This is the October 30, 1999 newsletter that was sent to all who registered with our Website.
Subject: 1999 International Hillbilly Convention Webletter, Issue #7
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 12:58:40 -0400
From: Gary Schweinshaupt <garysch@trowel.com>
Organization: Sahib Shrine Temple
Hi Cuzzins,
You have received this message because you have signed our guest book at http://trowel.com/hillbilly99 , sent me an email about the Hillbilly Convention or you have some connection with the 1999 International Hillbilly Convention. If you do not wish to be on the email list for this Webletter, please email me at garysch@trowel.com and ask to be removed. If you have received this message from a friend and wish to be added to the mail list, send a message to be added. If you know someone that should be on our list, send me their name and email address and I will gladly add them.
This is the seventh Official 1999 International Hillbilly Convention Webletter. If you would like to see previous Webletters, we are now keeping an archive on the Web home page. This is our last 1999 Convention Webletter.
The email list used for this Webletter will be provided to the 2000 Hillbilly Convention in London, Ontario, Canada. The final disposition of future Webletters and the future of the Hillbilly Website is uncertain at this time, we will let you know when more specific information is available. More about the 2000 Convention later in this message.
If you have an opinion as to whether a convention Website should be available for future Hillbilly conventions, please leave a message in the Hillbilly99 Guestbook, it will remain open for at least another 30 days.
I was gratified to learn that 56 Hillbillies registered at the 1999 Convention by copying the registration form from the Hillbilly99 Website. :o) And, we received and responded to dozens of email messages seeking help with all manner of questions about the convention. Many of these questions came in the last few days before the convention, beats the heck out of long-distance telephone calls, don't it?
Please forward this Webletter to other cuzzins or temple members that you think might be interested.
Thanks for supporting the first International Hillbilly Convention Website. You can now refer to me as Cuzzin Gary, as I became a bona fide member of Hillbilly Clan #78 during the 1999 Convention.
Honor the Cob!
Gary Schweinshaupt, Webmaster
Hillbilly99 Convention <http://trowel.com/hillbilly99>
Sahib Shrine Temple <http://sahibshrine.org>
18th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
IMPERIAL HILLBILLY CONVENTION
October 6-9, 1999
Sarasota, Florida
Subject: CONVENTION WRAP-UP
From: George Burgess, Registration Chairman
and Convention
Treasurer mailto:burgess11@juno.com
Shriner Hillbillies and their Ladies from Canada and the United States started arriving in Sarasota as early as Sunday, October 3, 1999. Some were camping at the fairgrounds, where most of the events were being held. There were 33 campers and the remaining Hillbillies stayed a various hotels in the area. We had 400 pre-registered Hillbillies and 191 more that registered starting Wednesday, October 6 at the convention. That gave us a total of 591 registered guests at the convention.
On Thursday morning, 19 Hillbillies participated in the golf tournament at Rolling Green Golf Club. All had a good time and at the Awards Banquet Saturday night, the prizes were awarded. The most coveted award was a hand made cedar putter by our own Cuzzin Ken Pedersen. Also on Thursday, tours to the Ringling Museum were a hit with the visitors.
The hospitality area was opened Thursday and quite a few of the Hillbillies took advantage of this to meet and greet old and new friends from other clans and have a little hair of the dog. A free lunch was served to all our guests at noon. The Thursday Hillbilly Buffet was at the Sahib Shrine Temple from 5-8:00 p.m. and was enjoyed by 481 guests. I understand the temple was packed until the late hours that evening. Everyone enjoyed the Music of "Beau" the Music Man for all of the Thursday Night Hillbilly (all you can eat) Buffets at Sahib Temple.
On Friday, a tour of Mote Marine Lab was offered to our guests. Following the tour, the Ladies Luncheon was held at Sahib Temple. The ladies enjoyed themselves and the music of our own "Beau". At the same time, a lunch was being held at the fairgrounds for all the men. This lunch consisted of a couple of wild boars that were cooked on a spit by our own Hillbilly crew, under the watchful eye of the Director General Phil Mitchell.
The Friday evening, a dinner dance was catered by Tom Houser and his crew from the Sarasota County Fairgrounds Association. Following the meal, judging for the Imperial Queen contest began. Vicki Donta from Clan 1 was announced as the new Imperial Queen for 1999-2000 out of 13 contestants.
Photo: New Hillbilly Queen Vicki Donta (Clan #1, center) with 1998 Queen Faye Judy-Phillippe (Clan 82, left) and 1999 Director General Phil Mitchell (Clan #78, right)
We also had Battle of the Bands, with only one band participating! We danced to the music of a duo from Chuck Douglas and the Sarasota Thunder.
Saturday morning, the "Gathering of the Clans" meeting was held, after which they had the cars line up for the traditional Hillbilly Parade through the streets.
Photo: Cracker Clan #78 truck in the Saturday Parade
The route started in downtown Sarasota near the old Payne Park and ended at the fairgrounds. Another free lunch was held at noon for all the guests. Saturday evening was the Coronation Ball, and awarding of various prizes. The dinner was again catered by Tom Houser and his crew from the fairgrounds. The winner of the ATV was Richard Swanek. He decided to take $4,000 instead of the ATV and he donated $1,000 of that money to the Sahib Temple Transportation Fund. One of the highlights of the evening was the Chicken Drop Bingo Game.
Entertainment for the evening was a surprise for Imperial Raban Jim Harris. Jim's daughter lives in Sarasota and she brought about 20 gals over to dance as a special tribute to her father. It appeared that Jim really enjoyed the attention. The music for the evening was by Chuck Douglas and Sarasota Thunder.
We want to thank Ben Blount, Gene Norris and Dick Morris from Sahib Transportation Crew for being the people movers this week.
The hospitality room was opened at different times during the convention. There was a lye soap making demonstration, hominy making demonstration, Hillbilly horseshoes, egg toss and other games that all present could participate in. We also had hayrides that were very well attended by our guests. Throughout the convention, in the hospitality area, you could listen to all the want-to-be entertainers singing and playing their favorite songs.
We had many vendors in our market place who were busy selling their different products.
I don't have the number right now, but many candidates, both men and ladies received the Hillbilly Degree on Friday Afternoon. From what I hear, they had a smelly good time.
We would like to thank everyone for attending and supporting this great convention, along with all the committees the workers and all our advertisers or anyone who had anything to do with making this convention the success it was.
Photo: For your memories, Clan #78 Hillbilly Gal Band
Click photo for large version. 68KB
Subject: CONVENTION FINAL
From: IMPERIAL RABAN JIM HARRIS
Email: jimac@zoomnet.net
What a great convention this was. Cracker Clan #78 and the Sahib Hillbillies put together an outstanding event. An outstanding event! A real professional performance, you folks should be proud.
The Imperial Clan Officers Tom Ross, Clyde Blevins PP, Lynn VanNess PP, Bob Craig and Harry Steel have been an outstanding team to lead the Hillbilly Degree and keep us all together and follow all the Shrine rules. You Hillbillies and the ladies have made this organization into one of the finest in the Shrine and I am proud to be part of this group. Thanks.
Those of you that attended this convention know what I mean. Those who were unable to attend missed a fantastic fun event and an opportunity to meet your fellow Hillbillies from everywhere. These are some of the finest people you will ever meet.
I only wrote the Degree, but you have all combined to make this organization into what it is today. I never planned it this way, you have made it what it has become and I am glad to be a part of it. My thanks to all of you for what you have done, and I am sure there are a lot of children who will lead a better life because of your efforts. Bless you all.
Subject: UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOKS!
The Official Clan #59 (2000 Convention Hosts) email address has changed to <clan59@home.com>
Subject: Drawing for 2 Free Dinners at 1999 Hillbilly Convention
Lewis "Cuz Fish" Kennedy <LSKennedy17@juno.com> from Titusville, Florida was the winner of the 2 Free Dinners at Sahib Shrine Temple during the 1999 Hillbilly Convention. The drawing for the tickets was done using the Hillbilly 99 Website Guestbook entries.
Subject: 19th Annual Hillbilly Convention
Hosted by Maple Leaf Clan #59
Mocha Shrine Temple <http://www.kwic.com/shriners/>
London, Ontario, Canada
August 17-19, 2000
Complete Registration Package
<http://www.trowel.com/hillbilly99/hb2000.pdf>
In Adobe Acrobat format, 366KB
Free Acrobat Reader at <http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html>
Convention Chairman: Doug Burke, Canadian Ambassador
email: doug.burke@sympatico.ca
Convention Secretary: Ron Harrison
email: clan59@home.com