|
April 2008
Welcome to the April 2008 edition of the Southern Spurs newsletter! We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming Georgia Gay Rodeo Association events!
From the President
Howdy all,
 2008 continues to be a great year for GGRA. With our Unsaddled Play-Day event under our belts and fun memories of last weekend's Florida Gay Rodeo fresh in our minds, we are showing a real presence in the larger community. We have a whole slew of great gatherings and events planned over the next few months, as you'll see listed in this newsletter and described in the other board members' letters. By the time Pride rolls around this year, we'll likely be official members of the Atlanta Gay Sports Alliance and can benefit from the good will and allied members of that well-known alliance of gay sports teams.
And here's some more great news - we're already starting to make plans for the return of our own Southern Spurs Rodeo in 2009. It's a great thing, and we want to plan and pull-off our next rodeo in a grand way. But as everyone who has worked on previous rodeos knows, it takes a lot of work and dedication from many different people within GGRA. To pull off a rodeo, we don't just pull in a few animals and hit the dirt. We are creating an entire weekend of well-coordinated activities and entertaining events that should attract and wow folks from Savannah to Seattle. Producing a rodeo and executing it well will cost us a lot of money - we have to have a lot of money in reserve to even put on the rodeo, so we need to start building that reserve now. As we put the wheels in motion for the 2009 GGRA rodeo, we need all of you out there in the GGRA community more than ever!
It may seem early to be dusting off your hats and searching for your old GGRA nametags in the back of that desk drawer, but the time is perfect. If we get rallied now, we have the time to really plan a comeback rodeo that will make us all proud. As part of that, I encourage everyone to come to the General Membership Meeting next Saturday (you'll find the details in this newsletter and on the GGRA website). That meeting will serve as the real launching point for our next rodeo, since it's where you as the general membership will be approving our down-payment for the venue. We'll also be able to fill everyone in on the proposed dates for the rodeo and bid process within IGRA during that meeting.
If you want to get more involved but haven't been sure exactly what there is to do, please let us generally know you're interested, and we'll take the time to talk with you more about your interests. No matter whether you love animals and want to do something with them, or you're a dancer who prefers your competitions to involve two-stepping, or you're an enthusiastic planner with a distaste for getting dirty, there's a rewarding place in the GGRA group and on the Rodeo Roundtable for you.
Our upcoming events like the nights serving drinks at the Eagle, the Lumberjacks weekend and the Miss Cow-Pattie competition are all key for us to make ourselves visible to the community and to raise the necessary money to put on that rodeo everyone wants. We need your attendance and support each step along the way from now until the actual Rodeo itself. Let's come together and make this thing happen!
Thanks,
Brad Bruner
Vice President's Report
 Howdy to all cowboys and cowgirls, and their fans, of the Georgia Gay Rodeo Association from your Vice President. Many new and exciting things have happened over the past couple of months. The indoor play-day was a blast and I hope we can have other similar events like that down the road. And we are having other events that we hope brings our members back out into the community. Best of all, looks like our rodeo is starting to come together for 2009, and so I encourage you all to come to the next general membership meeting. The proposed details will be discussed there for feedback from all members.
I would like to remind everyone of our upcoming bar night at the Atlanta Eagle. Everyone is welcome and we hope to start making a big impact there and all the bars who host us and our events. For this upcoming third Friday of the month in April, on the night of our "bartending", the Eagle is also celebrating its anniversary. Therefore, starting at 10 p.m. they are having: FREE COCKTAILS! That's right, all night long there will be free drinks for all patrons and so we encourage everyone to come out and let loose after a long work week. We also encourage all to tip generously since those funds go towards our rodeo. This gala is only for this month and so lets make an impression. But we also want to remind everyone to not drink and drive. So if you have a few beverages, hang out and wait a while or make other arrangements so that you do not drive.
There are many other exciting things coming down the road and so I hope to catch you all at the next general membership meeting. Don't forget that Pride will be on Independence weekend. We need volunteers to join our various committees and all your help is appreciated. Cowboy (or girl) UP!
Will Fernandez
Treasurer's Report
 In the January 2007 newsletter I reported that GGRA had been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization as a result of our Application for Recognition of Exemption submitted in 2006. After review of our application, the IRS granted us the original designation on a provisional basis. At the end of the fifth year from when an organization was granted such status (in GGRA's case it was retroactive to our formation in December 2003), the organization must submit paperwork to the IRS showing that we are a publicly supported charity as we had shown in our original application. GGRA submitted that paperwork to the IRS on March 31 and we are now awaiting word from the IRS as to whether we will be granted permanent status as a 501(c)(3) organization. I will keep everyone posted.
Right now, GGRA has $9,300 in its bank account. The minimum amount we need in our account before we even begin to raise funds for production of a rodeo (many people refer to this as GGRA's "seed fund") is $25,000. Having this seed fund ensures that if something catastrophic would happen on rodeo weekend (e.g., bad weather which caused us to cancel the event), we would still be able to meet our contractual obligations such as the stock contractor, rodeo grounds, ambulance service, etc. In other words, it's a safety cushion.
Recently at the Indoor Playday, GGRA took in over $1,100! From a fundraising standpoint, this event was a rousing success. That's a good deal of money to be raised for our rodeo - and ultimately our charities - in just one evening. In order to build up the $25,000 seed fund and be able to raise the additional $75,000 to $100,000 it takes to put on a rodeo, GGRA will need to keep this momentum moving for the next year and a half. My congratulations to GGRA for such a successful first event of 2008! It will be important for members to step to the plate and help make future events as successful (if not more!) and ultimately ensure that we will be able to host a 2009 rodeo.
Drew Smith
From the Secretary
 Wow! It's April already! Time flies when you start planning a rodeo. My name is Michele Cullom and I am the Secretary for GGRA. My responsibilities are pretty basic; but this association is anything but basic. We are a dynamic group of people trying to pump some life, money and energy into GGRA while we plan a rodeo for the fall of 2009.
We can not do this alone. It is going to take more then eight of us to pull off such a great event. Personally, we all have a lot going on in our non-work lives. Such as myself, I am an active community member, working on planning East Lake's first garden tour in May of this year, I am on a committee to plan a memorial garden before this fall, I tutor at a local school once a week and volunteer monthly for a peace center in the city.
Enough about me, how can you help GGRA? Get involved. Come to a meeting. Send an e-mail. Make some contacts to help run a really cool rodeo. Don't be shy. You may find you are a true cowboy or cowgirl at heart.
Michele Cullom
Rodeo Director's Report
 The Southern Spurs Rodeo rides again?!?! Yes it's time to start planning for the next Rodeo. We will be voting on the dates for the 2009 Southern Spurs Rodeo at the General Membership meeting on April 19, 2009. The Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers has availability for October 2-4, 2009. As many of you may know this is the facility that housed the equestrian events for the 1996 Olympics.
There are several advantages to this facility as well as the dates. First, we have a very good relationship with them. We have held the Southern Spurs there since 1999, and they are very excited to have us return. Second, the facility is one of the best on the IGRA circuit. We have a covered arena with convenient facilities that meet pretty much all of our needs and wants to host a rodeo. Third, the dates are very good for us. It is the same weekend as the Las Vegas rodeo. However, rodeos on opposite sides of the country rarely have a problem attracting competitors to each. Both rodeos will also be the last ones before IGRA Finals for 2009. This is a good place to be in to attract competitors and spectators alike. Lastly, the weather in October should be great in Georgia to hold a rodeo.
It takes a lot to host a rodeo, that's where everyone comes in. This vote will commit GGRA to host a 2009 rodeo. We will have to give the Horse Park a deposit and down payment in order to reserve those dates totaling $1250.00. Also, GGRA will have to submit a bid to IGRA in October at Convention along with $600.00. I am asking for a vote on both fees so that we can reserve the horse park and go ahead with preparations to submit our IGRA bid. We will also be committing to raise a large sum of money to put this rodeo on. I KNOW WE CAN DO IT!! I will have much more information at the meeting. I will also be more than happy to answer any questions you may have concerning the rodeo, its costs and/or the upcoming vote at the general membership meeting.
Sam Polk
Country Western Camping Weekend
Lumberjacks campground is hosting a Country and Western Weekend on April 25-27, 2008. The campground is located in South Georgia near Unadilla. It has tent camping sites, RV sites and several different cabin options. Amenities include a heated swimming pool, hot tub, pool side bar, restaurant, nightclub and leather/novelty shop. We would like to get a large group together to go for the weekend. We are working with the campground to possibly do some fundraising and/or play-day type events during the weekend to promote GGRA. |
From Your Member-at-Large
 The GGRA had a great presence at the Sunshine Stampede Rodeo hosted by FGRA. We had seven attendees with three volunteers and two contestants. It was an exciting and informative event. We got to see first hand how the machine we call a rodeo operates. Some of us for the very first time. Everyone at the FGRA worked together and made it a memorable event.
In light of what I saw, we really need to start getting things moving for our rodeo which is tentatively scheduled for October 2009! I urge all members to attend the meeting next Saturday at Jasons Deli in Midtown to vote on the dates and the allocation of the funds to get this juggernaut in motion.
I can't begin to describe to you the fun and excitement that the rodeo generates in the community! If you are a member and have not been active, please come and become an active part of YOUR association. If you are not yet a member or have friends who have shown interest I ask you to come on down or bring your friends. It is going to take all of us to make this work. I look forward to meeting you all and working with you to make our rodeo the best on the circuit!
Please keep in mind our up coming events. The camping weekend at Lumberjacks Campground 25th - 27th and the Miss Cowpatty pageant June 7th at the Wild Mustang. More details on Miss Cowpatty to come.
Thank you all for your participation and interest in the rodeo! Now, lets Cowboy and Cowgirl up and get this show on the road!!
Richard Wilson
Trustee's Report
What a blast we had in Fort Lauderdale! Thanks to our friends from FGRA for hosting such a wonderful rodeo. They had over 4,600 folks attend the rodeo on Saturday and Sunday, so that makes it the best attended rodeo on the IGRA ciruit!
Speaking of IGRA rodeos, the inaugural Liberty Stampede is taking place in Philadelphia, PA on May 9-11. I know for a fact they are busting their butts to put on a terific rodeo, so if you can make it, head up to Pennsylvania and support LGRA!
I heard while in Florida that rooms for IGRA Annual Convention are going fast. This year's event is being hosted by our newest association, Louisiana State Gay Rodeo Association (LSGRA). Convention will be in New Orleans over Halloweeen weekend, so make plans now to join your rodeo friends from across North America.
I look forward to seeing you out on the circuit!
Don Harris
Get Ready for Miss Cowpatty 2008!
 Hello! First I would like to say Thank You for allowing me to be the host for the 2008 Miss Cowpatty Pageant. I hope that is year will be a fun and exciting time. For those of you that do not know me allow me to introduce myself to you, I am MISS UMA STEPHENS. I come to you from the Sunshine State by the way of Tampa, Florida. Raising money for charity is not something that is new for me, as I have been fortunate to win five titles back in Tampa which helped open doors for me to perform at local charity events. I am so happy that I can bring my talent here to help GGRA. But enough about me... here is what I need from you.
As you know, Miss Cowpatty is a fun charity event to raise money for the GGRA charities along with raising the money need to bring the rodeo back to Atlanta in 2009. In my short time here in Atlanta I have heard lots of interest in when the rodeo will be held again, Well folks we can not do this with out your help. As you know it takes money to put on a large venue such as this.
So with that in mind we need contestants for this years event. So imagine MORE CONTESTANTS in Miss Cowpatty = MORE MONEY RAISED TO BRING THE RODEO BACK it is really that simple.
This year's theme is A TRAILER PARK SOCIAL, camp drag at its best. The date is set for June 7, 2008; starting time is 7:00 p.m. at the Wild Mustang. There are three fun judged categories and one simple non judged category:
Non Judged
- Presentation this is where the audience gets to see you first so think of something fun and trailer park trashy to wear to say HI to the nice folks
Judged
- Evening wear ( think, now what would the hooker down in lot 69 wear, and you have your evening wear)
- Talent (5 minute max with a 1min set up and 1 min break down time)
- Question and Answer.
There is a $20.00 entry fee.
So now watch the latest Jerry Springer Show and get ready to compete for the title of MISS COWPATTY 2008.
I hope to see you there!
If you have any questions or wish to let me know that you want to compete you may email me at
MISS UMA STEPHENS
(James Bowman)
|
