Wednesday, February 15th, Morning Meeting News

We went from 956 to 945 residents 

in the park this week.  

The meeting started this morning with the 6th Annual Call of the States Ceremony.  Flags were carried for every state of the union and province.  

Cathy Chapin gave us the totals for the residents of  the top 10 states:

Iowa - 174

Illinois - 172

Missouri - 125

Texas - 106

Michigan - 100

Minnesota - 86

Wisconsin - 61

South Dakota - 41

Ontario - 36

Kansas - 31

North Pole - 2 (surprise guest this morning) 

Look out Iowa Illinois is catching up fast!

Next Season's Reservations: All RV residents (non permanent RV's) who are planning to be back next year should have already come in to the office to put down a deposit for next season.  The switching process has begun.  Residents who stay the longest time getting to switch first.   The following is the schedule.

• Tuesday - 6 month reservations (done)

• Wednesday - 5 month reservations

• Thursday - 4 month reservations

• Friday - 3 month reservations

• Saturday - reservations are open to the public

Advisory Board Nominations:  We asked for nominees for 3 open positions and we received three nominations.  We will announce the new board members on February 22nd.  


Directory Pictures:  Shirley Snell will be available in the Video Room from 10 AM to 11:30 AM during the week to register people who have not yet registered to have their pictures taken for the Directory.  Picture will be taken again on the 24th of this month.  Also, the pictures that were taken in December are available for pick up.  Stop in the Video Room today after 2 or from 10 AM to 11:30 AM during the week.  

The Computer Club is selling the Annual Directory for the 2011-2012 season for $2.  You can buy them in the Business Office.

Notice to Activity Coordinators:  There are several activities that have not yet turned in their green Activity Forms to the Activities Office.  These need to be turned in or your activity will not be on the calendar next year and your time slot will be up for grabs.   

MEDIA SYSTEM:  Progress on purchasing a Media System this year is being made.  The media system will be a permanent installation in Friendship Hall and will have a large automatic retractable screen and high definition (1080 pixel) projector.  You should have received an envelope for donations in your mailbox.    If every resident gave $5, we could get the job done.  Thus far we have received the following in donations:


$ 46 - The Karaoke Group

$365 - From the proceeds of the Valentine's Dance
$160 - 50/50 for the Stained Glass Group 


The totals from the resident donations will be totaled today and we'll update you with the status.  JD said to plan to attend the Red Hat Express as the proceeds from that will also go to the cause.

Entertainment:

• The Alaska String Band will be the entertainment on February 16th at 6 PM.  Cost is $6.

• Red Hat Express will be the entertainment on February 23rd, Thursday night, at 6 PM in Friendship Hall.  Cost is $6.  Remember the proceeds from this will go to pay for the media system!

SOCIAL HOURS:  The entertainment for the Social Hour on February 28th is the Old But Breathing Band.  There is no Social hours on February 21st due to other scheduled activities.


The Variety Show will be held on March 4th at 7 PM in Friendship Hall.  If you would like to be included in the show, there are signup sheets on the Board near the Mail Room.  Penny Vollrath, Lot 310 is the Variety Show Coordinator.  She is still looking for some more talent.  Please sign up on the board in Friendship Hall.  Penny would also like to borrow a 6 x 8 tarp for the show.  If you have one you can loan her, please get in touch with her.

A Celebration of Life Service for residents of Winter Ranch who passed away from January 2010 through January 2012 will be held on February 28th at 1:30 PM.  There will be refreshments after the service.  Please check the listing of residents of Winter Ranch who passed away during 2010 and 2011 that is on the Church Bulletin Board.  If we have missed a resident, please let Jeanine Helmer in Lot 503 know.  We really want to make sure that we don't miss anyone.  




Winter Ranch and Trophy Gardens will have the St. Patrick's Day Doggie Parade on March 17th at 10:00 AM at Doggie Run.  Dress those doggies up in their St. Patrick's Day duds.  

The 50th Anniversary Celebration was held on February 12th.  There were 15 couples celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year and 126 couples who were celebrating more than 50 years or marriage.  It was a great event!  Thanks to Jan and Paul Wilson, the Chairpersons for the event and all the volunteers who made it such a success.


The Billiards players are hosting a fund raiser for new equipment.   A Margarita Party will be held on February 27th at 4 PM.  There is limited seating so please buy your tickets early.  They will be on sale in the Small Hall from 10 to 11 AM each weekday morning.   

The Woodshop Spaghetti Dinner is scheduled for February 21, Tuesday, at 4:30 PM.  Bring your own table service.  Tickets are on sale in the small hall from 10 to 11 AM each weekday morning.


Also, please note that dinner tickets are sold by the sponsoring groups and are not available in the Activities Office.  


The Choir Concert will be held on February 19th, Sunday, at 6 PM in Friendship Hall.


The 2nd annual Charity Golf Scramble will be held on February 17th at 9 AM.  There are still 11 openings.  Signup will be in the Small Hall from Monday through Friday.  Cost is $5 and includes Continental Breakfast and Lunch.  The proceeds from the event will go to the Heart Association.  PLEASE WEAR SOMETHING RED! The contact person for this event is Vicki Miller at Lot 520.  A Dodge Durango (compliments of Burt Ogden) worth $47,000 will be given to the person who makes a hole in one on the 3rd hole!!  If that isn't incentive, we don't know what is.

CanAm Golf  will be held on Wednesday, February 22nd at 10 AM sharp at the Winter Gardens Golf Course.  There will be a total of 45 players from Winter Ranch (23 Americans and 22 Canadians.  (Trophy Gardens will sign up separately.)  With the Trophy Gardens players, we will have a total of 90 players.    Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available. There will also be some "cash prizes" awarded!  Some of the entry fee will go toward new benches for the golf course. If you have questions, contact Dick Degarmo at Lot 26 or Jim Wilson at Lot 341. 

The Can/Am Golf Tournament Parade will start at 8:30 AM and will meet on Coyote Run Street.

The Cowley Sugar House Growers will be presenting a video on February 20th at 9 AM in Friendship Hall.  They will also have a representative available to answer any questions you may have.  There will also be another presentation on March 1st.

State Potlucks:

• Canada on February 26th at 11:30 AM.
• Iowa on February 19th at noon.

BUS TRIP INFORMATION:

February 16, 8:30 AM  Iwo Jima Memorial

February 17,  9AM, Rancho El Charco
February 18, 9:30 AM-4:00 PM Pioneer Ranching Crafts Day in McAllen.  There is a $5 entry free and lunch is on your own.
February 21, 8:45 AM - Resaca de la Palma State Park - There is a $6 park fee and a lunch for $7.
February 22, 9:00 AM - National Butterfly Museum - $5 admission fee and lunch on your own.
February 23, 12:30-4 PM, Border Patrol
February 24, 9:00 AM - Market Days in Brownsville (all day)
Februrary 27, TBD, Port of Brownsville
February 28, Killer Bees Hockey, $10

On Monday, bus trips will be posted for another Winks trip and a basilica trip. 


There are 10 free tickets to the Vipers Game on February 16th that are compliments of Welcome Home Rio Grande Valley.  Please see JD or Lynn in the Activities Office.  It is also possible that there will be some free stock car tickets on Friday.  If they do become available, we will spread the word.

THE ALAMO TEXAS INDEPENDENCE PARADE is an annual event which is celebrated the first Saturday of March at 11:00 AM  It starts at HEB and goes South on Alamo Road and then East on Business 83 to Central Park.  This year the theme is Mardi Gras and Alamo invites people that are interested to participate in the parade.  There is a group in the park that is doing a float.  There is a signup sheet in the hall if you would like to join them.  They are taking donations for candy and beads to throw.  The donation jar is in the Activities Office.

FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER BLOG ADMINISTRATOR:  

I had a lot of requests for a calendar with EVERYTHING on it.  Well, you got it!  There are too many activities to print the whole thing in a calendar format, but you can print it out in Agenda format.  You can choose to look at the full calendar or four other calendars within the total calendar. 

I have also included links to other Winter Ranch park websites and sites that might be of interest to a Winter Texan under the calendar.  

The Wrangler Newsletter is now also available on this blog.  To find the newsletters or older posts on this blog, see the Archives on the left column of this blog.  

I will be offering some classes on using the blog for those that might want them.  Since I've been updating and revising the blog, new directions for using the blog are being printed today and will be available in the Small Hall.


If you have any information that you want to share or pictures for the blog, just e-mail me at blogwinterranch@yahoo.com

Thanks, 

Mary