Skywatcher social club

My tribe, who call themselves Skywatchers, started a social club that meets monthly at Gorden Barnett Park next to the Central Florida Fairgrounds on the third wednesdays of each month (weather permitting).
I know, week days are not good, but no one in the area will allow us,a 501(c)(3) charity) to use their empty store fronts for a temporary meeting location. The parks are usually full on the weekends, Barnett Park would have donated a pavilion to use, but we have no insurance so that's out.
We were hoping to raise the funds quickly to purchase the Skywatcher ancestral homeland in Apopka but we lost that race to developers. We contacted the owners of Skywatcher sacred grounds in Pine Hills and they never replied, yet put the properties up for sale and rezoned it as commercial. These would have made wonderful meeting locations and we could have done camping and all other activities planned for members (membership is free and members even get a card that comes with a 10% discount at Western Crafts & Gifts Company).
I for one can't afford to pay meetup to list the club. I asked them if they would donate the service since donations are tax deductible. They recommended a partnership, so after answering some questions, I now wait to see if they will accept it. I hope they decide soon, there is no meetup group in Orlando for Native Americans and six people waiting... and other than the Orlando Sentinel Forums, and this message board, I have no way to tell them of the group that has just had its third meeting...
I would love to chat with anyone interested.

I just received a message today from the owners of WESTERN CRAFTS & GIFTS. They are retiring and looking for serious people to purchase the business and keep it open under new management. Western Crafts is the only store of its kind in the Orlando area (according to the phone book) and if they wind up closing, I lose some dear friends, the club loses a discount and the only local source for Native American wears and supplies. I feel sad.

There's a possibility that the club can move its meetings to a weekend and to a new location if the Orlando Parks Department gives approval. In an email, they already stated that the fees for the use of the facility would be waived but I would have to come down and fill out a waiver form and a facility use contract. I hope they will tell me the terms of the contract over the phone so that no time is wasted going down to the Rosemont Community Center only to discover the contract can't be met.
The supervisor already knows what activities we plan to present, including the cooking of lunch and possible holding raffles. They have meeting rooms so the environment will be different from the site at Gorden Barnett park.
I will post an immediate update once I find out the answer to whether the club can meet there. It's along route 9 of the Lynx bus route.

I went down to the Rosemont Community Center to fill in the forms for waiving the facility fees and the application to use the meeting room for monthly meetings, despite the fee waive forms, they expect me to pay over $400 in fees for the first three meetings.. the fees are requested in five days but the application and waive requests won't receive approval or denial for 14 days... even if approved, the meeting would not be held until the second Sunday of September...

To make matters worse, I felt uneasy as I approached the facility. I went in and the uneasiness grew worse. After what seemed like forever (15 minutes), the uneasiness grew into an anxiety telling me to get away from that place, no danger, but I for one don't want to go there again. It's been seven hours since I was there and the sensation is still with me. I sent an email to Orlando Parks and told them I could not afford the fees (told them that in the first place and they said to fill out a fee waive request) and that the application should be torn up when they receive it. I really, don't like that place. I have the distinct feeling it should never have been placed there.

I will check Barnett Park this weekend and see if the shelters are available. if so, I will reschedule the meetings for a weekend instead of a week day. Anyone interested in a particular weekend? Second or third? Post a reply here or go to the tribe's website to get my email address.

I visited the park and it appears that the shelters go mostly unused, especially Shelter 8. So, officially, the meetings are being changed to the second Saturdays of each month starting in September (month of the Autumn Equinox and frybread pizza!). Since the August newsletter already went out, I will still head to the park on the third Wednesday but can hold a meeting on the second Saturday if anyone interested contacts me. If I hear nothing, I will wait until September to start the meetings on the second Saturdays.

Within three weeks, we should be making a trip to Belleview to visit at least one of the properties in Belleview.

There are 4 interested persons up there and 5 or so around the Orlando area. For those in the Orlando area, the social club is going and the date is changed to second Saturdays. I can't afford a listing in Meetup, but if we get together and chip in we can probably afford the first six months and find more interested people and perhaps even some tribal descendants. I have not heard back from Meetup yet concerning the partnership.

The rep from Meetup stated that they didn't understand what we were asking for when it came to the donation of the group service and there still has been no answer concerning a partnership so I assume that's a 'NO'.

The September meeting took place as scheduled, this was the last of the Wednesday meetings. The next meeting and all others afterward will be held on the second Saturdays of each month. September is the Autumn Equinox, so there will be frybread pizza at the next meeting... assuming the weather is good.

Tribe members will be heading up to Belleview to inspect the parcel that is for sale that is hoped to be the first for the new Skywatcher Nation. Even though the price dropped, the tribe still in dire need to raise the funds fast and has proposed Florida museums if they would be interested in 4x3 foot canvas portraits of their area's famous figures. If anyone out there knows of anyone looking to have a large portrait made, please have them contact me.

Visit the Order of the Skywatcher Clan Yahoo group to see the September newsletter and photos from our visit to the tribe's new nation site in Belleview.

The group we wanted to start here, which is unaffordable for us at present, has been started at
http://groups.yahoo.c...
It's free to join even if you can't make the meetings, it allows us to meet on line!

Two new interested members from meetup.com learned about the September 8 meeting too late to attend so the day went somewhat like the previous meetings.. only this time, the people that passed by actually stopped to ask about the beaded head band being made. Usually people go by without showing any interest.

Of course, everyone missed out on the wonderful fry bread pizzas which won't come around again until December when the Winter Solstice arrives.

With the advanced time, there will probably be members in attendance at the October meeting providing the weather is good. Pictures were posted at the yahoo group; OrlandoNativeAmericanMeetup for those who can't wait for the October newsletter to come out in two weeks.