Vice-President’s Report

January 17, 2012

2011 Year in Review

This is a report on the Club activities of the past month and a review of the calendar year 2011. To begin with:

Club Events:

We sold over 250 Christmas trees this year.  Giving the last 2 away free on the afternoon of the final day of sales.  Our gross sales from trees was $9,729.33, with a net profit of $4,368.53 in the 34 days of the Christmas tree-selling season. We could not have done any of this without the amazing volunteers who took 3-hour shifts, and longer, to help customers on some very cold and dark nights.  Thanks to Eddie, Marco, Dan F., Joe D., Roneque, Bryan T., John F., Merge, Jason O., Anthony, Dave S. and Board members Misha, Merge, Dave Crisp, Ian, Carla and Jerry. Special thanks to Andy and Sean for disassembling the whole thing and storing it for use again next season.

The Christmas and New Year’s Alkathons were well received and well attended helping the recovery community stay connected during the long holiday season.  Over 700 people attended meetings during the 2 consecutive weekends of the Alkathons.  There was even an article in annarbor.com. about New Year’s sober activities that mentioned the Club’s New Year’s events.

Christmas Day dinner fed 50-60 people with turkey, ham, salads, and side dishes. Thanks to all the hard work and the exercise of culinary mastery by Misha, Rudy, Marco, Ron T., Mike and several others.

On New Year’s Eve, the karaoke lasted into the wee hours as the Club was open all night. About 50-55 people rang in 2012 at midnight with free pizza served by DJ Scott and his minions.

The New Year’s Day smorgasbord fed about 75 hungry football fans and Alkathon attendees.  The game room was packed for the Lion’s game, and great sober fun was had by all, except the losing Lions.  Thanks to Damian, Mike, Dave, Dan, Andy, Sean, Jim and Erik: all those guys in the kitchen and not one food fight…amazing!!!

The Club will be hosting a Winter Dance here on Saturday, January 21st from 8pm-midnight. Free pizza, hot chocolate and snacks will be served.  Music requests are already being taken in the Club lobby on the large poster by the microwave; the Macarena has yet to be suggested, so….. There will also be a 50/50 raffle to raise money to cover the Club’s costs.

Once again, a Super Bowl party at the Club is being planned for Sunday, February 5th and will include a raffle, open AA talk, pizza slices for sale and lots of NFL football.  Come and cheer for your favorite.

“Beginner’s” AA meetings have begun at the Club on Tuesdays thru Thursdays at 5:30pm in Room 2. Thanks to John R. and others for making it happen. Come check out this interesting format; you don’t have to be a newbie to come and share strength, hope and experience.

Staffing:

Joe has moved on and we wish him well; with that we have hired Ken and he is being trained by Sarah and Patrick (thanks to both of you) and seems to be a good fit. Ken will be working 3 evening shifts during the week; stop by and say “Welcome.”

Sue is still taking time off.  We wish her well and a speedy return to the Club. We miss you, Sue.

Facilities:

The mural on the outside wall at the back of the Club (South wall, outside Room 2) has been completed.  “Beautiful”, “inspiring” and “life affirming” are words that have been used to describe this colorful work of art. Thanks to Melissa, a very talented artist, and her crew.  If you have not seen it yet, go outside and take a look.

Finally, the game room slogan, selected last year, “Laughing In Sobriety” has been placed above the windows. It succinctly describes the purpose of the Club’s game room. Thanks to Andy’s carpentry and Mike’s painting prowess.

Patrick replaced the men’s bathroom toilet seat recently; enough said about that but the men of AA are grateful for small comforts.

Fundraising:

The mailing of over 620 letters and flyers to Club members and other friends of the Alano Club on December 10th has raised, as of January 13th, $11,000.00.  All of us involved in this effort are truly awed by the generosity of our friends and the love for the Club that exists in our community.

2011 Year in Review:

Personally, becoming the Vice President has been a year of learning, growth and developing new relationships for me. For all that I am very grateful. Such BS! But it is my truth!

The following are only some of the highlights of year 2011 here at the Washtenaw Alano Club:

• Banner created and displayed in lobby: “Support the Miracle”
• Room 1 slogan painted above windows:“Unity/Service/Recovery”
• Spring clean up with dozens of volunteers making the property beautiful
• Seminars: 3 Driver’s license seminars and a jobs seminar
• Men’s & women’s bath rooms updated and improved (fans, sinks)
• Adopted 2 bus stops in front of Club
• Outside light fixtures improved and all operable
• Renovation/upgrade of outside Club sign due to car crash
• HIV/STD testing free by the Public Health Department (33 people tested in private, given gift cards)
• Super Bowl party and Nancy T. open talk
• VADWAC  outdoor event on Veteran’s Appreciation Day, 50/50, free food , open talk, donation to VA homeless
• Picnic tables repaired and refinished, bonfire pit remodeled
• New cash register purchased and inventory system updated
• Checks and balances, and reasonable business practices,  put in place for handling the business and professional affairs of the Club
• Soberfest returns to Alano Club grounds with live music, food and booths
• CPR training for staff, members and Board members
• Angels Night(2nd annual) with food, DJ music and Jim B. open talk
• Tom Allen extra ordinary service plaque created
• Website (www.washtenawalanoclub.org.) vastly improved: meeting times, events, links, board talk, fun facts, photos, memberships and donations through PayPal
• E-mail news letter sent out to members and friends
• Club Memberships: early in the year memberships, new/renewal, were slow (only 55 in the 8 ½ months between Jan. through mid-Sept.), some employee incentives and free giveaways (ice cream and hotdogs) helped some; then the office staff made a concentrated effort to increase memberships beginning in mid-Sept. and the results have been gratifying, with 74 new/renewals in only 3 ½ months
• Christmas tree sale success, profit of over $4,300
• 3 holiday Alkathons and dinners
• Fundraising: shortly before Thanksgiving a seed was planted by a friend of the Club, that resulted in an amazing flurry of activity that generated a large (over 620 letters and flyers printed and mailed) holiday mailing campaign, and as of January 13th, $11,000 (with costs of approximately $1300) has been raised. 
• Debt retirement:  At the start of 2011, the Club owed a debt of over $24,000 on a line of credit secured by the property as collateral; that debt has now been paid off in full.  The Club now, for the first time in over 3 years, owes only current bills and current payroll.  The financial future of the Club is strong as a result

Muir F.

Board Vice-President

Washtenaw Alano Club