PCL News

2010 Annual Attitude Adjustment Party with a Special Flair on "Cinco de June"

A record crowd of 230 clients, underwriters, friends and families joined the PCL staff on June 5, 2010, for the agency's 26th Annual Attitude Adjustment Party. And what a marvelous day it was!

The event kicks off the summer season every year at the farm of Clem and Pauline Lesch near Valley View, about 20 miles north of Denton. In addition to getting attitudes adjusted, everyone was there to celebrate PCL's 25th anniversary and Pauline's retirement, both coming up on July 15.

Even more reason to celebrate was Clem's return to good health following quadruple bypass surgery four weeks prior to the party.


Clem and Pauline enjoying the celebration.		  


Greeting guests and directing them to refreshments and activities, were the official hostesses, the PCL Bond Girls-Pat Pinchback, Lisa Borhaug and Tonie Petranek-who made quite an impression in their matching Bond Girl shirts.

(l-r) Tonie, Pat and Lisa


The tent was decorated with fiesta-theme tablecloths, sombreros, and peppers, with a margarita machine thrown in for good measure. In the heat, it couldn't quite generate frozen margaritas, but on-the-rocks made everyone happy! Very refreshing! Thanks to partner Allen Sparks (Independent Insurance Group), a portion of the tent was blessed with a cool mist, a welcome relief from the heat. At the far end was another surprise--a huge, cheerful yellow banner from the PCL staff, wishing Pauline a happy retirement.

(l-r) Tonie, Lisa, Pat, Pauline, Clem, Steven Lewis, Michael Ross and Eric Lesch
 


As always, there was a wide variety of outdoor activities for all ages, including golf, fishing, paddleboat, adult-size and children's swings, swimming and relaxing at the pool, slip-n-slide, horseshoes, trampolines, volleyball, basketball, pingpong, and just meandering around the pasture watching the cows and looking for wildflowers. A canopy shaded the sandbox, where children played and dug for toy snakes and lizards.

Honorary starters for the CowChip Golf Classic were surprise visitors--two of Clem's brothers, Jerome from Colorado and Gerald from Wisconsin. They brought out two of Clem's guns and got the tournament off to an authentic shotgun start!

Winning the coveted Golden Cowchip Awards were Jeff Morgan (l) and Steve Corradi (JTS-Johnston Technical Services) with a score of 29. Taking home the 2nd place Silver Cowchips were Kevin (l) and Phil Hoppman (Big D Metalworks).
   

Coming in 3rd, Jose Zapata and Juan "Chi Chi" Rodriquez (XKAVA) each received a box of golf balls donated by Arnold Acker (AACON Fund Control, Inc.) and Dave Sauder (Sauder & Daughter/Logos On Display), who had Pauline's retirement banner made and who gets the PCL calendars printed every year.		  


In addition to Jerome and Gerald, other surprise guests this year were two more Lesch brothers, John from Chicago and Steve from Wisconsin; two of Pauline's sisters from Wisconsin, Ruth and Karen; Pauline's cousin Jay and his wife from Lewisville, and a couple family friends who tagged along from the cold northland.

We again recruited Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q from Denton to cater and serve dinner, and everything from brisket to iced tea was terrific. Dessert this year was really special: Two delicious decorated cakes in honor of PCL's anniversary and Pauline's retirement.

(l-r) Pauline's sister Karen, cousin Jay, Pauline, and sister Ruth.
 


Lisa helps Pauline show off the decorated cake in honor of PCL's 25th Anniversary and her retirement, both coming up on July 15.
 


Several clients contributed fuel for the bondfire, adding their boxes of obsolete records to the old PCL paperwork. Pauline's most enthusiastic helper feeding the flames was Adam Russell, son of Julie and Pete Russell (Travelers Bond).

Clem's famous Fireworks Show was a hit for the large group that stayed until dark. Thank you to the Shelton boys (Southern Mechanical Plumbing) for taking over the responsibility of lighting the fireworks for Clem.

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. And to those who didn't make it, we look forward to seeing you next year! As always, it'll be the first Saturday in June.

The entire PCL team-Steven, Michael, Eric, Pat, Lisa and Tonie-along with our daughter-in-law Melissa and the other spouses-was awesome! Their hard work preparing for the event, making extra pre-party trips to the farm to help with clean-up and set-up, planning all the extra surprises, and serving as hosts and hostesses made this an especially memorable event. Thanks also to Allen Sparks and his sons who showed up to work Friday afternoon, and to our FFA friends from Valley View who came Friday evening to set up the tent. Thank you all!

- Clem & Pauline Lesch, June 2010


Fireworks against the evening sky, taken from their fishing spot at the pond, courtesy of Sandi and Mike Whisenant (SureTec).
 


Eric Lesch joins PCL in September 2008

PCL is pleased to announce the addition of Eric Lesch to the agency's producer team. Eric is the son of Clem and Pauline Lesch. He graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington in 1999 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He recently received his General Lines insurance license from the Texas Department of Insurance.

While attending college, Eric worked for a controls contractor doing Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and Supervisory Controls And Data Acquisition (SCADA) development. After graduation, he spent nine years at Lockheed Martin doing Electrical and Software Engineering for a variety of missile systems.

New producer joins agency
June 2008

Michael Ross has joined the PCL staff as a bond producer. With a degree in Economics from California State University at Northridge, Michael has 24 years of experience in surety underwriting, production and agency management. He worked in California and Arizona prior to moving to Dallas in 1992. He served as Senior Contract Underwriter for RLI Insurance Company for nine years, and was with Old Republic Surety Company prior to joining PCL.

Michael has earned several professional designations, including his AFSB (Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding). Others relate to insurance, risk management and claims: CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter), ARM (Associate in Risk Management) and AIC (Associate in Claims).

Steven Lewis joins PCL ownership group

May 2008

PCL's shareholders and employees are pleased to announce that Steven Lewis is now part of the agency's ownership group. Steven has been a valued member of the agency since he joined PCL in April 2003 as a Surety Bond Producer.

Steven started his surety career in 1989 in Tempe, Arizona, and moved to the Dallas area in 1993. Prior to joining PCL, Steven was a contract bond underwriter in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, working for several surety companies. This underwriting experience gives him an excellent perspective on agent-underwriter relationships, and on handling the needs of a wide variety of contractors.

PCL and Friends celebrate 25th Annual Attitude Adjustment Party, June 6

A crowd of 156 PCL people, clients and friends joined in the festivities June 6, 2009, for the 25th Annual Attitude Adjustment Party, enjoying a beautiful North Texas summer day in the country.

The family-friendly event, held at the Lesch farm outside of Valley View, about 20 miles north of Denton features a wide variety of outdoor activities for all ages, including golf, fishing, paddleboat, adult-size and children's swings, swimming and relaxing at the pool, horseshoes, ring toss, trampolines, volleyball, basketball, pingpong, and just strolling around the pasture and checking out the awesome wildflowers.



Activities at the pond included the big swing, paddleboat, and fishing
   


Clem's CowChip Golf Classic got underway with an authentic shotgun start. Phil and Kevin Hoppman (Big D Metalworks) won with a score of 29, besting last year's winning score by one stroke. Kevin also hit the longest drive. Coming in 2nd were Charles and Sandy Williams (Westfield Insurance Company), and 3rd was the team of Arnold Acker (Aacon Fund Control) and Tom Kupper (Specialty Supply & Installation). Closest to the pin recognition went to Jeff Morgan (JTS).



CowChip Golf was a hit with everyone!

Clem starts the tournament with his traditional shotgun start.
This is a "farm" afterall! Cows mosey across the 4th fairway.
   

Winners Kevin and Phil Hoppman (Big D Metalworks) enthusiastically pose with their Golden CowChip awards.
It appears that Clem (on the right with his shotgun) may have had to force Charles Williams (Westfield Group) and wife Sandy to accept the 2nd place Silver CowChips.


Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q from Denton catered dinner, and once again got rave reviews. The bondfire (burning boxes and boxes full of expired bonds, old forms, and old files) was amazing, as two clients-Lutz Woodworks and JTS-each brought a boatload of paperwork to burn along with PCL's old records. Okay, not boatloads. Would you believe truckloads?



The group from International Fidelity, and the Halusek family (West Roofing) enjoy BBQ from Rudy's.


Special guests this year were Clem's brother Marv and sister-in-law Barb, who were visiting at the time of the first AAAP in 1984. They were curious to see how the event had evolved over the years, and enjoyed the day meeting so many of our business associates.




Clients line up boxes of obsolete paperwork to fuel the BONDfire.
Young people enjoy feeding and tending the BONDfire.


A large crowd stayed on for the Clem & Marv Fireworks Show. One guest, watching their enjoyment setting-up and setting-off fireworks, commented that she could tell they must have been a handful when they were growing up. You think?????




Clem's awesome fireworks display was a fitting conclusion for a wonderful day.		  


We started this Attitude Adjustment tradition in 1984, the year before PCL was incorporated. So although this year's event was the 25th party, 2010's will be the PCL 25th Anniversary Attitude Adjustment Party.

So, mark your calendars for next year: Saturday, June 5, 2010.

Thank you to the entire PCL team-Steven Lewis, Michael Ross, Eric Lesch, Pat Pinchback and Lisa Borhaug-daughter-in-law Melissa and son Blake, for all their help preparing for the event and serving as hosts and hostesses to make it a fun day for all.

- Clem & Pauline Lesch, June 2009