Submitted by Laura Bradham, Membership Chair

Membership Contest with a Twist!

This year, Membership is hosting a Membership Contest with a Twist. If you have more members on your block than last year, you will have a percentage increase. The long and short block with the highest percentage increase will win the contest! So, instead of being in a contest with the rest of the neighborhood, you are in a contest with your own block. It’s kind of like you are on the swim team swimming for your team to win, but you want to get your best personal time as you do! If your block has 100% or more increase in membership over last year, you automatically qualify for wine for your National Night Out Party in October. If your block reaches 100% membership, you will also automatically qualify for wine for NNO. Also, if the highest percentage increase block ends up getting 100% increase before my next article, they will qualify for wine, and the second highest percentage increase block will go to the top. The contest will officially end on September 15. 

Top 5 blocks this year as of May 15:

• 1st Place: 1502-1623 Droxford – 24% increase

• 2nd Place: 1303-1327 Guese – 18% increase 

• 3rd Place: 1302-1326 Valleta & 6514-6542 Wynnwood – 15.5% increase 

• 4th Place (tie):1302-1318 Jeannine – 11% increase 

• 4th Place (tie): 1132-1136 Shelterwood, 1127-1131 Shirkmere, 1019 W TCJester, & 6002-6230 Wister – 11% increase 

If you are on any of these blocks, and haven't joined TMCC yet this year, it's never too late to join and push your block up in the standings! The block that has had 100%+ Membership increase this year: 6003-6031 Pineshade! Your block is guaranteed wine for the NNO party this year!

Two common questions that I receive are:

1. When did/will I get a bill for Membership Dues?
   You won't get a bill because your Timbergrove Manor Civic Club Membership dues are voluntary yearly dues. Membership is from January 1 – December 31 of each year. Because of the voluntary nature of TMCC dues, you simply pay your dues each year according to your own schedule. You will get a couple of reminders yearly: New Year's Day will mean it's time to pay dues, and there is an insert in the January edition of the Timbergram to help you remember to pay dues. If you aren't sure whether you've paid your dues this year, or you would like to become a member I can help you figure that out!
   

2. What does the Civic Club do with my dues?
   Did you know that even before the pandemic hit this year, TMCC had hosted 4 large events? On the last Saturday of January, our Membership Drive kicked off with Project Dogway at West 11th Street Park. It was a “Members Only” event in which TMCC dog owners walked their dogs on a red carPET in the park. At the end of February, TMCC hosted our Block Captains to a Block Captain Thank You Brunch. On the second Tuesday of January, TMCC hosted a neighborhood meeting in which Lee Mashburn, Principal of Sinclair Elementary spoke. And, our last large event before the pandemic was the second Tuesday of March in which Alyce Coffey of the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Team spoke. Without your dues, these neighborhood events would not happen. Our larger neighborhood events keep us in touch with each other, our neighborhood, and the City of Houston. Thank you for supporting your neighborhood!