Author: Phill Goldman

Ever want to let folks know you might want to attend something you heard in a meeting but don't know how to do it?  There's a Signup Sheet for that.

On the My USSNokomis tab there are signup sheets, and one is called simply "Are You Interested?"  Sometimes we have ideas and we don't quite know how good they are, so we put out feelers.  Other times we want a list of people to include WHEN we schedule an event.   There are a few items on this already

• Do you want to learn CPR with a group?
• Do you want to go Curling?
• Do you want to do a session of Color Me Mine crafts?

The new item this month is

• Do you want to go to a MN Loons Soccer Game in the Summertime?

The stadium is spectacular, soccer is lots of fun for both sport and crowdwatching, and we think we can find a date on a weekday that will work for most folks.   Sign up on the page, and we will start the legwork just after the 40th Anniversary Celebration Dinner and Dance.

We're gonna laugh to the comedy stylings of Don McMillan at the Loons on the Lake Comedy Festival, June 8th at 6-7:30 PM.  The event happens at Crooners Supper Club Main Stage in Fridley. Doors open at 4:30, quite close after the picnic.

Don has been on many TV and Comedy Stages, you may have seen him on America's Got Talent last season.  He's Geek Chic, and centers his clean act on PowerPoint.

About a dozen of us already have tickets.  You will need to buy your own, and we'll try to see if we can sit together.  Once you have your tickets, add your name to the Don McMillan 2024 Signup Sheet. For groups larger than 6 they ask that we call for arrangements, so I'll call the venue to see if we can get seated together during the week of April 15th based on that sheet.

Planning on just going yourself? Purchase your Tickets: See Headliner: Don McMillan | Loons on the Lake.

After the regular meeting at Phill and Lynne's home, we'll be tying blankets for "A Bed of My Own".  Their mission is to support the employability of homeless and near homeless women and their children. Many time the first step is to find a place for the kids to call their own, get a good nights' sleep and some home.

The project is easy.  We take material the Nokomis has already gathered, cut it to size and slice the edges into fringes.  We then tie knots on each of the fringes to provide some heft and durability. Last year the assembled team completed four full blankets.  This year we're shooting for five, and need your help.

We'll have lunch during the event.  Lynne is providing vegan pumpkin tomato soup, salad, and some basic drinks (lemonade, iced tea, water, coffee).  If you have food to share for the event, please do and thank you in advance.

We'll probably get started about 1/2 hour after the meeting completes, about 1:30 PM if history holds. While we haven't set an end time, I'd say between 5-6 PM is a decent expectation.  We won't throw anyone out before bedtime, and it's likely we might watch a movie if there is interest.

Hope to see you all there!

Each Fall we ask you to pay your dues, and everyone in the Nokomis thanks you for staying up to date.  Dues ensure that the basics of the Club are covered.

Producing and sending the Newsletter – Forty years ago this was printing and postage and was our largest single expense. Now it covers the Website’s hosting and registration.  We’re keeping that expense as low as possible by using NO pay-for-use software, and a very inexpensive hosting service.

Banking and Finance – When the Nokomis was born and we were Searching for Spock, the main banking costs were physical checks and a monthly fee since we were a low-volume use organization.  Now those costs are gone, but we have new costs in electronic service fees like everyone else.  Did you notice we didn’t raise the dues to cover those charges?

Cards, Flowers, and Memorials – We occasionally receive requests to recognize life events. When this happens, the Nokomis may send flowers or a card as appropriate, or make a contribution to a charitable organization if the recipient prefers.  Like all costs, these have risen dramatically since 1984.  Many years the Dues covers this completely, but not always.  We’ve chosen to keep dues the same and supplement from fundraising or donations.

Meeting Locations – Though most of our locations are free, we will rent a site for regular meetings when needed, like the Anniversary Picnic.  At the founding we met in people’s homes and yards.  We outgrew that and started using public sites like libraries. Sometimes these library rooms charge nominal fees to groups like ours to raise revenue.

ZOOM – Clearly a new expense, Virtual Meetings became a necessity during the Pandemic and now form the basis of our hybrid meetings.  Every month we have up to a dozen people attend online.  The Nokomis pays for the subscription, and the added hardware and effort to set up are donated.

Individual Dues started at $10 per year in 1984 and has only been raised once, to $15 per year roughly 20 years ago.  Would you guess that $10 dues in 1984 would be the equivalent of $29.61 in 2023 according the US Bureau of Labor statistics?  Diligent effort on keeping costs low allows us to keep dues at the same level for decades at a time, and there’s no increase planned for the foreseeable future.

In a very real sense, YOU keep the club running with your dues.  Thank You!

If you need help with paying your Dues, the Nokomis may be able to help.  It’s never our intent to exclude anyone for financial reasons.