S I R B R A N C H 8 S I R t i r e M i n i S i t e
[The SIR Main 
Site!]
Question: Why is Branch 8 the best SIR Branch?
Answer: The question is really a 2-part question:
Part 1: “Why?” Why is a question that has challenged philosophers for ages.
“Why?” has been the focus of various seekers such as: Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, and Confuscius in fields such as:
aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, logic. metaphysics, social theory, and political philosophy. And the answer to
“Why?” still eludes us. Existential questions about the meaning of life and the human condition is beyond
the grasp of the average mind. This leads to the ultimate conclusion that there is no “Why?”
Part 2: “Is Branch 8 the best SIR branch?”
Answer: “Yes!”
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My 2¢
I have been a member of SIR Branch 8 coming up on 2 years soon. The experience has been a rich one because of the membership. You guys have been real and down-to-earth and after being here a while now, I’m still enjoying getting to know you.
Inspiration for these Web Pages
Given my particular sense of humor, I created a little booklet about Bocce Ball when I was learning to play. The Bocce members gave me a positive response and so I thought, “Hey?” (I don’t always have great analytical thoughts). I was encouraged even more when I was motivated to make a similar booklet for Bridge (I never played bridge before) and also got a positive response. This time I thought, “Hey!”
Stimulating Membership
With the branch emphasis on increasing our membership, I thought of the wonderful video we have that presents a sense of our branch in a quality light. As a matter of fact it is that video that sold me on Branch 8. For my part, I would also like to see a humorous supplement for the Hotline, where members can inform us, via text and images, about fun happenings that are occurring outside of our own individual activities. I hope that together, we can use this Mini Site to create that opportunity. One of the human qualities we have that is so important in getting through the day-to-day is the ability to laugh at ourselves.
Derek sent an article to me concerning “How to Leverage Humor in Your Nonprofit’s Marketing.”
“Humor can be a great way to show your audience the human side of your organization. By cracking a playful joke or poking fun at yourself, you can attract potential members. They then associate those feelings of laughter and joy, however brief, with your organization.”
My Motivation
Your 2¢
If you feel positive about this idea, it would be great if you contribute to the humor or the stock of pictorial resources for this effort. I mean I take pictures of the activities in which I participate, but I only partake of a small number of them.
Consider sending me some photos or images you have, along with any ideas that I might make use of. I’m not a genius when it comes to Photoshop, but I usually have enough dexterity to coax an image into the one I want. See Sample Contribution #1 or Sample Contribution #2
Enter the “Caption Challenge” by conceiving and sending me your take on the images. There may be a one-picture challenge or a multiple-picture challenge. Check out the Caption Challenge or all the Current Challenges.
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E-mail your images and ideas to me by clicking on the “Mail Me” button. I have recently incorporated a “Senior Humor” section. So attach your images and include your picture commentary as well as senior moments within the e-mail itself. The correspondence should be sent to sirtire@sbcglobal.net.
Go Ahead,
Yes, mail me now and see what an incredible impact we can have on Branch 8 image/membership/participation (pick one or more). You may also include humorous observations (jokes) that I can add to the humor section or submit your own Branch 8 observations which I will include on this page if I can. Let me know if you want to have your contributions noted to you. I may unless you say otherwise.
Or just send me email with your thoughts, ideas, suggestions..
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Sample Contribution #1
The body of your e-mail might look like this:
Title
Bocce Ball Newbie
Description:
When I first started learning and playing Bocce ball, all the guys were welcoming. The Bocce Ball Chairman, Bob Barnes, kept calling me.. well it might have been Fletcher. Of course I corrected him: “My name is Rick.” For the several weeks that followed, I said weekly, “No, my name is Rick.”, “NO, my name is RICK,” and finally: “NO MY NAME IS RICK!.” Then I thought of what I hoped would be a great solution. From years past I had a 2”x3” golden belt buckle that said “RICK”. So I put it on a cord and the next week wore it to Bocce. Everything was great after that, right? Wrong. It took one more week before I finally became Rick.
Attached Images
Image 1) 
Image 2) 
Suggested Editing
Can you combine these images so Rick has a large buckle around his neck attached by a cord?
Potential Results
When I receive the two “attached” images, using the “description” and “suggested editing” provided, I might combine them thus:
Possible narrative:
It would appear that SIR member Rick was having trouble being noticed. He told me this was his last idea, that he was getting desperate for attention. He said, “I even went to a “shrink” to help me. When I told him no one seems to be noticing me anymore. He looked up and yelled: “Next!”
NOTE: The “Plus” and “Equal” signs here are intended to enhance clarity of the presentation. They are not submitted images!
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Sample Contribution #2
The body of your e-mail might look like this:
Title
Long Luncheon LineDescription:
Sometimes, at a luncheon, the lines to the bar to get a drink are long and it takes a while to get seated. Attached Images
Image 1)
Suggested Editing
Is there anything you can do to shorten this line?
Potential Results
Sorry.
By the time I discovered the main cause for the line being long… a Tall SIR placing a Tall order…
It had already gotten longer!
NOTE: The “Plus” and “Equal” signs here are intended to enhance clarity of the presentation. They are not submitted images!
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Challenges
Challenge #1 …….Captions
Challenge #2 …….Mix & Match
Challenge #3 …….Activities
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Challenge #1 Caption
This image duo shows SIR Bob Barnes, our Membership and Bocce Chairman emeritus, in (apparently) related images.
Go ahead and, like Sir Bob is doing, conceive a caption for each image. Then you may submit them by selecting the e-mail option.
Send Challenge Caption #1 Entry:
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Challenge #2: Mix & Match
How well do you know your fellow SIRS? The image that follows shows 20 SIR members and their wives/partners/chums, but they’re not matched. Can you match each SIR with his respective chum?
Why Chum? Due to limited space, I needed a four-letter word to take the place of “Partner.”Please note, the images that are shown here are an arbitrary selection (except for myself) of the photos that I have taken at various events, mostly some kind of dining.
Click Image to Enlarge
Want to accept the challenge and fill in the spaces identifying each SIR with their respective chum?
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Challenge #3: Branch 8 Crossword
Why a crossword puzzle? Studies have shown that participation in cognitively stimulating leisure activities such as crossword puzzles may delay onset of the memory decline in the preclinical stages of dementia.
Now, I don’t remember whether my memory is in decline or not, but a study is a study. So to stimulate the SIR brain, the following is a SIR crossword puzzle.
Challenge #3: Printing the PuzzleSo you’ll have to complete the puzzle the old fashioned way; paper and pencil. The “Printer Friendly” option would print this entire page, so an alternative is needed. In order to complete the puzzle, you can Print the Puzzle, using your browser. Challenge #3: Your Turn
Are you a SIR who would like to help develop this type of challenge? If so, please let me know. You can send your thoughts and ideas via email and even include clue/answer pairs.
Send Your Puzzle Thoughts
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