Greetings,
We are now 700 members STRONG. (180 more than this time last year) Wish
we could get more of our share of the probably millions of Baby Boomers who
live in New Jersey. Maybe each of
us should invite five new Baby Boomer friends to join in the FUN! (good
idea)
In 2013, The Leadership
Team scheduled over 200 events. Some of us saw ten local Plays &
Musicals with three musicals at the Open Air Theatre in Washington
Crossing, NJ where we first had a picnic. Over ten events came to my attention
by member’s suggestions – please keep on suggesting events that you think you
and other Baby Boomers would enjoy.
We also sampled varied cuisine at ten better restaurants as well as
Jenks on the beach in Pt. Pleasant with Fireworks by our table, last
August. Also at the shore in the
Summer, we ate ‘al fresco’ at McLoone’s Asbury Grille in Asbury Park -
on the boardwalk while listening to a Jazz Concert. Eight of us tried the
‘Locavore’s Feast!’ at Whole Foods Market, Princeton, NJ in October
with Chef Chris. All the food was
grown or produced locally, within 100 miles of the store. At ShopRite’s Culinary
Workshop, under the direction of Chef Elsa - we helped make our meal and
enjoyed eating the ‘fruits of our Labor’ with new friends – three times.
We watched the seasons change at the Grounds For Sculpture outdoor
museum in Hamilton, NJ while walking through the fauna & sculpture and
heard a few Concerts in the East Gallery – a sensual space. Some of us took a half day carpool
trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art on selected Friday afternoons where in
addition to all the Art, we heard a Jazz Concert and later ate a super fine
meal at the Cheese Cake Factory in Cherry Hill, NJ. In the Fall, we took a two plus hour
walking tour of Princeton, NJ – a historic gem as well as a great place to
be.
Thanks to all who responded to my “Cry for Help!” message in September,
with your ideas on possible events - how to run the Baby Boomer group and
communicate with our members.
While I’m probably not going to change my ways, it helps that most of
us share a common past; “Where were you when Kennedy was shot?” “What did you like at the New York
World’s Fair?” It’s funny, when I first meet a new Baby Boomer, it already
seems like we have been friends since childhood.
About our events; I set up an event that I would like to do (maybe
some Baby Boomers too) and look at past MeetUp years, Friday & Sunday’s
Entertainment sections in the local papers and web sites or e-mail broadcast
messages for event ideas. I like
to fill up the calendar especially weekends, even though I may have to cancel
some events because of bad weather, lack of interest or cancellations beyond
my control. The MeetUp Company
bills me $12.00 a month if I schedule one event or one hundred and one events
a month, so events galore!
In closing, you may have noticed that on some events, I ask for a $1.00
Contribution for members and guests who select RSVP - to help me pay for the
MeetUp page. I only select events
for the Contribution that requires me to make a reservation or buy tickets in
advance or entails some additional planning on my part.
Thanks for your interest and PLEASE - select some events you like, RSVP
and most importantly – PARTICIPATE in 2014
Glen Daless, the Organizer