Club Treasurer, Craig Corley will be collecting dues at our March 18th club meeting.  Can’t make the meeting, there are a number of other ways you can pay your dues. You can go old school and send Pacific Gravity a check to PO Box 2451, Culver City CA 90231.  You can drop off your dues the next time you’re shopping at Culver City Home Brewing Supply. And for the ultimate in convenience, you can renew your dues online via Paypal on the club website ( http://pacificgravity.beerzine.com/renew-your-membership/ ), just click on Renew.

All current club members should have gotten a renewal notice via email detailing their dues renewal amount and member information on file. This is a good opportunity to update our membership records, so please let Craig know of any changes to your member information (address, email, phone, etc) or include changes with your check/renewal form.

Keep in mind that your dues are the primary way we fund such club activities as club parties, monthly meetings, club brews and much more.  Your paid membership also ensures that you’ll continue to receive the many club benefits available like discounts on your purchases at Culver City Home Brewing Supply as well as access to the club brewing system, various brewing activities and information.

Have questions about your dues or how much you owe? Check with Craig at the March club meeting or by email at Treasurer@PacificGravity.com.

Set Up and Clean Up

We’ll be doing two rounds of set up for the party and we’ll need help for both

On Sunday, Dec 6th at noon we’ll be meeting at Neil’s duplex to do an initial setup. We’re planning on setting up most of our equipment and decorating the house and our Christmas tree.  Everybody who shows up is encouraged to bring a can or two of beer with them, we plan on emptying the cans and using the empty cans as decorations on our Christmas tree like last year.

On Saturday, Dec 12th in the afternoon we’ll be meeting at Neil’s duplex to do final set up.

On Sunday, Dec 13th at 11 am we’ll meet at Neil’s duplex to clean up alter the party.  We always need lots of people to help with clean up and the more we get the faster it goes.

If you’d like to volunteer for set up or clean up contact: Craig Corley at President@PacificGravity.com

Potluck and Food

The menu should reflect past Holiday Parties featuring Prime Rib, Carbonnades ala Flamande, roast & deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more!  As is customary with our holiday parties, this is a potluck event, the club supplies the main dishes and we count on members to provide the side dishes, salads and deserts.  So if you have a favorite family holiday recipe and want to share it with the rest of us, this is your time to shine!

Please remember to label any dishes, utensils, etc. that you bring so that we can get them back to you.

If you’d like to volunteer food for the party contact: Ian Fraser at MasterChef@PacificGravity.com or Michael Steinberg at ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com.

Beer

We also need beer for this event, lots of beer!  Or mead!  Or cider!  We’re counting on you to provide it. So pull out your kegs and dig deep in your closet for those old tasty bottled treasures and bring them along!   Please let us know what and how much homebrew you’re planning on bringing.  Loaner kegs are available for those who are not so equipped.

Any of you who have already volunteered kegs should drop them off at the shop by Thursday, Dec 10th or bring them to Neil’s Saturday afternoon before the party.

We’ll be dispensing a lot of beer and will need more taps, jockey boxes and dispensing equipment than we currently have.  If you can volunteer dispensing equipment, please let Carl know.

Please remember to label any kegs or dispensing equipment that you bring so that we can get them back to you.

Also, if anyone will be heading to Stone Brewing in the next week or so, let us know.  We’d like to refill a couple of the 3 liter bottles to use as toasting beers.

If you’d like to volunteer beer for the party, contact Carl Townsend at CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com.

Equipment

We’re still looking for some assorted equipment.  Please let us know if you can volunteer any of the following:

• PA System
• Folding tables
• Patio heaters
• Jockey boxes/beer dispensing equipment
• Christmas lights/decorations

Any of you who will be volunteering equipment should try to bring it to Neil’s this Sunday, Dec 6th or Saturday, Dec 12th in the afternoon before the party.

Again, please remember to label any equipment that you bring so that we can get them back to you.

If you’d like to volunteer equipment contact: Craig Corley at President@PacificGravity.com

And finally, if you’re volunteering equipment, kegs or food, plan on picking up your items at the Sunday clean up. We really don’t have any capacity to store items that are not picked up.

Neil Saund’s duplex is located at:

12966 Rubens Ave. Los Angeles, CA

It is the house on the SE corner of Alla Rd. and Rubens Ave.

• Sunday, December 6th @ noon – Holiday Party Decorating and Set Up @ Neil Saund’s duplex
  • Bring beer cans to help decorate our tree
  • Volunteers needed: contact President@PacificGravity.com

• Saturday, December 12th @ 7 pm – Holiday Party @ Neil Saund’s duplex
  • Beer volunteers needed – contact CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com
  • Set up & clean up volunteers needed – contact President@PacificGravity.com
  • Food & pot luck volunteers needed – contact MasterChef@PacificGravity.com

• Sunday, December 13th @ 11 am – Holiday Party Clean Up @ Neil Saund’s duplex
  • Clean up volunteers needed: contact President@PacificGravity.com

Note: There are no Ladies Club or regular Club Meetings in December, both are replaced by the Holiday Party.

Online and subscribe-able club calendar available at: http://ical.me.com/cgcorley/PacificGravityEvents

For more info on upcoming events, check for related articles herein or contact President@PacificGravity.com

The November meeting will feature our annual election of club officers and the club member of the year. We will be voting for President, Vice President and Treasurer.  In addition, we will be voting for the prestigious honor of Club Member of the Year with the results of this ballot to be announced at our Holiday Party on December 12th.  See Annual Club Elections for more details.

We’re planning on having the new club tee shirts with our new club logo on hand.  If you pre-ordered a shirt we’ll have yours set aside for you to pick up and if not, we’ll have extras available, but you’ll probably want to pick one up before we run out of your favorite size/style.

With this being the last meeting before our annual Holiday Party, we’ll be actively seeking volunteers for food and homebrew.  Plan on showing up and signing up to let us know what food and homebrew you’re planning on sharing with us.  We’ll also be collecting entries for the upcoming Belgian Strong Ales (category 18) AHA club only competition (see Competition Corner for more info).  Of course we’ll also have the latest info on all upcoming club events, plan on joining us…

The 2010 Club Board will have a slightly different look since Club President, Craig Corley has decided its time to take a break from running the club.  Drew Butler and the team of Peggy Robinson & Nathalie Caldwell were nominated to replace him as club president. Dan Hakes was re-nominated as Vice President and Craig Corley was nominated for Treasurer. The remaining board positions are appointed and will include Carl Townsend returning as Competition Coordinator, Mike Steinberg returning as Activities Director, Ian Fraser rejoining as Club Chef, Thomas Lee Bakofsky & David Stickel returning as Webmasters, Terry Malloy joining as Fund Raiser, Dean Sussman joining as Style Tasting Coordinator, Josh Jensen returning as SCHBF representative, and Tomm Carroll returning as a newsletter columnist. While this is an impressive roster of club members, we’re always looking for new faces to get involved, contact Craig Corley at President@PacificGravity.com if interested.

Six club members were nominated for the 2009 Club Member of the Year award. This award recognizes and honors significant contributions and involvement by club members.  The members nominated at the October meeting include Lee Bakofsky, Craig Corley, Dan Hakes, Jon Porter, Neil Saund, and Dean Sussman.  Selection of the Club Member of the Year will be done by secret ballot and the results will be announced at our annual Holiday Party by last years winner, Larry Caldwell.

• Saturday, November 7, 2009 – Teach a Friend to Home Brew Day @ Neil Saund’s duplex
  • All-grain brewing & beginners class
  • Contact ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com for more info

• Thursday, November 12, 2009 – Ladies Club Meeting @ Culver City Home Brewing Supply
  • Brewing Demo
  • Contact LadiesEvents@PacificGravity.com for more info

• Thursday, November 19, 2009 – November Club Meeting @ Culver City Home Brewing Supply
  • Style: Porters & Brown Ales – keg volunteers welcome
  • Elections for Board & Member of Year
  • AHA Club Only Competition – Belgian Strong Ales (cat 18)
  • Contact President@PacificGravity.com for more info

Online and subscribe-able club calendar available at: http://ical.me.com/cgcorley/PacificGravityEvents

For more info on upcoming events, check for related articles herein or contact President@PacificGravity.com

The October meeting marks the beginning of our annual election season.  We’ll be accepting nominations for the elected positions of the 2010 Club Board (President, Vice President and Treasurer) with the election to be held at our November meeting.  The remaining board positions are appointed and we’ll be recruiting club members to fill those positions as well.  We’ll also be accepting nominations for the 2009 Club Member of the Year award, which recognizes and honors significant contributions and involvement by club members.  Elections for this prestigious award will also be held at the November meeting with the winner being announced at our annual Holiday Party in December.

We’re planning on having the new club tee shirts with our new club logo on hand and will be selling them for $15 each.  If you pre-ordered a shirt we’ll have yours set aside for you to pick up and if not, we’ll have extras available, but you’ll probably want to pick one up before we run out of your favorite size/style.

With several club events upcoming, including the Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day and Holiday Party, we’ll have a number of sign ups and details to finalize.  Of course we’ll also have the latest info on all upcoming club events, plan on joining us…

Beyond the open board position(s) we need to fill, we’re always looking for new members to get involved.  To make it easy for club members to get involved, we have part-time positions as well as the full-time positions. The full time board includes the elected officers (President, Vice President and Treasurer) and the appointed officers (Competition Coordinator and Activities Director).  The part time positions include the Webmaster, Publisher, Club Chef, Fund Raiser, Ladies Events Coordinator, Road Trip Coordinator, Style Tasting Coordinator, So. Cal Home Brew Festival Coordinator and more.  The part time positions tend to focus on one event or task and do not require regular attendance at the board meetings. We’ll even tailor part time positions to utilize the skills set of anyone who volunteers.  If you’re interested in the joining the club board, contact Craig Corley at President@PacificGravity.com.

• Thursday, October 8, 2009 – Ladies Club Meeting @ Culver City Home Brewing Supply
  • Brewing Demo
  • Contact LadiesEvents@PacificGravity.com for more info

• Sunday, October 11, 2009 – Cal State HB Competition Entry Deadline @ Culver City Home Brewing Supply
  • Club will ship prepackaged entries left at CCHBS
  • Information @ http://nchfinfo.org/StateComp/StateComp.html
  • Contact CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com for more info

• October 15 to 25, 2009 – LA Beer Week
  • More Info @ http://www.labeerweek.com/

• Thursday, October 15, 2009 – October Club Meeting @ Culver City Home Brewing Supply
  • Style: All Lagers – keg volunteers welcome
  • Nominations for Club Board & Member of Year
  • Contact President@PacificGravity.com for more info

• Saturday, October 17, 2009 – Road Trip – Octoberfest @ Verdugo Bar
  • http://www.verdugobar.com/

Online and subscribe-able club calendar available at: http://ical.me.com/cgcorley/PacificGravityEvents

For more info on upcoming events, check for related articles herein or contact President@PacificGravity.com

We’ve finally finalized the design for the new club tee shirt and we’ll be taking pre-orders for the shirts at the club meeting.  We’re targeting $15 per shirt and plan to deliver them at the October club meeting.  Plan in letting us know how many, what size and style of shirt you want and if you can’t make the meeting, please email your pre-order to me at President@PacificGravity.com

With several club events upcoming, including the Chili Cookoff and Club Brew, we’ll have a number of sign ups and details to finalize. The Pacific Brewers Cup judging is on the Saturday following the meeting and we’ll be recruiting members to sign up to judge or steward at the competition.  We’ll be collecting entries for the upcoming European Amber Lagers (cat 3) AHA club only competition.  Of course we’ll also have the latest info on all upcoming club events, plan on joining us…