Our Winter meeting was held on 13-15 September at the Comfort Inn, East Ellijay, Georgia. Rose Daves did a fantastic job hosting this get-together.
The weather forecast for the weekend was rain, and the thermometer would tip the scale at about 85 degrees. The humidity was predicted to be on the scale of Central Africa.
But, like many forecasts, there was no rain, and the humidity remained in Central Africa.
Rose opened the Hospitality Room Friday afternoon, and a lively group of nine soon filled the space…four members and five ladies.
Ginna Naihe arrived with various meats and cheeses from Pataks Meat Market in Atlanta. Unfortunately, she tripped stepping from the curb and sprained her ankle. The ladies quickly performed triage, but Ginna was immobile for the rest of the evening.
Saturday was shopping day for the ladies, and they left early for the Amish stores and the must-visit Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, a few miles north of Ellijay. Their website is www.mercier-orchards.com.
Lunch was served at noon, and we tried to make a dent in the abundance of food, but it was a challenge with only twelve people eating (the proxies just sat there. They don't participate in lunch).
President Marriott called the meeting to order at 1300 hours. We had a forum using the proxies. Proxies are important for attendance requirements, but, otherwise, they just lay there and say nothing.
The Secretary and the Treasurer gave their reports, which were approved and seconded.
Rose was honored with the Member of the Year award, and Dan Orange was sworn in as Vice President. Dan now wears two hats…Secretary and Vice President.
A discussion was held about the amount of food left over after each meeting. An idea was floated around to do away with the lunch altogether. This idea was discussed with the pros and cons. If there was no lunch, then the $15 per person could be reduced, keep in mind, the munchies on Friday and Saturady have to be paid for. Maybe reduce the hospitality fee to $10/person.
The ladies were the major sticking point in the discussion. There are two functions at our meetings they actively participate in...Lunch and the Auction. In light of this quandary, I mean the Ladies...it was decided to table this item until the next meeting in Knoxville.
We were invited to the American Legion Steak Night at 1800 where we enjoyed a few hours of good food, good beer, and lively conversation...a tip of the beret to the Legionnaires for an outstanding evening.
The Auction was conducted by our sit-in auctioneer, Mitch Greene. Despite being chair-bound from a previous accident, Mitch wheeled, dealed, and pulled every penny possible from the audience’s pockets.
Rose won the Chapter’s first Hotel Room Drawing, a new initiative to encourage meeting participation. The Treasurer gave her a check to pay for her room.
Then came Sunday. We met in the breakfast area to say goodbye to the few. The Proxies continued to say nothing. Their usefulness was long past and they were banished to the trash heap of chapter history.
Our next meeting will be at the Best Western Plus, in Knoxville, Tennessee, on 14-16 February 2025. Information pertaining to this upcoming meeting has been posted on the Chapter’s Bulletin Board, http://www.chapterxxxiii.sfsarge.com/.
As always, Chapter XXXIII welcomes any member of the SFA family to join our meetings. We only ask the guest introduce himself to our President, Henderson Marriott.
A few photos were taken and are placed on this page for your viewing pleasure.
Remember! Our meetings are BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze). Chapter XXXIII no longer furnishes the hard stuff. All alcoholic beverages are the responsibility of each member. The Chapter will provide ice and water.
