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Please forward any weather-related sports field photos that showcase your field, crew, fans, games, or friends for the introductory video at the STMA Awards Banquet. GrasStains Productions, lead by Steve Legros, produces an exciting video each year to open the annual Awards Banquet, and you can be a part of it. Please send your high resolution photos in a jpg format to grsstains@yahoo.com. You are certainly welcome to send any sports field management photos, but those showing the full force of Mother Nature are highly desired! Please send them prior to Dec. 25. Thank you!
Conference Credentials Coming to You!
For those who register for the 2008 STMA Conference by Dec. 14, STMA will be mailing your Conference Credentials to you. We will send an email letting you know when your credentials were mailed, and to contact us if you don't receive them by the date specified in the email. Be sure to bring your badge and other credentials to the Conference to avoid waiting in line and incurring reprinting fees. The conference badge holders can be picked up onsite.
Represent Your School in the Student Challenge
We are currently taking registrations for the STMA Student Challenge. Teams compete in two-year and four-year categories on a cooperative exam. The exam is multiple-choice and also has a case-study question teams must answer. The Study Guide for the STMA Student Challenge can be found here.
Thanks to the generosity of The SAFE Foundation, teams will vie for a $4,000 first place prize in each category. And thanks to the continued support of Platinum Sponsor Hunter Industries, STMA Student Challenge participants get their conference registration paid for! To sign up for the STMA Student Challenge, simply complete the Student Challenge Section of the conference registration form and fax it back to STMA headquarters at 800-366-0391. So that STMA can maintain accurate records, each individual competitor must complete a conference registration form. STMA Student Challenge participants may NOT register for conference online. If you have any questions about the Student Challenge, please contact Patrick Allen at 800-323-387 or pallen@stma.org.
FORE!
After the once-in-a-generation ice storm that hit San Antonio last year and cancelled the SAFE/Jacobsen Golf Tournament, it seems STMA members are eager to hit the links! But even without hitting a single shot at The Quarry, STMA members who donated their entry fee and Jacobsen, who matched 50% of members’ donations, raised almost $18,000 for The SAFE Foundation.
Foursome’s are filling up quickly for the 8th Annual SAFE/Jacobsen Golf Tournament, which will be played at The Sanctuary Golf Course at Westworld. The Sanctuary, as it is commonly known in its hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz., was the 17th course in the world, and the first in Arizona, to earn Audubon Signature status, signifying a commitment preserving the natural environment while providing a spectacular and challenging golf course for the players.
To reserve your spot in the tournament, which is limited to 144 players, please register online or fill out the conference registration form and fax it back to 800-366-0391 with payment information included. If you have any questions regarding the SAFE/Jacobsen Golf Tournament, please contact Patrick Allen at 800-323-3875 or pallen@stma.org. Hit ’em straight!
Do I hear $25… $50…?
Participating in The SAFE Foundation’s raffle and auction is easy and the proceeds fund important scholarships, research and educational programs.
First, please consider donating an item for the raffle or auction, which will be held throughout the annual conference in Phoenix. Team gear, products, equipment or tickets to unique attractions in your area are ideal, and you can bring them with you to conference or send them in advance to STMA headquarters.
Purchase raffle tickets. SAFE is hosting two different raffles: a daily 50/50 raffle that a lucky winner will take home one half of the cash raised each day; and a raffle for a Disney Trip and a Nike Golf Tour!
Bid on Silent Auction items during each day of the trade show. This auction is different from previous years’ auctions because it will close Thursday night and new items will be available for bid on Friday.
You’ll have the opportunity to bid on a few, select items during the Pre-Banquet reception such as high-tech glasses that help you diagnose turfgrass problems. You will not want to miss this fun event!
If you are unable to attend conference and want to support this worthwhile foundation, please send your tax-deductible contribution to The SAFE Foundation, 805 New Hampshire, Ste. E, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Vote!
Voting members should have received their 2008 Board of Directors Election ballot, notice of annual meeting, and proxy information. Please follow the instructions on the ballot for submitting it, or click here to vote electronically. Take this opportunity to exercise this important responsibility of membership, and vote for the leadership of your organization. Complete biographies of the candidates can be found on-line.
CA$H for COTS
Send a Board Member to the Chapter Officers’ Training Session at the STMA Annual Conference, and receive $200! STMA will hold COTS on Tues., Jan. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix. Again this year, the Chapter Relations Committee is pleased to offer the special $200 bonus to STMA Chapters that send a board member to COTS. Your chapter is welcome to send as many board members as it wishes to COTS, however, STMA’s refund is $200 per chapter. Dinner will be available at the beginning of the session. To find out more about this program, click here.
Hotel Rooms are Filling up in Phoenix
There are hotel rooms available for the STMA conference, but they are filling up fast. The host hotel, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, is sold out for Jan. 15; however, rooms are still available from Jan. 16-19 (reservations ph. 1-602-252-1234). If you are quoted a different rate than the guaranteed $167 per night, please contact STMA, ph. 800-323-3875. STMA has opened a block of rooms at the Wyndham Hotel (reservations ph. 602-333-0000), which is next door to the Hyatt, and is offering the same rate of $167.
STMA Historical Committee Meets
The STMA Historical Committee, chaired by John Mascaro, met in Lawrence Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, to begin formulating the STMA historical preservation and acquisition plan. Committee members include Steve Guise, Mike Schiller, CSFM, George Toma, Mike Trigg, CSFM, James Watson, Ph.D., and Steve Wightman. Time was dedicated to reviewing the personal and professional collection of Kent Kurtz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2006. Kurtz' materials were donated to STMA by his son and daughter and plans are to develop an STMA Dr. Kent Kurtz collection. Look for more information on this committee's progress and how you can become involved in the historical preservation initiative.