It is my pleasure to announce that the first Mid-Am event of 1999 will
be the chapter's "Monkey Organ Festival" and Chapter Meeting.  MBSIers,
Mid-Amers and MMDers alike, are invited to historic St. Charles,
Missouri, on the banks of the Missouri River for two days of friends,
food, fun and mechanical music.  This events will take place Friday
evening April 30th, and all day Saturday May 1st 1999.

St. Charles Missouri is located 15 miles West of down town St. Louis,
Missouri, on Interstate 70.  The setting of this Monkey Organ Festival
will be the Main Street Historic District of Old St. Charles.  This
wonderful historic district is 1-1/2 mile long and has been a viable
settlement since 1769.  The corner stone of this area is the wonder-
fully restored first State Capital building of Missouri, (1821-1826).
The river town of St. Charles was the location of the beginning of the
Lewis & Clark exploration of the Louisiana Purchase of 1804 and is the
site of the Lewis & Clark Rendezvous / Heritage Days the third weekend
every May.

We hope to have an event that will feature at least 30 organ grinders
and instruments and an attendance of 120 members and friends.

All MBSI, Mid-Am Chapter members will all be receiving a registration
packet.  All others who might want to attend will need to request one
of these packets.  When they are assembled we will use this list to
send registration packets to non-Chapter members.  Requests should be
sent to Meeting Chairman:

   Gary G. Stevenson
   801 Eichelberger
   St. Louis, Mo 63111-1648
   e-mail: gstevens@dtd1.slps.k12.mo.us

Further information will be forthcomming.  I hope to see you there
having a *cranking* good time !!!

Gary Stevenson

 [ Gary can provide a festival program via email.  --  Robbie