Lower Alabama Parrot Heads

Lower Alabama Parrot Heads

November 8, 2008 Meeting Minutes 

There were 26 members present (we even ran out of room on the sign-in sheet).  There were three guests from the Pensacola club:  Jake/Pam Vick and Amy Hubbard.  Two previous members rejoined:  George and Jane Davis.  Welcome to everyone. 

Treasurer’s Report: 

Old Business

Coastal Cleanup (9/20/08):  We had a great turnout for both the cleanup and the after party.  We even found the kitchen sink!  A total of 44 parrot-hours were donated for this event.   Mark your calendars for September 19, 2009.  You don’t want to be left out of next year. 

MS Bike Tour (9/27-28/08):  Another fun event and perfect Chamber of Commerce weather.  The riders really enjoyed being “leied”.  We will have to budget a few more leis for next year.  The bubble machine was a great hit also.  A total of 63 parrot-hours were donated for this event.  Thank you to the Coastal Alabama Parrot Heads for joining us in saluting the MS Bike Riders.  Mark your calendars for September 26-27, 2009. 

Shrimp Fest (Oct. 9-12, 2008):  A wonderful time was had by all and again, perfect Chamber of Commerce weather.  In spite of one disgruntled guest (she didn’t like us “quietly making noise”); we were able to collect $837.07 in tips.  Jenny Curtis actually “solicited” a $10 tip.  Our own “Dancing with the Stars”, Collen Keener and Part Marsilio, helped navigate people toward our beer tent.  Karen and Mark Llewellyn, the tent managers, have already asked for us to come back.  We are signed up for Thursday night and all day Saturday in 2009.  Of course, we are coming up with some improvements for 2009.  Martha Strickland, Kelly McConnell and Connie Baker of the Orange Beach Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary accepted the check for $800 (the remaining $37.07 went to the kitty) and few token toys.  More toys will be delivered this week.  Kelly told us that their organization not only provide toys to the local people in need, but also Christmas baskets for the elderly and less fortunate, help pay electric and water bills for those in need and the firemen build handicap ramps when necessary.  A whole plethora of help for the local community.  In addition to the tips, a total of 227 parrot-hours were donated.  Mark your calendars for October 8-11, 2009.  This is one phun event we will be talking about for months. 

Zoo Garage Sale (Nov. 8, 2008):  This event was held on the premises of the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.  The stuff sold included items donated to the Zoo, but unusable by the Zoo, donations from club members and a trailer load of stuff by Kelly and Tracy Lodge, local people who had some stuff left over from their sale.  The Lower Alabama Parrot Heads sold the merchandise and were able to raise $651.60 for the Zoo.  The Director, Patti Hall, has let us run this through our books so that we can get credit at the end of the year.  Thanks to everyone who helped out – people that donated stuff, time or bought stuff.  A total of 85 parrot-hours will be reported to PHiP for this event. 

Summary:  Since the September 13 meeting, the Lower Alabama Parrot Heads have raised $1,451.60 for local organizations and donated a total of 419 parrot-hours.  Everybody give yourself a standing ovation.  YEAH!!! 

New Business

Donations:  A motion was made and carried to donate $200 to each of the following charities:  Mary’s Shelter, Grace for Women and BARC (Baldwin Animal Rescue Center).   

Website:  Check it out!  Cy has done a wonderful job of getting this thing off the ground.  But he can’t do it alone.  Please send him pictures and other information that is good for the website.  He will also take suggestions.  www.lalph.org.   Meyers.cy@gmail.com 

Membership Renewals:  It is that time of year again.  Membership renewals for 2009 are due.  The form was available at the meeting, but will also be sent out on-line.  You don’t want to be left out of all the phun we will have in 2009. 

T-Shirts:  There are only 7 club shirts remaining in inventory.  Fifty more will be ordered from Howard (Visual Effects) this week.  Several requests for long sleeve shirts have been made.  This order will be placed at the same time.  If you want a long sleeve shirt (it will be the same as the club shirt only with longer sleeves), let Kim know immediately.  The following members have already responded:  John/Kathleen Carroll, Ken/Liz White, Debbie/Dave Curran, Dave/Jackie Grear, Sharon/Larry Ramireaz, Hurricane Jane, Charlotte Skinner, Gene/Mary Ann Lee and Kim/Tyler Dahlgren. 

Christmas Party:  This will be on December 14 at 1 PM at the Bear Point Community Center in Orange Beach (same place as last year).  A meat tray will be provided by the club, but everybody needs to bring something to share and whatever you want to drink.  Ice and plates will be provided.  There will be a Rasta (Dirty) Santa gift exchange.  Please bring a $10 gift to put under the tree for the game.  John Reno will provide the entertainment.  We will also be collecting non-perishable food and donations for the Ecumenical Ministries (the local food bank).  A special thank you to Izzy Sayers for paying the $100 fee for rental of the facility.  Thanks Iz. 
 

Noon Year’s Eve:  This event will be December 31 at Lulu’s.  This is a children’s event at Lulu’s with face painting, crafts and little gifts for the ‘keets.  We will help Lulu’s staff roll out and keep people off the bubble wrap which will be rolled out all over Lulu’s.  At high noon, or as close as possible, all the guests will jump on the bubble wrap for Lulu’s version of “fireworks”.  Please let Kim know if you are going to attend.  We need to be at Lulu’s at 10 AM, just before the guests arrive.  To hear that much bubble wrap “pop” is really cool. 

Polar Bear Dip:  This is the first event for 2009.  We have once again challenged and been challenged by the Parrot Heads of Pensacola to see which club gets the most people to show up and dip.  The “loser” has to pay the “winner” $100 for their favorite charity.  IT IS OUR TURN!!!  We have been on the giving end of all previous challenges and it is our chance to redeem ourselves.  We will meet at the foot of the walkway, on the beach at the Flora-Bama at 11:30 AM for the head count.  Traffic can get pretty dicey (this IS a major event on the gulf coast) so get there early.     

Elections for 2009:  It is time again to elect your officials for the year.  Nominations are as follows:  President – Kim Dahlgren; Vice-President – Jane Veillon; Secretary – Jenny Curtis; Treasurer – Hurricane Jane Tarver and  Parrot Head at Large – Allan Lameier.  Gerald and Cookie Ogden will once again be the election chairs and they will be getting the ballots out soon. 

Meeting of the Minds

Here is what can be told %%$#@*(&&&$%#^^@ - Although Jane and John Veillon did have some pictures on a computer.  Gerald Ogden and Bubba Ray attended the Club Leader’s Brunch on October 31, 2008.  Their report will follow under a separate cover. They did say that the Lower Alabama club t-shirt was one of the most coveted t-shirts for trading.  We only sent 6 and could have traded many more.  Congratulations to our own John Reno and Brent Burns for their accomplishments at the Trop Rock awards.  The next Meeting of the Minds is scheduled for Nov. 5-8, 2009.  Our own Charlotte Skinner is Director of Conventions for the event so you know it is going to be great.  Keep a check on the website, www.phip.com for further information.   

Stars Fell on Alabama

The Lower Alabama Parrot Heads have 45 people attending STARS.  That is approximately half of our members.  Way to go.  We need sponsorships (this is for the back of the t-shirt), silent auction items, goodie bag items and Human Slot Machine prizes.  The letters for these items will be sent out under a separate cover.  Now is the time to solicit donations, so that the business can get them in their budget for 2009.  This year we are going to have “Redneck Riviera” picnic baskets as our raffle prize.  A donation of 10 cooler/picnic baskets has been received.  To these we will add a bottle of wine, squirt cheese, Vienna sausages and crackers.  Others things may be added at they become available.  We have begun collecting items for the silent auction.  Remember, you do not have to provide the entire basket.  A small item can be turned into a big basket.  We have several artists in the club that are donating a piece of work.  Jenny and Jim Curtis are planning on donating a week at their condo in Puerto Vallarta (now that is a great donation).  If you are collecting something for the goodie bag (i.e. pens/pencils, notepads, koozies, aspirin samples, etc), we need about 475 of each.  Once again we will have the toothbrushes and toothpaste (my personal favorite) donated.  A basket building party will be scheduled in February – but will not interfere with Mardi Gras.  If you contact a business or would like to take the lead of a particular business, please let Kim Dahlgren know.  This is to keep people from asking the same business twice for the same event.  That can get embarrassing.  

Committee lists will be coming out soon.  We will need volunteers for a lot of things.  The Lower Alabama PH’s have the first shift at registration.  So come on out and help. 

The Board of Directors of Stars generally provides a logo donation for the goodie bag.  Examples of past donations have been a koozie, a lanyard, and a shot glass.  This year the Board, for the tenth anniversary of STARS, is providing the goody bag itself.  The board would really like to find a $1,000 sponsor to cover the cost of the goodie bag.  If anybody knows of someone who would like to be this sponsor (they get their logo on one side and the STARS logo on the other), please let Kim know as soon as possible.   

If you wish to help out with STARS, but are unable to contribute any items and/or time, we will be accepting monetary donations as well.  As with last year, these donations will not be run through the club, but go directly to purchasing items needed for the silent auction.  These items will include the wine and squirt cheese needed for the “Redneck Riviera” picnic baskets, fillers for other baskets and other basket supplies. 

Fruitcake Basket

Tyler Dahlgren won the Fruitcake basket so beautifully prepared by Jackie and Dave Grear.  A total of $60 was raised. 

See you at the Christmas Party – Sunday, December 14. 
 
 
 

There is no meeting in December because of the Christmas Party.  The next regularly scheduled meeting is January 10, 2009.