Museum of Native American History, the entire crew that went on the Crystal Bridges trip.

Early on the morning of April 15, 2013, 55 enthusiastic members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church boarded a bus to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR.  The trip, sponsored by the Sacred Heart Men's Club, had been planned well in advance by Buddy Dixon, aided by his wife, Martha.  The bus arrived at the Museum by noon, and the group enjoyed lunch in one of the Museum's large meeting rooms.  Following lunch, the members were  broken  into smaller groups for guided tours of the Museum and its many exhibits. After the tours of the museum proper, the members visited the Norman Rockwell exhibit, which is on loan from the Norman Rockwell Museum.  The Crystal Bridges Museum and its setting in a small valley on what was once Sam Walton's home property is outstanding, and everyone was impressed with their experience at the Museum.

After the Museum visit, members boarded the bus for the trip to our motel, where they enjoyed a cocktail hour prior to leaving for Fred's Hickory Inn for dinner.  The Inn is famous in Walmart lore as the place where many decisions were made about the fledging Walmart company, including the place where the name Walmart was born.

After breakfast the next morning at the motel, the members boarded the bus for a trip to the Walmart Museum in downtown Bentonville.  While you might think this would be a let-down from the Crystal Bridges tour, the Walmart Museum was full of nostalgia for the group, as the small store inside the museum featured items for sale that most had not seen since they were quite young, including Slinkies, Goo Goo candy bars, salt water taffy, bubble gum banks, model airplane kits, etc., etc.  Inside the museum itself the history of Walmart was displayed in such a way that gave you a feel of why the company succeeded and why Sam Walton was such a visionary.  The members ended their tour in the museum soda fountain, with ice cream cones, malts, shakes, and other goodies that  they had enjoyed in their youth.

The members then bussed to the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, which was funded and built by a close friend of Sam Walton.  Here  the history of the Native Americans is displayed, starting from their arrival on the North and South American continents to the present.  The tour of this museum was self guided, and presented the history in a very understandable fashion.  See the group photo at the museum above. 

The members then boarded the bus for a trip to the train station of the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad in Springdale, AR.   On the train trip to Van Buren, AR,  the members were served a wonderful lunch while traveling through the beautiful Boston Mountains of Northwest Arkansas.  When they arrived in Van Buren they boarded the bus for the trip back to Hot Springs Village. 

The Men's Club thanks Buddy and Martha Dixon for their excellent planning and execution of a trip none of us will soon forget.

Note: See all the pictures from the trip under the Photos section of this Men's Club website. 

Ray Ambrozich gathering his crew for Hwy 7 cleanup.

Twelve members of the Mens Club, headed by Ray Ambrozich, met at the El Acapulco parking lot to clean up one mile of  Highway 7 on Saturday, April 13, 2013.  Ray passed out plastic bags and pick up tools to aid the volunteers in the clean up process.  The men were joined by Tom Hickox's young, and very cute daughter, Sophe, who aided in the pick up effort.  Approximately 10 bags of trash were picked up from the one mile section of the road that runs North from the Rock Shop to El Acapulco Restaurant.  The group finished and were headed home by 9:00 am. 

Thanks goes to John Bodensteiner, Bob Heisler, John Froning, John Rachwal, Bill Patterson, Dave Witchger, Tom & Sophe Hickox, Bill Hartnett, Marvin Young, Gordon Wilson, Bill Hurley, and the leader, Ray Ambrozich for their work.

Thanks to Ray Ambrozich for his work on this project which is carried out twice a year in the April and October time frames.  Ray has been the chairman of this project for a number of years and is retiring as of the end of the Mens Club 2012-2013 year.

Check the Photos section of the web site for more pictures of the cleanup effort.

The Mens Club held their Annual Fish Bake on Friday, March 22, 2013 in the Lower Hall of the Church.  Over 400 patrons were served at the 5:00 & 6:30 PM  seatings.  Chef Rick Hiemenz and his staff of cooks prepared the meal of baked Tilapia, tater tots, green beans, and rye bread that was served by members of the Mens Club.  Coffee and water were part of the meal for which ticket prices were $10 per person, and additional beverages were available from the Refreshment Center staffed by Mens Club Members headed by Lanny Mabus.  Matre'd's Bob Kindelsperger, Buddy Dixon, and Fr. Bill Elser, aided by the waiters were able to seat and serve the patrons in a very timely manner. 

After the main course, students from the Sacred Heart CCD program sold ice cream prepared by Fr. Bill Elser.  The CCD students were aided by the St. Jude Guild of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart and over 15 gallons were consumed by the patrons with the money collected going to support the CCD program. 

Over 60 members of the Mens Club participated as cooks, Matre'd's, waiters, Refreshment Center staff, kitchen coordinators, ticket sellers, take out coordinator, set up and clean up helpers.  Over $2800 was earned for our charities making this one of the more successful events for the Club. 

Thanks to the workers and to the patrons that attended.

See additional pictures from the Fish Bake in the Photos section.

Boys & Girls Club Reps-Ike Eisenhauer, Joe Stiewe, Mens Club Rep-Buddy Dixon

Ike Eisenhauer, long time Paul Bewie Boys & Girls Club Board Member and Joseph Stiewe, new Executive Director of the Club gave a very informative presentation on the status of the Club and the reasons for the recent changes. If you were not aware, the Club recently entered into an agreement with the Jesseville and Fountain Lake School Districts to aid all three organizations.

The basics of the arraignment were that the school districts  purchased the real estate and facilities then owned by the Club in exchange for the Districts paying off the debts of the Club, which were substantial and unsustainable.  The Districts are leaseing back to the Club, under very favorable terms, a portion of the property for after school and summer programs.  

The School Districts, for their part, were looking for a place to run their Alternate Learning Environment (ALE) , which they had been running in rented space in the facilities near the bowling alley on Hwy. 7, south of the Village. The Districts will expand the facilities at the Club location to handle these ALE classes in a more stable, and over time, less expensive model.  

The new relationship between the Club and the School Districts also has other benefits. It allows the three to work together more closely to serve the kids. The Club and Schools are working together to maintain the buildings and fields, as well as securing increased grant funding to help provide the very best for the kids. 

Joseph (Joe) Stiewe, is the new Executive Director, being hired in February of this year. Joe has been involved with Boys & Girls Clubs (B&GC) for some 40 years, having joined the local B&GC in Wisconsin when he was 7 1/2 years old in Wisconsin. He was most recently Executive Director of the local B&GC in Longview, TX.  Joe has a wife, Yvette, a son 26 years old, and daughters, 24 and 15. Joe explained that based on his review that the Club had become an after school day care, with few programs normally associated with a good B&GC Club. The intent is to restore these programs that will be allowed by the reduction in costs associated with the new association with the School Districts and  with the help of local volunteers and continued financial support from organizations such as the Sacred Heart Mens Club.

Buddy Dixon directing

The Mens Club members, their wives, and widows of previous Mens Club members enjoyed a Christmas Dinner catered by Home Plate Cafe.  Approximately 90  people were in attendance and enjoyed a wonderful dinner of beef loin,  pork loin, or turkey breast, served at their table by Home Plate staff members.

After dinner, a short meeting, emceed by acting President Bill Patterson, was held.  The membership approved the donations for this year as proposed by the Mens Club Board.  The amounts and the beneficiaries are:
St. Johns School -  $500, Our Lady of Fatima School - $500, McCauley Center - Meals On Wheels - $1000, Paul Bewie Boys & Girls Club - $1000, Jackson House - $1000, Samaritan Ministries - $1000, Sacred Heart Christmas Baskets - $1200.  Ed Keearns, Director of the Christmas Basket program was in attendance and was  presented with a check for $1200 for this program. 

Buddy Dixon then presented a proposal for a trip to Crystal Bridges Museum Of American Art in Bentonville, AR.  The proposed trip would occur on April 15 - 16, 2013, and would include on April 15 a guided tour of the museum, a guided tour of the Norman Rockwell Exhibit, which opens in March of next year at the museum, tours on April 16 of the Walmart Welcome Center, Museum of Native American History, and then a train ride from Springdale, AR to Van Buren, AR and a bus ride back to the Village.  Cost of the trip is $210 single occupancy, $260 double occupancy.  The trip is being offered exclusively to members of the Mens Club, their wives, and widows of previous members until January 15, 2013.  After that it will be opened up to other members of the parish.  Contact Buddy Dixon at 501-922-2811 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

After this presentation Buddy Dixon directed his 12 elves in a rendition of the 12 Day Of Christmas, which was enjoyed by all.  

Deacon John Froning closed the meeting with a prayer.

Late seating waiter Mike Kerwin visiting a table.

The Mens Club held their annual Chicken Bake on Friday, September 21, 2012.  Over 400 tickets were sold for this event, which is one of two major fund raisers for the Mens Club organization.  The menu of salad, baked chicken, green beans, and baked potato was prepared by Rick Hiemenz and a crew of 10 helpers.  Fr. Bill Elser prepared several gallons of ice cream that was sold by the CCD students with the help of the St. Jude's Guild after the patrons had finished their meals.

Approximately 40 members of the Mens Club, besides the kitchen crew, served as tickets takers, waiters, Refreshment Center tenders, kitchen coordinators, take out helper, and setup crew.  Bob Heisler was the overall coordinator for the Chicken Bake and is congratulated for a great job.  Also Rick Hiemenz and his crew are to be congratulated on preparing and serving a great meal .

If you didn't make it to the Chicken Bake, be sure and attend the other major fund raiser for the Mens Club, the Fish Bake, which will be on March 22, 2013.

Buddy Dixon and Dannett Botkin At Mens Club Kickoff Dinner

The Mens Club met on September 11, 2012 for their annual Kickoff Potluck Dinner with their wives/sweethearts invited to the meeting. There was a good crowd of approximately 160 attending. After opening prayers and the pledge of allegiance led by Deacon John Froning, Buddy Dixon led us in the singing of God Bless America in remembrance of the tragedy that occurred eleven years ago on September 11, 2001.

The Mens Club supplied brats, sauerkraut, and condiments and those attending supplied the rest of the meal.  After dinner, a short meeting was conducted prior to the evenings speaker.

Dannett Botkin, Marketing Manager for the POA had talked to the Mens Club last year and was invited back to update us on the current status of the POA's efforts to market the Village both locally and nationally. After her speech, Fr. Bill talked to us briefly about the house of formation opening and then led us in a closing prayer.