... other trey tries to take away

The newly-installed commander of Post 500 came to the Two First Posts meeting tonight with a posse in tow.

As well as Emmett from last week, he also had David, Solomon, and Ulysses (husband of Sabrina, who may have been there to support our side).

Yes, Trey Singleton wanted to present a front for his position.

This Two First Posts meeting was held to answer any questions that still lingered from last week's meeting, and so was open to any and all members of both Post 36 and Post 500.

It was important that all understood the landlord relationship that TFP held with respect to all the tenants in that building on Montgomery Street.

John Parker started the meeting by explaining what had happened 18 years ago, when Post 500 lost its charter due to lack of young membership, and how Post 500 had fought to regain its status as an American Legion entity.

He also talked about Post 36 having given up its charter several years ago, as it was about to be taken by the national group, again for lack of young membership.

Doug Andrews said he left Post 184 five years ago and worked with James Putney, the then-Commander of Post 500, to locate a space to purchase for their post's monthly meetings. 

Then, as per John Parker and Doug Andrews, each post put up $450,000 to purchase the building on Montgomery Street.

(I don't know if the Army Surplus store/pawnshop was still a tenant in the building, but I think it was gone; I just know that the drycleaners and the church were tenants at the time and still are.)

The almost million-dollar bank loan for the renovation of the space at 5509 and 5511 began about two years ago, with work still progressing at this time. 

John ended with explaining about the Two First Posts of Georgia LLC being the managing and governing party for the entire building, with a governing panel which had 3-year terms to lead the building toward a goal of serving active military at Hunter AAF, as well as veterans in the community.

(So, as with the last meeting, it was made clear this place has a hefty debt that needs to be paid, as well as current utility bills and such.)

Doug explained that the current President of TFP is Eddie Patterson, who will have that position for approximately another two years, at which time the new President of the LLC will be taken from Post 36, as the position switches hands at the end of each term.

Doug is currently the Vice-President of the LLC, and will hold that title for approximately another two years, at which time it will switch to a member from Post 500.

The two Finance Officers of TFP LLC were the two Treasurers from each Post at the time, meaning they are Joe Cetti and Sabrina Scale, each of which will hold those titles in the LLC for approximately another two years.

John added that the board is currently working on the Bylaws, Code of Conduct, and regulations for operation of the building; that will be forthcoming whenever those have been completed.

Doug added that the facility's focus is on serving active duty military and veterans, not civilian groups.

John remarked that there will be a sign-in book for guests who are not members of either Post 36 or Post 500.

Trey then began his questions, which really were thinly-cloaked demands.

He wanted 8 days (!!!) of each month to be set aside for the monthly meetings of Post 500, including the general meeting, the e-board, the SAL (Sons of American Legion), the Auxiliary, and one other, as well as 3 days for fundraising events.

Brenda explained to him that those five regular monthly meetings are already listed on the TFP google calendar.

John also explained that a screen of events would soon be posted, with street view, so all passersby and interested parties would know who had rented out 5511 Montgomery Street at any time. 

It was also reiterated at that time that all veteran groups meeting in the space needed to sign a Use of Facility Contract, as well as pay $250/quarter, to cover expenses of TFP.

Trey balked, expressing the amount as "$1000 per year" to make it sound like a weighty sum to suddenly spring on the Post's members.

(Note: they are currently paying $250/month at another facility!)

I spoke up with a countering tack, explaining that the amount was "less than $20 per week", and that it covered "all five regular monthly meetings" of Post 500.

(I think I stunned everyone with those numbers.)

John then proposed that a "ceiling date" be set by TFP, at which time neither Post 36 nor Post 500 would have to pay for its monthly meeting space.

Trey brought up that he wants keys for the four officers of Post 500, so they can access the office for Post 500.

John advised him that would be better after TFP has the 20-foot storage container installed behind the building, as both of the offices, as well as the conference room, are stuffed with items at this time.

Eric tried to give Trey a key to the Post 500 office, but Trey declined to accept, as there are currently no forms to serve as a paper trail for that transaction.

(I have made it clear to all that a locking door needs to be installed to protect 5509 from  unwarranted access by folks in 5511 when the restaurant is not open for business; all agreed that Justin is to return for that change order.

I believe it was decided that Eric would do that.)

Trey then brought up a veteran group, Beauties in Boots, that have been trying to access meeting space in the building, to no avail.

Brenda advised him that she has spoken to them and they have permission, they just need to sign a Use of Facility Contract, like everyone else.

There was then some general talk about how one gets elected to the TFP board, though it was repeated that will not be occurring for at least two years.

Then it was 8 PM and the visitors all left.

Whew.

We of TFP stayed about another 30 minutes, then called it a night.

Mostly, we agreed that Larry Jackson was to blame for stirring up this "ownership" business with Trey,

While helping sort out the business license application, he found that the deed for the building was in the names of both Post 36 and Post 500.

Larry interpreted that to mean that he could schedule whatever he wanted there, and so he did, and he was given special permission because he was helping get the liquor license and the business license, right?

But when that largesse dried up after the calendar was created and he couldn't cherry pick the dates he wanted for family graduations and birthdays, he may have felt a bit shut out... and that's when he apparently tossed the ball to Trey.

Geez.

Sabrina and Brenda are onto his game now.

Doug is to handle changing the deed over to Two First Posts LLC, which should bring an end to this thrusting for power and control.

I just hope Trey realizes how Larry used him.

queen of hearts at TFP

Hunter Griffin is a very patient man.

He's the area sales rep for Youngco Enterprises, the company owned by Olin Young.

He was invited to be at the Two First Posts meeting tonight to discuss use of his games as fundraisers for the American Legion business.

He arrived at 6 PM with all his materials, as requested...

then was relegated to the small game room almost 90 minutes while we carried on our business meeting.

That's mostly because we had two special visitors from Post 500: their new Company Commander (Trey Singleton) and Vice CC (Emmett Prescott).

That's Trey at the end of the table, trying to stake his claim. 

They two were inducted Monday night at the special meeting of Post 500 and lost no time trying to gain a foothold in Two First Posts of Georgia.

Their bid for that stake in the LLC was unsuccessful.

I'm glad we had a good turnout for tonight's meeting.

I'd had a call earlier from Doug, during my lunch with my first niece.

I had another call a little later, from Brenda, wanting to make sure I knew Trey was stirring up trouble, wanting to make sure I would be there.

So I was, as were both of them, plus Joe Cetti, Billy Cope, John Parker, Sabrina Scale, Eric Bolden, and Eddie Patterson (albeit briefly).

Kat was also there, mostly to talk about the grease trap inspection (earlier today), the 8 cubic yards dumpster cost ($328/month), pest control cost ($150/month for 5509 and 5511), and the need for the DRAM rider on both the WTF liability as well as the TFP liability.

Doug confirmed that he has filled out the 14-page application to have the DRAM rider added to the Hartford policy for TFP, as well as having spoken to the insurance rep about getting that done.

Kat reminded all that rider is needed as one of the stipulations for TFP's liquor license request to be on the City Council's docket for August 27th.

Billy spoke of the outstanding bill he has for reimbursement from TFP for the TV cart, wire, and other supplies used for setting up the internet and TVs.

Billy also talked about the 3-year contract cost for two phones to be installed by RING Central at TFP, one for scheduling events there and the other for WTF; his contact is Paul Lambert at Celestial Business Solutions.

Billy said he has two more security cameras to install (at grease trap area and in the bar at WTF), with all billing for RING monitoring and security camera footage stored in the 'cloud' to be set up with TFP.

Doug said all paperwork is to be submitted to Brenda to go into Two First Posts for official purposes, including an inventory of all materials and equipment currently at the 5509 and 5511 Montgomery Street addresses.

Brenda stated that facility use contracts must be filled out for any groups wanting space in 5511 for meetings or events.

Brenda reminded all that military and veteran groups will pay $250/quarter to regularly meet once monthly at TFP.

Brenda said that schedule will be posted on a TV facing outside so all will know who is to be in 5511 at any given time.

John told us that several groups - Catholic War Veterans, the Marine Corp League, the Navy League - have already signed their quarterly contracts and paid.

Kat reminded us that TFP is to bill WTF for their portions of utility bills, rent, and other items as agreed in their lease.

Eric requested that a 10-day notice be required for scheduling of an event, to allow time for him to get the space ready; all agreed.

Get the gist?

We wanted all parties present to realize that the Two First Posts building had bills and obligations, and was not by any means debt-free, still having a sizable mortgage as well as utility bills.

That emphasis was not lost on our two visitors from Post 500.

Trey requested that he receive a key to the Post 500 office, as well as a key to the exterior door of 5511; John agreed that he should have such.

What that means is another locking door will need to be erected between 5509 and 5511, as no one but the tenants of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot need access to 5509.

Sounds like yet another change order for Justin and Wells Construction.

Trey also wanted to discuss having a veteran organization paint a mural on the building's wall, though it was not clear to me if he meant the exterior wall or an interior wall of 5511.

In either case, the matter was tabled until next Wednesday's meeting.

The visitors left and we adjourned to the game room, to the oh-so-patient gaming rep who had been waiting.

Did I say gaming?

I did, as in not lottery.

Queen of Hearts consists of a board with pull tabs, with money-winning 'cards' beneath several of the tabs, and a cost to TFP of $110 per board. Players purchase raffle tickets (a roll of those costs $6) for the opportunity to pull a tab, with the raffle drawings occurring at some set frequency. The game continues until the Queen of Hearts is revealed.

Two First Posts is responsible for paying for all wins, but TFP keeps all proceeds from selling the raffle tickets, in hopes of raising money.

My only problem is that it's all cash, so security will be needed, as well as someone to deposit said funds into the TFP bank account.

The other game that was discussed was bingo, though that has a larger initial outlay of funds and would require hosting a game night that did not interfere with already scheduled meetings or events at 5511.

I think I will suggest either Queen of Hearts or Bingo be a once-monthly event, preferably during the week.

My question would be: will TFP need to pay the $250 security/cleanup fee?

Good question!

Paradise: day 2

What's better than a day at sea for a veteran sailor?

A day of pomp and circumstance, of course!

But first, breakfast with my peeps at the High Tide Market after a few minutes enjoying this view in my cabin!

Today I dined on Belgian waffles with orange marmalade, as well as pancakes with sliced ham - just what I needed to get some energy!

I was the first one up and I managed to snag a table for 6 for our party of 5 - perfect!

My next stop was the Euphoria (Deck 8-mid) for a game of "Name That Tune" with Cruise Director Terry Ann Barrett!

The first thing she did was ask me where her "friend Chloe was, and her sister, Miyah" - how about that!

They made quite an impression when they hugged her last night after the variety show!

Part of that was their closeness in age to her daughter, who is 8, and is living at home in Jamaica while her mom works on the Paradise for 3 months.

I had to tell her they were still at breakfast, but they joined us before the game was done, so that was good!

As for the photo, the folks as dancing to "Cotton Eyed Joe" while the contestant who guessed the song is singing it for an extra point.

Very much a lot of fun to watch!!!

Christina and family went down after that to change into swimwear.

 

Not me!

The "Salute To The Heroes" was coming up in the Euphoria, again with Terry.

Recognize that setup, with that little table and empty chair?

That's familiar to everyone in the American Legion, regardless of which branch of the service, as the spot for the MIA service member.

I'm going to have to share that with Post 36 and Post 500 at home!

 

Then came the big part of the celebration: the parade of the flags that represent each branch, as well as a brief narrative of their mission.

They even included the Coast Guard, the Emergency Responders, and, as I recall, the National Park Rangers.

That was very nice!

Plus, I was given a free Margarita to commemorate my service!

I turned down the first one, saying that I couldn't drink...

but when they came around again, I accepted that $15 gift.

As my first alcoholic drink since I was diagnosed with A-fib, I can state this for certain: either that was a strong drink, or I'm a lightweight now!

I suspect a bit of both was true.

 

After just a couple of sips, I decided that food was needed to offset that dose of tequila, so up to Deck 10-mid I went.

I headed straight for Mexican Cutie Cantina, as it's Taco Tuesday! 

Yes, that was a very good way to get back to me again!

My next plate was from the High Tide Market, fetching some Jamaican fish, Pollo adobo, and pork loin with lemon.

I sat with a trio from Panama, of all places, and we talked - kinda sorta - about life there in Colon and Panama City.

See, only Isabel spoke any English, and that was sparse.

Glad I had a chance to pull out my high school Spanish from Mrs. Gary!

Then I bopped back down to the Euphoria for "Charades With The Fins Up Crew" and found Christina and Anthony there!

She'd dropped off the girls at the Parakeet Club, so it was just us adults.

She and I each took a turn trying to get the other to guess -

me trying to be "Minions", her contorting as an "Elf", with no help from Anthony either as a guesser or a charade artist -

and didn't win a free margarita at this game, but still had fun.

 

Then she had to collect the girls and I went off to the "Love & Marriage" Game Show at the Stars On The Water Theatre (Deck 8 Fwd).

That was only for 18+, so they went off to the "Family Parrot Quest" with Pete The Parrot over at Keys On The Water Lounge, at the opposite end of the ship (Deck 9 Aft). 

Cruise Director Terry hosted the game show, eventually getting four couples on stage with varying amounts of time together: 51 years, 34 years, 28 years, and 3 days.

Such newlyweds they were!

His answers tended to be the raciest, so it was good the children weren't there and were off chasing parrots!

At game's end, they were all announced to be winners and each won a free future cruise with Margaritaville At Sea - woohoo!!!

 

I managed to beat feet back over to the Euphoria Lounge just in time for the 5:30 PM "Captain's Margarita Toast"!

All of the ship's officers were introduced and lined up in formation behind Captain Dimitrios Papatsatsis...

and all of the spectators of age were given -

that's right! -

a free margarita to drink with him!

Again, I took a couple of dainty sips, then put it down.

 

Christina, her girls, and her boyfriend were there, too for the occasion!

Then she and Miyah and Chloe headed over to "Strike A Pose" for the free photo shoot, that had no strings attached.

Just look at them vogueing it up there! 

 

Then we all headed over to Fins Dining  - not to be confused as the 'Fine Dining', lol! - for some elegant fare! 

The good news was it was right beside Euphoria Lounge, so no need for elevators or traipsing off to another end of the ship!

I started off my four-course dinner with the Trinidadian Vegetable Curry, which followed the bread lead-off.

Then, for my entree, I chose the Antigua Shrimp - ah, fond memories of a much earlier cruise in the Caribbean that visited that lovely isle!

(I think that was in 2006? Or was it 2004?) 

I finished up tonight as I had last night with the Key Lime Sponge Cake.

Jimmy Buffett is right - sponge cake is quite delicious! 

Then it was time to work off that meal and take a hike.

I'm not kidding!

We went from Deck 8 mid, to Deck 9 Aft, to the Keys On The Water Lounge, where they had been for the Parrot search.

That meant going through the casino, which is huge!

At least we had a sunset waiting for us at the Lounge.

 

Then it was time for "Lip Service Family Karaoke"!!!

First up for our group were Chloe and Miyah.

It was originally going to just be Chloe singing "Party In The USA", with Miyah as her back-up dancer.

However, the emcee encouraged Miyah to take the microphone...

and off they went, singing and dancing and never once looking at the screen for the words of the song!

Hahahaha!

Christina and Anthony went next, and guess what she chose?

"Barbie Girl" - hahahaha!!!

Honestly, every time I see anyone do that song, my mind flashes back to Sam Johnson singing it at his birthday fundraiser! 

Good times, good times, so long ago.

More good times were to be had tonight, though!

 

No time for me to sing a song as we needed to go back through the casino, catch an elevator to Deck 8, then bop over to Stars On The Water Theatre (Deck 8 Fwd) for the entertainment!

"Showtime Radio Margaritaville Live At Sea" was set to begin at 9:30 PM.

This time we had second row seats, in the reserved section, courtesy of Cruise Director "Auntie" Terry, who was serving as the D J tonight.

All music was provided by the Fusion Groove Band for all the song and dance routines up there on the stage.

My favorite was the skit for "A Pirate Looks At Forty", one of my favorite Buffett tunes, especially as I've gotten older.

 

All too soon - at least for me! - the 45-minute show was over!

We hung around for the girls to greet Terry when she came out of the D J Booth and guess what? 

As well as hugs, she had gift bags for them!!!

Then she and the girls had a photo session in the D J Booth and even invited Christina up there for the fun!

How very nice for sweet dreams!

Christina and family headed back to 4024 (Deck 4 Fwd), but I said I was going to change into my Spring Dress and go dance!

The "White Hot Neon Nights" shindig had started at 10:30 PM at Keys On The Water Lounge and I was excited when I'd heard about it on fb before the trip.

However, now that it was 'go' time...

and knowing how far off that lounge was...

and my right leg letting me know it was too tired for shenanigans...

I opted to give it due consideration before I set off.

 

Then I opened my cabin door and saw this towel critter waiting!

What a sweet and funny crab!!!

The schedule of events for tomorrow was waiting with it, tempting me to sit a minute and glance at my options for Wednesday.

After all, I'd have the day to myself, as they were going onshore to swim with pigs at some beach.

Seriously.

So, I sat... and before I knew it, I was asleep!

Sweet dreams of pirates and key lime sponge cake!

contract signed between TFP and JKLM!!!

After what seems like forever, Two First Posts officially has a manager of the restaurant and bar at this location - hallelujah!!!

I'm so thankful that Doug has persisted in putting his legal expertise into that contract, and that I was able to lend my proofreading skills to it.

Kat had even engaged Brenda to rewrite some portions, but those met with the approval of all there tonight - hallelujah!!!

We actually had a pretty good crowd: me, Doug, and Joe Cetti for Post 36; John Parker, Sabrina, Brenda, and Eric for Post 500; contractor Justin; and Kat and Mike for the JKLM Enterprises team.

Sure sounds like a quorum to me!

The others agreed and once the contract was revised for the last time and printed, both parties for JKLM signed it, as well as the President of TFP (Doug Andrews) and proxy Vice President (John Parker).

Surely opening the doors of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Barbeque & Grill can't be too far distant now!

Justin has the chandelier installed and it looks quite nice!

The tray needs another coat of paint, but it does dress up the joint! 

He's to pour a concrete pad for the dumpster and the grease trap, then install a fence around it to keep out any riffraff.

 

Eric brought in some tasty treats to sustain us during the meeting.

The green ones are key lime cakes, the red are red velvet cakes, and the dark orange are sweet potato cakes.

I had been concerned that they would be crazy sweet, but, to my delight, they were actually quite good and hardly sweet at all!

I had one of the sweet potato and one of the key lime.

Oh, one more thing: Eric and Doug found my NFCU koozie!!!

 

I had left it there about a month ago, at the meeting when Doug had brought sandwiches and Kat had the kids with her.

I had put it down, with my almost empty water bottle, to help clean up.

Then, I'd been distracted by trying to remember to take a photo of the street light pole so I could report it.

And just look at it now!

Such a nice light there in the parking lot, isn't it?

What else was there of interest at this meeting?

 

Oh, yes, the folks from Eagle Global came to give us their pitch!

Brenda and Eric met them at an American Legion meeting in Columbus and was quite impressed with the fundraising abilities of their gaming machines.

So, Craig Franklin, the co-founder of that group, came in with the district guy (Sam) and the local guy (Addie) to talk of the different possibilities.

Here's the important part: Two First Posts gets 43.5% of all income from the gaming devices, free and clear.

The partnership is in conjunction with Georgia Lottery, who gets 13%, with the other 43.5% going to Eagle Global.

All we have to do is deposit the cash from the game players into the TFP account; then, every Wednesday, Georgia Lottery will remove 56.5% (their cut and EG's cut) and we just watch out bank balance grow.

Sounds pretty sweet, right?

We would have to invest in the rental of a minimum of two machines from Georgia Lottery, as a cost of $125/machine/year.

I do hope we'll vote to do so next week, though I've let all know I will be on a cruise, so they'll have to do so without me.

(smile!)

I do feel that we've accomplished so much tonight!

Let's keep that momentum going!

last week pics i would have taken

So, last week, when I was unable to make it to the Two First Posts meeting, I missed seeing these completed items.

For instance, there are now two TVs mounted in the bar area...

and there are three TVs mounted in the dining area...

and there's a huge TV on an AV cart in the event room.

Also, the game room has a pocket door...

 

the storage closet has stocked shelves... 

the stoves now have lit pilot flames...

the Budweiser sign with the Clydesdales is mounted above the restaurant door...

the event banquet tables are corralled onto a table cart... 

and Brenda's sign is mounted outside on the building, between the two entry doors, to welcome all.

We all stopped to admire it as we left tonight.

Yes, there was a small group that came out on a Monday night.

Doug had called for this extra meeting, but there were only four of us there - me, him, Joe Cetti, and John Parker.

The upshot of that was nothing could be decided, as we didn't have a quorum.

Wait, did I say nothing?

That's incorrect.

What was determined was that we would be meeting again on Thursday, and that promises to be extra long, as it has a packed agenda.

John called Brenda to request that she specifically invite Kat and Mike, as it is of utmost importance that their contract gets finalized.

It's vital that Whiskey Tango Foxtrot become a reality, bringing folks in to spend money and spread the word.

To that end, Doug has rewritten the lease contract from May 27th, incorporating the changes determined to be needed two weeks later.

A month has elapsed since then, hence the need to get JKLM LLC inked in as the canteen management company!!!

Doug will send Version 8 around so we can check it before then, so that part of the meeting will proceed quickly. 

Here's hoping!

John asked Brenda to make sure Justin will make that Thursday meeting, too, as well as Larry Jackson.

Justin is to talk about the chandelier situation, and guess what?

That one that I like has been selected as the winner!

Not necessarily because of its appearance, but on the basis of cost.

Hey, whatever gets it done... though $1900 is still costly.

Why does Larry need to come?

We want to make absolutely sure we'll be on the City Council's docket next time.

That will take place on August 5, so our ducks need to be not only in a row, but with the i's dotted and the t's all crossed.

Even so, that's for the liquor license, which is not something that should keep the restaurant from opening and making money.

Right?!

We will also have special guests on Thursday, who will be there to promote their fundraising gaming option.

The goal is to have them do their pitch first, then for our meeting to take place immediately after they leave.

Speed is of the essence, as Post 36 of the American Legion has its meeting that night, too.

Busy, busy, busy, though I don't know if any of that counts as vibrant for this woman.

(smile!) 

this time with me on the speaker phone

I'm speaking, of course, of this evening's Two First Posts meeting.

I think Doug called me so we would have a quorum.

No decisions could be made without that!

Including me on the phone, the members physically present were Doug, Brenda, Eric, Eddie, and John.

Eventually, we had Justin and Sabrina also there by phone.

I wonder what the American Legion would make of that setup?

Brenda had a long list of the points of order, many of which have been on the past few agendas, just not yet completed. 

The Agenda items were as follows: 1) construction update; 2) liquor license; 3) lease agreement to be presented and approved; 4) TFP Tax exemption document; 5) Building services payments; 6) TV placement; 7) fundraising ideas and opportunities; 8) security; 9) signage; 10) keys; 11) confirm documentation of TFP By-Laws.

Item 2 raised the question of whether the insurance policy for TFP covers liquor liability. Doug will check on that for Larry.

Item 3 had to be tabled because Kat and Mike were not present. Doug did say that he has completed version 7.2 of that lease agreement and will send it around so we each have a copy for next week's meeting.

Item 4 seems to have been resolved, with the Tax Exemption document for Post 500 being used for the moment to serve for TFP, as all of the events scheduled thus far have been through their channels.

Item 5 still found people favoring a small safe for any cash payments. Faustina (me) raised the possibility of this being a cashless establishment. If everything is done via credit and debit cards, then no need for a safe that might tempt burglars, right? However, no one was in favor of that option.

Another part of Item 5 was payment for services rendered, for both Eric, the cleaning crew, and Direct TV, which had just sent their first bill. Those amounts were $2660, $250, and $184, respectively.

Item 7 concerns the use of gaming devices to raise money, specifically something called "Queen of Hearts". Brenda will call them to come and meet with us about setting this up. I asked how often they will release proceeds to TFP. That will be determined when they meet with us. Brenda suggested TFP have live gaming on weekends to bring in money.

Item 8 focused on two issues. The first was the safety of the TVs mounted on the brackets in the dining area; Eric said chains will secure them to the mounts. The second concerned the security cameras. Billy has them in place, but who was to be notified if the cameras detected a break-in? John asked if RING contacts police in that case? That answer will have to await the next meeting.

I guess that was also part of Item 6, though no one produced a plan showing the layout of the five TVs in the canteen.

Item 9, about signage, was never addressed.

Item 10 was again resolved that Eric, as the Building Manager, was the only person authorized to possess the keys. Anyone else needing access would have to come in his presence, with him opening and closing the building.

Item 11 was mentioned by John Parker near the meeting's end, with Doug agreeing to locate Post 36's By-Laws to make sure they concur with those of the TFP. It seems that Post 500 has already done so with their By-Laws. This is all necessary so that members of Post 36 and Post 500 are completely aware of what is and isn't allowed at TFP.

So that just left one issue not yet addressed... and that took at least half of the meeting, as well as the calling of Justin and Sabrina.

That would be Item 1, specifically which chandelier to choose.

Seriously.

Justin had sent images of seven options to the Group.Me account, complete with dimensions, for our consideration.

However, when it was determined that the dominant choice would run close to $3000, that's when the discussion went off the rails.

Next thing I knew, several folks were searching out cheaper options, as well as different designs, with Sabrina researching costs.

WTF... and I'm not talking about the canteen's name.

That issue ended up unresolved.

 

I liked this one best, but I was in the minority.

At 49" long, 12" wide, and less than 10" deep, it would lend a bit of elegance over the dance area without getting in anyone's way. 

I guess we'll see how things go next week.

At least this one was over before 8:30 PM!

That means it was just two hours long.

Let's hope next week's moves right along, too!

look at it sparkle!!!

Brenda just sent around these pics from the clean-up earlier today.

Doesn't hardly look like the same place, does it?

I don't know if the cleaning was done by Justin Wells' crew or by a contingent from Post 500, but whoever it was did a fabulous job.

Even the event room got spiffed up, and that hole in the ceiling is closed for now. 

The Two First Posts of Georgia looks ready for business!!!  

Thanks for the photos, Eric!

more improvements at the canteen!

I am so grateful that we are finally at the point where change is obvious every time we arrive at this American Legion building.

Just look what a difference it makes to have just one of the five TVs finally installed!

We still don't have a liquor locker, but that's a moot point, as we didn't make it onto the agenda of the July meeting of the City Council.

That means August would be the earliest for our request to be heard.

To all that I say: we can still open and sell food!!!

I honestly don't understand the fixation that some of the members have on being able to sell alcohol. 

Even if we get on the agenda in August and are approved for a liquor license, it will be another month before we'd actually have the license and be able to sell booze.

Let's concentrate on gearing up the food operation!

Let's get Whiskey Tango Foxtrot turning out barbeque and filling the dining room!

Otherwise, why do we need a game room?

Why the rush to set up this area with a Play Station that's ready for gaming?

The dart boards aren't yet in place, but that's an easy add.

Personally, I think this space wasn't needed, but that may just be because I don't use those games.

I don't recall seeing them at Post 135 downtown, but perhaps some patrons have requested them.

What other changes were awaiting us tonight?

Eric now has shelving in the storage room.

We still need the two chair carts, which are on order.

It's my understanding that the table cart has arrived.

Perhaps it's in the conference room for now?

Also, this room has the wiring harness that Billy Cope has installed, so that's done, too.

I know the biggest hurdle in this section is getting the other TVs installed and having a cleaning crew tidy up.

The event room has some dust, but not like that in the canteen area. 

It's still pretty much ready to rock and roll!

Well, except for that 9x9 hole in the ceiling.

Remember, there will be a chandelier going in there, though that looks to be done sooner rather than later.

I just hope it's not going to keep us from having events in this area.

This is our moneymaker.

Everyone should realize that by now.

I think having the entrance finally completed has been very helpful for making folks feel that we're 'official' now.

Doesn't that look sharp?

That was the first thing I noticed when I came in.

Eric had to point out to me that the bar area had a TV!

Honestly, the bar is just not that important to me at this point, but having a hall that looks established certainly is.

If I were to rent this space for an event, I'd want my guests to fell like they were in a bona fide party area, not just some room somewhere.

Right?

So, who did we have tonight?

Me, Eric, Brenda, Billy, Joe, Michael T, John Parker, and Larry Jackson, oddly enough there to try to explain why we had not been on the City Council's agenda earlier today.

He was also there because he had been the one coming into the building at odd times, having been mistakenly granted a key by Eddie.

Nope, can't be having that!

Eric is in charge of all keys and has to be present when anyone - and I mean ANYONE - is in this building.

Of course, that may change when the canteen opens, but we'll see.

Doug eventually was virtually at the meeting, via my little Alcatel phone - which allowed him to participate for the entire 57 minutes, with the phone getting passed along as needed.

So, why weren't we on the agenda for the liquor license?

The paperwork from the Fire Marshal has to be submitted at least 30 days in advance, and ours was not.

How much will that liquor license cost?

Annually, it'll be $3650 to sell liquor, $2000 to sell beer, and $800 to sell wine, for a total of $6450, so that's a lot of booze that'll need to be sold just for that privilege of having it offered to patrons.

Jeez.

Since most of this year will be done by the time we get one, ours will be prorated for the rest of the year... but the total for 2027 will be due January 1st.

Meanwhile, Larry had paid $600 for the Food Service Permit, so he spoke to Doug about getting reimbursed for that.

John talked with Doug about getting Justin to clean up the site and Doug told him to make it so.

There was also talk of hiring some of the Post 500 members for the deep clean of the canteen, bathrooms, and event room during the upcoming weekend.

Billy told us that the Direct TV was to be installed next Wednesday.

Brenda and Sabrina will look into the cost for having "Queen Of Hearts" and "Bingo" services here at TFP.

Joe brought up that we need a small safe, something that can be bolted to the floor in the office, for any cash transactions.

I suggested that we be a cashless establishment, like the schools are.

Joe and others seemed to think that would affect liquor sales, though I cannot imagine how it would.

The parking lot project is to be put off a little while, though Eric told us that Justin has the yellow paint, so it could be a weekend project.

Then there's the dumpster, which will require a level surface; I mentioned that my brother had his on gravel and that was fine, so no need for concrete.

Meeting adjourned!

That was almost an hour ago.

So, the meeting was right at 90 minutes long, after a 30-minute wait.

Hopefully the next one will go as quickly!

bar island exists again

One of the things on the agenda for the Two First Posts meetings has been adding an island to the bar area.

I reminded Doug, and Justin, too, last week, that the island had been a real thing back in May of 2025, so it may have ended up in the storage area we've been paying for since the renovation kicked into gear around then.

We also had shelving on the back wall of the bar.

Last week, I asked Justin about the storage contents and he told me he'd check.

I'm hoping that's the source of this new island.

I guess I should have checked a little closer, but I was distracted by the presence of Billy Cope and Joe Cetti, as this was their first meeting in several weeks.

Glad they were there!

Billy had good news to share: he's done wiring the bar area for the five TVs to be connected to Direct TV.

Now it's time for Joe to purchase the TVs and the mounting kits so that will be a done deal!

I guess that's when our long-lost Budweiser sign will be mounted, too.

It's been in storage over at Post 135 ever since we lost our place in Thunderbolt on Victory Drive.

I'm actually amazed they never made use of it!

Interesting tidbit: the Clydesdales were in Savannah a few weeks ago.

This is the 150th anniversary of Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company and will soon be the 100th anniversary of the use of the Budweiser Clydesdales to haul beer to special locations.

They were last here for the St. Patrick's Day Parade, as they have been for many years.

 

So what else is physically new here at 5509/5511 Montgomery Street?

The game room has been sheetrocked and mudded, ready for painting.

All the boxes that had been in the dining area are all gone, allowing for some of the tables and chairs to be placed back into position.

Kat and Mike asked tonight if anyone had any photos with the dining room and bar area all set up for customers.

Their insurance company was requiring pictures to go along with their application, and they didn't have any.

As I told them, I "take photographs of everything, since I'm the historian." 

Then it was a matter of locating said photos on the computer.

I knew exactly what I was looking for... and here they are!

That's a lucky break for our canteen managers!

And, yes, they were here at this last meeting of June.

So were me, Doug, Billy, and Joe for Post 36; Post 500 had Eddie, John, Sabrina, Brenda, and Eric.

That was the best turnout this month!

Doug had even brought Subway sandwiches to slake our hunger... was that from something I said last week?

Quite possibly.

Good! That worked out well for Kat's kids, too. (smile!) 

So, what transpired this evening?

Well, I found out that Kat and Mike have accepted the contract - hooray!

Billy has found a 20-foot container in Texas, in good condition, and for $1000 it's ours, including transport and install - hooray!

He also has Direct TV set up for the TVs, has RING for the cameras and security, and RING Central for the local phone at Two First Posts.

All that was lacking was the email to get those out of his name - done!

Billy said he'll have the WiFi installed for the canteen and the event room in two weeks and will give out new passwords then - very good!

I'm so glad he's been able to devote some time here again!

What else?

John talked about the dark parking lot being a security issue, so that street light needed to be repaired.

I told him "No problem, I've called Georgia Power for those many times!"

In fact, I've just filed the report on their website for Pole 003108, so that task is now done!

I've also sent the photos of the canteen to Kat, so that's off my plate, too.

Justin, on the other hand, will soon have a punch list to complete of items here.

Eddie was quite upset about all the dust all over, as well as the uncompleted projects, so Sabrina is going to have Eric and Billy check the building for electrical and construction items that need to be addressed.

What's the big push?

Kat and Mike have a big event scheduled for July 10: a soccer-watching party for Choate Construction.

She can make it a package deal for them, with liquor costs included, which will simply require a temporary license on her part.

Meanwhile, that will bring in good money for the ballroom use.

Hopefully, the City Council meeting next Wednesday afternoon will net the Two First Posts a liquor license and business license.

It was broached that our presence at that meeting might speed the process, as there are several American Legion members on that council.

Wouldn't that be grand?

Here's hoping it'll go as we wish!

two first posts of georgia, post fire marshal

After two and a half hours, I made a motion to close the meeting.

I had a dog in Georgetown that was used to having her dinner at 7 PM and the time was then 8:30 PM.

No, I had not yet had supper, either, but I was more concerned about her.

Apparently, the others - Doug Andrews, John Parker, Eric Bolden, Brenda Pough, Sabrina Scales, and Justin Wells, the contractor - agreed with me.

Why was the contractor present?

He wanted to talk to the group about the four or five change orders that he was currently finishing up and would need payment for.

 

Here's two of those, in one shot: the wall to separate the event room from the entrance hall, with the former front doors installed now.

The importance of that was the fact that those doors were lockable.

That was vital, as Eric had seen signs of someone having been there on Sunday, when no one was to have been present.

Remember, he's our Building Manager, and he'd come by on Sunday to put away the chairs and tables from our first official event. 

We'd seen the setup at last week's meeting.

Post 500 had 100 diners present for their 80th Anniversary dinner!

 

The Fire Marshal verified the Two First Posts ballroom is cleared to hold 150, including any caterers, musicians, or others at the event.

Eric has requested another four packs of the banquet chairs, to increase the number of tickets sold to 120 patrons.

Meanwhile, Justin is to build another wall for a closet to hold extra party-planning items, perhaps like linens and such.

That's in addition to the new wall he's constructed on this side of the entrance at 5511 Montgomery Street.

When I arrived just before 6 PM, he was still mudding the sheetrock.

Eric had just shown him the banner Brenda designed, which met with great approval from Justin.

The other side of that change-order wall will be the game room - for darts - attached to the canteen area. 

I'm looking forward to seeing that wall finished next week!

 

Speaking of the canteen portion, the Fire Marshal has deemed its occupancy load to be 68, which seems like it may mean about 55 patrons.

After all, the occupancy has to include the bar staff, the kitchen cooks and cleaners, and the wait staff.

Right now, though, that area is still pretty well crammed with boxes.

Those all held chairs that Eric had to put together for last Saturday.

I know there is another event - Sabrina's retirement party - set for Friday, but hopefully Eric will be able to concentrate on getting the restaurant tables and chairs set back up again.

 

One nice thing about having these two events this month: it's spurred action toward prettying up the bathrooms.

This silver-framed mirror is in the women's area, with silver faucet handles and silver tap, too.

The men's room will be decked out with gold in those items.

Right now, the mirror is the only gold, but doesn't it look great?

I think both are going to look quite classy when they're finished.

As for tonight's meeting, it started out with talk of Toast, the credit card handling service, which has yet to set up the machines of give lessons.

Justin suggested we cancel it, as they have bailed on him three times when they had appointments to get their machine installed.

Doug concurred, said let's use Clover, the one Kat and Mike use.

Done!

(Though I honestly thought this was already decided several weeks ago.)

Justin also asked that his construction company's name be removed from the storage lease and that The Two First Posts LLC be on it instead.

Doug verified that will be done.

Doug also reminded us that we still need to get Sabrina and Joe Cetti's names as authorized users of the Two First Posts bank account.

Justin reiterated that the meeting with the Fire Marshal went well on Friday, gaining us these two Certificates Of Occupancy Load, which are the official papers to be displayed on the walls in both areas.

Justin said we have had the Certificate of Occupancy - which is apparently something different - since February 25 of this year.

Eric will get the COOL framed and mounted on the walls.

Larry Jackson (on the phone) said he will need a copy of those two COOLs for obtaining the business license, which he is working on with Kat Hancock.

Larry confirmed that the City Council meeting is scheduled for July 1st, but he does not yet know for sure if our petition for a liquor license is on that docket; however, he will let us know as soon as he knows.

He also confirmed that JKLM LLC will be the management for our canteen, which will be called Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Barbecue and Grill.

Then on to yet another change order, this one for a chandelier in the ballroom.

Say what?

Six of the ceiling tiles will need to be removed and there was some discussion about how to place it so it would be above the band stand.

Also, there was talk of a dance floor?

Those were all new business that I knew naught of.

That's about the time I moved to adjourn.

Let's finish what needs to be done, y'all, before we dream bigger, okay?