Greetings and Happy New Year, Walton County Snowbird members and future members,.

This has been a busy November and December getting ready for the majority of our winter membership to arrive. Your Board and activity leaders are planning a huge variety of experiences. Did you know we have 34 + separate activities? That means 34 people or teams have been organizing their favorite things to share with you for possibly the busiest, most interesting two or three months of your lives.

First some REALLY important needs:.

1. Our web-master wants to retire. If you like computers we want YOU. There is a dedicated computer if you need one. Betty Swenson, our current cyber genius, will train you to take over this winter.
2. We have a dedicated printer and probably a second in the works for someone who will print things that come up at registration unexpectedly. It is shaping up that one printer will live with you and one at Faith Assembly if I can get it to work.
3. Jeanette Diggins stepped forward at the December meeting to organize the prize committee. We don’t actually have a committee yet, just 5 very nice people who did some collecting for you. They are DONE NOW! We need 5 teams of one or two to collect prizes right away BEFORE the Jan.11^th meeting. The businesses have our letters already! Please call me at 650-5255 or bswitz@cloudnet.com to talk. If you decide it’s not for you ok, but please at least give me a call. This is not hard.
4. Lastly we need someone to step up for 2^nd Vice President. As 2^nd you have light duty as the contact person for ½ of the leaders in case they need something or have questions. You follow into the 1^st VP the next year whom, by the way, has the similar duties as the 2^nd. Then on to President where you are helped daily by the Past President with anything you need and advice when you ask for it. Lastly you become the Past President and help out the incoming Pres. WE NEED THIS CHAIN TO MOVE FORWARD each year, but due to some unexpected occurrences last year it broke and it MUST be re-established.

Well enough of that. You will find the January meeting is full of great possibilities. We have a super lineup of businesses that want you to visit them and hope to entice you for a first try with a variety of offers. Come early to have time to get around the room and greet them. They will arrive at 8:30 or so to set up. The coffee you are enjoying at this meeting is provided by Florida’s Great Northwest – a local organization dedicated to encouraging businesses to locate in the northwest Florida area. Destin United Methodist Church graciously provides it for our Dec. and Feb. meetings. After you are comfortably seated with your beverage enjoy the excellent offerings of Florida’s own favorite son, David Seering. David is a nationally known entertainer sure to please your musical ear.

Remember to wear your badge so you can participate in the door prize drawing. No badge no slip for the box. Let me highlight a few of the educational opportunities you have at your fingertips if you choose. The Center for Life Long learning (CLL) has marvelous classes for a pittance and some lucky member will win free tuition for four classes! Another very lucky person will win a 4 day pass to the winter Chataqua 2012 in Defuniak Springs, ‘A Journey into the American Presidency’. And don’t forget there are many offerings at Northwest Florida College in Niceville and their satelite building in Santa Rosa Beach called Prime Time Learning. All of these are represented at the Jan. 11^th meeting vendor’s area.

While you are at it don’t forget to get raffle tickets supporting the Walton High School Scholarship fund and win a huge basket of goodies including golf, gift certificates and merchandise worth $350+. In addition there will be a really special opportunity to help the scholarship fund with a separate prize – a trip to New Orleans to see the Broadway show The Lion King. The Dinner Dance on Valentine’s night, the ‘Soundsations’ Concert in Feb., and the Ladies’ Luncheon tickets will also be there for you.

We are all glad your plans include the WCSB. Have a wonderful winter on the Emerald Coast.

Bonnie Schwichtenberg, President