It is nice to have warm sunny weather again. The rains so far have done a great job refilling the lakes and reservoirs. The Atascadero Lake is only about 6” below spill-over and should make it with the next good rain or two. My wife and I enjoy the 1.25 mile walk around the lake and it is great for building up my wife’s stamina. This is a great time to see turtles basking in the sun on a couple of logs jutting out from the island on the south end of the lake. There are also always plenty of dogs walking their masters, but it is easy to see who is really in charge. Earlier this year Eric Brun did a nice presentation about Camp Atascadero that was centered around the lake and is one of the locations where the Buffalo Soldiers trained. The Charles Paddock Atascadero Zoo is another gem of the Atascadero Lake Park. You can see and hear the flamingos greet you as you walk past the zoo.
Ken Lann, our A/V guru has need to be away every 3 rd Thursday going forward for an expected long time. Gordon Mullin and Hank Campbell are filling-in so far, but we want an additional back-up. The laptop, projector and training are provided. This is a great opportunity for a new member to get more involved with the RAM group. As an incentive, we are offering your coffee fee at only $10 per week for the remainder of 2024.
In Memoriam RAM member Larry Ottum passed away in February after a short hospital stay. Our RAM wellness overseer, Dr. Ed Benson has details on a service planned by the family.
March Luncheon Thanks to RAM Member, Dr. Steve Hansen, for suggesting, coordinating, and introducing our March Luncheon Speaker Chad Wiebe of Oakstone Outfitters. The number of questions showed that it was a very interesting topic for members. Are you ready to go on a RAM activity – wild boar hunt?
Luncheon Attendance Policy:
- RSVP your attendance or regrets to the Luncheon email or call as early as possible…and definitely before the deadline.
- If you are bringing a guest, RSVP for them also.
- Advise if you and/or guest want a vegetarian meal.
- If you reserve and can’t attend, you can call Terry Whitaker before noon on the Friday before.
- No shows…sorry but you still have to pay the luncheon fee as Madonna Inn charges the RAM group.
March Executive Committee Meeting The officers and directors that make up the RAM Executive Meeting met just before the March Luncheon. RAM Activity Group leaders are also invited and welcome to attend. Highlight of efforts:
- Website documents, such as job descriptions, that are out of date are being updated.
- We are soliciting a RAM Historian to shadow Bob Mott and glean the wonderful historical information that he has memorized or documented. This job also involves keeping a
1 running record of Coffee Cabinet Big Beans, Big RAMs, etc. Work is in progress to get some of these records up-to-date, then it will be easy to keep them current. If we back track a little and figure out the close number of Coffee Cabinet meetings we have had, then Steve Bennett won’t have to continue mumbling a number…although I have enjoyed his solution to this issue.
- Please contact the Big or Little RAM if you have interest in becoming our RAM Historian.
COFFEE CABINET
Alan Henderson
Opportunities for Big Bean positions are available for next year. Each Big Bean has a stint of three months to conduct weekly Coffee Cabinet meetings. Starting in April and going through June, Ken Riener will serve as our Big Bean. Members are encouraged to volunteer as a Big Bean.
The Coffee Cabinet is held at the Madonna Inn in the Garden Room. Meetings are held every Thursday. They are called to order at 8:30am and adjourned at 9:30 am.
Website By the time the April RAM Bulletin hits the printer, we should have had a “website tour” by Dave Harris. Any follow-up recommendations are welcome.
Member Bios A couple of bios have been added to the website, get yours in early before the posting price increases. This is a great way for members to get to know more about you and learn the interesting life stories of other members. This will typically be more info than in the “2 minute or less” guest introduction version but is still a short overview.