2006 - 12/2006 Meeting

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HOLIDAY PARTY / POT LUCK DINNER

Video: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

MEETING SUMMARY:

Meeting Date: December 9, 2006

Meeting Site: United Methodist Church, Waldwick, New Jersey

Official Attendance: 12.

Meeting Program: Pot Luck Dinner. Holdiay Party. Video Viewing.

Notes:

Meeting Memories:

Newsetter Account:

The annual Holiday Party and Pot Luck Dinner of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held on Saturday, December 9, 2006 at the Waldwick Methodist Church in Waldwick, New Jersey. The event continued our recent experience of having very good and lightly attended meetings.

One of the factors that contributed to the light attendance was a late change in meeting venue. The revised information was clearly communicated in the newsletter and the STARSHIP LOCAL, but many do not read either. We know of three people who arrived hours late because they had gone to Upper Saddle River looking for the meeting. There may well be others who went to the Cultural Center and then went home.

The decision to hold the event in Waldwick proved to be a sound one. The layout of the hall, with tables lining the two long walls, is ideal for a pot luck dinner. The set up and clean up were as easy as they have ever been. We worked around being denied the use of kitchen facilities (except refrigerator) by bringing a microwave toaster oven and chafing dishes. This worked out fine.

There is always the risk of having too much of one thing and not enough of another at a Pot Luck dinner. The smaller the turnout, the more likely it is that something will be overlooked. This did not prove a problem at the gathering. The variety of food and supplies was spot on. Our thanks to everyone who contributed.

Main and side dishes served included chicken (Robert Yeager), meat balls (Charles Garofalo), browned chopped meat (Philip De Parto), vegetarian chili (Pamela Webber), shrimp (Kathleen Holusha and Robert Yeager), acron squash (Patricia Nash), chilled salmon salad (Roy Greenberg), string bean casserole (Phil), green salad (Phil), dinner rolls (Pam), and seasoned rice (Phil).

Desserts included cinnamon buns (John Upton), apple pie (Kathleen), cookies and candy (club stock), and Indian sweets (Milind Padki and Pradeep Sharma). The assortment of fresh fruit and a fruit platter by Robert Pinkus was a welcome surprise.

There was a very nice selection of beverages. Hot stuff included brewed Earl Grey tea (Roy), brewed coffee (Phil) and hot water for teas and hot chocolate (club stock). Cold drinks included iced tea and decaffeinated green iced tea (Phil), soda (Chuck, Phil, club stock), and juice (Greg Roman).

There were a couple of touches which worked particularly well. There were enough non meat products available that vegetarians of every stripe could find something to eat. Roy's brewed tea is always welcome and a few of us were really happy to have coffee. Providing cooked, unseasoned ground beef was another winner, as people could add it to a variety of other dishes present.

THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA was shown at 9:00 PM. This is a low budget flick that came out a couple of years ago that was a homage to ROBOT MONSTER, PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE, and every low budget sci fi flick of the 1950s. You either scratched your head in bewilderment or howled in laughter. Around our house, "I sleep now!" and "Must find Amish Terrarium!" have become part of the lexicon.