Who can believe Spring is upon us? If you ask me, the Club entered March like a lion! Team Handy hosted a successful (and tasty) Fish Fry to compliment a huge, huge, Bourbon Flight Night. The following week, we celebrated St. Patty’s Day festivities. I can honestly say I have first-hand knowledge that the weather was not ideal for the parade! A few brave souls proudly represented the Bonnycastle Club’s 100th year anniversary and marched the parade. The festivities ended with a bang and the club danced the night away to the Vinyl Kings. The club chose not to exit March like a lamb, but roared out like a lion with Team Butch’s Chicken Sunday, the Annual Dart Ball Banquet and a Rolled Oyster/Fish Fry night. “Thank you” to all the teams for contributing and making these events successful!

I wanted to start a new tradition and recognize some of our members. What better time to begin this tradition than during our 100th year anniversary and recognizing one of our Life-Time Members! The club is proud to have 6 life-time members, and each month, I am going to randomly pick one of these Members to highlight. This month we will honor William (Bill) “CP” Reisert III, a member since 1969, and a past Board of Director. The Reiserts have nicknamed many of their family members, and Bill is affectionately known as CP. “CP” stands for Captain Pop, a nickname he received the during a family volleyball game. He kept diving for the ball and popping it over the net. Hence CP was born. Bill was introduced to the club many years ago by former member Jay Vetter. Bill started his education just down the street at St. James Parish. From there, he attended St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Bardstown for 4 years. There were only 46 students in the Class of 1954. Bill was then accepted to the University of Notre Dame, where he played as an outfielder for the Fighting Irish baseball team. Bill likes to tell you one of his fond memories at Notre Dame: He was in the outfield when a young hotshot shortstop came up to bat, with his elbow high indicating a line drive was coming. Bill moved up, and the batter hit the ball out of the practice field onto the 20 yard-line of the football practice field. The coach yelled at Reisert to “get that ball”. Bill yelled back: “Hell coach if I wanted to play football I would have joined the football team”. That hotshot freshman player was the famous Carl Yastrzemski who ended up playing for the Boston Red Sox. After graduating from Notre Dame in 1958 Bill joined the Marines and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Artillery Division. Ever the athlete, Bill joined the football team in the Marines. He tried out for the running back position against the ex-Temple University running back. Who did Bill beat out for the position? Bill Cosby. In 1961 Bill started working for Reisert Insurance and has been there ever since. Reisert Insurance has been in business since 1884 and is now been in business a 135 years. Bill has 11 children and 16 grandchildren. We all love seeing Bill at the club with his ever-present smile.  Members like Bill are why we are celebrating the Club’s 100th Year Anniversary.

Please join us on Monday April 1st for our 1st General Membership Meeting of 2019 where you can become actively involved in the future of our club. As always there will be free food prior to the meeting, and members-only are allowed in the Club during the meeting. April also features two Thirsty Thursdays and a Special Derby Preview party with Pat Day and the Executive Director of the Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association – John Englehardt. This month we will try something new on the 2nd Sunday of the month: a Chicken Pot Pie meal… comfort food at its best! April has a total of 5 meals to enjoy (not including those two Thirsty Thursdays!). There will be something to please everyone.

I hope to see everyone at the club enjoying one of our many great activities! If there is a subject you wish to discuss personally with me, please call me anytime.

I will leave you with this thought: “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare

Yours truly,
Larry Marko
Bonnycastle Club 2018 / 2019 President