Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Thank you so much for following this blog, and now it has grown and moved to a new address. www.aberdeenfoundersday.org The adventures continue there, and there are some nifty new items like a community calendar. Still learning, still not fluent in html, but trying our best to have a good web presence for everyone that wants to make this parade an event to remember. Thanks again and see ya over there :)
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Great Events leading to more Great Events
Events come in all sizes, all places, and when you start using them to network for your own project, chances are you both will gain exposure, contacts, and support. Yesterday, was a prime example of just that.
Thank you to The Daily World for letting us promote our event within your booth at Expo Grays Harbor and Bite of Grays Harbor.
There are lots of Harbor Happenings all year long. As I find them I am putting them up on the Local-Local-Local page. I am getting the dates and links to their website, if they have one, or Facebook page. Hopefully it will help support them by getting the word out. If you are working on an event, or know of one that isn't listed, send an email and we'll get it added.
We appreciate everyone that helps promote this event. It takes a village.
Thank you to The Daily World for letting us promote our event within your booth at Expo Grays Harbor and Bite of Grays Harbor.
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| Steve Crabb, Mary Anne Bagwell & Mike Spezia, welcome Aberdeen Founders' Day Parade Committee to their booth. |
People are beginning to register!!
Thank heavens! That one step has been a slow start. Lots of people saying they will participate, and seeing their names on the dotted line are entirely different matters. So much of our planning depends on how many people will be making noise, marching, driving, shooting cannons and taking up space. We have to report to the city, how many side streets will need to be closed for staging--YIKES!! And we don't want two bands marching too close, or the Cat Club strutting just in front of the Dog Club, you get the picture. |
| First Poster for the Event--more to come. |
People are beginning to share!!
Thanks to people like Sue Wynans
for sharing on Facebook, getting out the word so everyone can join the fun. Here's what she posted: "Making Our Own History, While Celebrating Our Own History.....Get In Line! Help Make a Parade Downtown. It's Free. Walk, Ride, Dance, Dress-up, Throw Candy, Create Smiles."We appreciate everyone that helps promote this event. It takes a village.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Volunteering
I never anticipated I would: get to see a check written to, and endorsed by, JM Weatherwax by Sam Benn; meet Sam's Great Grandchildren; give a presentation to a group of people (major public speaking phobia); create a blog, create a QR code.. and more!!
Since coming on board for the Aberdeen Founders' Day Parade, I have got to: meet new people, stretch my talents, LEARN, relax and have fun while making a difference. I have something that I am looking forward to, a real project that will be a forever memory. That's a pretty good return on my time and efforts.
We have plenty of places where we could use some volunteers:
Parade Traffic Director - Communicates to the Parade attendees how thing's will go and speed and such.
Parade Traffic Keeper - Makes sure parade floats are in the correct order with numbering system.
Parade Traffic Keeper 2 - Makes sure parade floats are in correct order with numbering system.
Parade Traffic Keeper 3 - Directs traffic at the end of the parade.
Parade Traffic Keeper 4 - Directs traffic at Sam Benn Park.
Crowd Keeper - Each of these patrols the parade to make sure there aren't members of the crowd crossing the parade lines.
Crowd Keeper 2
Crowd Keeper 3
Crowd Keeper 4
Vendor Assistant - Each Vendor Checks in with this individual and get's the map/location and downlow.
Vendor Assistant 2 - Assists in the needs of each vendor. Answers their questions.
Water Boy/Girl - Makes sure the volunteers are well hydrated.
Information Guru - Answers questions wherever they go.
Information Guru 2
First Aid Guru - Patrols for safety.
IF THESE JOBS DON'T SOUND LIKE FUN, TELL US WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO...I AM SURE WE CAN FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, while having FUN!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
FOCUS!!
Weeks are flying by-- we are all testing our limits. So many tasks and challenges. We now have confirmed grants--but that money is reimbursed upon presentation of receipts. So we are waiting for the donations that we will use to pay for items that are covered by the grants.. then reuse that money for the next expenditure.. When we talked about having jugglers in the parade.. I didn't think that it would be us! LOL. We are determined! We have verbal commitments from a lot of folks... Wonder how Sam Benn felt about doing business on a handshake?
By the way, you can donate.. just $30 will get your business info on this blog site. We are under the umbrella of A.R.M.--Aberdeen Revitalization Movement, a 501c3. This means you can donate to our project, and get a tax break all with a single check! If you'd like to do more, check out our forms page on this website.
In the beginning we all expressed the desire to quit our jobs and do this for a living.. reality...it could certainly eat up that kind of 9-5 days and well into overtime, but at this point I don't think anyone would consider giving up their day job for this kind of daily adrenalin rush. We are still leaning on each other and moving forward, nearly everyday there is PROGRESS!! YAY!
Hey Karen, what do you think about decorating the street dance in balloons spiked with glo-sticks?--I know, I know... We are the parade committee--FOCUS!
By the way, you can donate.. just $30 will get your business info on this blog site. We are under the umbrella of A.R.M.--Aberdeen Revitalization Movement, a 501c3. This means you can donate to our project, and get a tax break all with a single check! If you'd like to do more, check out our forms page on this website.
In the beginning we all expressed the desire to quit our jobs and do this for a living.. reality...it could certainly eat up that kind of 9-5 days and well into overtime, but at this point I don't think anyone would consider giving up their day job for this kind of daily adrenalin rush. We are still leaning on each other and moving forward, nearly everyday there is PROGRESS!! YAY!
Hey Karen, what do you think about decorating the street dance in balloons spiked with glo-sticks?--I know, I know... We are the parade committee--FOCUS!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
CONTACT INFORMATION!!
- You can always: post to our FaceBook Group, or send a private message from that page. There are forms there for registering your group, just click on files for downloadable PDFs. Click here
- You can send an email: mrsambenn@gmail.com
- You can send us regular mail:
- Aberdeen Founders Day Parade
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Challenge #1
What do you get when you put together a group of hard working ladies that LOVE their community, with huge right brain power that is just a bit tainted with a touch of A-D-D. That would be "The Committee!" It's hard not to get swept up in the excitement, and harder still to stay on task. Ideas come quickly especially when fueled by a little Vino, I think I did mention that most meetings are held at Grays Harbor Wine Sellar.
There have been some serious sessions of "off the subject brainstorming". This is why we have decided to freeze the number of members allowed to participate. C'mon, I mean really, if we opened it up to more members we could be meeting all-day every-day, for the rest of our collective lives. However we ARE looking for volunteers! We will be outlining some of the jobs we need you to do for the event at our next meeting!! And I mean it!
You would think that it would be a pretty easy job; to choose a date, register the troops, and watch them march into Aberdeen, WA history books, but it is a little more complicated. Rules and Regs are everywhere.
#1) We chose Market Street for a couple reasons, first it is nice and wide, plenty of room for the parade and its watchers, but also we did not want to mess with the DOT (Department of Transportation, for those of you that don't speak initials--I am with you here), and finally there hasn't been much activity on that street, it was a unanimous decision.
#2) We will not have a cook-off, because a.--it is not a function of parades, and b.-- it requires quite a bit of involvement with the HD (Health Department--yes, I will continue to spell things out).
3#) We cannot collect funds for the parade as a non-profit group, even though any profit we make will go toward paying our expenses and funding next years event. But we can thank ARM (Aberdeen Revitalization Movement--again with the initials) for opening their umbrella and covering us. If you'd like to make a donation to this historic cause, we can make sure you can deduct it from next years taxes.
4#) We need to spend our tourism grant money on out of county marketing and nothing else or we will not get that money...
There have been some serious sessions of "off the subject brainstorming". This is why we have decided to freeze the number of members allowed to participate. C'mon, I mean really, if we opened it up to more members we could be meeting all-day every-day, for the rest of our collective lives. However we ARE looking for volunteers! We will be outlining some of the jobs we need you to do for the event at our next meeting!! And I mean it!
You would think that it would be a pretty easy job; to choose a date, register the troops, and watch them march into Aberdeen, WA history books, but it is a little more complicated. Rules and Regs are everywhere.
#1) We chose Market Street for a couple reasons, first it is nice and wide, plenty of room for the parade and its watchers, but also we did not want to mess with the DOT (Department of Transportation, for those of you that don't speak initials--I am with you here), and finally there hasn't been much activity on that street, it was a unanimous decision.
#2) We will not have a cook-off, because a.--it is not a function of parades, and b.-- it requires quite a bit of involvement with the HD (Health Department--yes, I will continue to spell things out).
3#) We cannot collect funds for the parade as a non-profit group, even though any profit we make will go toward paying our expenses and funding next years event. But we can thank ARM (Aberdeen Revitalization Movement--again with the initials) for opening their umbrella and covering us. If you'd like to make a donation to this historic cause, we can make sure you can deduct it from next years taxes.
4#) We need to spend our tourism grant money on out of county marketing and nothing else or we will not get that money...
5#) You really don't want to hear anymore rules and regs we have ran into thus far.
The other thing that pulls us off task is; It is just so much fun to think about, and plan-- what others might do. We have come up with an amazing amount of float plans, and drill team ideas, David Quigg-- if you are reading this blog, don't forget the ideas I gave you about Grays Harbor Community Hospitals entry. Thank heaven for Karen, who is firm and steady when we start to veer.. "We Are the PARADE committee", is becoming a familiar chant from her. Whatever,--it works.Sunday, February 9, 2014
The Beginning of Aberdeen Founders' Day
It recently began (can't say it all began--that would be Long-Long-Time ago), a year ago. Aberdeen's 125th birthday came and went without much notice or celebration. This sad lack of acknowledgement was brought to attention by a community activist, who has chosen to remain anonymous.
That activist noticed a trend in local groups, they loved to plan, they loved to meet...it was the actual "doing" part, that seemed to be a hangup. Facebook administrators from all over Grays Harbor and the the rest of the world agreed to this assessment. In answer to the the lack of "doing" a group was created in real life and online, men and women called themselves "The Ladies of Aberdeen", or LOA. Self described as a "hoity toity and lusty loose affiliation of people dedicated to joy and the celebration of Aberdeen's rich and colorful past whilst writing our futures's past", the members did not; have officers; hold official meetings; or go deep into planning. It was more common to "PM/private message" an idea to be executed, by whomever, within the next week or month at the most.
During the early days of LOA, seasons changed, businesses closed...but some opened! The year came and went, Weyerhaeuser sawmill was passed on to an excited Seaport, and... a company came and explained what some have known for generations. Aberdeen is special, the history rich, and location splendid. The architectural treasures are uncommonly good!! In fact a core group of businesses are selling their wares and services in the newly named, historical district, of downtown Aberdeen. The Ladies of Aberdeen celebrated in some serious ways, they assisted new building owners in decorating their storefront windows, and even held a party on "F" Street. The Potlatch was great fun that lasted on both sides of the riverfront well into a 2013--cool July morning. There were a few other minor exploits that shall remain--unnamed, committed by--unknown, members of the organization.
One of the businesses that arrived on the scene, a comfy, cozy place just beckoning folks to sit, and sip, and contemplate... schemes that sometimes take root. The Wine Sellar on Broadway was the ideal meeting place for small groups of LOA members (never called a committee), and soon became the birthplace for a mad group of ladies-- an offshoot of LOA, and their idea for a GRAND celebration in Aberdeen, Washington. Because they felt the need to meet and plan they further felt the need to give themselves a subtitle, they called themselves; The Aberdeen Event Gurus. And so it came to be that the Aberdeen Founders' Day Parade was on it's way to becoming a 2014 Inaugural Event. And so it is today! And that..as Sam Benn would say, is "What's Doin' Downtown"
That activist noticed a trend in local groups, they loved to plan, they loved to meet...it was the actual "doing" part, that seemed to be a hangup. Facebook administrators from all over Grays Harbor and the the rest of the world agreed to this assessment. In answer to the the lack of "doing" a group was created in real life and online, men and women called themselves "The Ladies of Aberdeen", or LOA. Self described as a "hoity toity and lusty loose affiliation of people dedicated to joy and the celebration of Aberdeen's rich and colorful past whilst writing our futures's past", the members did not; have officers; hold official meetings; or go deep into planning. It was more common to "PM/private message" an idea to be executed, by whomever, within the next week or month at the most.
During the early days of LOA, seasons changed, businesses closed...but some opened! The year came and went, Weyerhaeuser sawmill was passed on to an excited Seaport, and... a company came and explained what some have known for generations. Aberdeen is special, the history rich, and location splendid. The architectural treasures are uncommonly good!! In fact a core group of businesses are selling their wares and services in the newly named, historical district, of downtown Aberdeen. The Ladies of Aberdeen celebrated in some serious ways, they assisted new building owners in decorating their storefront windows, and even held a party on "F" Street. The Potlatch was great fun that lasted on both sides of the riverfront well into a 2013--cool July morning. There were a few other minor exploits that shall remain--unnamed, committed by--unknown, members of the organization.
One of the businesses that arrived on the scene, a comfy, cozy place just beckoning folks to sit, and sip, and contemplate... schemes that sometimes take root. The Wine Sellar on Broadway was the ideal meeting place for small groups of LOA members (never called a committee), and soon became the birthplace for a mad group of ladies-- an offshoot of LOA, and their idea for a GRAND celebration in Aberdeen, Washington. Because they felt the need to meet and plan they further felt the need to give themselves a subtitle, they called themselves; The Aberdeen Event Gurus. And so it came to be that the Aberdeen Founders' Day Parade was on it's way to becoming a 2014 Inaugural Event. And so it is today! And that..as Sam Benn would say, is "What's Doin' Downtown"
