Talk of the Town: ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ remember the lyrics?

New Year’s is a holiday for memories and for hopes. The past and the future come together at midnight. Not surprisingly, emotions are as much a part of New Year’s Eve as noisemakers and fireworks. After all, a traditional way to welcome the New Year is to kiss the person you love, or even someone you don’t (depending on how much bubbly you’ve downed during the celebration).

“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Well known in many English-speaking countries, it’s often sung to celebrate the start of the new year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day.

The song’s (Scots) title may be translated into English literally as “old long since,” or more idiomatically, “long, long ago” or “days gone by.”

Here are the lyrics: so many people seem to remember only the first verse. Again, after the champagne, some folks never make it past the first two lines of the song.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

The Green Valley/Sahuarita Association of Realtors hosted its annual installation banquet recently and it was quite a gathering indeed. According to Janie MacDonald, the group’s office administrator, the Realtors enjoyed a great evening in Desert Diamond Casino ballroom and many were dressed in the evening theme of the Roaring ’20s.

Jerry Sander of Sander Realty installed the 2009 officers: Peggy Miller, president; Catherine York, president-elect; Pat Mohn, vice president; Sue Jones, secretary-treasurer, and Steve Smith, past-president.

Sander also installed the 2009 board of directors: Jacquie Boulay, Susan Derlein, Craig Pirrello, Lonnie Borgmann, Jacque Brasher and Janet Petzler, John Hasti, Victor Rodarte and Joan Christensen.

The honor of Realtor of the Year went to Jim Brodie and Lawyers Title Agency received the Affiliate of the Year award.

The Green Valley/Sahuarita Association of Realtors had a very successful year of giving back to the community. During a six-hour Holiday Food Drive held in the Continental Shopping Plaza on Nov. 18, more than 900 pounds of food were collected. Realtors from all offices served coffee and cookies and collected food from the public. Rodarte’s antique yellow truck was parked in the courtyard and realtors were also stationed outside Safeway, where many generous donations were received. At a recent Realtor’s meeting, Mary Jane Goodrick, manager of the Green Valley Community Food Bank, was presented with a check for the monetary donations received.

Another busy local group this year was the Single Amigos, a Green Valley-based club made up of seniors who enjoy each other’s company to brighten up their days.

Each year, the group usually has a gift exchange at the holidays, but this season it had a change of plans. The members decided that in place of the gift exchange, they would each donate to the Green Valley Community Food Bank. Their Christmas party was held Dec. 13 and they collected $200 for the Food Bank. Well done!! The Single Amigos meet each Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Green Valley Elks Lodge 2592. A small group numbering 25 men and 25 women, the organizers say that the purpose is not “to date, but just to have fun.”

Well done to Green Valley resident Curtis Erickson, 25, a student pilot at Ryan Air Field in Tucson and son of Ann and Ron Erickson, also of Green Valley.

Curtis recently was the big winner on “The Price is Right,” that popular game show hosted by Drew Carey. Curtis was visiting friends in Los Angeles, Calif., where the show is filmed, and they all decided to go to the studio. He was chosen from the audience to participate. At the end of the show, he was the grand prize winner of merchandise, trips and cash amounting to more than $25,000. He won luggage, a 52-piece dish set, a dinette set, trips to Amsterdam, Tahiti and New York for a Broadway show and $1,000 cash! And he’s single! I asked him who he’ll be taking on the vacation trips. That remains a secret. Congratulations, Curtis!

The Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers have 16 new volunteers on duty. Graduating Dec. 19 from the SAV Academy were Asceneth Backus, Irene Ballard, Chriss Bell, Gary Eshelman, Doyle Fausey, Robyn Gentry, John Gunson, Frank Hagberg, Deborah Lundell, Linda Lundy, Patrick Murphey, Earl Rogalla, Thomas Scarlett, Edward Simon, Gerald Skaggs and Nancy Smith. Four members of Sahuarita’s Volunteers in Police Service, also known as V.I.P.S., also graduated: John McMorris, James Reynolds, Robert Pascalar and Danny Taylor.

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.”

I have no idea who said this, but cheers!

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740