COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Annual General Meeting, Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Trilogy Cafe

 

Jim Townsend, President, called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.  There were 52 members in attendance; 61 were needed for a quorum.  However, we had 64 members vote absentee, putting us over the number needed for a quorum.

 

COF Board members in attendance:  Jim Townsend, Robyn Franklin, and Chris Stima

 

1.       Welcome and Thank You -Jim opened the meeting by thanking the members for their support of the club and our charities.  He gave special recognition and thanks to past board member Glenda Sweeney for her many years of service to the club as Vice President and Social Chairman.  He also recognized Robyn Franklin for filling the remainder of Glenda’s term as Vice President and for volunteering to continue writing the articles for the San Tan Press.  Jim thanked Cristy Meyer for stepping into the role of Social Chairman for the 2025-26 season and praised her successful efforts in that position.  He also thanked Chris Stima for her work as Secretary/Treasurer.

 

2.       Election of Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer –The positions of Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer were up for election.  Cristy Meyer volunteered to run for Vice President, and Chris Stima volunteered to run again for Secretary/Treasurer.  

 

Carolyn Owen, election committee chair, reported that there were no other nominations for these positions.  Jim asked for votes for both nominees, and both were elected via unanimous vote (including absentee votes) by a total of 116 in favor/0 opposed.

 

3.       Achievements -

Membership -Jim reported that we have 243 members to date.  

Charitable Donations - Jim stated that the club donated $5,000 to each of our three charities(total $15,000)as a result of 2025-2026 fundraisers.  Those charities are Dogs4Vets, Ryan House, and House of Refuge.

Events - The club held five major events in 2025-26:  Trivia Nights in October 2025 and March 2026 (fundraisers), Veterans Day Dance (fundraiser), New Year’s Around-the-World Potluck, and Dessert Auction (fundraiser), all of which were successful and well-attended.  

Water Donations - The club continued collecting bottles of water in 2025-26 to be distributed to food banks and first responders, coordinated by member Sharon Somerville.

United Food Bank Food Drive–The club managed a food drive for UFB in Trilogy in April 2025 that netted 1580 pounds of food/1,316 meals.  

 

4.       Selecting Charities –Jim reviewed the three charities we supported this past year and asked for a vote whether to retain them or recommend changing.  Chris Stima moved to retain Dogs4Vets, Ryan House, and House of Refuge, and Cristy Meyer seconded.  The vote was unanimous in favor with zero opposed.

 

5.       Need for Volunteers – Cristy gave special thanks to the event chairs this past season, including Linda Eliason, Pat Kilber, Suzy Powell, and Dave Meyer.  She announced that she is in need of a chair for the Holiday Dinner/Dance on December 4th.  She also explained that an email will go out in September with a link to an electronic signup form for each upcoming event where members can sign up for specific tasks specific to each event.

6.       Summer Schedule –Jim announced that summer socials will commence Wednesday, April 15th in the café from 5-7 p.m. and that we will meet the first and third Wednesdays going forward through September 16th.  For the April 15th social, we will be offering chicken salad croissant dinners for $15.  Our intent is to offer a dinner at most socials this summer.

 

7.       Closing Remarks/Q & A – Jim thanked the membership for their support and participation and asked if there were any comments or questions.  He also thanked Cristy Meyer for providing the tasty treats at the meeting.

 

There being no questions or comments, a motion was made to adjourn the meeting, which was seconded and passed.

 

Meeting adjourned at 9:25 a.m.

 

Submitted by Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

 

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, October 15, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin, Dave Meyer, Cathy Lasala, Linda Eliason

Jim called the meeting to order at 9:54a.m.

 

1.      Status of Oct. 23 Trivia Night—Jim reported that 134 tickets have been sold so far.  He stated that he will remind Deb Callarman from House of Refuge to send us a slide to display while Cristy gives a brief presentation about their services.  Dave reported that Jeff Dean will be the host and that he will arrive at 5:00 p.m. to set up.  Cristy will reach out to Ron Masi to find out which AVSL team member will be working the event so we can go over the plan with him/her.  

She also stated that she has two $50 gift cards, so we need two more for the raffles.  Jim volunteered to go to Babbo’s, and Cathy said she’ll go to Sauce and Uncle Bears. 

Dave volunteered to be an usher, and he will ask two others to help.  He also volunteered to take photos at the event for the San Tan Press.

Chris will have the seed money ready for the raffle ticket sellers and will have the prize money and signature pages for the top two teams.  First place will be $20/team member, and 2nd place will be $10/team member, as in the past.

 

2.      Status of Volunteers for Events—Cristy reported that 38 people have responded to her digital volunteer signup form so far.  All events are fully staffed now, including a co-chair for the Veterans Dance partnering with Lin Eliason.

 

3.      November 6th Veterans Dance—Jim reported that 57 tickets have been sold so far.  Cathy Lasala stated that Mylene Bronner will help with setup of the raffle baskets since Cathy and Gail Heil will not be able to attend.  Cathy said she has ideas for 12 raffle baskets and 3-4 silent auction items and that good progress is being made to secure the remaining items and gift cards needed.  The board discussed possibly having a moment of silence to recognize the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’s independence and a special recognition of any first responders in attendance, including having one or two share their personal stories of 9/11.

 

Chris will submit the floor plan and AVSL forms and communicate with Ron Masi about the slideshow and lighting.  Setup will be at 2:00.

 

4.      Golf Cart Trunk or Treat—COF will have two golf carts in the event on 10/22, provided by Darrell and Caroline Cox and Mike and Deb Hansen.  Cristy has purchased the candy to hand out, and Chris will provide the adult fall cocktail.  Cristy has ordered an easel and a poster to display next to the table with membership applications.

 

5.      December 4th Holiday Party—Chris has sent the menu choices to AZ Premier Catering and reported that about 12 people have submitted checks for the event so far.

 

6.      International Food Potluck—Cristy reported that she has created a poster for the Jan. 16th event.

 

7.      Food Drive—Cam and Becky Bumgarner have volunteered to chair the food drive for United Food Bank to be held March 15 through April 15.  Tammy has already submitted the form to UFB with the details of the drive.

 

8.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 250 members.  The balance in the account is $ 4,032.16 as of 8/31/26.  She will begin sending out 2027 dues reminders in early November.

 

9.      San Tan Press—Robyn stated that she is working on the December article which will include photos and a review of Trivia Night.

 

10.   Ideas for Future Events—The board discussed rotating the luau, Oktoberfest, and chili cookoff in place of the food fest or dessert auction for next year and also possibly doing a football tailgate party and/or hypnotist.  They agreed to take this up at a future meeting when planning events for 2028.

 

Jim also reminded the board that the Club Expo is Jan. 19 and that it is a Disney theme.

 

Meeting adjourned at 11:40a.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m.

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, September 24, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 1:57p.m.

 

 

1.      Recap of September Socials—Chris reported that 35 people purchased the Italian Subs dinner and 67 people purchased Vero’s pizzas.  A total of $260 was put in the donation bucket at those two socials.  Jim noted that next year we should order at least one style of pizza without sausage, based on a suggestion from one of the members.

 

2.      Status of Volunteers for Events—Cristy reported that 35 people have responded to her digital volunteer signup form so far.  All events are fully staffed now, and she stated that it is a good mix of longer-tenured members and new members.

 

3.      October 23rd Trivia Event—Jim reported that 74 tickets have been sold so far.  Chris stated that we sold 103 tickets last year, but it was earlier in October so she hopes more will participate this year as residents get back in town.  Cristy stated that she will looks for volunteers to sell the raffle tickets, and she will purchase snack bags for the tables and submit the floor plan and AVSL plan.  She will get with Tammy Rowles to gain access to the storage area to check inventory of the tablecloths, decorations, and aprons for tickets sellers.  Chris will submit the check request and will bring markers, pens, and cardstock for the team names.

 

The board discussed whether to add the option to PurplePass to reserve tables.  It was agreed that it would complicate things at this point since several people have already purchased tickets.  Chris and Cristy will respond to the individuals who inquired about this option and suggest they have one team member be in line when the doors open at 5:30 and save a table for their team. 

 

Jim presented two $50 gift cards he procured from High Tide to use for the raffles.  He also stated that Deb Callarman from House of Refuge will be unable to attend the event but she will send us some slides and materials, and Cristy volunteered to make the presentation on Deb’s behalf.

 

4.      November 6th Veterans Dance—Cristy reported that Lin Eliason has volunteered to chair the event.  Cristy will invite Lin to our next board meeting to discuss details and action items.  The board discussed possibly having a moment of silence or other ideas to recognize the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’s independence.

 

5.      December 4th Holiday Party—Cristy reported that Lin Eliason volunteered to co-chair the Holiday Dinner Dance with Robyn Franklin.  The Board selected the menu from AZ Premier Catering, and Chris will email them the selections.  The cost for the dinner is $27.95 plus 20% gratuity ($33.54).  Factoring in DJ Jamal’s fee ($300), the total cost per person would be $37, but the board agreed to keep the ticket price at $35/person and subsidize the balance from the summer social cash donations.

 

6.      2027 Event Calendar—Cristy reported that she has now received confirmation of our requested dates for 2027.  The International Food Potluck will be 1/16/27, the Dessert Auction is 2/11/27, and the March Trivia event will be 3/13/27.

 

7.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 248 members.  The balance in the account is $ 3,145.16 as of 7/30/26.  She provided a spreadsheet showing the 2026 charitable donations to date which totals $18,905.00.  These donations include $5,000 each to House of Refuge, Ryan House, and Dogs4Vets, as well as $3,000 for the café acoustics project, and additional direct donations to each of the three charities by our membership.

 

She also presented a spreadsheet of event profit/loss showing a total event profit to date of $8,012.13, with two big fundraising events yet to go in 2026.  For reference, the 2025 total profit was $8,885.17.

 

8.      San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the club’s article for November, which was approved with a few minor changes.  The board selected the photos to be submitted with the article and the Snapshot section.

 

9.      Food Drive—Jim reported that he had a request from some members to do another food drive.  The board approved this, so Jim will contact Tammy Rowles to assist with selecting the dates and  coordinating the drive with one of the local food pantries.

 

Meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.

Next meeting will be heldThursday, October 15 at 10:00 a.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, August 20, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 2:02p.m.

 

 

1.      Recap of Rock the House (of Refuge) Dance and Birthday Luau Social—Chris reported that we sold 121 tickets to the dance.  After deducting the PurplePass fees and $250 for miscellaneous expenses for snacks and decorations, we paid Apricot Lane Band $1,401.65. Jim stated that he heard many favorable comments about the event and the band.

 

There were 101 people who attended Townsends’ birthday social on August 5th.  The Luau Hut provided the food, and many attendees commented how good it was.  

 

Chris reported that between the two events, we received $675 in donations for House of Refuge and $447 for Ryan House, for a total of $1122 that was sent to the two charities.  It is unknown how many people sent donation checks directly to any of the three charities.

 

2.      Plans for September Socials—Tammy is providing Italian sub sandwiches with accompaniments for the September 2nd social.  The Board solicited input for the September 16th social, and based on that feedback decided to order in pizzas for that night, the last social of the summer season.

 

3.      October 23rd Trivia Event—Tickets are on sale now on PurplePass for $18.  To date 31 tickets have been purchased.  Cristy will send out an email in early September soliciting volunteers for the various tasks for each of this season’s big events.  We will need four restaurant gift cards to raffle off at the event.  The Board discussed whether to invite Debbie Callarman from House of Refuge to give a presentation before the games begin, but didn’t make a final decision.  Cristy volunteered to speak on Debbie’s behalf if she is provided a PowerPoint presentation by HOR.

 

4.      November 6th Veterans Dance—Cristy reported that tickets will go on sale on August 29th.  She stated that Linda Eliason will chair the event again and she will confirm with Cathy Lasala that she will coordinate the raffle baskets, including the stained glass table donated by Larry Thiel.  Jim stated that he will confirm with Shaun from Dogs4Vets that they will be sending a representative to the dance to make a brief presentation prior to the dance as they have in the past.

 

5.      December 4th Holiday Party—Jim reported that DJ Jamal has confirmed the booking, but he will ask him for a contract spelling out the terms.  We still do not have a chair for the event, but Chris volunteered to do it if no one steps up, and Robyn had previously said she will co-chair.  AZ Premier Catering has already committed to provide the food.

 

6.      2027 Event Calendar—Cristy reported that she has still not received confirmation of our requested dates for 2027.  She needs those dates before she can send out the volunteer signup form to the membership.  She stated that she will reach out to Terri Hagen to see when we can expect to see the final calendar.

 

7.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 248 members.  The balance in the account is $ 3,357.31 as of June 30th, 2026.

 

8.      San Tan Press—Chris reported that she submitted an article and photos for the San Tan Press written by Cathy Gerdl, Jim Townsend, Debbie Callarman (of House of Refuge), and herself about Company of Friends being featured in House of Refuge’s Spotlight Section of their newsletter.  

 

Robyn presented a draft of the club’s article for October, which was approved with a few minor changes.  Jim and Chris selected the photos to be submitted with the article and the Snapshot section.

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:47 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, September 24th at 2:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, July 16, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 1:59p.m.

 

 

1.      Summer Socials—The socials have been very well attended this summer, which the Board attributes to the meals provided by Tammy and her team and the quiz/trivia games.  The final summer social is September 16th, and the board discussed possibly bringing in food from somewhere like KFC or going out to a restaurant. The board decided to continue discussion on this topic at the next meeting.

 

2.      House of Refuge Food Drive—Jim reported that he took six carloads of food and household items to House of Refuge during the two-week food drive.  He estimates the total value to be $1200-$1500. Jim stated that he communicated with Sara Giampaoli, the editor of the STP, about the magazine doing an article on Company of Friends’ charitable contributions and that we were featured in House of Refuge’s Donor Spotlight section of their most recent newsletter.

 

3.      Actions Items for Rock the House (of Refuge) Dance—Jim reported that we have sold 82 tickets to the 7/31/26 dance so far.  Chris reported she has enough volunteers for the different tasks for the event.  She and Cristy picked up decorations from Tammy that we can use for the tables and the photo booth.  The board decided to use a photo slideshow of past COF events to display on the TVs during the dance.   

 

Cristy drafted the floor plan and AVSL forms, and volunteered to pick up the snacks and candy for each table.

 

4.      Townsends’ Birthday Party—In place of the social August 5th, Jim and Vicki Townsend will be hosting a luau party to celebrate their birthdays.  Invitations have been sent to all COF members, the Niners, and other friends.  Tammy has agreed to lend usher Hawaiian decorations, props, and photo backdrop for the party.   

 

5.      2026-2027 Events—Cristy reported that she has still not received confirmation of our requested dates for 2027.  She needs those dates before she can send out the volunteer signup form to the membership.  She stated that she will reach out to Terri Hagen to see when we can expect to see the final calendar.

 

Cristy also reported that she has already submitted the poster forms and ticket sales forms for the October 23rd, 2026, Trivia night and for the November 6th, 2026, Veterans Celebration Dance.  She will verify with Tammy that the Trivia night tickets will go on sale on July 25th on PurplePass.

 

The board decided to raffle gift cards at the Trivia Night and to raffle gift baskets at the Veterans Celebration Dance.  In addition, Larry Thiel has generously donated a stained glass flag cocktail table to be used in a silent auction at the Veterans Celebration Dance.  COF will include information about the table and the auction in the October edition of the San Tan Press.

 

6.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 248 members.  The balance in the account is $ 2,953.41 as of May 30th, 2026.

 

7.      San Tan Press—Chris presented a draft of the September article and a photo to the board, which they approved.

 

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, August 20th at 2:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, May 21, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 2:34p.m.

 

1.      Café Acoustics Project Update—Chris reported that the CA has already transferred COF’s $3,000 contribution to the Café Acoustics project account.  Terri Hagen has agreed to reprint a check for the purpose of presenting the donation at the CA Board Meeting on 5/27/26.

 

2.      Summer Socials—The Board discussed their observations and feedback from the members about the three summer socials to date, and the consensus is that they are running smoothly and that members appreciate the pre-purchase dinner options.

 

3.      2026-2027 Events—Cristy reported that we have not gotten confirmation of our requested event dates for 2027 yet.  She has submitted the poster and ticket sales forms for the Oct 23rd Trivia Night and for the Nov. 6th Veterans Dance.

 

The Board discussed Arlon Voge’s offer to be the auctioneer for any live auction items we may have for the Veterans Dance.  Further discussion ensued regarding whether a live auction would interrupt the dance too much and whether limiting the live auction to one or two big items would be a better option.  The Board expressed their high praise for the job Dan Savage has done in the past for the Dessert Auction and its desire to not offend him if we have Arlon auctioneer the dance.  

 

It was agreed that we need to meet with Mr. Voge and Mr. Savage prior to making a decision and to take the issue up at a future meeting.

 

4.      Poster My Wall Status—Cristy reported that she has purchased a one-year subscription for the software and that it is very easy to use.

 

5.      Clubhouse Coffee Bar Sponsorship—The Board discussed and agreed to sponsor the clubhouse coffee bar for one month for $75.  Jim reported he will contact Robin Dastrup to find out what month she would like COF to sponsor it.  Cristy will make a poster to display next to the coffee bar promoting Company of Friends.

 

6.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 247 members, and the account balance is $5,890.33 as of 4/30/26.  This balance does not reflect the $3,000 donation to the Café Acoustics Project.

 

7.      San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the July article and photos to be submitted, which the Board approved.

 

8.      Apricot Lane Band—New member Mike Chin approached the Board offering his 5-piece band to play at one of our socials.  Jim and Chris reported that they will be attending the band’s rehearsal on 5/21/26 to determine if it would be a good fit for our Café socials.

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, June 18th at 2:00 p.m.

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, April 23, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 2:00p.m.

 

1.      Results/Actions from Annual Meeting—The Board felt the annual meeting was well received.  Jim stated a couple members mentioned they would like us to resume volunteering at United Food Bank, so he contacted UFB, and they will let us know when they need volunteers.  Chris will include information in a future email on how people can sign up to volunteer individually on the UFB’s website if they would like.  

 

Jim reported that he and Tim Hoime helped deliver the electric piano to House of Refuge that was donated by a Trilogy resident.

 

2.      Café Acoustics Project Update—Jim reported that Dave Brown has received monetary commitments from TPR Foundation, Pickleball Club, and COF totaling $11,000 so he will proceed with the project based on that amount.  The Board will wait until the project commences to transfer COF’s $3,000 donation.

 

3.      Summer Socials—Cristy will submit the floor plans for the Café for our summer socials.  Chris presented Tammy’s menu plan for each social of the summer season except Sept. 16.  The Board discussed possibly having an offsite dinner at a nearby restaurant on that date.

 

4.      2026-2027 Events—Cristy reported that we have not gotten confirmation of our requested event dates for 2027 yet.  She will submit the poster and ticket sales forms for the Oct 23rd Trivia Night by the end of July.  Chris got confirmation from Terri Hagen that the $100 deposit check has been sent to Showtime Trivia for that event.

 

Jim stated that he received confirmation from Jamal to provide the music for our December 4th Holiday Dinner/Dance.

 

The Board decided to send out the volunteer signup form in September and to begin soliciting donations from restaurants and vendors for the 2026-2027 event season at that time, as well.

 

5.      Membership and Financial Status—Chris reported that we have 245 members, and the account balance is $5,862.23 as of 3/30/26.

 

6.      San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the June article and photos to be submitted, which the Board approved.

 

7.      Petty Cash Fund—At the April 1st club officer’s meeting, the CA encouraged clubs to use their petty cash fund to reimburse members for small expenses rather than requesting checks.  Cristy made a motion to increase the amount of our petty cash fund from $100 to $300, and Jim seconded.  The motion carried.  Chris will submit the application to increase the fund amount to $300.

 

8.      SB1582—The CA sent an email to all club officers regarding the proposed House Bill 1582 which would limit CA’s authority to set limits on the number and types of animals allowed in the community and would specifically require them to allow up to six backyard chickens for each single family home in the community.  The CA requested the clubs send the information about the bill to their members and encourage them to contact their legislators to vote down the proposed bill.  

The Board decided not to take action on thissince the CA sent an email to all residents with information about the proposed bill, so it was felt that was sufficient.

 

9.      Poster My Wall—The Board had a discussion about and then voted to purchase a subscription to Poster My Wall so that we can make our own posters and flyers since Glenda Sweeney has indicated she may not have time to continue doing them for COF.  The cost is approximately $109 per year.  Cristy will purchase the program and submit a reimbursement form.  

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, May 21st at 2:30 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Wednesday, March 18, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin, Dave Brown, Tammy Rowles, Cyndy Welken-Place

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 3:00p.m.

 

1.      December Holiday Dinner/Dance—The Board discussed plans for the December 4th Holiday Dinner/Dance, and it was decided to use AZ Premier Catering again for the dinner.  Jim will contact them to reserve the date and get pricing and menu options.  Tammy Rowles recommended DJ Jamal Johnson for the music, and Jim volunteered to contact him for availability and pricing.  Cyndy Welken-Place agreed to chair the event.

 

2.      Café Acoustics Project Update—Dave Brown reported on the acoustics project for the café and stated that he has tentative donation commitments from the TPR Foundation and the Pickleball Club for $4,000/each.  The total cost of the project is $14,000, but if that number isn’t reached, the project can be scaled back to meet whatever funds are available for the project.

 

3.      Recap of March 7 Trivia—Chris reported that we raised $785 on the four raffle baskets.  After expenses and PurplePass revenue is recorded, she anticipates a total net profit of $2500.  The Board felt the event was well-received and people liked the host from Showtime Trivia with the pen-and-paper format better than using phones to submit the answers.  Chris suggested we put the table of raffle baskets outside the ballroom door next time so people can see the baskets before they purchase raffle tickets.

 

4.      Plan for April 1 Annual Meeting—The Board discussed the agenda items for the annual meeting.  Chris will send out an email to the membership in the next few days notifying them of the election of secretary/treasurer and vice president and the need to have a quorum present.  Tammy agreed to provide the coffee pot and make the coffee for us if we provide the coffee grounds, sugar, creamer, and cups.  She will take care of cleaning the coffee pot if we leave it on the cart outside the kitchen door.  Cristy volunteered to provide the baked treats for the meeting.

 

5.      Charitable Donations—Chris presented an updated financial statement of amounts raised from each event and the estimated total in the account.  She suggested we donate $5,000 each to Dogs4Vets, Ryan House, and House of Refuge and $3,000 to the Café Acoustics Project.  Jim made a motion to do this, and Cristy seconded the motion.  The Board voted unanimously to accept the motion.  Chris will send an email to the membership informing them of the donations as required by the bylaws.

 

6.      Summer Socials—Summer socials begin on Wednesday, 4/15.  Tammy will provide the same chicken salad croissants she’s doing for Let’s Have Lunch and will also provide fruit, pasta salad, and dessert for that evening’s social for $15.  

 

Tammy informed the Board that she will provide a dinner that coincides with her lunches for each of our summer social dates (first and third Wednesdays) except for 9/16 when she will be on vacation.  She will notify us of her menu well in advance of the date so we have time for our members to place orders and drop off checks for the meal.  The menu for 5/6 will be a potato bar, sloppy joes, and dessert.  She will do burritos or wraps, fruit, and dessert for the 5/20 social.

 

7.      2026-27 Events—The Board discussed possibly moving the October 9th trivia to later in the month in the hope that more residents will be back from their summer away.  Cristy said she’ll check with Terri Hagen to see what dates, if any, are available.   

 

Chris has contacted Harry Mathews for the Nov. 6th Veterans Dance and he has confirmed the date.  He will get her a contract within the next few weeks.

 

8.      2027 Date Requests—Terri Hagen will begin accepting 2027 date requests for the master calendar at 8 a.m. on April 1st.  Cristy will submit the forms on that date with our preference for mid-month dates as well as alternate dates if our first choice isn’t available.

 

9.      Membership Status—Chris reported that the current membership totals 243 members for 2026.

 

10.   San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the May article and photos to be submitted, which the Board approved.

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:34 p.m.

Next meeting will be heldThursday, April 23rd at 2:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

 

 

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, Feb 19, 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 2:58p.m.

 

1.       Recap ofDessert Auction—Chris reported that 131 people RSVP’d, and 118 attended.  Revenue was $4,148 (including $740 direct donations to Ryan House).  Final expenses have not been submitted yet, but projected net revenue is $3,500-$3,800.

The Board discussed ways to improve the efficiency of the event, specifically with check-in, and it was suggested that we have a separate staging area for attendees to drop off their dessert and for hosts to complete the bid sheets after check-in.

The Board also discussed ideas for something to thank Cathy Lasala and Gail Heil for all their work organizing the live auction items, but it was decided to explore further ideas at the next board meeting.

 

2.       Status of March 7 Trivia Night—Jim reported that as of this meeting, 109 tickets have been sold.  Chris has the payment for host Jeff Dean for the balance due of $500 to be given to him the night of the event.  Cristy has submitted the floor plan and offered to put the raffle baskets together using the remaining gift cards that were secured at the start of the event season.  She will also solicit volunteers for check-in, ushers, set-up, clean-up, and photographer.  Robyn and Jim Franklin agreed to sell raffle tickets, and Chris will ask Linda Lukey if she would do that, too.  

Prizes will be $20 each for the winning team and $10 each for second place.Jim will confirm with Deb Callarman of House of Refuge that she will be able to give a brief presentation prior to the start of the games.

 

3.       Plan for April 1 Annual Meeting—The Board discussed the agenda items for the annual meeting.  Chris will send out an email to the membership in the next few days notifying them of the election of secretary/treasurer and vice president.    

 

4.       Charitable Donations—Chris presented an updated financial statement of amounts raised from each event.  The Board agreed to wait until the March meeting (after the final March 7th trivia numbers are in) to determine the amount to give to each charity.  

 Jim will contact Michele Ray-Brethower for more information on the Café acoustic project including     timeline and project costs so we can better understand the financial needs before determining our donation.

 

5.       Summer Socials—Summer socials begin on Wednesday, 4/15.  Tammy is doing chicken salad croissants for Let’s Have Lunch and offered to let us order complete dinners for that evening’s social for $15.  Chris will contact Tammy to invite her to come to the March 19th board meeting to discuss future partnering with her lunches.

Other ideas were discussed for socials such as cornhole and other games, musical talent, and bringing in pizzas and other sandwiches/wraps.

 

6.       2026-27 Events—The Board discussed the Friday, October 9th date for either Trivia or Oktoberfest.  The Board decided to wait until after the 3/7 trivia night to decide whether to do another one in October.  

The Veterans Day celebration/dance is Friday, 11/6.  Chris will contact Harry Mathews to see if he is available.

Jim reported that some members expressed disappointment at not having a holiday party last December, so the Board discussed bringing it back since we have the ballroom reserved for Friday, 12/4.  Jim will contact a Trilogy resident DJ to inquire if he is available and his fee, and the Board will make a final decision in the upcoming months whether to bring the holiday party back.

 

7.       Membership Status—Chris reported that the current membership totals 240 members for 2026.

 

8.       Mytpr Web Page—Jim reported that the club’s website on mytpr contains some outdated information.  Chris will ask Glenda to make a new poster with current information and dates of upcoming events.

 

9.       San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the April article and photos to accompany it, which the Board approved.

 

10.    Financials—Chris presented a report of our current account balance along with the amounts raised at each fundraiser.  The club account’s balance as of 12/31/25 is $12,746.67.  

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, March 19th at 3:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Wednesday, January 21 , 2026

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin, Dave Meyer

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 3:20p.m.

 

1.       Recap of International Food Festival—Chris reported that 107 tickets were sold.  The Board received several positive comments about the event and complimented Cristy for her and Pat Kilber’s efforts at making the event go smoothly.

 

2.       Recap of Club Expo—Chris reported that we received new member applications from 17 people at the event.  The Board thanked Cristy for providing the treats.  A suggestion was made that next year we have the coffee and treats in the ballroom since it was difficult to persuade people to go into the Café.

 

3.       Dessert Auction Status—The planning committee met just prior to this board meeting, and Cristy reported that plans are on track.  Supplies are being ordered, the floorplan and AVSL forms are being submitted, and volunteers are being notified of their responsibilities.  Jim reported that he has contacted Ryan House, and they will be sending a representative to provide a brief presentation at the start of the auction.  The auction committee is meeting again on 2/2/26 at 2:30 p.m. to finalize the details.

 

4.       Status of Club Donations and Volunteers for Events—Cristy presented a list of the remaining gift cards we have on hand for the Dessert Auction and for March Trivia and also reported that she has enough volunteers for both events.  Everyone agreed that soliciting all donations at the start of the season is far preferable than going out prior to each event.

 

5.       March 7 Trivia—The Board attended trivia night on 1/8/26 at TC’s Pub & Grub with host Jeff Dean, and everyone had a positive experience.  Dave Meyer is coordinating with Jeff on the timeline of the evening, tailoring the questions to Trilogy’s age demographic, and offering volunteers to be runners, if needed.  

 

6.       Annual Meeting—The annual meeting is scheduled for April 1st at 9:00 a.m. in the Café.  A notice will go out no less than 30 days prior announcing the meeting and requesting nominations for Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.  

 

7.       San Tan Press—Robyn presented a draft of the March article and photos to accompany it, which the Board approved with a few minor changes.

 

8.       Membership Status—Chris reported that the current membership totals 298 members, with 193 members already renewed for 2026.  She will send out an email to those who have not yet renewed reminding them of the 1/31 deadline for renewal.

 

9.       Financials—Chris presented a report of our current account balance along with the amounts raised at each fundraiser.  The Board decided to wait until after the March Trivia event before finalizing the amounts to be donated to each charity and to the Café soundproofing project.

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, February 19th at 3:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, December 18, 2025

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 11:00a.m.

 

1.       Recap of Holiday Golf Cart Parade—Jim recognized the volunteers who decorated the COF cart:  Don Black, Kathy Gerdl, Jackie St. Onge, and Vicki Townsend.  There were approximately 25 carts in the parade, and it appeared to be well-attended. 

 

2.       Club Christmas Tree Teardown—Jim, Chris, and Robyn will take down the club tree at 3:00 on January 2nd.

 

3.       Club Expo Plans—Jim and Chris will be at the table in the ballroom; Cristy, Robyn and Jim Franklin will be in the Café.  Chris will ask a few others to volunteer to be in the Café, as well.  Cristy will provide treats from Petite Sweets, and Chris will contact Tammy to see if we can use the CA’s coffee maker and a few tabletop easels to display our posters.  We will also be accepting payment for the Around-the-World potluck at the expo for members who wish to attend.  Jim reported that he has enough plates, forks, napkins, and cups (hot and cold) for the event.

 

4.       Around-the-World Potluck Status—The planning committee met just prior to this board meeting, and Cristy reported that plans are on track.  Supplies are being ordered, the floorplan and AVSL forms are being submitted, and volunteers are being notified of their responsibilities.  The committee is meeting again on 1/5/26 at 2 p.m. to finalize the details.

 

5.       Status of Club Donations and Volunteers for Events—Cristy presented a list of the remaining gift cards we have on hand for the Dessert Auction and for March Trivia.  She said Cathy Lasala will be soliciting a few more businesses who traditionally donate gift cards for the Dessert Auction.  Cristy also reported that she has enough volunteers for both the Dessert Auction and for March Trivia.

 

6.       Dessert Auction Plans—The board discussed the initial plans for the 2/10/26 Dessert Auction.  Cristy will confirm with Dan Savage whether he can be the auctioneer again this year.  The board discussed whether to open this event up to the whole community but decided instead to publicize to our membership that they can bring guests.  Jim will contact Ryan House to see if they can have a representative give a brief presentation about their mission and services.  Cristy is having a meeting on 1/21/26 at 2:00 with the preplanning committee members to begin planning this event.

 

7.       March 7 Trivia—Chris verified with Terry Hagen that the $100 deposit check will go out this week to Jeff Dean of Showtime Trivia.  The board will go to TC’s Pub & Grub on Jan. 8th to check out his program.  Chris will send Chuck Dogg a cancellation notice after the holidays.

 

8.       San Tan Press—Robyn presented some ideas for the February article and suggested ideas for photos to accompany it.

 

9.       Membership Status and Financials—Chris presented the October and November financial statements, showing a balance in the account of $11,231.67.  The October Trivia netted $924, and the Veterans Day event netted $3,587.  The current membership totals 265 members.  Dues for 2026 are coming in now and are due by 1/31/26. 

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Wednesday, January 21st at 3:00 p.m. immediately following the Dessert Auction planning meeting.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, November 13, 2025

 

Attendees:  Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robyn Franklin, Dave Meyer

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 12:59p.m.

 

 

1.       Recap ofVeterans Celebration 11/7/25—Chris reported that we sold 175 tickets.  Preliminary estimates indicate that we will net $3,700 after expenses.  We received many favorable comments regarding the baskets, decorations, and music.

 

2.       Club Officer Meeting Recap—Jim and Chris attended the club officer meeting on 11/6, where topics covered were Rule 9 governing clubs and groups, procedures for submitting photos and articles to the San Tan Press, AVSL, offsite waivers, and the club expo.  

 

3.       Club Christmas Trees—The board discussed the various offered dates to decorate the club tree and decided on 11/20 at 10:00 am.  Jim has some of the decorations, and Chris and Cristy will check with Tammy to look for the rest in the community’s storeroom.

 

4.       Trivia—Dave Meyer presented alternative options for trivia aside from using Chuck Dogg and his format, with the goal of reducing cost and eliminating the need to use cell phones to submit answers.  He met with Showtime Trivia, who hosts TC’s Pub & Grub trivia nights on Thursdays.  They use a paper-and-pencil format, with questions that are multiple choice or fill in the blank (song lyrics, etc.).  Teams assign a ranking from 1-10 based on their confidence in their answer.  The cost is $600, with two sets of 10 questions per set, and teams have two minutes to answer each question.

 

The other option would be to use the same software Chuck Dogg uses (Kahoot, $50/year), but Dave would be the host, and we would use the paper-and-pencil method instead of using phones.  The board was receptive to this option because Dave would do it gratis, which would result in more revenue for House of Refuge, but he is not available for our next date of March 7, 2026.

 

So the board decided to use Showtime Trivia for March 7th, 2026, and evaluate how that goes before committing to the format for any future trivia nights.

 

5.       Holiday Golf Cart Parade—Tammy Rowles is inviting all clubs to decorate a golf cart for the holiday golf cart parade on 12/16.  The board will send out an email to solicit volunteers who would like to participate in this.

 

6.       Club Expo—The board discussed the upcoming club expo to be held January 6th, 2026, from 9 am to 12 p.m.  Jim will contact Tammy to let her know we plan to have a table in the ballroom and would like an area in the café, as well.  We will provide treats and coffee in the cafe like we did last year and have membership applications available for those who wish to join.

 

7.       Status of International Potluck—Cristy reported that we have several volunteers signed up to assist with the New Year’s Around-the-World Potluck.  She has had a meeting with the pre-planners, and things are proceeding on schedule.  The cost will be $5 per person to cover decorations, and we will ask members and their guests to RSVP by January 6th with the name of the dish they are bringing and the country it represents.  Cristy will check with Tammy on locating the decorations for this event.  Chris will send out an email on December 10th with the details of the event.

 

8.       San Tan Press—Robyn presented some ideas for the January article and stated that she will send out a draft of the article before the due date 11/30/25.

 

9.       Financial Status--Chris did not have a financial report because the October statement has not come out yet.  The board discussed the CA’s plan to address the poor acoustics in the café and their request for club donations to remedy the problem.  The board agreed that we could use the money from 2026 dues to donate towards the project so that we are not taking any money away that is specifically designated for our charities.

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, December18th at 11:00 a.m.

 

Submitted by:  Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Thursday, October 23, 2025

 

Attendees: Jim Townsend, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer, Robin Dastrup

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 1:01 p.m.

 

Robin Dastrup and CA/Club Relationship—Robin met with the board to discuss our mission and to get to know Company of Friends a little better. She asked questions about the frequency of our meetings, details about our recordkeeping and dues, and whether our events include the whole community. The board explained the purpose of our fundraisers and the charities we support and how the strength in COF lies in its diverse membership while all having the same mission to help those in need.

 

Recap of Trivia 10/4/25—Chris reported that we sold 103 tickets and 94 attended. We netted $910, with about half of that coming from the raffle ticket sales. The board discussed some other options for trivia hosts and possibly eliminating the Family Feud portion. The board agreed to pursue these other options and do some trial runs with these options before making a final decision for the March 7, 2026, event.

 

Club Officer Meeting—Jim reported that the Club Officer meeting is November 6th. Jim and Chris plan to attend. 

 

Status of Nov. 7th Veterans Day Dance—Jim reported that 117 tickets have been purchased so far. Cristy presented a volunteer list and a timeline of the evening. Lin Eliason is making the centerpieces and table decorations, and Cathy Lasala and her team are preparing the raffle baskets. She anticipates we will have at least 12 baskets. Joe Kish is preparing the lighting plan and will go over it with Jim, Cristy, and Chris after the meeting. Chris has a flash drive prepared with the emblems of each branch of the service and stock photos of patriotic images. Cristy has a flash drive of Mike Morris’s “Our Grand Flag” video/music to use as people are coming in.

 

Vendor Donations—Cristy presented a spreadsheet with the list of restaurants and businesses who have donated gift cards so far, and she expects a few more may still come in. She stated we have enough for the fundraisers for the rest of this event season.

 

Volunteer Status—Cristy has separated out the volunteers from the master electronic signup by event to make it easy to see where any gaps may be for each event. Lin Eliason is scheduling all volunteers for the Veteran’s Day Dance.

 

Calendar of Events and COF Website—The calendar of events poster has been posted on COF’s website on mytpr.com, and the photos from trivia night have been added to the photo gallery.

 

San Tan Press—The board reviewed Robyn’s draft of the December article and made a few additions. The board also selected the photos to be submitted.

 

Financial Status and Membership – Chris presented the financial statement for September which shows a balance in the account of $5,905.59, although this does not reflect the ticket sales for Trivia Night from PurplePass. Current membership is 262.

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:14 p.m. 

Next meeting will be held Thursday, November 13th at 1:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by: Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer

COMPANY OF FRIENDS

Board Meeting, Tuesday, September 23, 2025

 

Attendees: Jim Townsend, Robyn Franklin, Chris Stima, Cristy Meyer

 

Jim called the meeting to order at 1:01 p.m.

 

1. Recap of Aug. 28th Cornhole Tournament – Chris reported that we had 24 participants. We gave out $205 in cash prizes and took in $217.23 after PurplePass’ fees. Robyn suggested breaking the teams into brackets of men’s, women’s, and mixed teams to make the contest more fair if we do this event in the future.

 

2. Lessons Learned from Summer Socials—It is apparent that the club likes having food brought in (whether from a restaurant or by tagging on to Tammy’s Lifestyle lunches), as attendance on those dates are higher. The members also like when we play games, so we may expand the game offerings in next season’s socials.

 

3. Update on Trivia Oct. 4—We have sold 88 tickets so far and hope to sell at least 100. Chris will post the trivia flyer on the Trilogy Facebook Group pages to increase publicity about the event and will extend the ticket sale deadline to October 2nd. Jim, Robyn, and Cristy have secured donated gift cards from several restaurants, and the Board selected the four that we will use in the raffle during Trivia.

 

4. Vendor Donations—Cristy presented a spreadsheet with the list of restaurants and businesses who have donated gift cards so far. The goal is to secure enough gift cards to use in our fundraising raffles throughout the 2025-26 season’s events. She will keep the list updated so we don’t repeat soliciting donations from the same businesses.

 

5. Volunteer Status—Cristy is monitoring the electronic volunteer signup form and has received a good response so far. The Board decided to send the form out again after Trivia Night and ask for signups for specific events and specific roles where we need to fill in gaps.

 

6. Status of Nov. 7th Veterans Day Dance—Jim reported that 41 tickets have been purchased so far. The Board discussed Pat Kilber’s suggestion to play Mike Morris’s patriotic song and slideshow as people are coming in the doors.

 

7. Calendar of Events and Website—Chris has requested Glenda Sweeney make a flyer of the 2025-26 season’s events to put on the COF website and to display at our events. She updated the club’s bio for the website and added the new logo.

 

8. San Tan Press—Robyn reported that she will draft the article for the November edition and send it to the board members for review before the September 30th deadline.

 

9. Financial Status and Membership – Chris presented the financial statements for July and August which show a balance in the account of $6,498.13. Current membership is 264.

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:05 p.m.

Next meeting will be held Thursday, October 23rd at 1:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by: Chris Stima, Secretary/Treasurer