It’s hard to believe that we are already in the month of May!  If you are planning to attend the National Restaurant Show later this month, I hope you will also be able to attend the ICHRIE Alligator Hour Reception being sponsored once again by the ICHRIE Central Federation.  The reception is being held on Sunday, May 19 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Union League of Chicago Club, 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois.  Our thanks go to Chris Roberts and DePaul University for once again securing such a beautiful location for our Alligator Hour reception.  If you are attending the NRA Show or are in the area, please join us!  

May is the month when the mad rush to fulfill all the requirements for the last semester is almost over, the end of the academic year is near and schools are beginning the process of presenting a new round of freshly-minted graduates seeking employment.  Like thousands of parents around the world, I will watch with pride (and relief) as my own son crosses the stage to receive his diploma and officially step into adulthood.  A part of me wonders where the time went as it seems like just a short time ago I was hugging him goodbye at the elementary school doors.

As will happen in many other families, the patterns of our everyday family life will change.  My son is fortunate enough to have secured employment and will begin his career just a few weeks after graduation.  For the first time in his whole life, his summer excursions will be limited to weekends.  You can imagine the conversations that are bound to occur once that reality sets in!

And speaking of summer excursions, I hope you will have the opportunity to take advantage of one of this year’s faculty internship opportunities or plan on attending this year’s annual conference in St. Louis.  If you haven’t already signed up for conference, don’t take the chance of missing the “early bird” registration deadline of June 1!  Watch your mailboxes this month for the St. Louis conference brochure to find out all the events planned for this year’s conference.