Milwaukee GAMMA, Inc. -- An Organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender communities of southeastern Wisconsin since 1978.

Membership Renewal

Membership renewal notices will be mailed in mid May, so watch for yours in your mailbox soon. Please return your notice promptly along with your membership fees.

CLICK HERE TO RENEW ONLINE

If you have any questions, please contact

Richard G. by clicking here.

The deadline for membership renewal is

June 30th

30th Anniversary Committee Needs You!

The GAMMA Board was honored to have Michael H. and Jim T. volunteer to co-chair our 30th Anniversary committee, now they need your help. They are seeking additional support to complete their mission of making GAMMA’s 30th year the best yet. You can volunteer as much or as little time as you might have to offer—there is no commitment too great or too small.

Michael and Jim will be conducting an idea gathering session and committee meeting in February so contact either of them today and do your part make our 30th Anniversary truly something special.

Do you have an idea for a new event? Give it a try! Member hosted events are what make GAMMA great. Contact any board member to find a suitable date and then complete an event page for publication in the next newsletter.

The Board Member Directory can be found on page 6 of the newsletter.

GAMMA is still in need of members to host regular monthly events such as Cribbage, Sheepshead, Game Nights, and Monthly Parties. If hosts are not found, these events may be canceled. If you would like to host one of these events, contact the event coordinators listed in the newsletter.

The success of GAMMA depends on members willingness to create and host events.

What's EUCHRE

So Glad You Asked . . .

by David H.

First, thank you for all the positive feedback on the Canasta article. I had several requests to move on to other card games which are of interest to our members. So this month's card game is Euchre (pronounced YEW-curr).

Euchre comes to us from the German settlers in Pennsylvania, being played there even before the Civil War. It has European counterparts in the games of Ecarté (France), Napoleon (England), and Spoil Five (Ireland). Beginnning about 1880, Euchre was the most-played family card game in the US for thirty years and is the game on which "500" is based. Its popularity today rests primarily in the Northeastern part of the US.

more...

GAMMA RAYS GOES ELECTRONIC
Members can now opt to receive their copy of GAMMA Rays via email (in .pdf format) instead of through the US Mail. Individual pages can then be printed as needed. Each member that chooses this option will save GAMMA valuable $$ that can be used for other programs and events. Simply drop us a note via the contact page and let us know you want to receive your copy electronically.
Remember, using our new Members Only page, members can now view a full copy of GAMMA Rays from any computer with internet access by simply entering a username and password. Contact us for more information and to get a password.

Online Payments Now Accepted

As a convenience to members, Milwaukee GAMMA, Inc. will begin accepting payments for certain events and member-ships online through our website using PayPal. Members will be able to use their credit cards or PayPal accounts to submit payment to GAMMA. To help offset the costs associated with PayPal, a small surcharge of $1.25 will be added to PayPal transactions.

Of course, you may still continue to submit payments by check or cash as you have in the past. Members are encouraged to explore our website to learn more about using this feature as well as the online RSVP system. If you have any questions, please contact us.

PrideFest 2008

Don’t forget that GAMMA will once again be coordinating the volleyball area at PrideFest, and the plans for this year look really spectacular.

This year’s volleyball courts will be part of a larger wellness area that is being coordinated by Diverse and Resilient, Inc., a capacity-building non-profit organization supporting the healthy development of LGBT people. In conjunction with PrideFest,will be organizing the wellness area booths which will surround the customary volleyball area.

In addition to our coordinating the volleyball area, GAMMA will have a booth in this wellness area. By taking part in this new wellness area, GAMMA will receive quite a bit of positive visibility and publicity. This will be a wonderful opportunity for GAMMA to let the community know who we are and what we do, as well as a chance to bring in new members.

We are seeking volunteers to help staff our booth and to help with the volleyball area. Please consider volunteering to help with a 1-hour shift on Saturday, June 7th or Sunday, June 8th.

If you would like to volunteer now or have any questions, please feel free to contact Peter S. or Richard G.

PrideFest

June 6, 7, & 8, 2008

www.pridefest.com

BOWLING
May 2 - 7:00PM

Join EM Art S. for the ever popular Friday Night Bowling at the AMF Lanes in West Allis on May2nd at 7pm.

Congratulations on a game well played by the following members of GAMMA who attended the April Friday Night Bowling event.

Bill M - 115 -123 - 124 - 362 total

Joel S - 133 - 107 - 145 - 355 total

Tony S - 165 - 123 - 174 - 432 total

Chris R - 149 - 138 - 186 - 473 total

Kyle P - 105 - 171 - 140 - 416 total

Vy L - 139 - 119 - 102 - 360 total

Yan L - 158 - 154 - 149 - 461 total

David H - 85 - 139 - 111 - 335 total

Art S - 168 - 151 - 132 - 451 total

Craig T - 46 - 74 - 65 - 185 total

Whether your bowling average is 150 or 15, come join Art S. for a fun night of non-competitive bowling! There will be two more bowling events before a summer break. Don’t miss the next bowling night on May 2nd. For more information, see the events listing pages or contact the E.M. Art S.

HOT - Homosexuellen
Organisation Thurgau

By Bill W.

How is your Swiss German? Yves A. from Effretikon, Switzerland, who visits the United States several times a year, was a guest at the October GAMMA board meeting.

Yves spoke with the board about HOT - Homosexuellen Organisation Thurgau, the Gay social organization for the State of Thurgau in Switzerland. Yves, editor of HOT’s newsletter, shared with us newsletters and stories about the many events HOT provides for its members.

The GAMMA board discussed with Yves various possibilities for collaboration between GAMMA and HOT, such as sharing website links, newsletters, reciprocal membership, etc. GAMMA and HOT will be continuing these discussions in the following months in hopes of establishing some type of a “sister group” relationship.

Board member Bill W. will be the laison to HOT and Yves A. will be the laison from HOT to GAMMA. Watch for more news to follow.

You can visit HOT’s website at:

www.hot-tg.ch/index.html

dining out

may 23, 2008

Dining Out this month will be held at Brocach Irish Pub and Restaurant. Brocach features dinner and late night menus including Irish specialties well as fine contemporary cuisine and daily dinner specials. In addition to outstanding food, expect to find great imported beer, including the best pint of Guinness west of Galway, unusual Irish and Scotch whiskeys and regular Irish music sessions.

Contact EM Rob C. to make your reservations!

RSVP REQUIRED BY
may 19, 2008

There is a limit of 20,

Reservations taken in the order received.

Start marking your calendars, summer camping is almost here! Some of Wisconsin’s greatest natural treasures can be found in our state parks. From pine forests to sandy dunes and beaches, Wisconsin State Parks have something for everyone.

Don’t miss your chance this summer to experience some of our state parks while camping with your fellow GAMMA members. More event details (including reservation instructions) will be featured in the June and July editions of the GAMMA Rays. In the meantime, if you have any questions about these events, don’t hesitate to contact the Event Managers.

2008 CAMPING DATES

KOHLER-ANDRE

June 19, 20, 21, and 22

EM: Art S.

CRYSTAL-MUSKIE

July 25, 26, and 27

EM: Mark D. and Jeff K.

DEVIL’S LAKE

August 14, 15, 16, and 17
EM: Dan L.

Event Hosts Needed

GAMMA is in need of members to host some regular monthly events. If you are able and willing, please consider hosting an event.

To host one of these events, contact the event coordinator.

Halloween Party
Contact Rob C.

October 2008

Game Night
Contact Peter S.

June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008

Sheepshead
Contact Michael H.

October 2008

Cribbage
Contact Art S.

October 2008
November 2008

If a host is not found, these events may be canceled.

Welcome to GAMMA!

Since November 1978, GAMMA has provided enjoyable activities. From the first touch football game along the lakefront, with just a handful of members, to over 130 members today, GAMMA provides fun things to do.

Our major annual events include: The Valentine’s Brunch, the July Fireworks Picnic, the September Picnic and Corn Roast, the Annual Banquet and Business Meeting, and the Holiday Party. Our broad membership appreciates these gatherings as a way to visit and socialize with all of our members.

The Outdoors Stuff: GAMMA offers cross country ski trips, day hikes, numerous camping events, and bike rides. In some years we have had canoe trips, white water rafting, roller blading, our own Winter Fest and cruises across Lake Michigan.

Volleyball: We started with occasional summer Sunday afternoon games at Bradford Beach. We now offer indoor social play at the Beulah Brinton Center during the winter months, and outdoor social play during the summer months. For the past several years, we have hosted the volleyball activity at PrideFest.

Indoor Events: We have monthly events such as the Monthly Party, Dining Out, Sheepshead, and Game Night. We’ve had Bowling and Movie Nights, as well as Barn Dances.

“We Just Want to Have Fun.” As a club, we’re not into politics or religion. There’s an important need at the end of a long day or week—kicking back with adult friends, or meeting new ones.

The People: We have members from all walks of life and in all age groups. There are singles as well as couples and all participate is the various events. GAMMA is blessed with volunteer members who are willing to give of their time and energy to orchestrate all this stuff. GAMMA has been a success because it continues to attract the kind of people who want to share their fun with others, and who are willing to do what it takes to make things happen. COME JOIN US!

Please visit our Upcoming Events page and see all that GAMMA has to offer. Most of the events are open to non-members who wish to find out what GAMMA is all about - simply call or use our Contact Page for more information.

HOME UPCOMING EVENTS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS LINKS VOLLEYBALL CALENDAR PHOTO GALLERY EVENT HOSTING MEMBERS ONLY NEWSLETTER CONTACT US SITE MAP BOARD

Updated: 04/29/2008

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