  | Volume X, Issue 4 July August 2000 |
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A Word from the President Greetings Cowboys and Cowgirls! Wow! ASGRA has been very active the past couple of months! The MMOW Dance and the Festival Tent, Roughstock School, Baltimore Pride, DC Pride, Trail Rides and several fabulous royalty fund raisers have kept our ASGRA members extremely busy. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into each of our events. I would like to thank every member that has stepped forward to help out with and/or attend an ASGRA project or event. Without you we could not have done it. As your president, I thank you for helping to make things happen. If you have not had the opportunity to help out with an ASGRA event, there is still plenty of time to do so. Hoedown is right around the corner and Atlantic Stampede 2000 is a mere two months away! Please contact Jim Morgan or Paul McCaffrey and join the rest of your brother and sister cowpokes in volunteering some time to ASGRA. It's a great way to meet other ASGRA members - plus this is how we raise money for our charities! Elections for next year's ASGRA officers are just around the corner. Start thinking about the available positions. If you are interested in running for an office, step forward and place your name in the hat. An elections committee chairperson will be appointed by the Board of Directors and announced to the membership in July. We need to keep moving forward as an organization. To do this we need members that are dedicated and creative. I'm asking all members to please attend an occasional general membership meeting. I've made a commitment to keep them short and informative, so we also have time for some fun as well after the meeting. We need enough members to vote on important issues. Please also remember to visit our local ASGRA sponsors and let them know that you are an ASGRA member. These folks give us lots of financial support during the year. Let's show them that we appreciate them by providing their businesses with some support as well! And don't forget our national sponsors! If you drink beer make it a Bud Lite. When you fly, fly United. When you rent a car, rent at AVIS. Remember that as an ASGRA member you get special discounts with United Airlines and AVIS Rent a Car. Contact any Board member for our discount codes.
This is going to be a fun-filled ASGRA summer. Check out your newsletter and make plans to attend some of these great events. Once again, I would like to thank every member for all they have done to help make ASGRA the best rodeo association in North America! Let's Rodeo! Thanx and kudos to Billy Collison, Don Horn and Anna Shannon for the photos used in this issue! From Your Membership Chair Membership renewals for the 2000-2001 membership year were recently mailed to all members. If you did not receive yours, please contact me or via mail at ASGRA Membership Chair, PO Box 14308, Washington, DC 20044-4308. You will notice that the membership renewal form mailed to you contains pre-filled information that ASGRA has on file from you. Please take a moment to make sure the information is correct. If any information is incorrect, please strike out the incorrect information and add the correct information. You will also notice that we have added the premium memberships to the renewal form. These membership were recently revised and are the best value for your buck! I would like to invite all members to consider renewing at a premium membership level this year. In your renewal packet, you should have also received a members only discounted Stampede 2000 weekend pass order form. This limited time offer is a membership benefit offered to you as an ASGRA member during our renewal period only. So renew now and order your weekend passes to Stampede early! The Stampede 2000 weekend pass offer is only valid during the ASGRA membership renewal period. This offer expires July 15, 2000. Also new this year is the VISA, MC or AMEX credit card payment option located at the bottom of your form. This year, renewal dues, red shirts, name badges and the members only discounted Stampede weekend passes may be charged to your VISA, MC or AMEX credit card. Take advantage of this quick and easy way to renew! ASGRA also accepts personal checks. Please do not send cash through the mail! Remember to please sign and date your form waiver and include your payment. ASGRA cannot process your renewal application unless it has been signed and dated. I hope the new membership renewal forms are easier to understand and are a quick and easy tool for you to use to renew your membership. Please let me know what you think by emailing me or dropping me a note. Finally, I would like to thank Jim Morgan, Joe R., Mark W. and John Stortz for their help in the preparation and actual roll out of the renewal forms. Thanks guys! Tim Bills, ASGRA Membership Chair 2000 At its May meeting, the Board approved a new ad hoc position in ASGRA of volunteer coordinator, to be appointed by the President. While we have a volunteer coordinator specifically for Stampede, the number of ASGRA activities and the need for volunteers has grown in the past several years, and the Board agreed that there should be a volunteer coordinator year round. This person will help organize volunteer crews for the activities of all the committees during the year. The board members were enthusiastic in creating this new position, both in the help it will give them in getting their events off the ground, and in recognizing the growth it represents for ASGRA. Anyone interested in serving in this position should contact David H.
From Your PR Chair(s)… Pride Festivals, Hoedown, and Rodeos… First of all, a BIG THANKS to Patrick Hunter for taking the reins on the Public Relations Committee for what must have seemed like eternity these past four months! While the rest of the PR Committee moved forward with MMOW, planning for the Baltimore and DC Pride Festivals, Hoedown, and Atlantic Stampede 2000, I was able to focus on and successfully complete my graduate studies in May. Now it's back to the truly enjoyable and fun work associated with planning and publicizing ASGRA's events! The next PR meetings will be held on the following Thursdays: July 13th, August 10th and August 24th (if needed). The PR Committee meets downstairs at Sheridan's (713 8th Street, SE, Washington, DC) at 7pm. All ASGRA members are always invited to attend and participate in the PR Committee meetings. ASGRA made a strong showing during the Baltimore Pride Festival on June 10th, which was held at Druid Hill Park. Despite the sweltering weather, all of the ASGRA members at the booth had a great time meeting new people, seeing old friends, and just having fun. In fact, we think we might have found a candidate for Ms. ASGRA 2001! While the Baltimore Pride group was contending with the heat, an even larger group was making the final preparations for DC's Pride Parade and Festival, which was held on June 11th. The Pride Parade kicked off at noon, but ASGRA members were already hard at work by 9:30 am assembling and decorating the 3 vehicle contingent that represented our organization. ASGRA President David H led the way in his convertible, ably assisted by navigator Steven Haber and with Miss ASGRA 2000, Jymmye Jaymes waving to the crowd. Next in line was a "very butch" hay-filled pick up truck driven by David Burgdorf and featuring Mr. ASGRA 2000 Sonny Koerner and Mr. IGRA 2000 Daniel Lusk. It towed our Bullmaster Bam-Bam along behind. Ms. IGRA 2000 Lonni La Bel, RE&T Chair Cindy Brendle, John Paul Griffin and Sonny traded turns riding Bam-Bam as the parade wove its way through town - keeping the crowd entertained and involved yelling lively 'yee-haws' at the antics. Bringing up the rear was another pick up driven by Stephanie Spears and featuring members Justin Thyme and Madonna Medina encouraging the crowd and doing a variety of 'roping tricks'. Our practice calf Woody was tied to the back of the truck and rolled merrily along with a roller-blading Billy Collison in hot roping pursuit. Things continued to sizzle at the ASGRA Country Western Dance Tent, artfully decorated in classic C&W style by Patrick Hunter and his crew of volunteers. Sponsored by Remingtons, it was a shady oasis where Pride-goers took a twirl on the dance floor to DJ Dawn's masterful mixing of hot country hits. As an added treat, Mark Weigle, Gay C&W singer, gave the crowd a pleasing live performance of his "Two Cowboy Waltz", and DC Lambda Squares gave the crowd a turn at learning some square dancing. Bam-Bam continued to be a crowd pleaser as Pride-goers took a turn riding. The fun blazed on through the afternoon, with the weary and well-toasted Country Pride folks moving on to more air conditioned digs. A tasty meal at Sheridan's and dancing there or at Remingtons for the Capitol Pride Silver Anniversary Party topped off a long hot early summer day of fun. With the Pride Festivals behind us, our next big social event is Hoedown 2000, which will be held at the Museum of Industry (Baltimore's Inner Harbor) on Saturday, July 22nd. Yes Virginia (and DC, and Maryland, and Delaware, etc…), there is a Hoedown 2000! If you haven't done so already, you can buy your tickets on-line from ASGRA's store (www.asgra.org), and members do receive a discount with valid ID if tickets are purchased at the door! For additional information on the PR Committee, any of our events or ASGRA/Atlantic Stampede merchandise, contact me. John Stortz, Public Relations Chair and Patrick Hunter
The Social Scene Summer is just around the corner, cowboys and girls and ASGRA's summer calendar is packed with events that are hotter than a Capitol Pride Sunday! To start your summer off right, Mr. ASGRA 2000 will be hosting ASGRA's Indoor Rodeo and Fundraiser on June 30th at Sheridan's 1874 Steakhouse and Saloon. Performances from Royalty and other favorites will complement this wild and crazy variation on the standard outdoor rodeo events. We won't even speculate on what the rough stock events are… Prizes will be offered to the winning contestants and as with every month they'll be having the best dressed cowboy contest as well. To whet your appetite further for rodeo fun, as well as to keep that summer tan looking good, we'll be having a beach side rodeo in Rehoboth on July 15th. A welcome reception will be held on July 14th at L&L for the early arrivals. The beachside rodeo kicks off the events on the 15th at 1:30 p.m., followed by the ASGRA General Membership meeting at the Renegade at 6:00 p.m. and a Cowboy Tea Dance there from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Lodging is available. Those interested should contact The Renegade. Full details on the both the Sheridan's and beachside rodeo are forthcoming. You should definitely be checking the website and hotline for the info on this one! Hoedown is Back!!! The Baltimore Museum of Industry's beautiful Inner Harbor site at 1415 Key Highway will once again be the setting for this premiere Country/Western Dance event of the mid-Atlantic, featuring food, fun, royalty performances as well as a performance by the DC Cowboys. Hoedown starts at 9:00 p.m. and goes until 1:00 a.m. Snap up your tickets now for this one folks, either via area Lambda Rising locations or at Lammas Women's Bookstore, here in DC. You can also order your tickets on-line at our website where you'll get more info on these as well as all of ASGRA's summer events. As the topper, ASGRA will be celebrating the end of summer with Atlantic Stampede 2000, September 8-10. A change is in the air for this event and it's not just the date anymore either. Plans are in the works for something special on Sunday night along with all the fun that you've come to know and love as a part of your party weekend - Atlantic Coast Open, dance lessons, vendors, entertainment and a HUGE dance floor! Ticket order forms are available, so give a holler via our Hotline.! Patrick Hunter
Atlantic Stampede 2000 Update Now, let's get you up to date with Atlantic Stampede 2000… If you haven't seen any of our posters, palm cards, or quad-folds, where have you been? The printed materials are using the image, which can be seen here. We'll be having the traditional T-shirts and pins available in the July timeframe. We're also looking at some other commemorative items through sponsorships, and we'll have all of the details on the web site and in the next newsletter, which will be out at least a week before the rodeo. If you have not visited the web site in awhile, you will note that a number of changes have been completed or nearing completion. As we finalize the details for Atlantic Stampede 2000, we will post that information to the web site as quickly as we can. Additionally, Billy needs your help in making sure the Calendar contains all local/regional events for any given month. If there is some event or general information that you think other ASGRA members would be interested in, please forward the appropriate information to me. All properly documented submissions received by 5pm on Friday will be posted on the web page that weekend. If it is time sensitive and truly urgent material, then that material will be posted within 24 hours of receipt. Also, if you have any ideas on how we can enhance the site, let us know! Your ideas are always welcomed! Please note that if your submission includes pictures and/or names of people, you will be required to submit a Disclaimer form along with the submission. The Disclaimer will remove all legal liabilities from ASGRA in the event an individual's name is published when in reality they wanted to remain anonymous. Secondly, the Disclaimer form will allow ASGRA to give credit to the photographer that took the picture in accordance with federal, state, and local copyright laws. The Disclaimer Form can be found on the main ASGRA web page. John Stortz, PR Chair
ASGRA Calendar of Events FYI: ALL ASGRA meetings are held in a SMOKE FREE environment
June
July
August
Another ASGRA Night! Wednesday night is C&W night at the Hunt Club. All ASGRA members get a 10% discount on food and Happy Hour prices on drinks ALL NIGHT LONG. For more info contact Luis Warner. The Hunt Club is located at 2249 Huntington Avenue, 2 blocks from the Huntington Metro.
Rodeo Events & Training
The Social Scene New York City Pride - Special Announcement! Daniel Hanna's Lava Lounge is located in New York on Eighth Avenue at 55th Street. ASGRA member Chuck Nixon works there during the week and has notified us that Hanna's would like to do a promotional float in the New York Pride march on June 25 saluting ASGRA and Atlantic Stampede. The float will feature a sign and sport simple decorations - fence rails and straw bales - atop a flat trailer attached to Chuck's truck. Hanna's staff will decorate the float on Pride morning at the bar and would like to invite all ASGRA members who plan to be in NYC for Pride weekend to march with Hanna's staff and friends as a group. After the march, ASGRA members who have joined the contingent are invited to Hanna's for a 2-hour open bar. In addition, Hanna's plans to sponsor up to ten goat dressing teams at Atlantic Stampede and sponsor the goat dressing buckles. They will also sponsor a special Hanna's buckle for the best Hanna's team, which will circulate on an annual basis. Hanna's is relatively new and has only been open for a few months. The owners, Denise and Laura, are looking for opportunities to create connections with a broad spectrum of the gay community. They are excited at the possibility of working with ASGRA. If you'll be marching in NYC Pride, please plan on joining them. You can contact them for details.
(l to r) Don Horn, Les Boggs and John Paul Griffin display our banner in SLC.
Atlantic Stampede 2001 Whether you're entering the Logo and/or Theme contest(s), please include your name and a phone number where you can be reached. The winning theme and logo, along with the originator's name, will be announced at the August General Membership meeting, published in the September/October newsletter and listed on the ASGRA web site (www.asgra.org). If you want to remain anonymous, please indicate this along with your entry. The winner of the theme contest will also receive a mystery prize. Finally, the winning Atlantic Stampede 2001 logo will go to work immediately as we'll be busy printing up flyers, palm cards, etc. to be used at this year's rodeo as well as in time for IGRA Finals in October.
What's New 'Round the Corral Weather permitting, we will be holding a trail ride at Piscataway Ranch in Clinton, MD at 10:30am on the following Sunday: July 9th: Beat the summer heat on a relaxing ride alongside bubbling streams in a cool forest! NEW!!! August 13th: Let's try something different - this month we will hold our trail ride at Millersville Stables.
Roughstock Cowboys: Cancun Cantina in Glen Burnie bucks out 8 bulls every other Friday night until it gets too cold in November to do it! Next buckout is scheduled for Friday, June 30th, but contact the Cancun Cantina staff directly to be sure. If you're interested in riding in the buckout you need to call them in advance. The slots fill up fast! There is a fee for entering and a $200 pot to win!
Dance, Dance, Dance! The Manhattan Mustangs host a Country Tea Dance the fourth Sunday of every month in NYC! All events are alcohol-free in addition to being 100% smoke-free out of respect for our 12 step friends! The admission donation at the door is $7 for the general public and $5 for supporting members of the Manhattan Mustangs. Beverages (juice, soda, water, cider) are $1 and free snacks are provided, along with a free coat check and dance lessons! The dances are held at the Center (1 Little West 12th Street, between Hudson Street and Ninth Avenue in fabulous Greenwich Village). Call the Mustangs Information Line: Big Apple Ranch in New York City rents space in the Dance Manhattan Studios and holds a weekly Saturday night dance. We are the only weekly Gay & Lesbian Country & Western dance club in New York City. Admission is $10.00 and includes a free beginner two-step lesson and a line dance lesson. For an additional $3.00 we have teachers from all over the city come in a give lessons in East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Cha-Cha, Hustle, Two-Step and Waltz. Big Apple Ranch is located at 39 West 19th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues in Chelsea). The hotline number is ________ and their class schedule as well as links to ASGRA can be found on the web site, www.bigappleranch.com. MCC RICHMOND OFFERS COUNTRY MUSIC & DANCING - Enjoy country music? How about line dancing? MCC Richmond offers country music and dancing EVERY Tuesday night at Babes in Carytown. Free lessons are offered from 8-9pm and are available for beginning, intermediate and advanced dancers. Learn some new dances while brushing up on the old ones as well! Dancing begins at 9pm. If you like to line dance, two-step, or just watch and enjoy the music, come on out and have some fun! Bring a friend - or tell a friend who may not know about it. Babes is located at 3166 West Cary Street in Richmond, VA. The International Association of Gay and Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs held their 7th Annual Convention in Houston, Texas over Memorial Day weekend. The weekend's activities included some great dance workshops as well as competitions and demonstrations by the various IAGLCWDC clubs. The competitions and demonstrations are by dance groups and there is a fast growing couples dance competition as well. Mary Anne Walkup and her dance partner Donna placed first in C&W 2-step and Waltz and 1st overall in the Division IV Beginner category! Debbie Belles and Ginny Kocur placed third in the Division III, Intermediate division, a tough division to compete in! Way to go, ladies!
SCENE AND HERD: RECENT RODEOS There were no April showers in LA when a small but lively bunch of ASGRA members headed out to the west coast for GSGRA's first of four rodeos for 2000! Then it was on to Oklahoma for Memorial Day weekend and a June visit to Salt Lake City for their first rodeo! It's been a busy couple of months already! Los Angeles, CA (April 14-16): A contingent of ASGRA members enjoyed a mid-winter break with warm sun and cool breezes for LA Rodeo 2000. Royalty stayed busy assisting with scorekeeping, timing and working the chutes. Lonni LaBel managed to earn the lone ASGRA score taking second place on Sunday in Calf Roping on Foot and catching for her very first time. We don't know who was more surprised, her or the calf! Overall, ASGRA placed 14th, with a total of 45 team points.
Oklahoma City, OK (May 26-28):
Salt Lake City, UT (June 2-4):
Dennis Terrell kept the scorekeeping simple in the same event, taking 3rd both days and overall
Salt Lake City, UT (June 2-4):
Recent Royalty doings: ASGRA's 2000 Royalty team kicked off MMOW weekend with its annual Gary Robinson Memorial Shirt Auction on Friday April 28 at Sheridan's. ASGRA and IGRA Royalty performed and raffled off tickets to the Equality Rocks concert as part of the MMOW weekend. Over $1300 was raised for BHT and DC AIDS Ride. Ms. IGRA 2000 participated as a contestant for the Chaps & Chest contest at the ASGRA-sponsored Chaps & Skins C&W dance on Saturday night, April 29 at the International Trade Union center as part of the MMOW festivities. In the persona of Miss Vykkye Jaymes, she was the only female entrant, but still took 2nd place out of a combined contestant pool. Mr. ASGRA 2000, Mr. IGRA 2000 and Miss IGRA 2000 First Runner Up made a fine showing marching in MMOW. All of our ASGRA and local IGRA royalty team members also performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the ASGRA festival tent for MMOW on Sunday April 30. Ms. IGRA 2000 performed at Franklyn's on May 5 at a private gathering for the local F-to-M community, as well as on May 14 for Mother's Day brunch. Tips were contributed to the Iowa Charity Ball event (see below). Ms. IGRA 2000 received a Star of the Future 2000 Award from the Academy at their annual Oscars show on May 7. And keep an eye on those Sheridan's ads… Ms. IGRA 2000 attended the HGRA Charity Ball 2000 weekend May 19-21 in Des Moines. Lonni performed at each stop on the bar crawl on Friday evening and again at the event itself on Saturday evening. $100 in tip monies raised in DC was donated to the event charities supporting people with AIDS and HIV. The event raised over $4000. Ms. IGRA 2000 and Miss IGRA 2000 First Runner Up both attended the Oklahoma City rodeo May 26-28. They performed along with IGRA, TGRA and OGRA royalty at the Friday evening welcome party and again at the fundraising event on Saturday evening at the Copa. $100 was donated on behalf of IGRA Royalty and Ms. IGRA 2000 donated an additional $150 in DC-raised tip monies to the fundraising effort, which raised $2400 overall for 3 AIDS-related charities. Mr. IGRA 2000, Mr. ASGRA 2000, First Runner-up Miss IGRA 2000 and Ms. IGRA 2000 (as Miss Vykkye Jaymes) entertained an enthusiastic crowd as part of the Saturday night show at Salt Lake City's first rodeo the weekend of June 2-4. Ms. IGRA was interviewed by The Salt Lake City Tribune and a combined ASGRA/PONY Wild Drag team of Lonni La Bel, John Paul Griffin and David Frankel even made the Saturday evening news! Mr. ASGRA 2000 and Ms. IGRA 2000 rode Bam-Bam as part of the ASGRA contingent while Miss ASGRA 2000 and Mr. IGRA 2000 entertained the crowd along the parade route for DC Pride on June 11. Mr. ASGRA 2000 and Mr. IGRA 2000 performed to the sun-baked crowd at the ASGRA Dance tent that afternoon. Later in the evening, Miss ASGRA 2000 and Ms. IGRA 2000 took their performance turn at Remington's as part of their Silver
Let's (Indoor) Rodeo! On Friday June 30, Mr. ASGRA 2000, Sonny Koerner, will host a fundraiser at Sheridan's to benefit AIDS Walk and Food & Friends. Full details are forthcoming, but the event will be held as a kickoff to ASGRA's Hoedown weekend. There will be an indoor bar rodeo with entertainment, and prizes awarded to the winners of each indoor event, including: riding Bam-bam (our manual bucking bull) without spilling your cocktail, the steer 'chip' toss, barrel racing on tricycles, flag racing on stick ponies, and the cowboy undressing contest! Sounds like fun, huh? We're still looking for donations of goods and services which may be used as prizes for the rodeo. And we're hoping to see a terrific turnout there for this worthwhile and fun event. Please contact Sonny if you can donate or help out! Country Jamboree at Club Chaos!
Coming Soon! Summer Heat 2000 Hosted by Mr. IGRA 2000, Daniel Lusk
President: David H 13512 Woodvale Court Woodbridge, VA. 22191-1832 Vice-President/BHT Rep: Eric Gangloff 22300 Aquasco Rd. Aquasco, MD 20608-2002 Secretary: Gaither Pennington 6518 Osprey Point Lane Alexandria, VA 22315-5908 Treasurer: Steven Haber 1314 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005-4402 Membership: Tim Bills 8246 Catbird Circle #302 Lorton, VA 22079-4608 Fundraising & Sponsorship: Daniel Lusk 216 Tennessee Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002-6428 Public Relations (Acting): Patrick Hunter 1508 E. Capitol St. Apt. #5 Washington, D.C. 20002 Rodeo Events & Training: Cindy Brendle 3906 Lincolnshire Street Annandale, VA 22003-2517 Social & Entertainment: Jim Morgan 1514 T Street, NW Washington, DC 20009-3910 IGRA Trustee: Mike Benner 4635B South 36th Street Arlington, VA 22206-1724 Newsletter Editor: Alana (Lonni) La Bel 2155 Mohegan Drive Falls Church, VA 22043-2512 CAB Representative 2000: Billy Collison 18600 Walker's Choice Road #5 Gaithersburg, MD 20886-0539 Mr. ASGRA 2000: Sonny Koerner 300 South Taylor St. Arlington, VA 22204-1445 Miss ASGRA 2000: Miss Jymmye Jaymes 1225 Martha Custis Dr. #1017 Alexandria, VA 22302-2021 |
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Although she didn't cover, Lonni did manage to entertain the crowd on her Sunday steer ride, which had a no-handed finale. Sonny's keeping a close watch on where she's aiming that steer…
Apparently Sonny is as smooth in the chute as he is on the dance floor…
Just a reminder… Miss ASGRA 2000, Miss Jymmye Jaymes is your hostess every Sunday evening for Country Jamboree at
Club Chaos (at the corner of 17th & Q St. NW). Dance lessons are offered from 6-7:30pm with open dancing following from 7:30-9pm. At 9 and 10:30, Jymmye will emcee shows featuring the best of DC's live and illusionist talent (including your ASGRA and local IGRA Royalty), with open dancing both between shows and following the last show. For more details, contact Jymmye or Club Chaos or see the Chaos webpage (
Miss ASGRA 2000, Miss IGRA 2000 First Runner Up and Ms. IGRA 2000 perform regularly at the "Queens of Country Music" shows at Sheridan's. Mr. ASGRA 2000 and Mr. IGRA 2000 co-host the monthly "Best Dressed Cowboy" contest there as well. Come on out and support your local and international royalty teams!
ASGRA's Royalty team works hard to educate the public on rodeo, ASGRA, IGRA and C&W lifestyle, as well as to raise funds for charity. We tip our hats to you and encourage you to continue your fine support and enthusiasm!
