Folks would be concerned about my mental health if they understood how much energy I put into the planning of our Annual Banquet.
Here’s why that is, 364 days a year I am playing the role of a unpaid Volunteer Assistant on so many fronts. Whether its our hard working Athletic Director Kevin DeHaven and Principal Chuck Thompson, Golden Bears 🐻 Baseball Coach Lawrence Nesselrodt, Angel 😇 on Earth 🌎 Vickey Ritchie,my main Man Rick Nester, Anthony Barnes and his program ( this list cam go on for a while so I will stop because I think that I have made my point).
The Banquet is the only thing that belongs to me, the only time that I have control of the narrative, my narrative.
Everyone that has a relationship with the Holy Bible possess their own key 🔑 points. God has been Great to us and I will start with the fact that I’m still alive and then add that I’m in a position where I can give so much of my time to others.
Love thy neighbor and everyone is EQUAL are two of my focus points. Then you add in the young man that I’m trying to mimic, Tim Tebow. Timmy believe above all else, the two groups we should be there for are Orphans and Widows. I translate that into helping others who need a voice.
One time a year I attempt to gather as many people that have chosen to interact with Lin and I, give them a warm feeling that they are Special. Feed them a nice meal and have them at a table with six people that they have something in common with.
Here is the text Message that Allen Worrell send me a bit ago –
Greg Bolen stopped by a while ago. There is excitement about the cool kids table…
Allen chose to use the correct spelling of Cool 😎, but I’m spelling it Kool.
Tammy Quesenberry, Paul Nester, Vickey Ritchie, Casey Burcham and Dr Mark Burnette each have their own table to surround themselves with the people that mean the most to them. Those tables are named in their honor 🎖.
Now, that leaves 80 chairs 💺 at 10 tables and we have three Ladies that will be greeting each person as they come in and we hope to escort them to the correct table.
The next challenge is how to divide ➗ the folks up so that their experience can be as rememerable as possible.
The Kool Kids table was a No- Brainer and I know that they will enjoy each others company.
The next table will be the ” It’s a Family 👪 Thing ” table. Ron Cochran and his Bride 👰, Brandi Cochran Mitchell and the definition of And 1 in Lauren Alley ➕ Chuck Thompson and Monica will be joined by Mr and Mrs Darren Mathews. There’s a few Family Ties 👔 in that group!
The Greg Maddux Table will include Travis and Emma Leath, Velvet and Chris Leonard alongside one of my three Co-Hosts, Kevin Burress and his Family.
Burress, Marion Harris and Kris Richardson each get two extra tickets 🎟 because they are going to be giving of themselves more so than others.
The Softball Rocks 🎸 Table will include Rick and Donna Nester, Adam and Kayla Nester ➕ Macie Adkins and Company. This is exciting because we will be making our line roll out for the future within this group!
Hoops R Us – will include two seats 💺 for Anthony Barnes, two for Mr & Mrs Jason Stockner and two for Mama Smoot and her Husband Russell. Russ knows he received an invite on his Wife’s coattails. Eddie and Dakota Walls will be at this table as well because of the History between Anthony and Eddie.
The Scholastic Table will include Mr and Mrs Oliver McBride, The Daltons, Ethan Edwards ➕ , Trenton Miller and Maleah Neely.
Beth Bouldin and Bill + Linda Gallimore will share a table with Bill and Barbara Meade and we are going to call 📞 this one Rookies of the Year.
By now it should be noticeable that both Kris Richardson and myself don’t have a place to sit yet nor does Marion Harris and our wives. Mr and Mrs Stephen Puckett, Lawrence Nesselrodt, Dr Samantha Reed
and a few others will make up the Table we will call the Knights of the Round Table.
Howard Mayo, Steve Combs, Kevin DeHaven (pending his availability) and some members of the Reavis Family will compose a table as well.
By my count we are waiting to hear back from Chris Mabry, Ryan Largen, Ethan Richardson and Ashton Richardson. These responses will alter a table or two.
The meeting with the Chef takes place at 2pm tomorrow and that’s when the food order gets officially placed so hopefully we will have the number at that time.
I would like to add a list of people that we invited but cannot join us at the event. Cindy Edwards, Travis Osborne, Patti Goins, Seth Greer, Jay Holderfield, Greg Talley and Kristen Quesenberry along with the Ervin family.
What do the folks here have in common or in short, what warrants an invitation?
- Someone who we are honoring – that’s five times 8 = 40
- Someone who we have asked to be a Guest speaker 🔊 gets a ➕ 1.
- The next group consists to people that have given of themselves to our efforts over the past 12 months.
This certainly is not intended to be an A-List type of Ceremony. It’s actually the complete opposite of it. This is where the Equality part comes into play.
During the four hours or so, EVERYONE is of EQUAL importance. Velvet Creed Leonard to Donald Dalton to Vickey Ritchie to Dr. Oliver McBride to Dakota Walls. This is the Goal of our Lone Day, to have kindness ❤ rule and to give the Glory to God.
11 more Days, 1 more day until we meet with the Chef !
A.S.P.N on The Hill 
One thought on “We have another Table ready to go and this one will be called ” It’s a Family 👪 Thing”.”