ATTENDANCE: Chairman Herb Spierling reported that 17 Sirs have called that they would not be attending the Thursday luncheon. Chairman Spierling stated, at last month’s BEC meeting, that using his home phone and answering machine for SIR call-ins was becoming burdensome. Big Sir Sweeney requested that Secretary Mohn research an alternative. Secretary Mohn reported that Mother Lode Answering Service will furnish a recorded answering service for $7.95 per month and recommended that the Branch utilize this service. Approved (Pfoutz/Feaster)

Following the November BEC meeting, Big Sir Feaster appointed Sir Dave Holton to Chair a special committee with Sirs Jim Johnson, Lee Piercey and Dan Mohn as members, to study the protocol for and produce a draft of a Branch Regulation (BR) to bring consistency into the Branch’s attendance and membership guidelines, working within SIR rules. The draft BR was discussed extensively during the December 2006 and January 2007 BEC meetings. Secretary Mohn presented the final BR, incorporating recommended revisions, to the BEC and recommended approval. Minor revisions were made and the BR was approved, copy attached. (Denhard/Beltran).

MEMBERSHIP: Assistant Membership Chairman Ralph Legg reported that Sir Ralph Puhalovich is moving from the area and has tendered his resignation. Sir Legg recommended that the BEC accept Sir Puhalovich’s resignation. Approved (Smith/Brandau).

The membership stands at 150 active, 6 inactive and 6 on hold.

LUNCHEON: The Twain Harte Golf Club House is closed for repairs due to water damage from a frozen fire sprinkler system. Big Sir Sweeney and Sir Henry Beltran have arranged with the Sonora Elks Club to use its facilities until further notice. The luncheon cost will remain $12.00.

PROGRAM: Little Sir Don Denhard reported that Thursday’s program would be a talk/slide show by Mr. James M. Doyle titled "Flying Through Time in a WW II Stearman Bi-Plane".

COMPUTER USERS GROUP: Sir Rich Froisness requested approval for a meeting on February 15, 2007, 2:00 – 4:00 PM, at the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Computer Laboratory. The program will be "an introduction to MS Word and Excel", by Sir Richard Feaster. Approved (Smith/Pfoutz).

WEB PAGE: Little Sir Don Denhard reported that the Web Page is up to date with the latest SIR activities and information.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP: Sir Ray Pfoutz reported that he had a good turnout of Sirs at the last meeting, and will not schedule another meeting until the photography season starts. Sir Pfoutz suggested that a meeting combined with the Computer Users Group to learn more about using a computer program for the processing and manipulation of digital photos would be in order in a few months.

GOLF GROUP: The first event is in April.

BULLETIN: Sir Ed Nissen requested input for the bulletin by February 5, 2007.

PUBLICITY: Sir Gil Wesson reported that both the Union Democrat and the Sierra Mountain Times published a notice of Thursday’s meeting.

TRAVEL: The Branch is seeking a Travel Chairman.

RV GROUP: The first trip is in April.

THEATER GROUP: Sir Joe Smith reported that all reserved seats for the first play of the season, Thoroughly Modern Millie, is sold out. A family style dinner at the Peppery in Sonora will follow the play.

HIKING GROUP: Sir Jerry Jensen requested approval for a hike on February 7, 2007, at New Melones Reservoir Tuttle Town Recreation Area, to Heron Point and return, to be followed by a stop at the Visitor’s Center. Approved (Brandou/ Pfoutz).

MOVIE GROUP: Sir Bill Bamford reported that the second movie for January would be Dream Girls on January 30 at 3:00 PM.

FELLOWSHIP: Nothing to report.

FISHING GROUP: Nothing to report.

Considering the difficulties that the Branch has been having with Twain Harte Golf Club for luncheon service during the past year, Big Sir Roy Sweeney requested Sir Henry Beltran open discussions with the Black Oak Casino to have our luncheon meetings at its facility and report his findings to the BEC at its February meeting. Sir Beltran talked with the Black Oak management and determined that the facility could not handle the number of people that we have.

During the month, the Branch luncheon committee continued discussions, with the Golf Club manager and restaurant catering team, in an attempt to work out a mutually agreeable luncheon cost, type of menu to be served, and table arrangement. At the last discussion with the Golf Club, both parties agreed that the luncheon cost would remain at $12 for the February luncheon, and that the luncheon committee would work with the restaurant caterer the day before the luncheon, to set up the dining room, using rectangular tables, at the caterers request, but in a pattern that would allow some freedom of movement when 115 or so Sirs came to lunch. Discussions were to resume after the February luncheon. Several members of the committee reported that they had found the caterer to be very difficult to deal with, and that they had little confidence that the caterer was willing to come to any type of agreement that would be suitable for the Branch Monthly Luncheon.

A few days after the most recent discussion, the Branch was notified that the Golf Club had suffered major water damage due to frozen pipes and that it would not be able to provide luncheon service for February and probably March. Because of this development, the February and March luncheon will be at the Sonora Elks Lodge.