the monthly Burgh Bear events

the Burgh Bears
yinz!
The Burgh Bears is a social group intended to
provide a place for bears
and their admirers to
meet each other. Some
people have defined
“bears” as “big, hairy
men”; while this is certainly a working definition, we aren’t particularly hung up on it, or
about it.
We try to make the club a
reflection of what the
members want, so the
more involved folks get,
the better the club will
be. We encourage and
welcome suggestions for
events, activities, or procedural issues.
While the whole “bear”
thing has grown enormously over the past few
years, sometimes in
goofy ways, there are still
many gay men out there
who don’t see themselves or their attractions
reflected in the general
public’s opinion of attractiveness. Bear clubs provide an alternative, and
that’s why we think having a local bear club is
important. If you want to
come hang out with a
bunch of big hairy gay
men, regardless of your
state of big and
hairyness, give us a call.
a semi-quarterly newsletter for Pittsburgh’s bear club
December 2001
Wrapping up the year with big plans afoot
Normally this is where I apologize for the newsletter being late, but I’m just as tired of that as
you probably are, so I’ll take a different tact this time: the newsletter is published as often as I
have time to get it done. If you’d like to see that change (lord knows I would), then help out so
I don’t have to do the whole thing alone. (If you’ve got design chops that you’d like to flaunt,
lemme know, as I’m ready to give the newsletter a makeover as well.)
Another reason the newsletter is late is because I was stalling as long as possible in hopes of
being able to write some concrete facts about how we’re reorganizing the club. This process
started earlier this year with the creation of the executive council, and we’ve been working on
a bunch of other structural hoohaw for the long-term benefit of the club; unfortunately, we’re
moving into legalese, so things go even slower.
Let me explain what we’re doing, and why. It all started with our attempts to set up a bank
account for the club so that the club’s money doesn’t live in my (and Brian’s) bank account any
more. It turns out that, in order to set up a bank account, you need a social security number,
or an employer identification number (or EIN). If we would use a social security number, the
account would be tied to one person—not good, both for tax reasons and for transferability of
club duties and accountability. So we need an EIN. The club had one issued back in 1995, but
it was again tied to one person, so that wouldn’t work either. Random mobs of people can’t
apply for EINs, so, before we can get a bank account, the club needs to become a more organized entity: we need to incorporate.
Now, in order to incorporate, we need to sort out what kind of organization we are. Nonprofit isn’t good enough; there’s at least three different sorts of non-profits, and each classification has limitations on things like fundraising and membership. I haven’t been the person
hashing through that stuff, so I can’t quote line and verse about where the club fits other than
to say we do, somewhere. However, all of the classifications require the club to have bylaws
drawn up, and that’s where we stand right now. So folks are working on the bylaws, so we can
incorporate, so we can get an EIN, so we can get a bank account. Simple, huh? (There are other
benefits of incorporation, like being able to get insurance, another thing we’re working on.)
I’m probably getting some terminology wrong in all this, but the basic gist is correct. It’s all
moving along, albeit slowly.
Speaking of banks, we’re ahead of the money game by at least a few hundred bucks, thanks
largely to energetic shot and raffle ticket selling and working the coatroom at the Eagle (which
would be a lot more beneficial if the weather would cooperate and actually get cold). I’ve
cleverly left the record book at home, so I don’t have the exact figures handy in time for this to
get to the printers, but we’ve actually got a surplus. I don’t think we should make any plans for
it just yet, as the whole incorporate mess is going to cost a chunk of change, but it’s good to
know. Also, just as a reminder, dues are paid on the calendar year, not on an incrementing
year. Regardless of when you paid dues in 2001, everyone owes their 2002 dues as of 1/1/2.
We’re working on some better carrots for people who pay their dues, but I don’t want to jinx
anything, so I’ll hush for now.
The Pittsburgh Eagle has asked if we want to put a bunch of BBear stuff in one of their
display cabinets, so if anyone has any ideas or would like to help decorate, let me know.
Finally, I wanted to thank everyone who helped plan stuff, move stuff, sell stuff, serve stuff,
host stuff, or do any other stuff for the club. It’s your club, and you’re the reason it continues.
–Dan Bidwa, erstwhile Burgh Bear manager
the monthly Burgh Bear events:
first 8:00p.m.: pizza at Napoli’s (2006 Murray Avenue)
wednesday: 9:00p.m.: bowling at Forward Lanes (5844 Forward Avenue)
second
tuesday: 7:00p.m.: monthly meeting at Tuscany Cafe (1501 East Carson Street)
third 7:00p.m.: potluck and game night at BBear member’s house
saturday: (location varies—check web site or phone line)
fourth 10:00p.m.: bar night at Leather Central
saturday: (1226 Herron Avenue)
f
f
f
f
Events subject to rescheduling and such; call the BBear Phone Line (412-422-8850) to make sure.
The Burgh Bears
P.O. Box 81244
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
412-422-8850
info@burghbears.org or
burghbears@hotmail.com
http://www.burghbears.org
Manager: Dan Bidwa
Digital Manager: Brian Gollum
Web Manager: Tim L.
Money Manager: Thom Lambing
Bear at Large: Travis Lewis
Executive Council: George Demko,
John Dury, Lou Eros, Jim Fleming,
Val Freeman, Mike Schwartz, and
Gary Snyder
The newsletter is published quarterly (give or take), and anyone is
welcome to submit articles, artwork, photographs, or whatever.
Deadline for the next issue is
theoretically March 30.
What was playing when this newsletter
happened: Alpha Omega—Sound System
Dub; Blue Planet State of the Nu-Art 2
compilation; Antibalas—Liberation Afro
Beat Vol. 1
Hey! We had a picnic!
The sixth annual W.o.O.F. Weekend came off pretty much hitch-free, other than
some sunburns at Kennywood and maybe an overdose of hilarity or two. We
wrapped things up with the traditional picnic in Schenley Park, and fortunately
some folks had the presence of mind to take some pictures. Thanks to Drew from
Toledo, who took these.
Support the economy—go meet strangers
One of the truly nifty things about all this bear crap is that it’s an excuse for generally nice folks to get together and be
friendly. Go make some new friends. This is only a sampling of the bear events going on over the next several months —
there’s lots more at <http://www.resourcesforbears.com/BEARCAL/> and <http://www.bear-pics.com/index.html>.
december
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february
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December 14–16: Midwest Bearfest 2001; Indianapolis, Indiana;
$70; Midwest Bearpack; P.O. Box 771; Indianapolis, IN 46206;
317-216-9588; bp@bearpack.org; <http://www.bearpack.org/
events/bearfest/index.html>
February 15–18: International Bear Rendezvouz 2002; San Francisco, California; $100 ($125 after 1/7); Bears of San Francisco;
2215R Market Street #266; San Francisco, CA 94114-1612; 415541-5000; ibr@bosf.org; <http://www.bosf.org/woof/ibr>
December 29: New Year Bear Bash; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania;
Susquehanna Valley Bears; P.O. Box 61478; Harrisburg, PA
17106-1478; info@svbears.com; <http://www.svbears.com/>
February 26–March 3: Sydney, Australia; Bear Essentials 2002;
Harbour City Bears; P.O. Box 1532; Darlinghurst NSW 1300;
Australia; (02) 9516-3359; info@hcbears.com; <http://
www.hcbears.com/>
january
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april
January 18–21: La Fiesta de Los Osos 2002; Tucson, Arizona; Bears
of the Old Pueblo; P.O. Box 43910; Tucson, AZ 85733-3910; 520790-5775; fiesta@botop.com; <http://www.botop.com/>
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April 11–14: Bear Jam 7.0; Nashville, Tennessee; Music City
Bears; P.O. Box 270421; Nashville, TN 37227-0421; 615-6642393; info@musiccitybears.com; <http://
www.musiccitybears.com/main.html>
January 25–27: Bear Weekend #1; Roseland Campground; Roseland
Campground; RD. 1, Box 185B; Proctor, WV 26055; 304-455April 18–21: Spring Thaw 2002; Seattle, Washington; Northwest
3838; roseland@rcvideo.com; <http://www.rcvideo.com/
Bears; 1122 East Pike Street, PMB 802; Seattle, WA 98122roseland/>
3934; 206-903-9288; <http://www.nwbears.org/frame.htm>
January 25–27: Freedom Bears Ski Trip; Montage Mountain,
April 26–28: Out of Hibearnation 8; Indianapolis, Indiana;
Scranton, Pennsylvania; Freedom Bears of Philadelphia; 1127
Hoosier Bears of Indiana; P.O. Box 702; Indianapolis, IN 46206North Lee Street; Philadelphia, PA 19081;
0702; 317-375-7923; info@hoosierbears.org; <http://
freedombears@aol.com; <http://members.aol.com/freedombears/
hoosierbears.org/>
skitrip.html>
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Surprise!
One intentionally under-publicized
part of W.o.O.F. weekend was a
going away celebration for Vann and
Mark, who were feted with a, um,
wide variety of gifts. More pictures
of the shindig, as well as more
pictures of the rest of the picnic, are
available on the Burgh Bears website
(http://www.burghbears.org), in the
gallery section.
We wish Vann and Mark all the
best in their new home—you
Baltimore and D.C. bears better treat
them nicely!
SYLVESTER’S
TAT
TOO
!
ress
add
new
1409
C
HICORA
R
OAD
, C
HICORA
724-445-9969
, PA
16025
HEY!
Pay your
dues!!!
Annual dues are $10 per person or $15
per couple (for one newsletter); checks
should (still) be made out to Dan Bidwa
or Brian Gollum.
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P.O. Box 81244
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
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What’s been going on
Since the newsletters have been kind of, um, scarce this year
(see page one for the whine on that), I thought it might be
helpful for new or prospective members to see some of the
stuff we’ve done over the past year (besides the standard
monthly stuff):
– went camping over and over (at Roseland, Hillside, and Camp Davis)
– took a trip to Toronto and visited the very friendly Bear Buddies
– marched in the Pittsburgh GLBT Pride parade, and helped with the
post-parade celebration
– had a Thanksgiving dinner for folks not saddled with other
family obligations
– ran the coatroom at the Pgh Eagle (and we’ll be doing more of this)
– had a bar night benefit for the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief
Fund (PO Box 65858; Washington D.C. 20035-5858); made $110
– went out for lots of food (at Rita’s Italian Ice, Buca Di Beppo, etcetera)
Event info is posted on the phone line and the web site;
please feel free to suggest stuff!
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y
n
a
c
c
af e
s
u
t
1501 East Carson Street
a restaurant a coffee shop
a bar a place for bears
2000 Murray Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
P: 412-422-9921
F: 412-422-9976
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