Sunday, November 14, 2021

Message to All Members - November 2021

 Message to All Members 


Novenber 2021


There is much going on.  We are changing things a little to safely conduct our events.  I’ll outline some of those changes in this message but encourage you to check our website, www.waltoncountysnowbirds.com on a regular basis. 

 Dues

Unfortunately, we have found the need to increase our dues to $20 per member.  We know this is a significant increase but hope you understand the impact a year without any revenue had on the Club’s finances.  Even though we did not meet, some costs such as the Directors and Officers Insurance and the Bonding Insurance were necessary to maintain.  We’ve also had some changes to Storage that caused it to not be self-supporting last year.  We hope we can remedy this situation this year.  We’ve always had a General Liability Insurance policy and opted to let that lapse last year to save money.  However, now as we request bids for a new policy, we find the price has increased.  Thank you for understanding. 

 Registrations

In December, we will have Registration on Monday, December 6, 2021, at Faith Assembly.  Several of the activity leaders will not be at this registration as they will not arrive until January 1, 2022.  To encourage social distancing, we are trying to reduce the number of people present at one time.  We also encourage members to wear masks at all in person meetings. We’d like to use the following schedule; however, if your timeframe doesn’t work, come any time.  We won’t turn anyone away.                  

8:30 –   9:00       Last Names Begin with A-F    
9:00 –   9:30       Last Names Begin with G-L
9:30 –  10:00      Last Names Begin with M-R 
10:00 – 10:30     Last Names Begin with S-Z

 The first week of January will bring two registrations—Monday, January 3, 2022 and Friday, January 7, 2022.  Since these are usually bigger registrations, we will follow a slightly different schedule.  This schedule will be:

                          8:30 -  9:00    Last Names Begin with A-E
                         9:00 -  9:30     Last Names Begin with F-J
                         9:30 - 10:00   Last Names Begin with K-O
                        10:00 -10:30    Last Names Begin with P-T
                        10:30 -11:00   Last Names Begin with U-Z

The schedule for the balance of the Registrations will be the same as the December schedule. 

 Meetings

There will be a meeting at Saint Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church, 307 Harbor Blvd., Destin.  This will be held Thursday, December 9, at 10:00 am.  We will not have vendors at this meeting but are working to have entertainment and door prizes.  If you are in Destin, we hope to see you!  The Annual Business Meeting will be held at this same location on Thursday, February 24, 2022. 

 The balance of the General Meetings will be held at the Destin United Methodist Church, 200 Beach Dr, Destin.  These meetings will be held at 10:00 am, on Thursdays, January 13, January 27 and February 10.  We will have vendors beginning at 9:00 am. 

 Vacancies

We do have several vacancies to be filled.  We are hopeful volunteers will step forward to help. The Club operates on the efforts of our members. Volunteers are vital to our future. 

 Vendor Coordinator: 

We have an immediate need for someone to organize the Vendors at the General Meetings.  This involves communicating via phone, e-mail or text with those vendors who wish to display their products or give samples at the three General Meetings. On meeting days, this volunteer will assign the vendors to tables.  We are in the process of sending letters to all vendors and asking that they contact me, if they would like to be present at the General Meetings.   This position will also send initial letters to businesses/potential vendors  in the future.  

 
Storage Coordinator:

 Bruce Blundell, our current Storage Coordinator, is resigning effective March 31, 2022.  We need one or two people to take the lead from Bruce.  Ideally, this person(s) will start in January so that they can learn from Bruce and be ready to take over April 1.  There is very little activity after March 31, so the bulk of the business is from December 1 – March 31.  Please feel free to contact Bruce (cuzin46@gmail.com) to discuss this further.

 Webmaster:

This position/person manages the website and works in tandem with our Communications Officer to keep all information up to date/as current as possible.  

 Co-Treasurer,Board of Directors:

Currently, we know of one Board vacancy for the 2022-2023 season.  That is Co-Treasurer, and this person will replace Lana Martin.  This position does not require the use of Quick Books but does require the person to negotiate with the insurance and storage facilities as well as help with the bank deposits, writing checks, etc.  Lana’s term will expire April 30, 2022.  Ideally, she will have a chance to work with her replacement this year. 

 A huge thank you all our volunteers.  You are so important to the success of our Club!  We will post all vacancies on the website as they arise. 

 I look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Donna Reed, President


Sunday, October 17, 2021

Message to All Members - October 15, 2021

Message to All Members 

October 15, 2021

    Let me begin by apologizing for all the confusion. It is and will continue to be an unpredictable year. Please bear with us as this is a year that we cannot plan as well as we’d like. However, with that said, we will have a season. After further research we have learned that Florida’s statute banning various entities from requiring proof of vaccination and mandating mask wearing does apply to not-for-profits such as our club. Therefore, we will not be able to enact rules along these lines. However, the health and safety of our members is utmost in our minds. We will take steps such as encouraging the wearing of masks and social distancing as well as placing hand sanitizers, etc. around meeting areas. We do plan to live stream the General Meetings for those who cannot or choose not to attend in person. We are looking at other opportunities to employ technology when possible. 

    We will keep you updated as decisions are made, and the situation evolves. Please check our website www.waltoncountysnowbirds.com for updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these challenging times. Most importantly, stay healthy! 

Donna Reed

President Walton County Snowbirds, Inc.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Message to All Members Oct 6 2021

 

Message to All Members

October 6, 2021

 

I hope everyone is well and planning for their winter in Destin/Miramar Beach.  The Walton County Snowbird Board did meet this past week and made several decisions.  While there are many details to be worked out, I’ll summarize the highlights.  We will offer both in-person and streaming options for General Meetings and both in-person and online options for Registration. We will follow CDC guidelines as far as social distancing when inside (and outside, if crowded).  In order to get a name badge, members must provide proof of vaccination.  The name badge must be presented to enter any Snowbird gathering. We will also require that masks be worn inside.  We will provide hand sanitizers and other sanitation supplies to ensure as safe an environment as possible.  We will work with the individual activity leaders to ensure the safest environment their activity allows.  We want our activities to be conducted but member safety is of the utmost importance. 

 

Other news is that we will be meeting at the Destin United Methodist Church once again.  I am excited about this as it really does fit our needs.  However, their pre-school uses the gymnasium area on Wednesdays so we will hold our general meetings on Thursdays. 

 

There are changes at the Santa Rosa Community Church as well.  They have a daycare/pre-school and there is now a state statute that outsiders are not allowed in the building while the school is in session.  As a result, they’ve asked that we not enter the building until 3:00 pm.  Co-1st Vice-Presidents Jan & Len Hoover are working with the impacted activity leaders to relocate to a more convenient time or another location. 

 

As you can see, there are many details to be worked out between now and December 1.  We will provide updates on the website as they occur, and I will continue to update you via e-mail after each meeting.

 

We look forward to seeing you in December or January. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy.

 

Donna Reed

Monday, August 30, 2021

2021-2022 Snowbird Season Update

 

Walton County Snowbirds

August Update

 

We hope that everyone had a good summer.  We’ve missed seeing you over the past year and are hopeful that we will see you this winter.  The Snowbird Board did meet this past week and decided to move forward with a 2021-2022 season.  We don’t know what this season will look like regarding General Meetings, Registration and Activities.  We are concerned that some events cannot be conducted in a safe and responsible manner.  Over the next month we will watch both the CDC guidance and Florida Covid statistics. We will explore streaming general meetings vs. the traditional in-person meetings.  We are considering online registration packages while having smaller in-person registration events for those choosing to not use online options. There are many technological options available to us and we want to explore them. Please let us assure you that no decisions have been made at this time.  When decisions are made, it will be with the best interests of our members in mind. 

 

The Board will meet again on September 30,2021.  We plan to make decisions at that time. If you have suggestions, please feel free to share them.  We’d love to hear from you.  You may submit your ideas through our website or to me directly at dsue1501@msn.com.  We can’t wait to see you.

 

Donna Reed, President

Walton County Snowbirds

Friday, February 12, 2021

From the President's Desk - February 2021

President’s Message

February 2021

 I hope everyone is safe and healthy.  I know many of you chose to not make the trek to Destin this winter.  It has been different for those who did.  Mask-wearing is optional in many places, including restaurants, and there are few COVID-related rules.  Nonetheless, we’ve been able to gather outside with a few friends and stay safe.  I am hopeful that the Club will meet again next year.  With this in mind, the Board is preparing for next season just as we always do.  I have a few announcements for all members. 

 Social Media

Why do you go to Destin?  Are you inspired by the beautiful white sand beaches and the crystal clear blue water? Are the many and varied Snowbird activities part of the reason? 

We need your creative talents!  We are looking to increase our social media presence and want to start with a logo that is an attention grabber and shows others what the Walton County Snowbirds are about and why we return every year. 
 
If you have an idea, just sketch it out and submit it to dsue1501@msn.com by March 31, 2021.  We would love to see your creative ideas and there will be a small prize for the chosen artwork.

Storage

  Everyone who has removed their items from storage, must return them by March 30, 2021.  The member who has helped with drop off after the end of March, or with pick up before November 1, has decided to retire.  This means there will be no access to storage from March 30, 2021 to November 1, 2021.  I know this may inconvenience some of you and we are trying to find a replacement.  In the meantime, I apologize. 

Volunteer Vacancies

 Co-1st Vice Presidents Len & Jan Hoover are currently contacting all activity leaders to see if they plan to return and to lead their activity.  We will have an update on that at a later date.  However, we do know that we need volunteers for the following roles:

 Webmaster – our current webmaster has been trying to retire for a few years now and really does want to move away from the role.  If we have anyone with this skill set who is interested in dedicating a few hours, we need you!

 50/50 Raffle Chair – We need someone to run the 50/50 Raffle at each meeting.  There is a great group of support staff who will help but we need someone willing to lead.  This involves attending each meeting, ensuring the tickets are sold, counting the money and determining the prize amounts. 

 Vendors Chair – We need someone as a contact point for the vendors who attend our meetings. This person would identify the vendors who will be in attendance and deal with any concerns the vendors may have.  They would need to be at each meeting at least an hour early to greet the vendors when they arrive and assign them a table.

 Storage – The current Storage Chair has agreed to stay on through the 2021-2022 season and then step aside.  It is desirable to have someone in place while he is still chair so they can learn the job responsibilities. 

 
If you are interested in more information about any of these vacancies, or if you would like to volunteer, please contact me:

            DONNA REED
            dsue1501@msn.com
            C: 703-969-4926

Stay safe and healthy everyone!  We are looking forward to seeing you next snowbird season!

Donna Reed
President

Walton County Snowbirds 

Monday, February 8, 2021

Storage Update - Any items to be stored for 2021 MUST be returned to the Storage Facility by March 30, 2021

 Storage Update - Any items to be stored for 2021 MUST be returned to the Storage Facility by March 30, 2021 

The volunteers who used to work at the storage facility and accept items for storage after March 30 have retired and we can no longer provide that service.

Contact a board member if you could fill that role.


Here is a link to the website - go to the Storage page for details.  CLICK HERE