 |
 |
|
|
| In this Issue: Upcoming Events |
Issue #6 July, 2005 |
| Heart of the Alliance contacts: President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: P.R. Officer: |
August Meeting - Saturday, August 7 - 7PM @ Hotlze Executive Villiage 11400 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS 66210 Movie Night - Saturday, August 13 - 4 PM See link for details/directions MO-KAN
Comics Conspiracy 2005 On July 9 and 10, Heart of the Alliance had a table at our second local convention of the year. Not only did we have two great days of meeting new potential members, but we raised $42 for Harvesters with a raffle. We would like to thank the businesses who donated the prizes for the raffle: Holtze Executive Village, AMF College Lanes, Dickenson Theatres/Palazzo 16, 24 Hour Fitness, Smoothie King, and The Daily Dose. And congratulations to the winner, Malia Koons. After the conclusion of the convention on Sunday, about 13 HotA members took over a large chunk of TGI Fridays, before heading to the Holtze Executive Village for our July meeting. There we elected our officers for the next year. All the members who made this, our busiest weekend as a group to date, a lot of fun and a big successes. [top] Bantha
BBQ 2005 What is it about Star Wars fans that causes us to bond and form friendships almost instantly? This is the question left in my mind after my experience at the Bantha BBQ. With so many new members, the BBQ was the first chance many of us had to meet face-to-face. Personally I can’t remember ever having so much fun getting to know people. It was so rainy when the day began that there was talk of renaming the event, “The Kamino BBQ.” The rain cleared soon and made way for a day of food, games, friends, and fun. The event was attended by twenty members, a big improvement over the small band of members that attended the last Bantha BBQ in 2004. Some highlights of the day included the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit contest, Star Wars Battleship tournament, the water balloon fight, and the R2-D2 cake brought by Rob Vader and his wife. The winners of the Trivial Pursuit contest were JediJohn and TK565 for the first game, and Stimpy and Bikini Leia in the second game. JediJohn also was victorious in the Battleship tournament. While these games were going on, a water balloon fight was going on that made the battle of Yavin look like kids’ play. The battle began with two teams, but wound up with everyone ganging up on Itachi. While there was lots of good food, the most memorable item was the R2-D2 cake that Rob Vader’s wife made. Lucky for us, Rob Vader had a birthday! Some lowlights of the day included the struggle to assemble the barbeque grill and the showing of The Star Wars Holiday Special. Things began to wrap up early in the evening, but a group of “die-hards” stayed until well after dark. We just can’t seem to get enough of each other! As a relatively new member of the group, I had a great time getting to know everyone. Not only is it great to have others to share my passion for Star Wars with, but we all seem to have much more in common. We all seem to laugh at the same things and understand each others’ struggles. I know there were friendships forged at the Bantha BBQ, and at other HotA events, that will last a lifetime. [top] To Be
or Not to Be, That Is the Question A non-profit organization is an organization that does not have profit as a goal. It is entirely funded by voluntary donations. It is formed for the purpose of serving the public. A non-profit organization is NOT a way for ordinary business or people to shield assets or avoid paying income tax. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that only specific types of organizations can qualify to be non-profit, or tax exempt organizations. One of those types is a corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. Our very own Heart of the Alliance fits this description. Therefore, we would like, with the support of our members, to apply to the IRS to obtain non-profit status. Discussion on this topic can be found here. There are several advantages and disadvantages to becoming a non-profit organization. A non-profit organization, under internal revenue code Section 501 (c) (3), is eligible for certain federal and state tax exemptions. As with other corporations, non-profit orgs, along with their members, directors, trustees and officers are given limited liability status. This means that the personal assets of the people involved are protected and not included with the organizations debts. There are other smaller advantages also, such as lower postal rates, discounted advertising, and group rates with local vendors. These are the things that will trickle down to the regular members of HotA, should we receive non-profit status. This status could guarantee us more centralized meeting areas, cheaper entertainment and group rates for any other activities we would like to engage in. There are also several disadvantages to forming a non-profit corporation. Articles of Incorporation must be prepared and filed with the state, Bylaws must be prepared, minutes must be maintained and federal and state tax exemption filing must be filed to obtain tax-exempt status. Accounting records must be carefully maintained and of course, all monies collected by the organization must be donated to charity. None of these tasks would be impossible for Heart of the Alliance and its council to undertake. If you have any questions, comments or advice please post them in the above mentioned thread. The HotA Council would really appreciate any and all input on this matter. This question as to whether HotA should or should not become a non-profit will be posed for members to vote on at the next meeting on August 7th. [top] |
| New Members (Since June 5, 2005) Jedi_Dajuan |