GAMMA IS BACK ON THE COURT

The GAMMA volleyball team started its spring season this past week with a 2-1 victory and is off to a great start. Games are played on Sunday evenings at the Beuhlah Brinton Center in Bayview, and we strongly encourage everyone to come out and cheer our team on. Please contact Tony S. or Richard G. for the time we play, as it changes from week to week.

GAMMA T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE

Show your team spirit with a new GAMMA t-shirt! We have a limited number of shirts available for $15, so get yours now. Contact Tony S. for more information or to have him hold a shirt for you.

GAMMA Archives

As you may already know, we are currently working to put together an electronic archive for GAMMA, including our newsletter GAMMA Rays. Once this is completed, all members will be able to look back over the past 30+ years of GAMMA's history. It's actually quite amazing to look back at the documents and newsletters from this long history and see how far GAMMA has come in all these years.

With the help of a few members I have been able to assemble a nearly complete collection of newsletters going back through the late 80s, with a scattering of earlier issues. But, we are still missing issues from many of the earlier years. If you have any of the issues of our newsletter from 1978 through the late 80’s we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. We will then make arrangements to borrow them from you long enough to scan them and get them back to you.

So, those of you who have been members for more than a couple of years need to go through the back of your closets, under your beds, in your attics, or where ever you may be storing your copies of the GAMMA newsletter from years gone by to see if you can help us out. I just know that you haven't been throwing these away, have you?

If you have any questions or would like more information about this project, please feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Richard G. 

POT LUCK SUPPER & OPEN MIC NIGHT
Wonderful Event - Will be Held Again Soon!

Our first Pot Luck & Open Mic Night was a huge success, and plans are already in the works to hold this event again soon. Right now we are working to secure a date in July - watch for updates as more information is available.

What’s Open Mic? This is your chance to show off your talents—you’re welcome to play a song on your guitar, sing a tune, read a poem, or tell a short story. Show off your creative side in whatever way you want!

Board Briefs…

It is with a great sense of honor that I write you as the president of GAMMA for 2010. It is also with a great feeling of excitement that I write you, because new plans are already shaping up to make the coming year a truly spectacular one.

We are entering the month of March with 139 active members. Although our membership numbers did decline with our most recent renewal cycle, we have already seen the start of a turn-around as new members have started joining. As we continue to refresh our calendar with new and exciting activities, I’m confident that more and more people in the community will want to join in on the fun.

Kip is working hard to put together a comprehensive marketing campaign to get the word out to the LGBT community about what GAMMA has to offer. He will be calling on members for help as this campaign comes together, and I am confident that you all will do what you can in this regard.

Along those lines, please take a look at the next page for details of a new event being planned for April. We are going to be hosting our 1st Pot Luck & Open Mic Night at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. This will be an excellent opportunity for the community to get a little taste of GAMMA and to meet some of our members. Please plan on attending with a friend.

At the February board meeting, a decision was made to sponsor a GAMMA team in the Milwaukee Gay Volleyball League. It is very exciting that we have a GAMMA team on the courts again, and this marks our official return to the world of organized sports. Please do what you can to attend the games and cheer on our players.

Another exciting piece of news is that plans are underway to organize hikes during the coming season. Gerry O. will be working with members to plan and organize these events, and your input would be very welcome. If you would like to take part in the planning or have ideas for hikes please contact Gerry.

There are still two open positions on the board of directors, and I encourage each of you to consider helping us fill these positions. Having these positions open means that the present board members have to pick up the slack.

In addition to the open board positions, we are always looking for members to help out with various events and activities. Remember, GAMMA is a member-led organization. You are always welcome to suggest new events and activities, whether you’re looking for a few people to join you on a road trip or a crowd to attend a sporting event and tailgate together.

Cliff H. has again volunteered to serve as table host for the GAMMA tables at the annual Make A Promise Dinner and Auction. Please see the article on page 1 for details. This is a wonderful event and it would be great to see at least one full table of GAMMA members participating again this year. Contact Cliff for more information.

Okay—I think that I’ve rambled on enough. I’d love to hear from you if you have feedback on what’s happening in GAMMA or about upcoming events. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email with your questions, comments, suggestions, or gripes.

Richard G.

Make A Promise 2010:
a promise renewed

As spring brings with it a breath of fresh air, a sense of hope and a renewed energy to our world, you are invited to celebrate the season of life by renewing your promise to the fight against AIDS.

Join your friends at the GAMMA table at Make A Promise on Saturday, April 17th at the Midwest Airlines Center and renew your promise of support to bring hope and health to a record number of people turning to the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) for their HIV care and treatment.

Tickets to the event are just $85 per person and can be reserved through Cliff H., event manager.

This special evening will feature Milwaukee’s best silent auction and cocktail reception, a delicious dinner, and a spirited live auction followed by dancing.

The Make A Promise Tradition

The Make A Promise tradition began 24 years ago with a group of friends who promised to come together over dinner each spring and raise money for the fight against HIV/AIDS until a cure was found. Over the years, this small and intimate gathering has grown to become an event that today brings together 1,000 guests to raise money for the ARCW Medical Center.

For more information or to make your ticket reservations, please contact Cliff H. here. 

Articles of Interest

What's Canasta

What's Euchre

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 Event Listing 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.