...where were we?...Oh, yeah...
..."Our next item of business is our...Critter Cookout"..."Again?"..."No, we need to talk about the Easter Egg Hunt"...
..."according to Doug Perry, the Mayor"..."I thought he was the Governor"..."No, he's been demoted to Mayor...They don't need anything from the Mountain Ranger Association as far as candy, eggs, hiding the eggs...but I may be contacted by Doug Perry later that we need hamburgers and hot dogs"...Pete Anderson, "I always have cooked for the Egg Hunt"...Al, "I understand that...right now they're getting everything from Ft. Benning...question?"...
...Club Manager, Sgt Fuller, saying he's the conduit right now and a Capt Lemon is the OIC with Benning who hasn't yet said that they'll support the Camp, but they don't want to burn a bridge with may be a continued possible source of support...
...Steve Hawk included that he talked with our old sponsor for such events, WalMart, and the manager is as willing as ever to provide us with whatever we need...mention of "catching him in a good mood" and some talk about learning how to grease the wheels by various methods of persuasion from those who will remain anonymous..."manager getting laid earlier"...
...the Ranger, Sgt Fuller, Club Manager needs a "drop dead date" that we need from the XO is a week before March 31...
...Steve explains how this has been done in the past and all that we've provided in the past...drinks, eggs, cokes, volunteers from the High School and Pete and Al and Tammy to cook...
...Steve Hawk talks about the other activities that we've helped the Camp with and offers to help where we can, even the pogey bait confiscated to provide two pick up loads for the kids...Sgt Fuller talks of how much stuff the gets...Al talks of the little kids enjoying the big eggs in little baskets...
...Al, "we done with that?...Let's move on...Critter Cookout, major event coming up!"...Steve, "Well, wait just a minute, let's go back...we got..."...Brian Cunningham,"signs for the planning bays and scholarships"..."for 2012, these are the names I have, "Tony Delp, Steve Bishop, Scott Ozwald, Ronald McElliott, Dean Papka and Jerry Roberts"...for the Planning Bay Signs...Bob Suchke makes a motion that we accept these names for the Planning Bays, seconded by Sunny...murmuring usually goes on here which is "discussion" but not official discussion as when Al calls Bob and Sunny to order for talking together when someone else officially has the floor...then Brian, "you want me to explain the criteria?"..."yeah"...Steve Bishop says his class date was 11-70 and Brian reads 11-72...Steve denigrates himself by saying he's a "numbnuts"...
...Brian Cunningham, "All the criteria for this has been on the website for how many years, Bob?"...Bob Williams, WebMaster, "6 or 7"...Brian goes on to rehash about "being here at the Camp as an RI and in time, being a member of good standing with the USMRA, your name will be placed on one of the six planning bays and remain there for a year", so each year Brian "goes down the list of the membership that Bob provides me with and if I see on there 2d Ranger Company or MRD; we're not to 5th Ranger Battalion yet, but you see the point?...If I see that, I make a mark and each year I take the next six marks"...
...Bob Suchke, "the motion has been made and seconded'...now it's time to call for a vote"...Al, "Can we have a vote?...someone make a motion"...Sunny explains "we've had a motion and second and now you can call for a vote"...Al, "Good, all in favor?"..."All opposed"...some didn't vote but the ones who did weren't opposed...
..."Scholarships"...Brian Cunningham, "It's now February the second and I have not received any applications for scholarships...none...all the information is on the website, just follow the links...details are on the website and I need these by the end of March"...Steve Hawk knows of a few that may be eligible, and Brian asks for a complete packet and leave the personal info off..."I do not need an official high school transcript; the essay is the biggest part of this"...
...Steve Hawk, "Bob, you've got something for us"...Bob Williams, "Yes, this is the traditional meeting where we establish the six names for the Fallen Ranger Memorial, and so far I have 3"..."Col Bo Baker, submitted by James Roach and I have all the stuff for that"..."Eric McGinnis"...Steve Hawk, "I'm waiting on his brother to send me a picture"...Bob, "and Johnny Cradich, a friend of mine Mark Bayless has nominated him"..."that's all I got right now"...
...Steve Bishop, "I'm not a good writer but Col Tom Terrell has got to be on there"...Steve Hawk, "Did he die?"..."Yeah, several months ago"...Steve Bishop, "Hey Bob can you handle that?"...Bob Suchke, "I nominate Tom Terrell for the Fallen Ranger Memorial"..."I second it", Steve Bishop...
...Bob Williams, "That's a great thing...sometimes I get these names saying I need to put him on the Fallen Ranger Memorial and they say I can go onto the internet and find it"..."I aint going onto the internet and finding it!"...Al, "What about Tom Brock?...anyone know about Tom Brock?", "Tom Brock's dead??"..."Yeah, anyone know of Tom Brock?...Tom Brock, He walked my final eval in Utah, at Dugway but Tom Brock doesn't have any family in the AO for information"...Brian Cunningham, "You can always work on it for next year"...Al, "Tom Brock was a significant RI up here on the 33 Committee"...Steve Hawk, "He was also TAC at Benning, for forever"...
...Bob Williams, "the thing is, I don't know how many patrols I walked with Tom Brock, good thing I don't know, but I know him well"..."The thing is, a couple of times I've been embarassed, trusting people that I would get the information in...a couple of times, you go back to their webpage and nothing's there...I will not let that happen again; I'm the one that puts that stuff up there and if I don't have the stuff that goes with the name, then I'm not going to submit the name to Steve to get the sign made"..."I've been here when the family's here and nothing's there and it's just downright embarassing; I'm not going to do that anymore"...
...Bob, "Here's what I can do...contact Tom Wilburn because he...knows a lot of guys who are dead, KIA or whatever...I can do that and fill in the other two names and if you don't have anyone here tonight that you want to nominate...everybody knows it happens, I think I sent it out around Christmas"...some talk to Jerry about talking to Tom for two names...
...Bob, "I can get some signs that are fiberglas in no time"...Steve talks about how long it takes and the process involved in getting signs made...Bob knows a guy who will do them pretty much for cost, $14 and Steve says that's cheaper and much quicker than what we already pay...Bob ends with "Everybody good with that?"...
...Bob, "I got another thing I want to mention, Critter Cookout, Open House oriented...there's been considerable negative comments about the tee shirt at the last few Open Houses, so I talk with Kelly Hyde who did our original image and"...passes out some papers with copy of new design..."this is what I propose that we use"..."You'll notice at the top it has 2012 and if no one else wants to do it I'll take chaarge in getting those tee shirts, I suggest we get a certain number of images with 2012 but most without that number so we have any leftovers without a number...It has a gold background and we've never had one with that color"...Al, "Better than that hotdog"...Steve Hawk, "Will it be a tee shirt or pullover?"...Bob, "I assume it will be tee shirts even XXX for some"...Steve Bishop, "Everybody's not Omar the TentMaker here so"...Bob, "Next meeting we'll determine how many and what sizes to order for some of you bigger guys and what size you wear"...Steve Hawk, "It never fails that ordering the number and sizes"...Bob, "I know it's a crapshoot"...Steve Bishop suggests preordering at the April meeting for how many you want with the date on it, paying on the spot...seems a good idea...
...Sunny Bragg, "Hey, what about reversing the way the shirt is?...Mountain Ranger Association on the top and Cookout on the bottom...that's simple!...there's your answer right there!...You don't lose who we are!"...Bob, "I just go with what they voted on"...Al, "we're good"...
...Mountain Ranger Association Coin Sales with Bob Suchke reporting of having some sales and determining whether we need more, but he thinks we're in good shape...
...Ranger Bischoff took the floor to introduce himself as managing the Club here in '63...telling us some of his stories from his time...First 2nd Lt to TAC a Ranger Class, March of '65...
...Dan Lukey, a guest, said he liked being among us, a fireman from Miami riding with Bob over here...
...Chuck Wyndham was recognized for his wife's great beans at our October meeting...DJ was up from the city, looking sober and alive...Tom Joyner here 3 of 4 last meetings...Craig Polsen?...close enough...Steve Hawk talked about spending time with him under a pool table...
...we need to touch on the CCO...Steve Bishop and Ted Tilson are in charge and Al tells of wild meat being in short supply but some hogs from Benning are promised...Al says the Capt Dunn, POC for OIC for Open House...the tent will not be behind the Club because the Ranger Run is being at the same time with vendors having their tents where our cots used to be...we're starting around 1700 in serving...Bob has an idea of banding members and families...A live band over on the end of Mosby and we don't want those folks coming in to eat our food...Bob's idea is for a number of tickets for members and guest and offer tickets for sale as a fundraiser for those not associated with us or the MRC...discussion on how many people and how much food...questions galore and general talking about it from Pete, Al, Brian, Steve Hawk...the Flicker Ball field in April, with 4 kinds of water and wind that day, was remembered; Pen Cove...
...Steve Hawk, "I don't know of a perfect solution to solve this but ask for a donation if the food runs out or we have hot dogs and hamburgers for those who don't get critters can still eat'...a salami looks like elk penis...Steve Hawk...Keith Antonio suggests we ask for a donation and not a specific amount, so we may get $20 or $10 instead and Ranger Bischoff said we slap em up side the head if they give less than $5...
...Al, "Jimmy Phelps can cook 300 trout in an hour, 125 lbs of chicken wings in 30 minutes and we'll still bring our fryers, and the next day Jimmy Phelps buddy has a smoker we can fit two pigs in, and Joe Amerling has a big grill"..."Can we cook at the Basketball Area back around the gym?"...good mumbling all around, getting the Mayor to talk the Camp to get our cooking set up by the gym...Steve B talks of room for a big tent by the gym, Al has to go to the john...
...Steve Bishop, "we need to nail this down"...Steve Hawk has a motion and a second to move the cooking area to out of where it has been, beside the Etoway and Mosby, to up around the Gymnasium that will allow us some distance from the crowds who aren't aware of this CCO being exclusive for Club Members, their friends and family...Someone talks about the snake show being up in the gym and Steve Hawk says, "that's good, they won't have so far to go, just crawl right up here on the grill here"...
...Steve Hawk, "Anything else?"...question about a fire pit being built outside the Club, but according to Doug Perry, Al says a couple years ago a couple of guys fell asleep too near the fire and melted their boots to their feet...one got up on his knees and all the civilians are wandering the Camp, and the young Ranger got up on his knees to relieve himself and was talking to Steve Bishop, and Steve Hawk says, "if he falls in the fire, I'll pull him out, but I'm not putting it away."...Steve Bishop confirms it as a war story...
...Bob Suchke asks if the climate's suitable so that we can get a fire pit again but according to Doug, as Steve Hawk says, "we can always ask and if they give us any trouble I can tell them I had a stroke"...mistreating a poor veteran...
..."Is the license plate deal out?"...Steve Hawk, "the last time I talked with our representative, he said the biggest issue going in right now is you got everybody and their brother...we even got Georgia tags with Florida on them"..."Alabama"...but we got two new guys going in and it's not forgotten, I'm still working on it, I just don't know...have you not seen all the new Georgia tags they got out lately?...if a nun gets a psychic moment, they got a tag going for that"...
...Steve Hawk, speaking of nuns, I got a story..."Nun comes walking out of a convenience store with a six pack, and a few minutes later another nun comes out with another six pack and heads around to the back of the store too...I get interested and go around and ask them, "Ladies are y'all all right?...and they go, 'oh, yeah, yeah'...and I said, "I know you're Catholic and can drink but out in public and stuff like that?"...'oh, it's for the Mother Superior's constipation'..."it is?!"...'yeah, won't she sh*t when she sees us?'...
...Steve B offers the idea of the load out area up around towards Black Farms Road, an acre and a half, that can be used if needed for the Association, but Steve Hawk says we are included in all the information about the Open House that the Camp puts out...
...one hour and fifteen minutes into it, a motion to close is asked for, given by Bob Suchke, and seconded by Steve Bishop...no opposition to close...til next month...
...respectfully submitted,
...Mark, S1
