 Spencer Pride members gathered Sunday afternoon to celebrate a year of accomplishments and to prepare for the new year. Members met at the home of Jonathan and Jacob Balash for the 4th Quarter meeting and Holiday Party. Although the prior week had been filled with a significant amount of snow and ice, the weather did not deter anyone from attending the celebration. Members arrived beginning around 2:00 and socialized with one another, enjoying snacks, tea, and wine.At approximately 3:15, the group gathered to cover the agenda for the meeting, as prepared by Spencer Pride Inc. president Jonathan. For the next 45 minutes, the group discussed the achievements from the past six months. A major source of conversation surrounded our recent approval from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. This designation comes with many new opportunities as well as new requirements for the group. Treasurer Jerry Cross gave a financial update and took questions about the new status. Other topics discussed during the meeting included our recent ability to accept all major credit cards, receipt of our own Spencer Pride Inc. credit cards, the distribution of the winter edition of theSpencer Pride Quarterly, the newly created database for festival management, and an update on sponsors and vendors for the 2011 Spencer Pride Festival. Many other member-driven projects were also reviewed and discussed. The extensive list of activities accomplished since the last festival is due to the strategy that had been developed for the 2011 festival by the membership during the summer months. Once the agenda was complete, the membership gathered around the table for a meal prepared by Jacob. The meal was meat-free (that’s what you get for going to dinner at a vegetarian’s home) and included a field roast, broccoli and cauliflower casserole, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and a large variety of tarts for dessert. Everyone enjoyed the festivities and reminisced on the past year (both Spencer Pride-related and otherwise). Members began leaving at 6:00, but many stayed hours longer and gather in the kitchen to socialize. David Frye, our unofficial photographer, captured the meeting and dinner on film. In January, Spencer Pride Inc. members will begin meeting monthly (instead of quarterly) to begin more in-depth preparation for the 2011 Spencer Pride Festival. |
