Hey, PrimeTimers!

Yes, it’s summer time ~ hope your livin’ is easy!  I know that many of you have been or are planning to be out of town & country for various amounts of time this summer.  I wish you all safe travels; and for those of you in Austin, I hope that Texas may have cooled down enough for you to enjoy the outdoors with something less than triple-digit temperatures! As for me, I’m sitting on the sundeck of our boat in a marina on the Severn River in Virginia, enjoying a great view of the water and a beautiful breeze.

Some of you may know that I was in town briefly on the last weekend in June, mainly to attend our Event Organizer Happy Hour Experience at The Dogwood where we enjoyed games and activities that helped us get to know a little more about each other.  We also exchanged ideas about how we can encourage more of our members to participate and become event hosts and organizers. The time flew by, and I th ank the Leadership Team their hard work in planning and preparing for this workshop. If you missed this one, we will be having another ‘Happy Hour Experience” in the fall. Here are some of our take-aways:

1.  The more hosts and organizers we have, the more variety we will have in the kinds of Meetup events we offer. ( seems obvious, but maybe not to all!)

2.Experienced hosts commented that they find hosting enjoyable and rewarding—a great way to get out of the house and meet people!

3. If there is something you enjoy doing—you can be sure that someone would like to join you!

4. Although hosting an event can be intimidating at first, it can be made easier with the help of a co-host who has experience—a team leader or an Event Organizer. You CAN take baby steps!

5. Size doesn’t matter—many people prefer smaller Meetups because the participants have a chance to become better acquainted.

6.  We need more men event hosts!

EVERYONE in PrimeTime is invited to host events. Yes, YOU! 😊 If you have not hosted before, you just need to contact one of our Event Organizers or Leadership Team Members with your idea, and they will post your event for you to help you get started. (# 4 above)

SHOUT-OUTS to Sherri Walker and Jeff who have begun hosting music events for us! Jeff (with the Boston hat) mentioned to me that he goes out every weekend for music and dancing.  I asked him to invite us along, and he has done so for the last couple of weeks.  Sherri Walker (who sometimes co-hosts with Jeff) is another music lover. She travels a bit, so is not always in town, but when she is you can usually find her at Saxon Pub, Shooters, or Vincent’s on the Lake!  Both Sherri and Jeff and know where the music is happening!   I hope you will look for their events and  give them your support by signing up and experiencing the joy of Austin’s live music!

A lot of you have commented that you’d like more music and dancing, so here is your chance ~ please support these new Event Organizers.  I am delighted they are both willing to help us get our groove on! They are super friendly and love our Austin music and musicians!  If you are planning on going out for music–make it a Meetup!  It’s one of the things PrimeTimers enjoy most, and our Austin musicians love it when we show up at their gigs!  At some venues, seating can be an issue, so if you can arrive early to help save seats, let the host know—it’s a big help!

During this past month Lisa K decided that she is enjoying semi-retirement so much that she chose to step away from the Leadership Team.  I tried to talk her into a less demanding, yet important role, but she has decided to concentrate on being an event host and organizer, which of course will still be of great benefit to our group.  In fact, if any of you need a mentor, Lisa is an excellent resource!  She is one of the founding members of PrimeTime and we are most grateful to her for her years of dedicated service. I am happy to announce that Jeffrey Solomon, also a founding member and the first leader or our group, is filling that vacancy and has returned as a member of the Leadership Team.  I appreciate his support and welcome his years of experience as an added bonus!

I hope you all have a great summer ~ make sure you check the PrimeTime calendar on a regular basis to stay “in the know” ~ and stay cool, too y’allr the Leadership Team:  Mireya Mata, Andy Jackson, Gregg Perry, and Jeffrey Solomon

Hugs,

Louise and the leadership team Mireya Mata, Andy Jackson, Gregg Perry, and Jeffrey Solomon