Since there are only a few of us old-timers around who actually met at Garcia's on
Thursday, August 22, 1996, when SMPH was but a glimmer in our eyes, I thought I
would educate you newbees on the history of this club on this milestone anniversary.

Eighteen of us met that first time to discuss creating a club in this area. Dan Goleach
and Paula Rogers, unacquainted at that time, had both contacted Parrot Heads in
Paradise (PHIP) about the same time with interest in starting a new club. PHIP put
them in contact with Beverly Schneider, who had contacted them earlier. Beverly, due
to a very busy work schedule, was unable to pull a club together at that time and put
Dan and Paula together.

They and their interested parrot heads met at Garcia's. Other than Dan and Paula,
this first momentous occasion was attended by: Kasie Cagle, Bryan Cutler, Becky &
Stan Hatmaker, Gary & Sharon Henderson, Rick & Bonnie Keller, Roy & Teresa
McClenney, Glenn McNish, Chris & Holly Myers, Pak-Man Pakalyns, and Amy &
Cathy Rogers. Of these 18, 14 became immediate members and rolled up their
sleeves.

We appointed officers that first year and they were: Paula Rogers, president; Glen
McNish, vice president; yours truly, secretary and newsletter editor; and Amy Rogers,
treasurer.

Our main goal, besides having phun (and, trust me, girls aren't the only ones who
just want to have phun), was to increase our membership. We had to get the word
out that there was a new Parrot Head club in this area, cause we knew, just from the
attendance at Jimmy's concerts in Knoxville, that there was a large phlocking out
there.

Garcia's manager, Chris Allen, was as excited as we were and turned his place over
to us for any party ideas we could dream up. He was always ready with the appetitizer
and drink specials and even hired St. Somewhere every Sunday night for our
pleasure. (Another bit of trivia, Matt Hall was a member in our club BEFORE St.
Somewhere had been launched and was this club's first Charity Coordinator. That
was back when he still had time to lay in our living room floor at planning meetings
and brainstorm.)

Our original roost was at Garcia's where the club was first conceived, and we stayed
there until it had to close a few years later. We then moved to Cancun's, but it, too,
had to close. We next phlocked to Banana Joe's, but they just weren't our kind of
pholks. Then we have moved into Smokey's, however we out grew it. Now we meet at
Wild Wing's Cafe. A home we hope to call our roost for many years to come.

Our phlock has continued to grow without advertisement or fanfare. It's strictly
word-of-mouth now or, more accurately, accidently being at the wrong place at the
right time to join us in one of our phlockings and deciding to join this phun bunch.

The membership list has changed immensely over the last ten years. Some of our
favorites have had to show how upwardly mobile they were and moved on. But, this
club has continued to thrive and attract the phun lovingest pholks around.




Here are some of the charities this club has contributed to during our short twelve
year existence:

Adopt-A-Spot: 1996-2007(quarterly)-first on Alcoa Hwy, then John Sevier Hwy, now
Oak Ridge Highway

Alzheimer's Memory Walk: 1996-2007

Challenger Little League: 2001-2007

Christmas Toys for Charity: 1996-2006

East TN Children's Hospital Telethon: 1996-2000

Feed The Children Soup Kitchen, Lenoir City: 1996-2000

Knoxville Humane Society: 1997-2001

Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC): 1999-2006

North Carolina Hurricane: One-time donation

Florida Hurricane: One Time Donation 2005

Medic Blood Drive: 2005-2007

St. Jude Children's Hospital: One-time donation 1997

TropicFest, although not a money-maker (to say the least), offered awesome
entertainment and the grandest party ever to be seen in these parts. Put on at the
World's Fair Park Amphitheater, we had the best lighting and sound money could buy
to highlight A1A out of Atlanta; Greg "Fingers" Taylor from Witchita, Kansas; Greg
Bridgewater and the Late for Work Band, Atlanta; Tall Paul, Michael Crawley and our
own St. Somewhere, from Knoxville. Even though this two-day event did not put any
$$ in the coffer, $4,500 was made for the Knoxville Humane Society, so all was not
lost.

We have also made many, many road trips together, including out-of-town/state
concerts; parties in NC & GA; MOTMs in New Orleans and Key West; Parrot Head
Day at the Downs in Louisville, KY; and the Swine Fest in Memphis. We have also
taken vacations en masse to Jamaica and Mexico. Oh, and lest we forget, our annual
Caribbean Cruise down the mighty Tennessee River.

So, there you have it, boys and girls. As you can see, we have had more phun than a
barrel of monkeys these past ten years and, as the old saying goes, the best is yet to
come. So stick around and help us make it happen. It's time for us old-timers to sit
back, phlock, and see if you newbees can keep pace with us for the NEXT twelve
years!

                                                           By Sharon Henderson