Monday Morning Meeting Notes 1/14/19

Here are some of our Southern Comfort Pedalers Bike Club having lunch at Jason's Deli after going on a six mile bike ride.

We had a VERY busy week this week with our Welcome Back Dinner and the Paperback Writers Concert followed by the Cookout and the Bocce Tryouts, the Ice Cream Social and Adam Pope Entertainment. I hope that you all enjoyed the activities that you participated in and that it kept you busy and out of trouble!

First a couple of Thanks Yous:

We need to thank Tim Bauscher for making us a new Bean Bag Baseball Board and Pat Bremer for painting it.

I'd also like to thank Ava Nelson and Deb Van Schuyver for attending the last Entertainment Showcase with us. It was a long day but we did find some really good entertainers for next season. 

Merle Norman Facial Re-scheduling: The facials that didn't happen as promised have been rescheduled for January 24th at 10 AM in the Outback. There was a miscommunication somehow between Debbie and Merle Norman. I'm so sorry that you were inconvenienced and I hope all of you who had signed up can attend on the 24th. 

Calendar Changes for Next Season:

I have been working on the Calendar for next season so that you will be able to plan your activities outside the park a little easier because you will know when the Dances and Happy Hours occur even before I announce them. And, in planning for next season, Debbie Stout and I have worked hard to come up with a plan that would be beneficial for both parks as far as Dances, Entertainment and Happy Hours. We don't want to compete with each other and we want you to feel free to go to any of the dances, entertainment or Happy Hours at either park.

Our plan for next season is as follows:

Sundays: On the first Sunday of the month except for Super Bowl Sunday, there will be an Entertainment planned either in the afternoon or evening depending on what the Entertainer can do. We will schedule a different Sunday in February to replace the Super Bowl Sunday. The rest of the Sunday afternoons will be available for residents to book the Hall for an anniversary or a special party.

Mondays: Monday Morning Meetings remain at 9 AM.

Tuesdays: I will try not to interfere much with the cards in the evening however, at least one Tuesday a month I will be booking an evening entertainment.

Wednesdays: We will have a Happy Hour on most Wednesdays here because I know how much you enjoy them. I also was able to book Diego once per month next season. Because he is so popular, he has changed how he is scheduling. He will only do Happy Hours once a month per park so we have him here as often as we can get him. I have not booked the rest of the Happy Hours yet but I’ll get the best entertainers that I can for you. Country Sunshine’s Happy Hours will mainly be  on Tuesdays. 

Thursdays: Again, I will try not to interfere with cards because a lot of the Tribute Concerts are on Thursday evenings but I may book an entertainment on one Thursday a month if I can't book one of the better acts without using a Thursday evening. The popular acts are booked up fast.

Saturdays: On Saturdays there will be a Dance either here or Country Sunshine each week so that you have at least one dance a week and they won’t interfere with each other. Our dances will be on the 1^st and 4^th Saturday so that we avoid the Cookouts and the Golf Parties. Country Sunshine has booked theirs on the 2^nd and 3^rd Saturdays and any fifth Saturdays because their dances are already popular in the community. We will be working on establishing popularity in the community. Therefore, I won’t start out booking bands that are the big ticket bands like The Cruisers or Renaissance Rockers. We’ll build our dances up slowly and see how they go.

February Calendar:

I’m hoping to get the February calendar out to you by the end of next week. I know you want them earlier than you've received them in the past.

Mabel’s Clinic Auction and Biscuit & Gravy Breakfast - Those of you that have been here for a while will notice that we are not going to have the Mabel’s Clinic Auction and Biscuit and Gravy breakfast this season. There has been a lot of problems between the Mexico Board and our Board and several, if not all, of our Board Members have resigned. I’ve talked to as many of the people that I know were involved with the event previously and they unanimously decided that we should just wait this year out and see what happens in the future. All of us are sad that we are not able to help the clinic this year and we hope that at some point relations can be re-established.

Winterfest at Schlitterbahn Beachfront Resort - Schlitterbahn has an annual Music Festival and this year it will be on Wednesday, January 30^th, from 10 AM to 5 PM. The music lineup includes Jeff Gordon, Lobo Del Mar, Diego, Jason Whorlow (the piano man), AbbaFab (the same tribute we have as part of the Encore Tribute Concerts) Tavie’s Rock & Roll and Leslie Blasing. Lee and I have a limited number of discounted tickets available in the Activities Office. Our advance tickets are $20. The at-the-gate tickets are $25. A meal of fish or shrimp basket with cole slaw and hushpuppies is included. Then, if you want to stay for the evening, you can add a resort room for $59 which is a major reduction in the price. Stop in the office if you are interested. It sounds like a great time!   

    

Trips and Outings:

January 29^th – Hilltop Gardens Tour. Lee has a map of how to get to the Gardens if you need it. Just stop in the Activities Office. You can meet in front of the Hall by 8:45 AM and decide who is riding with whom. If you leave here by 9 AM, you will arrive by 9:45 AM at Hilltop Gardens. The cost is $8 per person and there is a signup in the back. You can pay when you arrive at the Gardens. 

February 4th from 2 to 4 PM – Take a cruise on The Southern Wave which is a large, stable and comfortable sailing Catamaran that is perfect for a leisurely day's sail. The on-board Chef prepares a feast of Grilled Shrimp, Chicken and Beef Fajitas and Fresh Fruit. At our last park this was the favorite of all the trips that we sent out. The price is $32 per person and you can pay by check to Sail SPI.  If we get 40 people to go we will fill the boat and two people will go for free. We will draw name for that. You can sign up for this trip today at the back of the Hall and pay then or bring a check on Monday the 21st. We will have someone at the back of the Hall again. Lee also has a map made up that will show you were to go on SPI to take the cruise. Those will be at the back of the Hall. If you have taken one of these trips and it has been over a year or so, they have changed where they are docking so do stop to get the map.

February 13^th at 11 AM – Arrive at Riverside Club in Mission for an hour cruise on the Rio Grande River and then have lunch. The cruise is $11 for seniors. The Captain gives a great deal of information about what you are seeing and about the Border Patrol and how much illegal immigration they are seeing in that area. After the tour, you can choose from their menu at lunch. If you have never had a good tenderloin or never tasted an Iowa tenderloin,  then you must try theirs. They are scrumptious and enormous! Signup in the back of the hall today and you can pay for the trip today with cash or after the meeting next Monday.

ACTIVITY SURVEYS:

If you who are just returning to the park and have not received a Survey, please ask Jeanette in the Business Office for one. We would like your input on what you want from the Activities Department especially in the areas of entertainment and dances. So far, we have quite a lot of people wanting country dances. Then we have several that want a band that plays a mixture. We will listen to the information that we receive from you so make sure you get your surveys in. We’ll be attending the Entertainer Showcases on the 17^th of this month. That’s where we will book everything for next season.

ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK (Jan 14^th – Jan 20th):

January 14th right after the meeting today – We will have a Town Hall meeting. Victoria will be giving you an update on the work that is being done in the park.

At 1 PM (today) – Marlene will be meeting new residents here in the hall. If you have any questions about the park or need more information on the area, Marlene will be able to help you.

January 15^th  from 9 to Noon in the Outback, the Arts and Crafts will be about Acrylic Pouring Techniques. These meetings are every Tuesday between 9 and noon. I will be putting the schedule on the blog for future reference.

Also on the 15th at 7 PM join us for a dance with the Texas Wheels. The tickets are $6 and can be purchased that night. This band is basically country but does mix it up a bit and they will do more rock and roll if it is requested. They are mighty popular. So, if you like country bands, please come and let me know how you like them as I am now booking bands for next season.

January 16^th at 3:30 PM – The Trailer Trash party is on. We have a lot of excited people and it will be a lot of fun. There will be a contest for the best costume (think awful thrift shop outfits) and a prize for the best or worst outfit in this case. Then there will be prizes awarded to all 14 people who decorated their table the best, including the food. Think fried possum or any kind of roadkill, grits, okra and greens etc. You don't really need to cook any of that, just make it look like it. Our Super Solicitor, Marlene will have a great prize for each of you. If you are just arriving and don’t have time to find 12 other friends for your table, just join us at Table No. ?? We might not spend as much time on the décor but we’ll have a good time!  If our table fills up, just start another stray table an invite anyone to join you.. 

On January 17^th, Thursday, Lee and I will be out of the office attending the second Entertainer Showcase and picking out entertainers and bands for next season. We found some great talent at the first session.

Also on the 17^th, there is a Ladies Luncheon and More – Ladies, meet here in the Hall at 10 AM.

At 2:30 PM meet in the Hall for a lively game of Trivia.

January 19^th from 1 to 6, there is a Golf Party here in the Hall and Country Sunshine is having a dance at 7 PM to the Cruisers. They are always a hit with rock & roll fans.

On January 20^th, The Williamson Branch family will be our entertainment.  They are a high energy, high steppin’ show that features a fine-tuned variety of bluegrass, gospel and country music, accentuated by world class Appalachian clog dancing. There was some confusion on the ticket price based on the contract but I talked to them and the ticket price is $8 at the door with no pre-sales.

There are lots of fun things happening this month and I have put the upcoming events on the blog as well as on the park calendar.

VOLUNTEERS:

We need two scorekeepers for the Beer Can Toss at the Trailer Trash Party. Please see Lee in the Office.

We also would like to borrow a Croquet Set and a Ladder Golf Game if any of you have them. We'd like to use these at our Party Under the Palms Event which will be on February 6th - more about this next week.

I will need some early risers to sign people up for the trips. You will have signup sheets and standby sheets when necessary. Also, the volunteers get to sign up for the trips they want first. So there will be a signup sheet for volunteers on the table later today. You will start signing people up at 8 AM so everyone is signed up before the meeting starts. In some cases, you will need to handle money.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 22nd The Chili Cookoff will be at 4 PM and, of course, you can all arrive by 3ish for a Happy Hour. You still have time to enter the contest for this event. Signup at the back of the Hall.

January 23rd from 1-6 PM is Canada Days at the park in the Hall.

January 23rd at 6:30 PM the "In Park" Cribbage Playoffs will be held in the Outback.

January 24th Matinee and evening performances of Abba Fab at Country Sunshine. The Activity Office at Country Sunshine will be selling all the Concert tickets so see them if you haven't purchased a ticket yet and would like one. 

January 25th - Friendly Shuffle

January 26th - Minnesota Brunch in the Hall from 11 to 1:30 PM.

January 27th - Midwest Days Potluck in the Outback at Noon. (Midwest states include: Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Arkansas and Oklahoma) 

February 4th - Trip - Catamaran Cruise at SPI

February 7th - The Day The Music Died Concert at Country Sunshine. For tickets check with Country Sunshine Activity Office.

Cookout

Once a month during the season we have a Cookout followed by Horse Races. Everyone brings their own meat to grill and their own table settings.

RESIDENT VOLUNTEERS

This Horse came along right before the Horse Races were about to start.

A beautiful sunset when we left the party!

Meeting Notes - January 7, 2019

We had a great dance on Saturday evening with High Country. They’ve proved themselves to be a great country band and all of the Southern Comfort people that attended gave them a thumbs up for next season so I’ll try to get them again.

Diego was again a hit at Happy Hour. I was able to get him for one more Happy Hour in February but I am sorry to say that for the rest of this season he is entirely booked up. I’ll be working to get some other good dance entertainment at other Happy Hours in February and March.

We’ve been given a suggestion on the monthly calendar. The individuals suggested that we leave the Country Sunshine events off of our calendar since we get a copy of theirs anyway. They think it is too confusing. We will be posting their posters as well as ours on the board right above where the calendars are set out. So, let’s take a vote. Raise your hands if you want to see Country Sunshine’s entertainment and dances on our calendar as we have done in the past and as they are doing at Country Sunshine? Now how may of you don’t want the Country Sunshine entertainment and dances on our calendar, raise your hands. Okay, going forward, we will just show the Southern Comfort activities on our calendar.

Another Change - Dance and Entertainment Tickets:

After our short time on the job, we’ve decided that we are going to change the way we do ticket sales. We will sell advance tickets only for the special events or events where we need a head count in order to plan for meals. This will save money on ink and paper supplies not to mention our time. We have been throwing away a lot of unused tickets because most of you just show up at the door.

Activity Surveys:

If you who are just returning to the park and have not received a Survey, please take the time to fill one out. If you did not receive one because you are just arriving, Jeanette will have one for you. We would like your input on what you want from the Activities Department especially in the areas of entertainment and dances.  So far, we have quite a lot of people wanting more of Diego and Country Dances. Then we have several that want a band that plays a band that does a Mixture of country and rock and roll. We will listen to the information that we receive from you so make sure you get your surveys in. We’ll be attending the Entertainer Showcases on the 9^th and 17^th of this month. That’s where we will book everything for next season and also some for February and March of this year.

Put a HOLD THAT DATE on your calendar for Valentine’s Day. I am working with some residents in the park right now and once we have everything finalized, I’ll fill you all in. I will tell you that if you like to eat and love to laugh, you won’t want to miss this Valentines Party!

I'm also getting Trips together for February. I'm wondering if any of you would be interested in attending a Killer Bees Hockey Game. There is one on February 5th at 6 PM. It is the Killer Bees vs. the Texas Lawmen. We always found them quite fun, especially when we went in a group. Is anyone interested?

ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK (Jan 7^th – Jan 13th):

January 7^th right after the meeting – We will have a meeting on the status of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) so please stay and find out more about what progress has been made toward getting one in our Hall.

At 10 AM (today) – Merle Norman will be giving facials in the Outback to those ladies that signed up. We want to extend a big Thank You to the Wood Carvers who gave up their room for the women today!

January 8^th – is the Craft Show and if you have not attended before, we also serve breakfast and lunch. The craft show starts at 8 AM and runs until Noon.

Also, on January 8^th, there is a Potluck in the Hall at 5 PM. For those of your that are new, that means arrive around 4 PM for a Happy Hour.  Bring a dish to share with 6 to 8 people and your own dinnerware. Iced Tea will be available, however, if you would rather have something else, then you can bring that also.

On January 9^th, Wednesday, Lee and I will be out of the office attending an Entertainer Showcase and picking out entertainers and bands for next season. We’ll leave there a bit early so that we can join you and help out with the Welcome Back Dinner.

The Welcome Back Dinner starts at 5 PM. For those that are new, this is a free dinner provided by Encore to welcome back our winter residents or Winter Texans as they are referred to here. All residents (Winter Texans or permanent residents) are invited to the party. We will be having Chicken Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and more. Marlene and I will be distributing the tickets at the back of the Hall after this meeting. She will be handing out Lots 1-240 and I will be handing Lots 240 on. If you have just returned, you can sign up and pick up your tickets after the meeting. Greg Jones will be here to entertain us for the Welcome Back Dinner.

January 10^th, Thursday: There is an AARP Driving Course being given in the Outback. If you are an AARP member you will get a $5 discount on the driving course. You may also be able to get a discount on your car insurance by taking this course. Contact your insurance carrier to see if you do.

Also on January 10^th, we will get to enjoy the first of the Encore Tribute Concerts. This one is Paperback Writer which is a tribute to the Beatles. There will be a Matinee performance at 3 PM and an evening performance at 7 PM here at Southern Comfort. If you don’t have tickets yet, contact Country Sunshine to see if tickets are still available.

January 11^th from 1 – 2:30 PM, there is a Golf Signup in the Outback.

Also on January 12^th we can enjoy a Happy Hour at 4 PM, a Cookout at 5 PM and that will be followed at 7 PM with the Horse Races in the Hall.

For the cookout, bring your own meat that will be grilled by our expert grillmasters. Also bring your own dinnerware and BYOB. There is a signup sheet at the back of the hall. As an added bonus, Tom Vanderly will provide music for the event in the Hall. Tom has his own Karaoke equipment and he would love to start a Sing-a-Long or Karaoke group. We are having him at this event to introduce all of you to him. I will be setting him up with a couple of dates on the calendar and see if there is interest in having a regular time for this kind of activity.

On Sunday, January 13^th, at 5 PM there is a Happy Hour followed by Milk Shakes in the Hall. The milkshakes are $1.50 and you can choose chocolate, strawberry or vanilla.

At 7 PM on the 13^th, if you haven’t finished your shake or even if you have, purchase a ticket for the show and enjoy both. Adam Pope and the Rebel Roots. This show is a country/rockabilly show with energetic, thoughtful songs about faith, family, country, humor, a pig and more! It sounds like fun to me! The tickets are $7 and Lee will be selling them after the meeting today in the back of the Hall.

There are lots of fun things happening this month and I have put the upcoming events on the blog as well as on the calendar. Don't forget to sign up for the Trailer Trash Party and we have Texas Wheels coming for our Dance on January 15th at 7 PM. There are basically a country band but they do play some good old rock & roll, especially if it is requested. We'd like you all to check them out and let us know if they are a band you want to see again! 

VOLUNTEERS:

Marlene will need people to help set up for the craft show after Bingo on Monday. She also needs a couple people to sell raffle tickets. One from 8 to 9:30 AM and one from 9:30 to 11 AM. You can see her after the meeting or after Bingo.

Is Roy Heinlen here today? Roy, on January 13th and on the 20th there will be entertainment in the Hall at 7 PM. Would you leave the chairs up after church on those two Sundays. Then we won't need to look for volunteers. 

ENCORE GAMES:

I’m still trying to touch base with all the leaders of the games that are played as part of the Encore Games

Checking back, I see Southern Comfort has been pretty successful in the games we’ve participated in. As I remember Debbie telling us, we just haven’t participated in enough of the games to finish among the top parks in the Valley. That said, don’t be intimidated by our historic high degree of success thinking you are expected to win if you compete. We’ll all cheer you on to do your best. And who knows? You may surprise yourself.

There are some games I know we play here that haven’t had anyone sign up. Like Horseshoes – I know we have horseshoe players here at SC. We need a team of 2 men and 2 women willing to represent us.

Darts is another and we’ve been successful at this one in the past. So the call is out for darts players.

While the finals don’t actually start until the end of the month, we need to order the t-shirts you’re required to wear to compete so the sooner we know who’s representing us, the quicker we can get that process started. Otherwise, we’ll just have to order a selection and hope we can give you one that fits.

 PRESENTATION:

Vicki, can you come up here please. In the spirit of love and laughter, I have something that I want to pass on to you because it really is more in your area of expertise than mine as you are property management and I am merely activities. So, Victoria, this torch is being passed! (The Doggie Poop sign was given to Victoria)

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COMING UP SOON: 

January 14th, 1 PM - There will be a New Bee Meeting (a meeting for new residents) in the Hall.. Cookies and Juice will be served. 

January 15th, 7 PM - We will have a dance with Texas Wheels. The tickets are $6. They are a terrific country band but they also do a bit of rock and roll too. If you haven't heard them, then you are in for a treat. They have a great following and I know you will enjoy them so mark your calendars. We want to hear from you if you want them back.

January 16^th at 3 PM – The Trailer Trash Party. Sign up at the back of the Hall. This will be a hilarious time – can’t wait to see the costumes. If you don’t have one, just stop at a thrift shop in their bargain area! The worse you look, the more chance you have to win the contest. Think dumpster diving! There will also be a prize for the table that wins the contest for the most trashy table including the food. Every person at the table gets a prize. There will be a beer can toss contest and Carlos Canas will be providing music for those that want to dance or just listen.

January 17^th – Ladies, meet in the Hall at 10 AM for the Ladies Lunch & More.

January 20th – Williamson Branch will be here to entertain us. The tickets are $7 in advance and $8 at the door. Nashville-based Williamson Branch is a high energy, high-stepping' show that features a fine-tuned variety of bluegrass, gospel and country music, accentuated by world-class, Appalachian clog dancing. As Pinecastle recording aritists, this family fills every performance with memorable moments of love and laughter. In recent years, audiences from PBS Television to Branson, Dollywood to the legendary Ryman Auditorium (Home of the Grand Ole Opry) have thrilled to the soaring vocal harmonies and sparkling personalities of Williamson Branch!  Types of Music: Bluegrass, Classic Country, Family Band, Gospel, and Variety.

February 5, 2019 at 10 AM – You are invited to check out the new facility for parties and other events. It is Jose’s Cafecito Courtyard at the Cedar House. The address is 114 S 7^th St. in Donna, Texas 78537. Please sign the sheet in the back of the hall so I can let them know how many are coming.