Lake Barcroft Newcomers Club

News

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  • 23 Feb 2020 3:20 PM | Phillip Boggs

    The Newcomers Club is off to a strong start in 2020 with the Chili Cook-off completed and the winners bragging till next year; stay tuned for the Chef’s and People’s Choice winners. Next event is the May 30th “Whisky Tasting” hosted by Ken Kastner and Eva Kosztarab on Waterway Drive (no worries, there’ll be wine too). Other events under consideration by the board for 2020 include a Poker Night, Raft-up-and-Swim, a Halloween Party, and the return of the famous (or infamous) Barge Party!

    As of late February, the Newcomers Club numbers 63 households, totaling 110 individual members and GROWING! For the last several years, the Board, made up of volunteers, managed the membership database and event ticket sales using a combination of spreadsheets, Gmail, Evite, and PayPal. For 2020, the LBNC board unanimously decided to embark upon a trial of an all-in-one membership management software. The Wild Apricot software we chose is a cloud-based solution that promises to help us develop a more accurate membership database, automate membership renewal notices, integrate invites and ticket sales for our events, and provide a mobile-friendly website for the club. Our new website can be found at  https://lakebarcroftnewcomersclub.wildapricot.org.

    We migrated our membership data into Wild Apricot and sent all current members an email welcoming them to the LB Newcomers Club site and providing instructions for setting up their new password. This email came from LakeBarcroftNewcomersClub@wildapricot.org; please check your spam filters if you are a current member and did NOT receive the invitation email. While we tried to scrub our membership data for accuracy prior to migration, we are sure there are errors or missing information. Fortunately, the Wild Apricot system provides a capability for members to correct their own contact information. Once logged in, members can view their profile by clicking on their name at the top right of the page. If corrections are needed, simply click “Edit profile.”

    The Wild Apricot system allows us to continue our practice of offering Household memberships through a feature called “Bundles.” Each Household membership is required to have a bundle administrator. We designated a bundle administrator for your household based on our past interactions with members. We are happy to change the administrator for your household, but this feature can only be performed by a club administrator. Simply send an email to LBNewcomers@gmail.com and we will change your bundle administrator.

    We appreciate the patience (and very helpful feedback) that everyone has shown as we migrate to this new software and continue to learn how to use it.  We used the new site for ticket sales to the Chili Cook-off and so far, found it to be a time saver for management of RSVPs and ticketing. We have also had several new members successfully join the club via the web application. The option for PayPal and/or check payment is available as a fall back until we are all more comfortable with the new system. As always, for questions about the Newcomers Club, events, and opportunities to volunteer with the club, please email LBNewcomers@gmail.com.

     

     


  • 20 Jan 2020 4:32 PM | Anonymous

    The Newcomers Club is busy planning the annual Chili and Cornbread Cook-off for the evening of Saturday, March 7. Jenn and Mike Shumaker of Dearborn Drive have once again generously offered to host the event, which you do not want to miss because Lake Barcroft residents always come through with impressively creative and delicious entries for the competition. As in the past, prizes will be awarded for the best chili and cornbread based on judging by attendees and a guest chef. Tickets for this event typically sell out fast, so keep an eye on Lakelink, Facebook, and email for information on how to purchase tickets, and contact LBNewcomers@gmail.com for information on how to enter your chili and/or cornbread. 

    The Newcomers Club is also looking forward to a Whisky Tasting Night, tentatively in late May, and is considering other events for 2020 such as a Poker Night, Raft-Up-and-Swim, and Barge Party. If you would like to help with these, have ideas for other Newcomers Club events, or just wish to get more involved in our wonderful community, please consider joining the board as an at-large member. For questions about the Newcomers Club, these events, and opportunities to volunteer with the club, please email LBNewcomers@gmail.com. 

  • 15 Dec 2019 9:12 PM | Anonymous

    The Newcomers Club ended 2019 with a fabulous Holiday party in December.  Hosts Jennifer and Michael Beggs of Crosswoods Drive set the bar high for future Lake Barcroft events by successfully hosting an environmentally-friendly party for approximately 70 guests using no single use items. Their home was beautifully decorated with multiple Christmas trees, pine swags, and décor to set the mood. Conversation was lively as guests enjoyed drinks and main courses of ham, roast beef, salmon, and baked ziti provided by the club and an impressive array of appetizers, sides, and desserts provided by the guests. Matt Friedman once again provided ample entertainment as Santa, hosting a White Elephant Gift Exchange with Katie Boggs as the elf. Characteristic of Lake Barcroft, the popular items included an electric wine bottle opener, a set of cheese knives, and a wine bottle wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. Marilyn Di Paulo proved to be the best present picker as her gifts were stolen seven times and Ginger Hayes gave all a chuckle as she declared that she was regifting her prize to her mother-in-law.

    The next Newcomers Club event will be the annual Chili and Cornbread Cook-off, which is tentatively planned for February or early March.  You do not want to miss this event as Lake Barcroft residents always come through with impressively creative and delicious entries for this competition. Keep an eye on Lakelink, Facebook, and email for official announcement of the date and location. Other events in work for 2020 include a Whisky Tasting and Poker Night.

    Anticipated improvements to the Newcomers Club operations for 2020 include establishment of club by-laws, addition of at-large members to the board, and implementation of a customer relationship management tool. Through these additions, we hope to improve accuracy of membership data, improve communications with members, and ease event planning and execution. We hope you will seek greater involvement in our awesome community by joining the board as an at-large member. If interested in learning more about this opportunity, please email LBNewcomers@gmail.com or join us for a board meeting in late January (date, time, and location to be announced via email, Lakelink, and Facebook). As always, if you have any questions about the Newcomers Club, please email LBNewcomers@gmail.com.

  • 16 Nov 2019 3:09 PM | Anonymous

    In October, the Newcomers Club celebrated the end of summer and enjoyed meeting the newest Lake Barcroft residents at their Fall Festival.  Mo Bloom and Marcia Diamond graciously opened their lakeside home to the Newcomers Club and Kathy Akridge got us all in the mood for fall with her awesome decorating skills. We enjoyed excellent food and spirits, featuring fried turkeys, smoked Boston butt, and one of the most original cakes you’ll ever see and taste. All enjoyed great conversation by the fire pits, and a few also showed off their dance skills enjoying music by DJ Jim Dawson. Scott Major demonstrated superior knowledge of his fellow Newcomers by winning the “Get to Know Your Neighbor” game, where you asked your fellow Newcomers questions to find out specific points of interest. Apparently, we have many interesting people joining our neighborhood every year!

    The next event for the Newcomers Club will be the very popular Newcomers Holiday Party, which will be held on Friday, December 13 at the home of Jennifer and Michael Beggs on Crosswoods Drive. Space will be limited, so Newcomers Club members should keep an eye on their email for advance notice of ticket sales. The Chili Cook-off will be in the first quarter of 2020, so start working on your chili and cornbread recipes now!

    If these events interest you, please consider joining the Newcomers Club to ensure you receive early notice (and a discount) for ticket sales. Your participation in these events provides our newest neighbors with a warm introduction to our wonderful community and helps them to quickly integrate with the many established neighbors. Membership is open to all Lake Barcroft residents (whether you have been here 30 days or 30 years) and costs just $20 per household per year.  To join or renew membership in the Newcomers Club, please contact Sharon at LBNCmembership@gmail.com.

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"Lake Barcroft Newcomers Club" is a non-profit organization. 

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