Hi everyone!   Just a reminder that next Thursday, 15 August 2019, is our Friend's and Family Night for Altrusa International Inc. of Gadsden!  We encourage all of our current members to please invite prospective new members, friends and family to enjoy wonderful food and fellowship and learn more about what we as Altrusa does in our community.   Please let Angela Walker know how many people will be attending with you so that we are sure to have enough food and seating.   As always, we will meet at 6 PM in the Tea Room at the Downtown Civic Center.   There will be lots of games and door prizes to give out throughout the evening.   So be sure to clear your calendar and attend next weeks meeting!

Also, in two weeks we will be hosting Workshop for District Four.   The date is 24 August 2019 and will be held at the Conference Room at the Gadsden Inn and Suites (200 Albert Rains Blvd).  Doors will open at 9 AM and go until 4 PM give or take.   Lunch is being catered by Local Joe's BBQ.  We are looking forward to a great time with a lot of our District Four members in attendance!

Last but not least, November 1st is fast approaching and that means we are closure to our 2nd Annual Home, Garden, and Design Show and our 1st Annual Christmas Workshop.  We still have a limited number of spots left for vendors, so if you know someone who is interested in becoming a vendor, please get with Angela Walker or Scott Browning and let them know.  Last year we had over 100 vendors and 1500 guest through our doors, and this year we hope to increase that!  So do your part and get the word out.

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It has been a minute since I stepped foot into a classroom...20 years as a matter of fact!  So the cost of back to school shopping has never really crossed my mind since then.  A  lot has changed since then.   Kids now have to have calculators that can tell you the distance in from Earth to Mars and the "trajectory" (is that the right word?!?) between the two in order to get there.  Long gone are the days of "Scott has six apples and Angela eats two...".  And what is this "new math" I hear people talking about?

This season Altrusa of Gadsden choose to sponsor a family in need of a little help to provide them with the supplies they would need for the coming year.  Four children all together, one going into the 6th, 5th and 4th grades, and a little 2 year old also.  Of course, they still needed the basic pens and paper, crayons and markers, and school wouldn't be school with out a three ring binder.  But now they have to have clear back packs and can't have a Trapper Keeper!?!?!  Nor did I see a single Lisa Frank anything!?!?!  

Our day started meeting at Wal-Mart at 7 A.M.  Now, I am no means a morning person.  I typically enjoy getting up around 9 and then trying to sneak in a nap or so before going to work at 2.  However, I have to admit, the best time to go back to school shopping is 7 A.M.  There was hardly a soul there and we were able to divide and conquer to get all the things these kids would need.  After we finished the school supplies, we got each child three outfits each along with other basic needs.  After an hour of shopping we headed to self check out with three carts full....which was probably not the greatest idea because we would manage to swipe three items before the register yelled at us for something.  We gave the cashier in that area a work out that day for sure.  Finally managing to ring everything up, we still were able to come out under budget!!

Next it was time to load everything up into Becky Potter's car...which she specifically bought with trunk space in mind.  It was a good thing too, because we filled it up!  Then all the supplies were brought to Scott Browning's house to sort and and fill back packs with the required supplies so that each child will be ready to go.  There will be no need for the last minute "Mom I can't find my..." on that early August morning as she tries to get all kids out the door and into school on time!  Clothes are folded neatly and ready to go.  All that is left is a trip to the shoe store this week and our mission will be complete!

It is a heart warming feeling to know that we are able to take the stress of all this off of at least one family this year.  This makes all the hard work of what we do feel worth it.  It is through things such as our 2nd Annual Home, Garden and Design Show and our 1st Annual Santa's Workshop that we are able to raise the funds needed for these types of things.  Our volunteerism, the hours we give up from our own lives, that go into making these things happen.  And we look forward to doing it each and every year!

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Summer in the South....the sweet iced tea flows, the days are hot and thick with humidity, cicadas sing their prayers for rain, and the passing afternoon thunderstorm rolls through offering a brief moment of relief from the days heat.  Nothing else is like it and nothing can beat it...unless of course you are spending summer in Hawaii!  Sadly for us Altrusans, we stay so busy that is sometimes hard to escape the Southern Summer.  So at this months meeting we brought Hawaii to Gadsden with a luau party instead.  Okay, so maybe it isn't Honolulu, but it was definitely a nice break!

Every two years, Altrusans vote for an incoming President for the club.  It is their job to over see the activities of the club, plan and execute an Operational Budget for the year, and to also review and update the Club Policies.  These policies help members understand the direction that the President wishes to move the club during their tenor and overall principles for members.  Members then review the Club Policies and then vote to accept these.  This month, we voted and accept the new Club Policies as proposed by our President Angela Walker and you can review these here.  The changes made were not drastic on any part, but they do help bring the cub into a newer area that where we were. 

Once again, we are excited to announce the joining of a new member to Altrusa of Gadsden!   This month, we welcome Jeri Timm to our Club.   Jeri is a transplant to Gadsden and is the owner and manager of the UPS Store on George Wallace Drive along with her father.  We met Jeri there while we were working on our Women's Day Out Show and she volunteered her time and talents to help us with many aspects of the event.  We are so excited to have her join our club and look forward to her ideas and creativity.  
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While we are speaking of new members, please remember that August is our friends and family night!   So, if you know of anyone who might be interested in membership, feel free to bring them next month.   We promise an evening of fun, fellowship, and food!  Scott Browning will be calling bingo again this year, so there will be lots of corny jokes for everyone!  Please let Angela Walker know if you plan to bring a guest when she does her monthly call ins so we can plan accordingly.

Workshop is fast approaching and we hope that all Gadsden members are able to attend!  Workshop will be held at the Conference Room at the Gadsden Inn and Suites starting at 9 AM.  The address is 200 Albert Rains Blvd.  Gadsden, AL 35901.  We will follow up with dinner at Top 'o The River for fellowship and recreation with members from out of the area.  If you haven't already made your reservations, please contact Becky Potter to let her know you plan to attend.  We would also like to say a special thanks to Amanda Carson at the Etowah Board of Tourism for donating grab bags for all of our out of town guest who are coming in that weekend!

Our 2nd Annual Home, Garden, and Design Show and 1st Annual Santa's Workshop are also soon approaching and we need all members helping to make sure both of these go off with even greater success than last years!  Here are the ways that you can help:
1) Know of someone who would be interested in becoming a vendor?  Please get with Angela Walker or Scott Browning with their contact information so that they can send them a contract.  Remember that each show is uniquely different.  Our Home, Garden, and Design show is focused primarily on just that: home, garden and design.  AC and heating, landscaping, interior design, and things to that nature.  Our Santa's Workshop will focus primarily on merchants who will have product on hand that day.  Jewelry, clothing, and things to that nature.  Candy Cane Lane (which is a part of Santa's Workshop) will split the shows and be reserved for vendors who offer unique treats to visitors.
2) Know of someone who would like to be a sponsor?  This year we will have an area set up for sponsors to hang posters or sandwich boards that promote their businesses but will be unable to have a person at the event.  Space is limited for this area so please act quickly!  
3) Tell your friends to come join us!  Both shows will be held at the Venue at Coosa Landing on 01-02 November 2019.  Last year we had over 1,500 visitors through the door!  This year, we want to double that!  So get the word out, share our website, let people know what we are doing and why they should come.   Remember, all ticket sales go back into the community.

Also, please remember, this will be a working weekend for all members, so be sure to clear your calendar starting 31 October 2019.  We will also need some strong men to work as porters for that Thursday to help our vendors unload and then Saturday evening to help load.  Let us all work together to make another great show this year!

Our June monthly meeting was held this Thursday 20th of July 2019 at the Downtown Civic Center in Gadsden.   Our theme for this month's meeting was Patriotism, which is a key cause for Altrusa members.   The Tea Room was decked out in red, white and blue, and as always we had a wonderful meal catered by April's Kitchen!  Our door prize for the evening was a trivia question...let's see how you would do:  The United States became a country in 1776 with 13 original colonies.  When did Alabama join as a State?  Check out the answer below!

This evening we were happy to welcome a new member to Altrusa International Inc. of Gadsden, Becky Snead!
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June starts a new year for Altrusa, and as in any club, business, or organization, BUDGET is a big word that holds a lot of meaning.  It is how we plan for the years donations, fundraisers, running cost, and everything else that goes into being a club.  Our budget is what we took a look at tonight, and do we have some great things ahead of us!  This year we will continue to look at donations to organizations that we have donated in the past, including Spina Bifida, Salvation Army, and Children's Hospital.   We will also be looking at adding more to our school supplies for local children and also Support Our Soldiers, our International project.  Altrusa is looking forward to raising more money this year to go back into our community!  It is through projects like our Home, Garden and Design Show and Santa's Workshop that we raise the funds.   So be sure to check out those events and contact us know if you are interested in being a vendor or a sponsor!

Altrusa International Inc. of Gadsden would like to send warm wishes and congratulations to Nina King and her daughter-in-law.  They welcomed a new baby girl into the world, Ophelia King!  We wish the best to the mother and new child!

As one show closes, it is time to start planning for the next show!   We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our 2nd Annual Home, Garden and Design Show this 01-02 November at The Venue at Coosa Landing!

We had such an amazing turn out at our last Home, Garden and Design Show, that we decided to bring it back this year.  We had tons of vendors and over 1,500 guest come through the doors.  And we learned...A LOT!  We learned what worked, what didn't work, what might work, and what we will never discuss ever again.  Now we have took all that, combined it, and are ready to bring you a bigger and better show this year!  Our vendors will take notice that we have carefully planned out a better lay out for them so shoppers will be able to flow easily through out the show.  Shoppers will find more vendors than last year and we also are excited to announce....

...We will be doing two shows in one this year!  That is right, TWO SHOWS FOR ONE COST AT THE SAME PLACE!  We will once again use the Main Hall of The Venue for our Home, Garden and Design Show.  Then right next door we will have the Meeting Hall filled with our Christmas Workshop!  We will have unique vendors throughout with lots of great offers just in time for the Holiday Shopping Season.  Santa will be on site both days, so you can bring the kids out and get that check mark in.  Separating the two events, we will convert the Concourse into Candy Cane Lane, filled with lots of delicious goodies!  And like last year, we will have Local Joe's BBQ in the concession handing out their amazing BBQ for our guest.

So mark your calendars now, because you are not going to want to miss this!  Tickets will be on sell at the ticket counter for $10.00 each, while kids 10 and under get into the BOTH SHOWS free.   Again, TWO SHOWS, ONE LOW PRICE!!!  Where else can you find this?!?!

If you or someone you know are interested in being a vendor at either of our shows, please check out our Events page and contact us there.   Or you can simply email us at altrusagadsden@gmail.com.   We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in November!  Stay posted as we will be updating more as we go!  

Wow, what a weekend!!!   We just wrapped up our 2019 Women's Day Out and we had such a wonderful time!  Over 40 vendors came out in order to help contribute to this event.  We had Pink Zebra, Pampered Chef, Kelly's Cupcakes and so many more!  Friday was set up day at 210 @ the Tracks, and our vendors were entering the doors at 830 AM that morning to start their day.  We staggered our set up times in order to help accommodate vendors and their needs, and it was great success on both sides.  By 5 PM all vendors had moved in and we were ready to open our doors to our Sponsors for the evening.   
At 6 PM the festivities began with a catered dinner from Local Joe's Bar-B-Que and we must say, it was delicious as always!  Next came our live auction where sponsors, vendors and guest were able to bid on some wonderful items donated by a host of contributors.   Our celebrity guest speaker Ladonna Gatlin took the stage next and provided everyone with a wonderful show!
Saturday was the main event with doors opening at 9 AM.  Tickets for the show were $5.00 each or you could up grade to the Gold Arm Band for $8.00.  This arm band allowed our vendors to offer special discounts exclusively to these shoppers!  Characters Theatre took stage at 10:00 AM and preformed various songs from their 2019 season.   It was wonderful to have the event space filled with such beautiful music!  Combat Survival of Alabama then presented several self-defense techniques and our own member Nina King took the stage in assisting them!  We also like to send a special thanks to Bama Bred for providing our fashion show for the evening.   And of course Ladonna Gatlin took the stage once more to grace us with her wonderful singing and to speak on growing up Gatlin!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support us for this event!  We had such a wonderful show that we are already planning our next show, so stay tuned for information on that!

It's 8 AM and we are ready for move in!  Altrusa member's worked hard to provide a wonderful space for this event!

It is less than 24 hours until we open our first Women's Day Out event at 210 @ the Tracks and the air is filled with excitement and anxiety.  Do we have enough food?  Will the vendors enjoy the show?  Will our shoppers enjoy the show?  But we have all worked hard and long, and we know that we have done the best that we can and are ready to learn what we can for the next show.  We are excited to see the turn out of all our hard work!  So come out and join us Friday night and Saturday at 210 @ the Tracks and enjoy the fruits of our labor!

There was not much more news from our May meeting.  We still have some members who need our prayers and uplifting as they go through the toils of their lives.  So we shall pray for our family, and know that His plan may not always be our plan, but His is the ultimate plan.  

If we missed you at our last meeting, we hope to see you at our next meeting on 21JUN2019.  As always we will meet in the Tea Room at the Senior Activity Center in Downtown Gadsden.   If you are not a member and are interested in becoming a member, please feel free to reach out to us, we would be more than happy to have you!

​This past meeting, Altrusa of Gadsden celebrated their 68th birthday!  We gathered in the Tea Room at the Senior Center downtown and celebrated with decorations and birthday cake.   We also sang “Happy Birthday” to the longest serving member who attended the evening’s festivities, and that was our own Judy Hamilton who joined us in 2001 and serving 18 years!  Judy blew out the candles on our birthday cake and went home with a gorgeous pot of purple tulips for her birthday present.  Scott Browning, our newest member, was also recognized for his service with a pot of tulips

Work Shop hosted by Altrusa of Gadsden
This year, Altrusa of Gadsden has been asked to host a workshop.   This event will take place 24AUG2019 and will be presented by Altrusa of Kingsport, TN.  The conference will be hosted at Gadsden Inn and Suites Conference room from 9AM-4PM.  More details to follow in upcoming newsletters.

Altrusa’s Women’s Day Out
Have you marked your calendar yet!?!?   We are less than a month away from our First Annual Women’s Day Out this 17-18MAY2019 hosted at 210 @ the Tracks!   We still have space for a few vendors and of course we could always use more sponsors.   If you know anyone who might be interested in either one of these, you can contact Scott Browning at eric.scott.browning@outlook.com and he will be more than happy to assist you!   Also, WE NEED YOU as volunteers for both Friday night and Saturday day!  If you have not already signed up to work these nights, please contact Becky Potter at bpotter1002@gmail.com to get your name on the list!

Support Our Soldier’s
This year’s Altrusa International project is the Support Our Soldiers Project, where we will focus on supporting our troops, both active and veteran, for their services.   We have several idea’s floating around at this time and will be giving more details soon, so stay posted and let’s get to work!