The Man Squad

The January Board Meeting (as required by our 501c status) is scheduled to be held in Orlando on January 15, 2011. This coincides with a three-day weekend (Martin Luther King Day) so hopefully everyone can make it.

We will be invading some of our Orlando Squad members’ house for the night. Space is limited. They have 2 extra couches inside and we will have the Mansquad Mobile HQ which can sleep 6. So, put your name in early if you want one of those billets, otherwise, bring a tent to set up in the back yard, or arrange to share with someone who is bringing a tent.

The address is 1005 Berwyn Road, Orlando, Florida (map below).

Pleae plan to arrive by 5pm, as we plan to hold a brief board meeting at 6pm, then probably head downtown for food and drink. The usual fee of $20 still applies, as this will be used to furnish food & drink.

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The December 2010 Bivouac had a great turnout! Thanks to all who made it. We almost had ALL Florida squads represented (yeah, I’m calling you out, Orlando!). In addition to a good showing, we had one new member make his first Mansquad trip. All in all we had (as usual) a great time, and, (as usual) the highlights and lowlights are listed below.

Highlights

• We have finally mastered the art of outdoor cooking by using a propane grill.
• The campsite was very large, and we had room for everyone this time
• Thanks to Rondo and Top, we had a very large supply of firewood and had a hot fire all night
• The 4 vs. 4 pickup football game was lots of fun, even if the “old guys” got crushed
• Despite the early rain, the weather held and only a little mist came down while we camped

Lowlights

• Due to an unusual burn ban, we couldn’t start the fire until 6pm
• A few of us “old guys” took some bodily damage from the football game (namely Rondo)
• A nearby camper on a walk got a little panicky and almost tased Sheamus and Finnegan

The current plan is to have the official board meeting (now required due to our 501c status) in Orlando. Details will be provided in the next post.

Thanks again to everyone who came out!

↑ Left to right, “The Bear Jew”, “Hammer”, Finnegan, “Top”, Leonard, and “Sweaterlegs” holding down the fort.

↑ Left to right, “Commish”, Leonard, “Old Man”, “Sweaterlegs”, “Iron Chef” and Finnegan sitting around the unlit campfire.

↑ Left to right, “Hammer”, “Iron Chef” and “The Bear Jew” and Scotty getting their grub on.

↑ “The Bear Jew” showing off the now infamous Mansquad invention: the BRATBURGER!

Mansquad is proud to be a supporter of Task Force Omega, a non-profit POW / MIA organization dedicated to the full accounting and return of all prisoners of war and those missing in action during the defense of our country.

Task Force Omega has concentrated its effort on the return of POWs abandoned in Vietnam, Laos and after the Vietnam War. Extensive searches in the National Archive by members of Task Force Omega have discovered that over 20,000 U.S servicemen and women who were “liberated” by the Soviet Union after World War II were never released to the United States of America, and were instead interned in Soviet gulags and prison camps.

The officers and members of Task Force Omega have participated in Congressional hearings, public speaking, television and radio programs. Their goal has been and continues to be to bring the plight of American POW/MIAs to the American people and achieve public support for obtaining the release of these brave American patriots.

Please take a moment to visit their website.

This park has more than 10 distinct natural communities, dozens of springs, and miles of beautiful trails. The park is home to a pioneer cracker village and the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center. Visitors can canoe down the crystal clear river, hike or bike along one of the nature trails, or just sit and watch for the wide variety of birds and wildlife.

The reason I picked Silver River is because of the central location to most squads. It’s also a stunningly beautiful park with natural springs, a pristine river and great accomodations.

Promixity to Squads

• Tampa: 107 miles
• Jacksonville: 109 miles
• Gainesville: 47 miles
• St. Augustine: 76 miles
• Orlando: 80 miles
• Panama City: 292 miles

Since this is the offical end of Mansquad’s FIRST FISCAL YEAR (woo!), I’d love to have a big turnout! Please RSVP no later than December 4th so I can make sure we have enough sites (we currently have 3).