Greetings from the world of membership! Normally, January is a slow month for membership. But this month seemed to be a little busier.

If you have been to our web page lately, the membership page specifically, you have found a new addition. We have added the option to join online, in addition to renewing online. This new feature already brought in 2 new members. Our membership stands strong at 153.

I am pleased to announce that we have a preliminary contract signed with our new host hotel, the Hyatt Regency. With the signing of this contract, the hotel not only provides us with a space to hold our monthly Board of Directors meetings, but also our membership meetings. So, starting with our February membership meeting, we will be meeting at the hotel. Meeting time will more than likely stay the same (4:00pm). But keep watch on the web page, as well as your email box for any changes to the schedule.

If you need to order any ASGRA merchandise (logo or Stampede t-shirts, Denim or Red long-sleeve shirts, name badges, etc) you can do so on the web page. Come check out the ASGRA online Store!

If you have moved or changed any of your personal information please let me know. If you no longer wish to receive email announcements (or want to be added to that list) let me know and we will make sure it happens.

Remember that you have a voice on the board (me). As your membership chair, I serve as your liaison to the board. If you have issues, concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to bring them to my attention. I can be reached by email at join@asgra.org or by phone at the number listed in the sidebar of the newsletter.

Mike Sanders, Membership Chair

Two-step and Country Waltz Dance Lessons with Instructor
Mary Anne Waxter Center * Cathedral and Eager St.
Classes on Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:30
$5 per lesson, $50 for all twelve classes

Jan. 9: Two-Step
Jan. 23: Two-Step
Feb. 6: Two-Step
Feb. 20: Two-Step
March 6: Two-Step
March 20: Waltz
March 27: Waltz
April 3: Waltz
April 17: Waltz
May 8: Waltz
May 22: Waltz
June 19: Graduation Party

Just wanted to give y'all a quick "Howdy" and let everyone know how grateful I am to have been selected by the Board as your Rodeo Director for this year's Atlantic Stampede in September. I will be using the Newsletter to keep everyone informed of the 2003 Rodeo status. I have already signed-on Mike Lentz as my Asst. Rodeo Director. And hope to make more assignments soon. If you have any questions please feel free to give me an E-Buzz at RodeoDirector@asgra.org.

Billy Collison, Atlantic Stampede 2003 Rodeo Director

President: Gaither Pennington 133 Tull Place Alexandria, VA 22304
Vice President: Jason Hays
Secretary:Frank Harrell, 12905 Clifton Creek Dr. Clifton VA 20124
Treasurer: Scott Smiley 21 Welbeck Ct. Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Membership: Michael Sanders 7401 Eastmoreland Rd. #228 Annandale, VA 22003
Fundraising & Sponsorship: Mark Baker 1437 Rhode Island Ave., NW #403 Washington, DC 20005
Public Relations: Robert McGuire
Rodeo Events & Training: TBD
Social & Entertainment: JR Key 1317 Rhode Island Ave. NW #103 Washington, DC 20005
Newsletter Editor: Lonni La Bel 11422 Waterbury Way Germantown, MD 20876

Happy Trails To You!
Remember, ASGRA trail rides are the first Sunday of the month at 11:00am!
Weather permitting, we will be holding a trail ride at Piscataway Ranch in Clinton, MD at 11:00 am on the following days:
February 2nd: Warm things up for Valentine's Day with a romantic ride in the wintery Maryland woodlands!
March 3rd: March into spring like a lion with an invigorating lope through the countryside!
For further information and to RSVP, contact Glenn at (703) 538-2225.

Cowtown Rodeo 2003: TGRA Fort Worth, TX March 28-30, 2003
Bighorn Rodeo 2003: NGRA Las Vegas, NV April 4-5, 2003
L.A. Rodeo 2003: GSGRA Los Angeles, CA April 11-13, 2003
Rodeo in the Rock 2003; DSRA Little Rock, AK April 25-27, 2003
Great Plains Rodeo 2003: OGRA Oklahoma City, OK May 23-25, 2003
Salt Lake City Rodeo 2003: UGRA Salt Lake City, UT June 13-15, 2003

Web Master: Frank Harrell 12905 Clifton Creek Dr. Clifton, VA 20124
IGRA Trustee: Michael Lentz 4602 Coachway Drive North Bethesda, MD 20852
Rodeo Director 2003: Billy Collison 18600 Walkers Choice Rd. #5 Gaithersburg, MD 20886-0539
BHT Representative 2002: Bruce Forchheimer 1535 9th St NW Washington, DC 20001-3207
CAB Representative 2002: Patrick Hunter 410 15th Street, NE #26 Washington, DC 20002
Mr. ASGRA 2003: John Alvey 2298 17th St., NW Apt. #7 Washington, DC 20009
Miss ASGRA 2003: Miss Courtney Lovelace (Sam Marsh) 2298 17th St., NW Apt. #7 Washington, DC 20009

It is your responsibility to keep IGRA informed of address, phone, and email changes. You can update your information with them at http://www.igra.com/address.html

The Social & Entertainment Committee is seeking creative, energetic people to help plan an exciting social calendar for ASGRA in 2003. Our goal is to provide a variety of social events for the ASGRA membership throughout the year. We are limited only by having willing volunteers to help suggest, plan, and host events. Whether you can commit a few hours each month or only have time to help out with one or two events that interest you, your participation is welcome.

If you've got skills or ideas that you can offer, the Social & Entertainment Committee wants you! If your main talent is a willingness to pitch in, we want you, too! The S&E goal for 2003 is to involve as much of the ASGRA membership and the country western community as possible, whether you volunteer to help or just come out and enjoy socializing at the events. S&E is about having some fun and building a sense of community among our members. Join us for the fun! If you have ideas to share, contact the Social &&Entertainment chair, J.R. Key,.

An ASGRA Valentine   Roses are red and violets are blue The ASGRA Posse is looking for YOU! We have dances & parties to plan for the year An Expo, a Hoedown and the Rodeo here Not to mention Pride celebrations galore There's no end to the fun that's in store! But we can't make it happen without folks like you To help plan the details and, of course, staff the crew So come to a meeting or give us a call Let's make 2003 the best ASGRA year of all!

2003 is the 10th Anniversary of this incredible event. This is a huge milestone for the GLBT Community, the loyal sponsors/exhibitors/attendees that support the EXPO and the dedicated staff at The RDP Group.

ASGRA has been a participant and the IGRA Representative group to this event for the past 2 years. It's a wonderful opportunity to network with the GLBT community and to showcase all that is exciting about gay rodeo, ASGRA/IGRA and the County-Western lifestyle. For more info and pictures from last year's expo check out their website: http://www.rdpgroup.com/glexpo/welcome.htm
ASGRA plans to send another posse up to NYC for the EXPO this year. Contact Social & Entertainment Chair J.R. Key to get involved!

February 2003
2 11:00am Trail Ride at Piscataway stables, Clinton, MD
12 8:00pm BHT Meeting; DC Eagle; Washington, DC
13 7:30pm ASGRA Board Meeting; Capital Hilton
14-16 IGRA University; St. Louis, MO
19 8:00pm CAB Meeting; DC Eagle; Washington, DC
23 4:00pm General Membership Meeting; Hyatt Regency Hotel; Washington, DC

There will be no ASGRA Memberhip meetings during March or June this year.

Road Runner Regional Rodeo 2003: Phoenix, AZ January 17-19, 2003 This past weekend John Alvey, Les Boggs, Don Horn, Sonny Koerner, Courtney Lovelace, Lonni LaBel, Oscar Mocelo and Mike Sanders traveled to Phoenix for the Road Runner Regional Rodeo. And what a weekend it was! The weather was beautiful and our competitors showed IGRA that we mean business. Courtney and John, Miss and Mr. ASGRA 2003 performed several times during the weekend and met most of the other Associations' royalty teams. There will be stiff competition come finals this year and our team is one of the best. Lonni LaBel, Ms. ASGRA 1999/Ms. IGRA 2000 also performed. ASGRA also put on quite a show in the arena as well. Ribbons and trophies abound. Here's how we stacked up: Saturday: Lonni - 2nd Place in Calf Roping on Foot Sunday: The team of Sonny and Oscar - 5th Place in Goat Dressing Oscar - 3rd Place in Men's Steer Riding And Don Horn's Wild Drag Team (with Wade Earp and Nora Young, both from TGRA) brought home the Best Wild Drag Team Costume trophies for their 'Wizard of Oz' theme. Congratulations to all of our competitors!!! Keep up the good work! Mike Sanders, Membership Chair And Speaking of Rodeos… Stampede 2003 September 5 - 7, 2003 Gay Rodeo and country western enthusiasts from California to Calgary, from NYC to NC all know the only place to be Sept 5-7 is in Washington, DC, for two days and three nights of cowboys, cowgirls, competition and dancing. ASGRA has earned a reputation as one of the best rodeo entertainment weekends on the IGRA circuit. With several new improvements to our arena and rodeo grounds venue, praised by contestants and fans alike, followed each night by the largest and best evening dance/entertainment events, Atlantic Stampede continues our tradition in 2003 to provide the highest quality all-around line-up of rodeo entertainment. Start making plans now to be in DC this fall. Check our website frequently (www.asgra.org), as new information and details are posted regularly. Tickets for this event will be available on-line beginning in June 2003. J.R. Key, S&E Chair Upcoming ASGRA Events!!!! Hoedown on the Harbor 2003 Saturday June 14th, 2003 Baltimore Museum of Industry Ticket prices: $15 advance/$20 door (Tickets will available on our website in March (Price includes entrance to the dance competitions AND Hoedown) Spend the day enjoying Baltimore's Gay Pride Festival; then spend the hot summer night where the Cowboys and Cowgirls play, at the Hoedown on the Harbor. We'll be boot-scootin' all night under an open-air pavilion down on the waterfront of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Come early for the ASGRA couples and line dance competitions (6pm - 8pm) and stay late dancing the night away (8pm - 2am). We'll provide plenty of food, drinks, good music, and a special guest performance … add in a cool breeze, the harbor lights … and all we need is you to complete the mix for the area's best country western dance party of the summer. Tickets for this event will be available for purchase online and at local Lambda Rising bookstores beginning in April, 2003. ASGRA Couples Dance & Line Dance Competitions Saturday, June 14th, 2003, 6-8pm Baltimore Museum of Industry Registration: Couples Dance: $30/couple Line Dance: $15/person (includes three line dances) (Competition registration includes free entry to Hoedown. Regestration will be available on our website in Febuary) After a day of celebration at the Baltimore's Gay Pride Festival, join us as we kick-off the area's best country-western dance event of the summer with the ASGRA Couples Dance and Line Dance Competition. Whether you would like to join in the competion or just enjoy watching the show, it's an exciting way to start an evening of dancing. An IGRA sanctioned dance competition, the overall winners for this competition will be invited to represent ASGRA at the IGRA international dance competition finals in July, 2003. You may register for competition online (www.asgra.org) or via mail beginning in February, 2003. In addition, on-the-spot registration will be available for the Line Dance competition for anyone with an urge to kick up their heels and show their stuff for the crowd. After the heat of dance competition, cool off outdoors at the open-air pavilion and join us for food, drinks, and dancing the night away at Hoedown on the Harbor. Atlantic Coast Open Saturday September 6th, 2003 Formerly, an event that drew some of the finest dance teams from across the US and Canada, ASGRA will once again host the Atlantic Coast Open Team Dance Competition as one of the highlights of the Atlantic Stampede 2003 rodeo weekend. Whether you are a dance team ready to capture the crowd with your performance or a dance fan eager to be a part of some of the most thrilling entertainment country western dance has to offer, join the thousands of cowboys and cowgirls who will be in town for Atlantic Stampede, and start your evening, Sat. Sept 6, by being part of this spectacle that is not be missed. Information and registration for this event will be available online (www.asgra.org) in February 2003. J.R. Key, S&E Chair March 2003 newsletter issue: Submissions due: 2/17/03 Mail out date: 2/24/03 (l-to-r: Nora Young/The Cowardly Lion, Wade Earp/Dorothy with 'Toto, too' and Don Horn/The Scarecrow) (Reddi Whip/Lonni La Bel and her four-legged friend) [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]