Sippy Club

HISTORY

The Maryland JCI Senate Sippy Cup Corps honors those individuals who don't possess the skill to get their drink completely into their mouth, rather than over other parts of their person or other persons.

The Corps' roots go back to the US JCI Senate Winter Board Meeting in Daytona Beach in January 2004. It was at that meeting that one poor Calvin Baerveldt had the misfortune of spilling his drink on the first lady of the US JCI Senate, Deb Price. That afternoon, some of the ladies from Maryland went shopping and, upon returning, presented Calvin with a sippy cup filled with his drink of choice. This was purely for the safety of others at the meeting. It was at this same meeting the next morning that Calvin placed his cup of coffee on top of the TV in his room, not noticing that it was not level, but slanted toward the front. Of course, the cup came down, unfortunately, into the open dresser drawer containing his wife Diane's clothes below. That night at the banquet, the Maryland delegation donned ponchos to protect themselves against Calvin's clumsiness of the weekend. This scene was immortalized in outgoing US JCI Senate President John Price's slide show at the annual banquet in Charleston, SC in June.

In May 2004, back in Maryland, at a reception given by Maryland Jaycee President Brent Buser, incoming Senate President Sam Young missed the toast given in his honor because he had to go to his room to change his pants after he spilled his drink (at least it was on himself) while trying to balance it and two plates of food on his lap. When notified of the mishap, and that he was no longer alone, Calvin uttered those fateful words "Sippy Cup Corps". And thus, the Corps was born.

Certificates were printed, complete with a Maryland Senate Troubadour decked out in a poncho courtesy of Michele Kountz. These were presented to Calvin and Sam at the August 2004 meeting, along with a sippy cup. The members are known as SIPPs (Senator Imbibing in Protective Plastic). This acronym was also courtesy of Michele Kountz. We have been on the lookout for members ever since.

Our count, as of June 2008, is 20. We have members from other states, most notably former US JCI Senate First Lady Sue Pasqualli, from Connecticut. We are also international, claiming Past Canadian Senate President Bernie Gilbank among our numbers.

If you are at a JCI Senate function where Maryland Senators are in attendance, be careful. You may be the next person to be inducted into this elite group.