March 17, 2009 Meeting

[bluecanary25]

A friendly reminder that Tuesday March 17, at 6:30 PM, we will have our monthly meeting.
Shoney's, next to the stadium, Nashville, Tn. Private room in the back.
Do not have to be a member to attend, we welcome visitors.
If you want something from the menu, come early...........

[johnharris]

I am waiting on a confirmation but I am hoping our speaker will be Senator Mae Beavers.

[johnharris]

IMPORTANT REMINDER

TFA's Nashville chapter has been experiencing attendance of approximately 50 people. The room only holds 45 or so. It is critical to come early if you are planning to order and/or use the salad bar. I strongly encourage you to consider the self-serve salad bar because we have had several problems with large turnouts and getting menu orders completed timely.

[David Lewis]

But don't let that stop you from coming!

It's a great problem to have--growing because more & more people are interested in what we're doing.

See you Tuesday!

David

[David Lewis]

Tonight, 6:30!

Sen. Mae Beavers is our scheduled speaker.

See you there!

David

[redbarron06]

How did it go? I had to work late so I was not able to make it.

[David Lewis]

It was a good meeting. We had 41 people in attendance--several of whom were first-time visitors. Attendance
was down 5 or 6 from last month...but several school systems are on spring break, which may have had an
effect on attendance. Ordering & food service went much more smoothly, too. Norma worked hard to take good
care of us!

We had updates on recent "events" where TFA had a presence, including:

The Sparta Gun show (7 Mar): John, Rob, & Lou made a day-trip to a semi-annual regional show in Sparta, where
they were later joined by Bob Pope. Plans are already being made to return for the fall show, in greater numbers,
and perhaps to begin an Upper-Cumberland chapter. At least 6 new members signed up.

The Wild Beast Feast at Thompson Station Baptist Church (same day): I worked a table there. It's a Christian
outreach for sportsmen sponsored annually by that congregation. There were about 400 people in attendance,
many of whom have carry permits, but were unfamiliar with TFA. Two individuals & one family joined TFA. We
plan on being there next year, too.

Discussion of the upcoming Smyrna show: workers are needed, especially for Saturday! Contact Rob to arrange a time.
Several first-time workers have already volunteered. There's no such thing as too many workers.

Senator Mae Beavers spoke on the gun bills that are before the Legislature, specifically those just now beginning to
move in the Senate. While our prospects for success are good in the House, they're great in the Senate, thanks in
no small measure to Senator Beavers. She & John discussed the specifics of several bills.

She recommended calling, rather than e-mailing, your elected representatives. Calls are more personal, and carry
more weight--even if all you do is leave a message. Follow up with an e-mail, if you wish. E-mails, while they do
get read, sometimes are just skimmed--especially when they're boiler-plate text from many people. As Rep. Eddie
Bass advised last month, she suggested that if you do e-mail, take a few moments actually to write your own message,
not simply to cut & paste one from another source. It carries considerably more weight.

It was another good evening of guns & politics!

David