After eight months as your President, I wanted to summarize a few highlights of our GNOPT chapter and share our planned goals. We are also interested in and welcome your input and involvement in your chapter.
· Recognize the chapter in NOLA and surrounding parishes
· Network and share activities with other LGBTQ groups in NOLA
· Maintain our social activities and add new and unique activities
· Grow our membership in NOLA and surrounding parishes
· Facilitate other chapter development in Louisiana
· Advertise the chapter locally, nationally and internationally During 2024 we added nine new members. We continued to meet twice monthly for lunches. The chapter hosted our annual picnic in June and Christmas dinner in December. We have added movies as a group activity for the membership. We maintain a presence on social media on the international PTWW Facebook group where I am an Administrator of the group.
Our Facebook page the Greater New Orleans Prime Timers Group (a private group) was launched in late November.
Creating a Facebook group is complicated, and I was assisted by Errol Ray, the Administrator of the international Facebook group. Our Board members are Administrators. While the group is private other men not in our local chapter may join. I hope each member of the NOLA chapter will join. If you receive an invitation that was sent by me or one of the administrators, it allows automatic admission when you accept.
In April Mark Hatten, outgoing international President of PTWW and current President of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter and his husband Brain, manager of international chapter websites drove in from Dallas. The trip had multiple goals: meet with our board members, discuss plans for our thirtieth birthday celebration, and determine our interest in hosting the 2027 international convention in New Orleans. We dined at Mandina’s.
As a follow up, Daniel led a 2027 International Convention Task Force and submitted a letter of intention to the PTWW Board. Multiple phone calls followed with Mark discussing details about New Orleans. We were aware that we were competing against Boston, Denver, and Palm Springs. Recently Mark called to let me know that a city was chosen, and therefore we were not chosen. The final choice of a city was not disclosed. The PTWW Board wants us to consider hosting the international convention in 2029 during May rather than October. This choice would avoid hurricane season and Southern Decadence. More about the October 2025 convention in Omaha as the year progresses.
During late May and early June 2025, PTWW will participate in a Global Pride event. 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of Pride celebrations in Washington, DC! The Capital Pride Alliance is excited for Washington, DC to host World Pride 2025 and share this momentous and exciting milestone with our international community.
Perhaps a group of us from GNOPT will want to participate in the upcoming 2025 event.
Mr. Randall Clayborn: January 4 Mr. Chuck Clark: January 11 Mr. Morris Kansas: January 17 Mr. Larry M. Holbrook: January 23 Dr. Graham J. McDougall Jr.: January 28 Mr. Mayson Buffington: February 27 Mr. Jack Anderson: February 28
Treasurer’s Report
Our deposits consisted of dues and holiday dinner payments totaling $1,180, one check to Vincent’s Restaurant to pay for the holiday dinner in the amount of $2,418.62.