Many hours before NACM opened the 2010 Credit Congress Expo floor inside the Rio's conference areas, association members and exhibitors were hunting eagles and birdies—or bogeys for those less accurate with their swings—on one of the finest public golf courses in the nation as part of the Fifth Annual NACM Scholarship Foundation Golf Outing.

The golf outing drew dozens to Las Vegas' distinguished Legacy Golf Club, selected by Golf Digest as one of its "Top 10 Courses You Can Play" in Nevada. Steve Valentine, of Helena Chemical Co., said the course more than lived up to the hype.

"The course was outstanding: very scenic, very well manicured, a great setting. You had the mountains in the background, and I liked the little bit of elevation change and how every hole was just a little bit different," said Valentine, whose shot on the tenth hole won the "Closest to the Pin" contest. He added that his colleagues look forward to setting up teams in advance of each year's event just "as a way to get together."

The golf outing was not the only Scholarship Foundation fundraising event, whose goal is to make it easier for credit professionals to take advantage of future NACM educational and networking opportunities, that drew stellar reviews at this year's Credit Congress. The Silent Auction, part of Monday's Beer & Browse reception, brought in an estimated $10,000, topping last year's total. Hot items on the floor this year included top line electronics (8GB iPod Touch, Kindle wireless reading device), purses from the most fashionable labels (Coach, Kate Spade) and, in a first-time addition, a stunning queen-size quilt that was handmade by 2001-2002 NACM-National Chairman and popular session speaker Val Venable, CCE.

One very active bidder during the auction was Amber Tallmadge, CCE, corporate credit manager of Central States Manufacturing, Inc., who personally vied for a half-dozen items. In the end, she successfully garnered both a purse and tote from Coach's Signature C series.

"I'm an NACM Graduate School alum, so I feel it's really important to support the Silent Auction [and, thus, the Scholarship Foundation]," said Tallmadge. "My company paid for Grad School when I attended [in 2003 and 2004], but I realize the investment is substantial, and not everyone is provided the liberty to attend without a scholarship. It's well worth it."

Finally, the NACM Bookstore carried on its tradition of selling themed chances to win a full-delegate registration to next year's Credit Congress in Nashville. This year's disco ball necklaces were quite a hit, raising an additional $2,500 and serving as the perfect accessory for partygoers at the 1970s-inspired Closing Night Party, where the winning chance was drawn. Visit the Closing Night Party page to see who won!

NACM thanks all those who generously donated to the Scholarship Foundation at Credit Congress by participating in the Golf Outing, donating to or bidding on items at the Silent Auction and purchasing disco ball necklaces. NACM also thanks everyone who provided extra gifts on their registration forms throughout the year. Please remember that you can donate to the foundation all year long! Those who want to donate items for next year's charitable auction can do so by visiting here.