newsletter … · $114.99 pay outs gsn activities and it will ensure $8,302.67 ending alance...
TRANSCRIPT
July 2020 Newsletter
Our Mission The Gay Social Network of Southwest
Florida, or GSN, is an organization
serving the gay, lesbian, transgender,
and bisexual communities in our area.
Our mission is to provide social as well
as informational resources to the
LGBTQ community and to its friends
and sponsors. We encourage those
who are new to Southwest Florida to
utilize our organization as a means of
making new contacts and meeting
new friends. As GSN grows and
expands, our goal is to create and
sponsor social gatherings and events
that will appeal to a broad base of our
membership who enjoy getting
together.
Inside this Issue
President’s Message ................ 2
Board and Committees ............ 2
Board Meeting Summary ......... 3
GSN Treasurer’s Report ........... 3
Obituary................................... 4
GSN Morning Bowling.............. 5
Summer Reading ..................... 7
Pulse Remembered ................. 8
Celebrations ............................ 9
Services and Events ................. 10
Membership Form ................... 11
A Few Ideas To Balance Stress Associated With The Lockdown Avoid reading and watching too much coronavirus news
Social media can be a lifeline, but it can also be toxic
Focus on loving your body and banish negative, harmful thoughts
Stay connected, even when doing so feels difficult
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you are having a bad day
Create a safe space for you at home
Practice self-compassion by making a gratitude list
Remember that the coronavirus will not last forever
If you are struggling there are support services available
Connect with a therapist digitally
Ideas compiled from a PinkNews article written by Patrick Kelleher, May 10, 2020
June 15, 2020: Supreme Court
Advances LGBTQ Rights
Click on either picture to learn more about the Supreme Court Ruling
(www.hrc.org or https://www.eqfl.org/2020-SCOTUS-Ruling)
Greetings GSN,
Well…summer is now in full swing, the world continues to re-open more each day, and people are out enjoying the longer days, giving us additional hours to enjoy the beaches, parks and our own backyards!
Our first GSN Morning Bowling event was a great success. Personally, it was a pleasure to see many of you again. In my first game I managed to hit my "handicap average" from my youth...I scored 82! LOL! But, in the next game I scored 50% better! So, like all things in life, you keep trying, your averages improve! It was great fun and I look forward to seeing everyone again in July.
As our society continues to open and the world gets back to some sense of normal, GSN is working to create new events and activities. Please keep an eye on your email for these events.
Happy 4th of July!!! As we celebrate our Nation's birthday, let us unite as Americans with grateful hearts and cherish the many blessings and freedoms we enjoy. I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and doing all the things you enjoy!
Wishing each of you my absolute best!
Sincerely,
Allen
Allen Biles President GSN
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GSN BOARD
President
Allen Biles [email protected]
Vice President For Activities
Bill Owens [email protected]
Co-Vice Presidents For Communications
Jason Boeckman [email protected]
Douglas Kraft [email protected]
Treasurer
David Potter [email protected]
Secretary
Willie Nation [email protected]
Executive Board
David Givney and Kevin Fuller
Mailings
Steve MacArthur
Membership
Position Available
Technical Support
Shawn Foust
Newsletter Publisher/Editor
Michael Doty
WeCare
Mike Dias Rick Gazzerro
E-MAIL CONTACTS
General
Newsletter
Bowling
Dining Adventure
Tuesday Dining Group
Member Support
Mailing Address
PO Box 8413 Naples FL. 34101-8413
Website www.gaysocialnetwork.com
Message Line
(239) 434-1612
TREASURER INFORMATION
Checkbook Balance as of 5/31/2020
$8,278.39 Beginning Balance
$139.27 Deposits
$114.99 Pay Outs
$8,302.67 Ending Balance
Submitted by David G. Potter,
GSN Treasurer
GSN NEWS
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SUPPORTERS/ADVERTISERS
Daryl G. Sprouse & Armando Perez, Agency Owners
We Insure
Willie Nation The Pampered Chef
Larry Fleming,
L H Fleming & Company, Real Estate
Robert L. Nardi, Broker/Owner Nardi Realty
Michael Whyte, Legacy Options
PFLAG Naples
Steve MacArthur, Bonita Storage Inn
Shawn Foust,
Need Technology Help?
Problems receiving E-Blasts or
the monthly newsletter? Is your
name missing from a birthday or
anniversary list?
It may be time to renew your
GSN Membership or update your
GSN Membership Profile.
Please take a moment to access
the GSN website and update
your Membership information.
Keeping your profile updated
means you shouldn’t miss out on
GSN activities and it will ensure
proper reporting of important
dates.
Access the GSN website by
clicking here.
June GSN Board Meeting Summary
Allen Biles, Willie Nation, David Potter, Bill Owens, Jason Boeckman and Doug Kraft met via Zoom meetings on June 8th to discuss the current state of the GSN organization.
David presented highlights from the Treasurer Report. Income has been minimal due to extending the memberships and advertising by three months. Because memberships, advertising and Potlucks have been lost, GSN is operating at a $1900 loss for the year.
The Board discussed several varied topics: • input from the membership to see what types of activities are most
comfortable for people to participate • possible outdoor events – outdoor dining options, beach options, checking with
members that have large outdoor spaces or clubhouses • utilizing a reservation system to keep events to a maximum • rescheduling the Corkscrew Sanctuary Swamp Tour for the fall • Morning Bowling resumed • how to raise funds considering that Potlucks are revenue events are not
happening at this time
The next GSN Board meeting will be Monday, July 6, 2020 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. Your Board strives to find new opportunities and events to provide to its membership. If you have ideas, please contact any of us directly, or by emailing at [email protected].
Thank you for being a GSN member!
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GSN NEWS
ObituarY
With sympathy, the WeCare Committee recently learned that long time GSN member, Denis Walsh died unexpectedly on April 30th. Denis was home when he suffered a heart attack. He phoned EMT’s for help but did not survive the ride to the hospital. Denis was 71 years old.
Denis was originally from Passaic, NJ. He attended Ramsey High School in Ramsey, NJ and graduated from Park University in Parkville, Missouri in 1971 with a degree in sociology. Around 1995, Denis came to Naples and was employed by the airport. Shortly after, Denis became a member of GSN and in 2001 he was elected President of the GSN Board. Although a quiet man, Denis hosted several Potluck dinners at his home, attended the Annual Orphan’s Christmas/Chanukah Dinner, participated in many Dining Adventures and was often a part of the Tuesday Night Dinners in Bonita/Fort Myers. Denis was a local realtor and often advertised in the GSN Newsletter. Denis was cremated with no foreseen
memorial service planned due to the pandemic.
All the information reported here was gleaned from Denis’ Facebook page or from a cousin, Joseph “Jay” Brower. It was also learned that Denis’ dog Sybil is being adopted by a neighbor.
We have no further information regarding cards or donations at this time; however, WeCare will share with our members any additional information provided as we receive it.
GSN WeCare Committee
(Mike Dias/Rick Gazzerro, Co-Chairs)
The GSN WeCare Committee, in collaboration with Avow Hospice, continues to offer a LGBT bereavement support group. The evening support group is for those whose partner has died, either recently or many years prior. This support group will provide: ...a safe environment for sharing thoughts and feelings for the loss of a partner both present and years past. ...a compassionate group for expressing sadness, pain, joy and lasting memories. ...a vibrant place for embracing hope, support and healing in the absence of community or family.
The focus of this group will be grief issues specific to the LGBT community. The support group will be co-facilitated by Mike Dias, M.Ed., LSW, WeCare Committee/GSN and Louise Kenny, LCSW Bereavement Coordinator/Avow Hospice. This is a free service, developed by and for the LGBT community. For more information and/or to register for the group, call Mike Dias at 239-774-2722.
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GSN MORNING BOWLING
GSN Morning Bowling at HeadPinz
In June, GSN decided to slowly re-open one of our “social activities”. The first event was the GSN Morning Bowling. GSN encouraged “social distancing”, mask wearing, no hugging or kissing, and no high fives or handshakes. Elbow bumps, fist bumps and clapping were the ways we celebrated our strikes and spares.
June’s bowling event was held at Headpinz, in East Naples on June 6, 2020 at 9:30am. As always, it was a lot of fun. We had 13 bowlers and 2 cheerleaders take part in the event. We also welcomed two newcomers to the group: Jerry Carter and Allen Biles. Thanks for joining us and we hope you return for future bowling events.
The high rollers were:
First game: Michael Doty 135, T. Goble 123 and Scott Coleman 123
Second game: Jerry Carter 151, Vadim Pazdnikov 149 and Tim MacGeorge 132
The next GSN Morning Bowling is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, 2020 at 9:30. We bowl at HeadPinz located off of Radio Lane in Naples (MAP IT). For information, contact David Potter at [email protected] or call the message line.
Bowling in the MORNING allows us to have the lights on while we bowl and we can take advantage of HeadPinz’ “Breakfast & Bowl” special: 3 games, shoes and breakfast for $15 plus tax. That is the normal price for two games with shoes, so for the same price you get an extra game and breakfast!
May GSN Web Stats
202 Users Conducted 237 Sessions
And Viewed 804 Webpages
12.9% New Visitors
87.1% Returning Visitors
From Countries Around the World
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GSN
PRIDE 2020 For the last 50 years, the month of June has been dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of in-person Pride events were canceled globally, which forced a lot of people to re-think how they would celebrate this year. The good news was that many organizations developed events for online platforms in an effort to invite people to celebrate in their own spaces. If you missed any or all of these socially-distanced parties seek out the videos online.
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SUMMER READING
11 Queer Books To Dive Into This Summer
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PULSE REMEMBERED
Four Years Later In the early hours of June 12, 2016, 49 people were shot and killed, and 50 others were injured. The shooting occurred during the club's Latin Night, and many of those killed were Latino and LGBTQ+. The Pulse shooting is still the deadliest act of violence against LGBTQ+ people in the US.
Pulse was considered a refuge for LGBTQ+ Floridians until the tragedy. The club has not operated since the shooting, but the site where it stands has turned into a makeshift memorial until a permanent memorial is constructed.
The onePulse Foundation has selected a design team to finalize designs for the memorial. In memory of the 49 victims, a palette of 49 colors lines the basin and radiates towards a peaceful garden planted with 49 trees. The design also envisions a spiraling, open-air museum and educational center with vertical gardens, public plazas, and a rooftop promenade.
The permanent memorial is planned to open in 2022. The memorial will be free and open to the public year-round.
For more information about the onePulse Foundation visit www.onepulsefoundation.org.
Memorial rendering by COLDEFY with RDI | HHCP
GSN MEMBER CELEBRATIONS
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GSN JULY BIRTHDAYS
(Number after the name is the day of month)
Tyler Davis 06
Lee Shipp 06
Michael Dias 12
Marvin Douglas Kraft 15
Andrea Tack 20
Bruce Bennett 21
Scott Perreault 22
Lewis Nobles 28
GSN JULY ANNIVERSARIES
(Numbers after the names are the date and years together)
Louis Szabo & Reginald Peterson 5th 16 years
Lee Sharp & Gary Hochberg 11th 33 years
Michael Dias & Steve Goldenberg 10th 42 years
Juergen Baum & Michael Whyte 15th 45 years
Jim Carroll & BJ Tan 18th 35 years
Shawn Foust & Lam Nguyen 28th 9 years
SERVICES
Call listed phone number for information.
EVERY DAY:
Collier County Non-Discrimination Coalition General Information - www.colliercoalition.org Complaints of discrimination (239-436-7999)
MOST WEEK DAYS:
STD/HIV (rapid test)/hepatitis/TB testing and counseling services.
Call Collier County Health Department (239-252-8593) for
appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
Call Lee County Health Department for times/days (239-656-2542)
SUNDAYS:
ILiDS Bowling - (239-470-7494)
TUESDAYS:
Southwest Florida Voices rehearsal - 7:00 PM (239-994-1413) Naples LGBT Support Group - 7:15 PM (239-597-2206)
FRIDAYS:
Gay & Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous - 8:00 PM Open discussion & speaker meeting at St. John’s Evangelist RC Church (rear classroom) 625 111th Street (Immokalee Rd.) east of Vanderbilt Dr.
SATURDAYS:
Gay AA (GaLAA) - 8:00 PM (239-566-8750)
EVENTS
July 2020 Sat 25 9:30 GSN Morning Bowling—HeadPinz
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
SUNDAYS:
12:15 PM ILiDS Bowling League, Fort Myers
TUESDAYS:
7:00 Brigands South (Tuesday Night Dining Group)
THURSDAYS:
6:15 PM GSN Mixer/Cocktails at Bambusa Bar
SATURDAYS:
9:00 PM Bambusa Open Mike Night
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ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Promote your business or organization by placing an ad in the GSN Newsletter. As an advertiser, you will have your website linked to the GSN website and receive a copy of the Newsletter each month that your ad runs.
Rates: Per Issue Full Page (approx. 7½” x 9½”) $125.00 3/4 Page (approx. 7½” x 7½”) $94.00 Half Page (approx. 7½” x 5”) $75.00 Qtr. Page (approx. 3½" x 5") $43.00 Bus. Card (approx. 3½" x 2") $13.00
Discount: If you pay in advance for a six-month ¼ page, ½ page, ¾ page, or full-page ad, the ad will run free of charge in the seventh month. The discount does not apply for business-card-sized ads. Specs: When submitting your ad electronically, PDF and JPEG formats are preferred with 300 dpi, but we will work with any format you submit to: [email protected] (include the ad size and the number of issues the ad is to appear). Mail payment along with your billing address to:
GSN, PO Box 8413, Naples, FL 34101-8413
Artwork may be included with your check. Both must be received by the 15th of the month for publication in the following month’s Newsletter. Contact us by e-mail if you have questions.
GSN is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. We reserve the right to reject advertising which may be unsuitable for publication.
Follow GSN on
GSN MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION FORM
By submitting this form you attest that you are age 18 or over and a full or part-time resident of (or visitor to)
Collier or Lee County. The e-mail address provided will be used for mailing the GSN Newsletter and other GSN
information. Dates* are optional, and if provided will be published with member’s name in the applicable issue
of the GSN Newsletter. Please print legibly.
Name #1___________________________________________________ *Birthday (Month/Day) _______________
Name #2___________________________________________________ *Birthday (Month/Day) _______________
Address ___________________________________________________ *Anniv. (Month/Day/Yr.) _______________
City ___________________________________________ State _______________________ Zip _______________
____ Yes ____ No May we phone you regarding GSN business or activities? If you checked yes, please provide:
Preferred Pone # (_______) ________________ Optional 2nd Phone # (_______) ________________
____ Yes ____ No May we e-mail you regarding GSN business or activities? If you checked yes, please provide:
E-mail #1 _______________________________________________
E-mail #2 _______________________________________________
____ Yes ____ No Member Directory – List the above information in a directory available ONLY to GSN members.
____ Yes ____ No GSN Action Alerts – Advise me by e-mail of GSN events or late-breaking news.
Check the one(s) that applies(y):
New Member ________ OR Renewing Membership ________ Mailing Fee ________
Comments & Suggestions:
Please provide us with your thoughts and suggestions concerning newsletter items, socials or activities.
If you are a new member, please let us know how you heard about GSN.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Annual Dues: Individual Members $25, Two-Person Households $45, a $10 Mailing Fee will apply if you elect to have the Newsletter printed and mailed to you. To pay online by Credit Card/PayPal see our website: www.gaysocialnetwork.com or make check payable to GSN and mail form and payment to: GSN * PO Box 8413 * Naples, FL 34101-8413. New memberships/renewals effective upon receipt of payment.
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