WELCOME

On behalf of Arkansas State Society President Glenn Mahone, we would like to thank our members and the many visitors coming to the Washington, DC area for visiting our website. Please stop by often as we will be updating it regularly with all of our upcoming news and events. For more information, questions or comments, please contact Glenn Mahone at 202-329-6711.

For 126 years, Washington's Gridiron Club has regaled an annual white-tie dinner with satire and songs that skewer Presidents and congressional leaders, lobbyists and sacred cows. Now we are opening our Sunday afternoon performance, traditionally given for friends and family, to a wider audience that includes Washington-based college alumni groups and State Societies. As incoming president of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, I'd like to invite your State Society to participate.

The Gridiron's Reprise will be on Sunday, March 13, 2011, in the ballroom of the Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street NW. Tickets for our members and their guests are $80 per ticket.

Because the Gridiron Club is a 501c(3) organization, most of the cost of the ticket is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. The reception, which includes an open bar, begins at 3 PM, the show at 4 PM. It ends by 6 PM. We think you will have a ball at the show - one of the capital's signature events.

What you'll see is the Gridiron's members -- including such well-known faces as David Broder of The Washington Post, John Dickerson of Slate, Al Hunt of Bloomberg, John King of CNN, Mara Liaisson of NPR, Andrea Mitchell of NBC, Bob Schieffer of CBS, Chuck Todd of NBC and Judy Woodruff of PBS -- performing songs and skits in costume. Syndicated columnist Mark Shields relays the speeches that were delivered the night before, which typically include remarks by the President and a leading Democrat and leading Republican. Running the musical performance is the director of the Maine Band, Col. Michael Colburn, who serves as the Club's musical director.

Tickets must be reserved and paid for by March 1, 2011. They are not refundable. All seats are reserved, and tickets are required to enter the reception. If you are interested in attending, please contact Arkansas State Society President Glenn Mahone prior to February 28th.

The Arkansas State Society seeks a young woman to serve as the Arkansas Princess for the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival, which is tentatively scheduled to be held from April 3 to 9, 2011. Our Princess must be between 19 and 23 years old, be a high school graduate, never married, and either born in Arkansas or be the daughter of a parent born in Arkansas, or be a Arkansas resident. Application forms are available at http://ncss.typepad.com/ or by contacting Arkansas State Society President Glenn Mahone.

Information and tickets for the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival events sponsored by the National Conference of State Societies (NCSS) will be coming soon. Please visit the website often, as we will update it with the offical information as soon as it has been made available.

Stay tuned for more details!!