Lopez who received a monetary gift certificate. Recognition to Team 11 for their high cumulative score of 253 points along with all members who participated. Look for information this coming fall on scavenger hunt 2016.

The Memorial Day weekend will kick-off the summer season. Summer is the most active time of the year for photographers; with so much daylight and the myriad of subject matter, especially in Arizona, from landscapes to architecture and wildflowers to festive night activity in and out of the city; one can always find good reason to have camera on-hand.

Let’s take a moment to welcome James Hooyman as the club’s new Treasurer, taking over the duties from Jon Berghoff, who has done a tremendous job in the role.

The club will continue throughout the summer for those remaining to weather the heat. We will meet the first Thursday of the month, May through September, with the exception of July due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The meetings will meet in the Ceramics Room of the Cottonwood Country Club starting at 6:30 p.m. Watch here for some surprise events to be shared. The next meeting is May 7.

The Sun Lakes Camera Club (SLCC) meets the first and third Thursdays of the month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Navajo Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club from October through April. During the summer, the club meets the first Thursday of each month in the Ceramics Room of the Cottonwood Country Club. For more information about the SLCC and its activities call SLCC President John Livoti at 480-895-6880, Vice President Burt Williams at 602-354-0266 or past President Fred Giese at 480-220-4394; or visit our website at sunlakescameraclub.com.