Eureka Jaycee Sets Sails for Caribbean

Working on a cruise ship for the next six months wasn't exactly what Eureka Jaycee leader Todd Sauter had in mind for his New Year's resolution, but the opportunity presented itself and off he is heading. 

Fellow Jaycee (shorter pronunciation for junior chamber of commerce) members and friends gathered at The Eureka Wine House Wednesday evening to bid Sauter goodbye.

While the discussions were about Caribbean cruises, music in the background was pure bluegrass.  Another Jaycee member and friend, Nathan Barger, plays in a band called the Muddy River Ramblers.  So part of Barger's sendoff for Sauter was a full, live performance. 

The five band members live in various parts of St. Louis.  The majority of them have technical jobs by day, then switch to musicians at night.  In fact, among them, they have a structural engineer, software engineer, visual game designer, sheet metal professional and an independent contractor.

Barger said he loves bluegrass music because the tunes are upbeat, and it allows people to really "let loose."   

They will have played together for a year this Thanksgiving.  Barger said Sauter's party was their third show. 

"Although we haven't performed original bluegrass songs yet, we do play a variety of folk and conventional songs, and even ones like Come Together by the Beatles," he said.

Sauter's sister, April Sauter, said while she will miss him, she is also excited for him to have a new excursion.  "It's a six-month contract, we'll see how he likes it," she said.

Sauter is one of about 25 Eureka Jaycees, an organization all about business and leadership skills.  He said there are nearly 20 Jaycee chapters in the St. Louis metropolitan region.  Many of the attendees at his party had worked with him on Jaycee events, such as swap meets, trivia nights and car washes.

He said they were especially proud of their seven-hour live concert, Rock N The Open 2009.

Sauter, 32, said he will serve as an on-board associate art director, and is looking forward to finding out what working on a ship will really be like.  "It's funny.  I'm single and in-between relationships.  It's one of the few times in my life that I would be open to this type of job, so I'm doing it," he said.