History of the Annual Summer Picnic

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The Illinois Senate has held the Annual Picnic since inception. Originally a one day event where we enjoyed burgers and hot dogs, it has grown and evolved immensely. The Saturday golf outing was participated by nearly all in attendance but age and lack of golfers has dwindled that number, Bar-Burgers, an activity begun by the non-golfers slowly crept into the main Saturday attraction and today the vast majority attend a local establishment of “flavor or unique quality” to partake in lunch.
The first picnic was held in September. President Bernie Storjohann #7902 had taken a job with the University of Illinois in Chicago as Chief Landscaper and was in need of a place to live in the area. Jim O’Connell #5046 was in real estate and found a farm for Bernie to rent. Wanting to show off his new home, Bernie hosted our first picnic on September 29, 1968. This also was the first project of the fledgling Illinois Senate. The Picnic was traditionally held in the hometown of the incoming President. This held until 1973 when “open bidding” became popular. The date was set to correspond with the changing of the Presidents as the fourth weekend of July during Chuck Fries #18344 tenure. It was also for many years only one day and served hamburgers and hot-dogs. Today, although an “open bid” it has become traditional for the Picnic to be held in the area of the outgoing President as it is their close-out meeting. The event has grown from the one day event to a full week-end and even a Thursday “early hospitality”. No longer an outdoor event under a tent or pavilion, the comforts of air-conditioning have demanded different accommodations. Even the policy required pool is often times no longer used as once seen.

Notable firsts and historical footnotes:

1975  –  Life Membership began

1977 – President Tiney Nix donated the large “tree trunk”                    gavel to the Illinois JCI Senate to be passed on to all                    succeeding Presidents for use during their term. This                  gavel is still being used today.

1978 – The Senate attempted to form a Credit Union

1979 – Under President KOBLE,  the Summer Picnic activities           were changed to have the Business Meeting on Saturday           either proceeding the picnic or following the picnic, thus           enabling participants to return home on Saturday                       evening or early Sunday morning.

1980 –  It was during Fred’s term that the major emphasis of               activity was centered around visiting the other                               neighboring states. Delegations from the Illinois                          Senate  made numerous visits to Michigan, Indiana,                    Ohio and Kentucky Senate functions during the year in              order to establish strong lasting friendships, which in                turn led to the formation of the Mid-America Institute                (Region V) within the US JCI Senate. The newsletter                    went out only to members

1981 – It was determined to maintain the original “Standing              Abe” Senate pin but also design a new pin each year for              trading.

1982 – Blue & orange shirts were established as official shirt

1986 – The special Illinois JCI Senate logo was created with a             side view of Abe within the Jaycee shield.

1987 – Each administration began theme slogans for their                  year with “Wally’s World” being the first

1991 – 25th Anniversary shirt was approved and began                       tradition of new style shirt for each President

1995 –  Bar-burgers began

2017 –  The 50th Anniversary of the Senate was done at a                      banquet style “picnic” in Springfield hosted by the Past              Presidents

Below we list the locations of the Picnics as held throughout the years.

1968  –   Storjohann Farm

1971   –   Rantoul

1974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995  –  Centralia

1998  –  Centralia

2001  –  Carlyle

2004  –  East Peoria

2007  –  Carlyle

2010  –  Danville

2013  –  Springfield

2016  –  Kewanee

2019 –  Savoy

1969   –

1972

1975  –  Kewanee

1978

1981

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996  –  Galesburg

1999  –  Springfield

2002  –  Danville

2005  –  Bloomington

2008  –  Morton

2011  –  Cary

2014  –  Carlyle

2017  –  Springfield

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991  –  Lincoln

1994

1997  –  Morton

2000  –  Huntley

2003  –  Charleston

2006  –  Kewanee

2009  –  Oakawville

2012  –  Savoy

2015  –  Danville

2018  –  Springfield