WAABI Wednesday - 2-10-10

A lot of good news this week. Duncan has agreed to extend his contract for another year. He has an outline for recruiting over the next 12 months that I'm very optimistic about.

Duncan, Stephanie Flannery and I will be attending the Nightclub and Bar Show in Las Vegas,March 9 & 10. We will share the Sky Ranch Booth, #1358. Our focus will be recruiting both general members and corporate members.

On that note,Chapter Presidents, please start getting your memberships renewed. Do you have a membership chair person? This is a critical position for every chapter to have. If you need help recruiting one let me know.

It is time to start making plans to attend the Leadership Conference June 5th - 8th. If your employer (or your chapter) is not willing/able to cover the cost of attending, give me a call and we'll try to find a solution.

We really need at least one member from each chapter at the convention.

Paul E. Houston
President
World Association of Alcohol Beverage Industries (WAABI)

WAABI Wednesday - 12-18-09

Happy 2010 to all our friends in the WAABI network! I realize that it may sometimes seem a bit lonely being a WAABI since too many people in our industry still fail to realize the importance of WAABI even after 65 years of service to the industry and to communities nationwide. But you are to be congratulated for your wisdom, and for your generous spirit which has led you to go the extra mile to support the core values of this organization and the many worthy causes which benefit from WAABI's charitable fundraising.

I can speak with some knowledge about one such cause in particular - Sky Ranch! I've been honored to serve as President of the Sky Ranch Foundation since 1994. During that time I've seen what WAABI can do - year after year - to help our industry keep it's 50 year-old pledge of support to Sky Ranch. During calendar year 2009, WAABI raised more than $131,000 for Sky Ranch! Since 1995, the total is well over $2 million! No organization has been able to focus attention and generosity on Sky Ranch the way WAABI has. You've earned the respect and gratitude of all of us associated with Sky Ranch, and of everyone who wants to see our industry involved with programs that make life better for our fellow citizens.

In 2010, we are celebrating Sky Ranch's 50th anniversary. Appropriately, WAABI is holding its annual Leadership Conference at the same time. I urge all of you to make every effort to be there in person to see what we have accomplished together! The Sky Ranch Hall of Fame dinner will be on Sunday, June 6, at the beautiful and brand new Lodge at Deadwood in historic Deadwood, South Dakota. The next morning we'll all travel to Sky Ranch for a special day with the staff and the boys being cared for there. You'll learn in ways words cannot express how important the work is that you have made possible for all these years!

That evening, back in Deadwood, WAABI will present its UNITY Award to a very special family, the Wirtz family, which has been a strong supporter of WAABI for 3 generations! Rocky Wirtz has made room in a very busy schedule to accept our thanks for all that his dad, his son, and he have meant to WAABI.

A full day of WAABI business and seminars will follow on Tuesday, June 8.

This will be a very special event for Sky Ranch and WAABI. On behalf of Sky Ranch I want to invite all of you to be there and help us celebrate the important things we have done together.

And please, continue to keep Sky Ranch in your hearts and in your plans!

Thank You!
Ralph Aguera
President
Sky Ranch Foundation