TI RETIREE CHRISTMAS PARTY at Crowne Plaza - December 10, 2010

by Daryl Moss






Bob Gruber & Bill Young staff the Photographs table as Vivian Watkins arrives.

Nearly perfect weather led to a very good turnout for the 2010 TIRET Christmas Party. Seventy-two members and 12 guests started arriving early for the festivities. Upon entry, the hotel was decorated for Christmas with lights and bows and two beautiful trees on the way to the banquet rooms. A huge 12 foot tree, lit and decorated with seemingly hundreds of colored balls, served as a backdrop for the couples (and individual) Christmas Pictures, many seen below. The guests were dressed in their semi-formal attire, colorful dresses and suits (a few fancy Christmas ties), ready for 'Happy Hour' drinks from the lobby bar, hors d'oeuvres in the banquet room accompanied by pre-dinner socializing.



A BIG THANK YOU! to Estella Garcia & Brenda Moss for organizing this great event.

The DJ, Greg Zamora of Total Occasions, played soft music, while inside the banquet room a pre-dinner slideshow of past parties played through twice. Thanks to past TIRET president, Israel Morales, for constructing it. The serving line went orderly, the food was hot and very tasty (no complaints), and the choice between chocolate or carrot cake was the hardest decision of the night.




After the meal, Daryl Moss, the TIRET president who served as MC, gave accolades to the co-chairs-Estella Garcia and Brenda Moss--for arranging the night's events. He introduced the new TIRET board for 2011 and thanked the outgoing board that worked with him. He then awarded Lucy Salas, current V.P. and incoming President and most prolific new-member recruiter during the course of the year, a valuable gift card for her success in increasing membership roll. With all the attendees' names in a hat, the door prizes (10 restaurant gift cards accumulated by past president Ralph Garcia) were raffled away to very happy winners. With a promise of more giveaways to come, the DJ then played a variety of music for over an hour, a mixture of Christmas, country western, classic and pop.



Daryl Moss awards Lucy Salas a gift card for being the most prolific new-member recruiter during the last year.

The second round of door prizes began with 12 beautiful poinsettia plants. The last prize, the grand prize, was an absolutely gorgeous, lighted wreath won by Dorothy Wanza. A bottle of Spumante (sparkling wine) and several scented candles were also given away. All told, an estimated $400 worth of door prizes were passed out to 27 winners. It was a heck of a party, a fitting ending to a very good year for the TI Retiree Club of Houston.



Dorothy Wanza won this beautiful wreath.

Special thanks to our photographers, Ralph Garcia (Christmas photos) and Lawson Cook (awards and room/table shots). Enjoy many of these right here. Other helpers: Bob and Marian Gruber, and Bill Young chipped in with assigned tasks. A few out-of-town members stayed overnight in a kingsize suite at a much reduced special rate so as not to have a long drive home at night.


Following is a list of winners for the various prizes:

Restaurant gift cards: - Bobbie Baugh; Ralph Garcia; Ligia Haworth; Jimmie Lucas; Scottie Munoz; Luanne Luckett; Rocky Parsons; Lynn Stefan; Ferol Beer; Sandy Zamora.

Poinsettias: - Kay Cook; Estella Garcia; Annie Johnson; Richard Leigh; Victoria Leigh; Linda McClenon; Israel Morales; Daryl Moss; Lucy Salas; Sylvia Slanina; Israel Zamora; Lawson Cook.

Wreath: - Dorothy Wanza

Candles: - Mary Green; Gladys Price; Greg Wheat.

Wine Bottle: - Richard Horn.


Here are a selection of more photographs we hope you enjoy.




Here are our attendees' photographs at the Crowne Plaza's beautiful Christmas Tree, thanks to Ralph Garcia.


Merry Christmas to all .... and to all a Good Night!