The President's Blog

 

As part of a chapters outreach intiative, I recently announced that it was my intent to personally visit every NFFC chapter in the USA.

 

In addition, boxes are being mailed out to every chapter president which contain several gifts and hopefully helpful materials along with a joint message from our VP of Chapters and our Special Events Coordinator.

 

As I undertake this venture, I would like to share here what our chapters are doing.  This is a tremendous opportunity for chapters to interact with the national Board of Directors and with each other. 

 

My goal goal is to listen, take notes, and share your concerns, your accomplishments, and your ambitions.

 

My tour began this past weekend with a visit to the NorCal Chapter located in Sacramento, California. 

 

This chapter started about 10 years ago and has about 25 active families.  I attended one of their meetings and help assemble 50 bags of fun stuff to be distributed to children recovering at a local hospital.  I also got to watch the chaper present a check of almost $1,000.00 to Make a Wish from a previous charity event.  And they are planning a holiday party to benefit Toys for Tots.

 

The charitable work of this and other chapters remains an integral part of who we are and what we do.  It was really gratifying to see all that the NorCal Chapter does in this respect.

 

And they are having fun as well!  The holiday party is a pot luck which also includes a pirate gift exchange.  There is an annual barbecue as well.

 

This chapter publishes the Nor Cal Nugget newsletter which showcases its activities.  Earlier this year, NFFC Disney Legend, Bob Gurr, paid and visit and had a great time by all accounts.

 

I hope to get back to Sacramento, but I'm off to visit the Southeast Michigan Chapter next.  I'll have an update soon.

 

Gary S.

your favorite NFFC President

 

 

This chapter was formed about 1995 and currently has about 50 members.  Meetings are held monthly, rotating to the homes of different members.  It's always so cool to see what people collect!

 

They have a great monthly newsletter called the Pixie Dust Press.  I am hoping that our new website, being developed for a spring, 2010 roll-out, will be able to include a chapters section in which each chapter will have its own space and the ability to post chapter newsletters and pictures.

 

In addition to the regular meetings, some are special, such as the Halloween meeting that I attended and a Holiday Party each December.  They even had a best costume contest - the kids won everything.

 

It was also nice to learn this chapter works with several local charities, including the Ronald McDonald House, Make a Wish chapter , Hurley Medical Center (through the Children's Medical Network), and the Detroit Children's Choir - all charities which benefit kids.  Money is raised from chapter auctions.  Individual members donate items out of their private collections and then other members bid on them, with all the proceeds going to the charities.  And they are raising up to $3,000.00 every year doing this!

 

There was great interest in starting an All Disneyana Show & Sale, including having a special guest, similar to what several other chapters have done in past years.  National will offer support and assistance as best we can.

 

When a new Disney play, movie, ice show or other special event comes to town, the Michigan chapter gathers its members and they go as a group.  That sounds like a lot more fun than raking leaves or shoveling the soon-to-be dreaded snow.

 

They also stay on top of the Disney Parks' events, even noting when individual attractions are scheduled for refurbishment.  I even learned a few new things.  And I was pleased to see the entire chapter planning to participate in the upcoming "Give a day. Get a day." promotion of the Walt Disney Company Parks and Resorts.  

 

As with my recent west coast visit, the chapter is interested in national plans to network the chapters and I let everyone know that national will do its best to help with anything we can.

 

I already have a few offers from other chapters for my next visit.  Off to mull them over.  See ya real soon,

 

Gary S.

 

 

Gary S.

 

Arriving late in the evening, I stayed at a motel near the airport.  The next morning, armed with a grande white mocha from a nearby Starbucks, I walked to the closest MAX station.  Portland has a wonderful light rail system to get around and I love riding trains.

 

I headed downtown, getting off near the Saturday Market and met up with some of the chapter members.  The Market was lots of fun, consisting of several blocks of booths displaying artist creations of all kinds from the northwest part of the country.  And yes, I did buy something for my wife.

 

From there, I had to visit Voodoo Doughnuts.  It had been featured on the Travel Channel as "the" place one must visit in Portland.  So, I stood in line for 45 minutes outside an old wraehouse building to buy the specialty of the house:  a maple bacon doughnut!  Yup, that's right - it has slices of bacon on top and it's the size of a . . . well, it was lunch.  And worth the wait!

 

My hosts then drove me down the Columbia River Gorge to view the Multnomah Falls.  All I can say is that it is a spectacular sight to see those falls, and Mt. St. Helens as well.

 

From there, I had spaghetti dinner with the officers of the chapter, then headed on to a chapter meeting.

 

The Cascade Chapter is one of our longer existing chapters, having been chartered on July 17, 1990.  They have about 30 families and meet monthly.  The agendas typically include a guest speaker, individual members talking about a Disney related experience, and a raffle.  They have a picnic each summer and the Halloween parties look like lots of fun - I got to see lots of old pictures.

 

Once each year, there is a club sale, with a portion of the proceeds being contributed to a scholarship fund in memory of a founding member of the chapter.  $500.00 is donated to Cal Arts and the college select the recipient student.  Very cool!

 

At the holiday season, toys are collected for a local hospital.

 

And the chapter participates in a multiple sclorosis walk honoring Annette Funicello.

 

There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm within this chapter and the members are giving back a lot in charitable works.  Congratulations for all you do. 

 

With convention upon us soon, I'm taking a break for a few months, scheduled to visit our Jersey Shores Chapter next, in August.

 

See ya real soon.

 

Gary S.