Dues Paying Options – PayPal, Cash, Venmo (Oh Myyy!)

It's September, that time of year when we remember how to use some of that once-a-year technology.  Now there are more and more options for paying for things these days, and we're doing our best to allow as many as we can.    Log in to the web page for details about each.

  • Cash is classic, checks are just as good.  You can hand them over or mail them in.  Address information is visible when you log in.
  • PayPal started as a payment clearing house for buying things on the Internet, like stuff on Ebay.  You can use your PayPal account if you have one.
  • PayPal is also our clearing house for credit cards.  They've branched out now to being more of a full service merchant service, so they take credit cards, bank transfers, and a host of other services.
  • Venmo is strictly person to person, using mobile device apps to keep it simple and well-protected.  You'll need to have a Venmo account of your own to send money to us that way.

Log in to see our contact info.

More inside...

Website User List Pared Down

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The user list for this website has been pared down to those whose dues were paid.  It's the first completely comprehensive cleanup in three years.  The work is complete as of 2 Nov 2019.

For those of us that paid our dues, please log in to the website at least once before the end of calendar 2019, to be sure you are still a registered user and that Phill didn't make a mistake.  If you did pay your dues and are having difficulty, don't hesitate to contact Phill () and get it straightened out.

If your username doesn't work and you know in your heart that you didn't pay this year's dues, you can contact Pam () and pay your dues, or use the Join Us link to use online payments.

And if you hear of someone who didn't get their newsletter, please refer them to this article on the website.

Thanks for your help!

Donations for the Silent Auction, at the Chuckwagon Dinner, March 31, 2019

Now that you have collected all those cool items that we need to auction, what do you do next?

You can wrap or carefully package the item and set it aside to bring to the auction itself (remember to buy your dinner ticket by the March general membership meeting).  If you are not able to come to the dinner but still have a super cool something to add to the inventory you can bring it to the March USS Nokomis meeting on March 9, 2019.  If you can't get to our meeting you can make arrangements with me to deliver it to my house  before Saturday, March 30.

No matter when or how the item gets to the auction site, I need specific information to print the bidding sheets, sale tags and prize tags. Please mail the following info to me at Roxanne Hill, 2301 Pearson Parkway, Brooklyn Park, MN. 55444,  or email it to me at , or text me at 763-222-8234 (because of my weird work schedule my phone is almost never answered but a text with your name on it is GREAT), or write it down and give it to me at MARScon, at dinner, or take me out for beer and give it to me then (really I'm not picky so long as I can read the writing!)

Thank you in advance for both your auction donations and your help getting this put together. Trust me, no one wants to read my personal handwriting/printing on 50 bid slips.

The following info is needed before March 28 (I have to type and print everything before the dinner!):

  1. Item's name and description
  2. Item's donator
  3. Item's purpose-1,2, and 3 should always be listed, 4 and 5 are 'as needed' info
    1. auction item,
      1. provide the general value of item
      2. suggested minimum bid (unless forbidden we may drop it towards end of auction)
      3. quick sale price (not all items require them, but we will occasionally assign one unless forbidden)
      4. note any special handling required i.e. refrigeration, scheduling or details to be provided
      5. please note if this requires a legal adult only purchaser for any:
        1. alcohol included in item
        2. firearms involved in activity for the item
    2. cash'n'carry (or sale item)
      1. provide general value of item
      2. any necessary directions for handling
      3. adult only purchaser notices as noted above
    3. door prize
      1. provide general value of item
      2. any necessary directions for handling.

2019 January Dinner Dance

Time to put the Dance into your calendar!

I know you've all been waiting to get the info for the USS Nokomis' formal dinner dance on Saturday, January 19.  We will once again be at the Dan Patch American Legion, 12375 Princeton Ave., Savage, MN.  Because of the great turn outs and hard work from all our members at our annual auctions, the Nokomis will be supporting more of the costs this time.  Instead of $35, the 2019 Dance will be $25 per person.  This is a big "Thank You!" for all the effort put forth and donations received to make our fundraisers a success.

IMPORTANT:  Your deadline to pay is January 12  at 2 p.m.  This deadline is firm because of commitments and contracts with the restaurant.  You may pay on line through our website by PayPal or by check or cash to our Chief Financial Officer (and fundraising queen) Pam Kline, again no later than the end of the general membership meeting, January 12, 2019.

When you sign up please note your choice of New York Strip steak with mushrooms (steak), or Chicken (chicken) at 6 p.m., dinner service at 7 p.m., and once again our favorite DJ-Rob Stafford will start the music for our dancing pleasure at 8 p.m.

For our theme this year we've decided to take (or borrow) a page from Dr. Seuss and his story The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

How does this tie in with us? Well, we are pretty well known for our costumes at conventions, dances, parties, get togethers and movie premiers.  Well, now you can find your favorite costume and add a charming chapeau, a top hat to your tails, a sequined band and feather for your beaded flapper dress or even a helmet for your space suit.  Top your favorite dressy outfit with a derby, cowboy hat, cloche, pill box or beanie.  This is your chance to wear your favorite hat and dress up at the same time.

This event is open, so you can invite family and friends, not just other Nokomis members.  This is one of our few age restricted events, however, so please remember 21 is the minimum age.  And, yes, the $25 ticket holds for our guests not just our members.

So now I must go and find that fez, tam, beret, fedora, bowler, cap, trilby, Panama hat, fascinator, bucket hat, turban, pith helmet, newsboy cap, ascot cap, pork pie hat, sun hat, toque, gambler hat, sombrero cordobes, Homburg, duck bill cap, kettle brim hat, driver cap, outback or Aussie hat or Kentucky Derby Photo Hat. Hmmmm?!

Or maybe a pilos, petasos, chupalla, church hat, Kofia, cappella Romano, busby, caubeen, deerstalker, selakot, berretina or Hardee hat....

A bonnet, a cowl, crown, tiara, mariachi sombrero...

Newsletter and Site Access Interruption – 5 April 6:35PM to 10:05PM

You may have noticed the newsletter didn't have pictures or would't click through.  If you tried to go to the website you got a message that the domain was disabled.  We're clear of that emergency, but it does illustrate how careful we need to be in our Internet lives.

We had the unfortunate timing to send a bulk email just as some other accounts on related servers were compromised.  We got flagged and shut down.  We didn't get hacked, and all our data is safe and intact and our site security is, well, ok.   We're protected three layers deep and still the rip-roaring finger of the Internet poked at us.

Take it as a lesson.  Use strong passwords.  Keep your firewall up and active, and don't allow exceptions if at all possible.  Keep your virus scanner up and running, and up to date.  And finally, make sure your PC is fit enough for internet relations.

  • Phill

We’re Simplifying Dues: All will be Due each September

Can't remember when you joined, or when your dues are due?  You're just like the resduest of us. At the last Membership meeting Pam recommended a way to make things things simpler - everyone is due in September, when we kick off the active part of our year.

We'll set everyone's membership date to this September.  If you've paid dues in calendar 2015, then you get until September 2016.   That means free bonus months for quite a few folks while we make the transition.

Since we're sending the Newsletter from the Website, they'll automatically expire in September too.  You can by PayPal or in person in September and it's all simple.

We'll firm up all the transition details, get the automation lined up.  We'll get the nuts and bolts worked out and share those details at the May meeting.

Now there will be one fewer thing to remember.

Newsletter and the Web Page

Starting this month the Newsletter is generated by the website software.   You'll notice that the longer articles ComingSoonPostitstart in the Newsletter and complete after a Read More... link.  Log in and continue right along.

So, you forgot your password?  No problem!  Go to the log in page, and at the bottom there's a small link labeled "Lost your Password?"  Click that one and follow the directions - you're good to go!