—by Chris Rifer

The scene was far from foreseeable six days earlier.

Merritt Paulson bounding out of the locker room, his head bobbing to the beat of hip hop spilling through the open door.  Alvas Powell testing the ability of his cheeks to contain his smile as he shyly faced the media as the game’s, and potentially season’s, hero.  The Portland Timbers, for the first time in 2014, sitting above the year-defining red line.

No fewer than five times since May the Timbers have had the opportunity to surge past the red line with and win, only to come up short each time.  As Caleb Porter put it postgame, the missed opportunities “start to wear on you.”

As Paulson’s rhythm and Powell’s smile demonstrated, the weight of the Timbers’ seemingly infinite chase of the red line was gone from the Portland locker room on Saturday night, after a professional first-half performance turned dominant post-intermission.

Vancouver created the best chance of the first half early on, as Mauro Rosales found Pedro Morales in the center of the box against a well positioned, but still vertically limited Diego Chara.  Morales got his head to the ball, but sent his header just over the bar.

But those first five minutes were Vancouver’s best spell of the day, and thereafter the Timbers slowly seized control.  In a move that was in character for the Timbers, but out-of-character for Whitecaps opponents, the Timbers pushed both fullbacks on, starting Alvas Powell and Jorge Villafana over a bench full of more defensive options.

As a result the Timbers repeatedly found space on the Whitecaps’ flanks, and Powell and Villafana – players with only eleven 2014 starts and 44 years between them – became two of the most influential men on the field.  But while the Timbers tactics had much of their desired effect in the first half, Portland didn’t create anything especially dangerous on account of a couple missed links and a steady Vancouver backline.

Viewed in isolation, nothing in the first half suggested a season-defining moment was forthcoming.  But if Portland can ride their newfound momentum into the playoffs, that’s exactly how Saturday’s second half will be regarded.

In light of the first half, the Timbers’ first goal of the second half was no surprise.  After solid holdup play from Fanendo Adi, Portland found space on the right wing where a wide-open Diego Valeri lifted a ball into the box where Powell nodded it down and into the net.

The visibly shaken Whitecaps recovered momentarily after Darren Mattocks replaced Kekuta Manneh, creating a pair of chances to level the game by way of Mauro Rosales and Mattocks shots from the right side, but in the 75^th minute the Timbers marauding put the game away.  After Michael Harrington forced – and then blew by – a very high Whitecaps flank rotation, the substitute easily found Maxi Urruti in the middle of the box where, given plenty of room, the Argentine nine put the ball off the under side of the bar and in.

If all that was missing to that point was the spectacular, Darlington Nagbe wasted no time in ticking that final box.  In the 79^th minute Nagbe picked up a pass from Villafana, rounded Matias Laba with ease, and slotted the ball past three defenders to an onrushing Rodney Wallace, who slid the ball past David Ousted for the exclamation point.

What ensued was in many ways a microcosm of the past three months between the Timbers and the Whitecaps.  Since the teams met at Providence Park in June the Timbers have looked like a playoff team, posting a 5-4-3 record and averaging 1.5 points per game.  The Whitecaps, on the other hand, have limped to a 2-4-7 record while averaging a tepid one point per game over the stretch.

And so it was in the last ten minutes at B.C. Place, as the Timbers easily moved the ball around and through a defeated Vancouver side.  Aside from the traveling Timbers Army’s chants of “Our House, in the Middle of B.C.,” the Vancouver stadium sat silent as the Timbers ran out the clock on the Whitecaps’ hold on fifth place.

That silence was shattered moments later by the beat pumping from the Timbers locker room – a room from which the Timbers have never emerged as losers.

And like Paulson, the Timbers found their rhythm at the right time on Saturday.

Onward, Rose City.

I want to say thank you to Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson who extended an invitation for Shawn Levy and I to take part in this historic trip. It was an honor to not only represent the club and the city, but all of the Timbers Army, both as fans and also as professionals in our chosen crafts.

We both understood the historic aspect of this trip and that hundreds, if not thousands, of folks who consider themselves Timbers fans would have done nearly anything to have been in our shoes for this journey. We respect you and did everything in our power to honor you.

I am very grateful, and in return, both Shawn and I did our best to keep folks up-to-date of our adventures through the various social media tools at our disposal. Needless to say it was more than we could have ever imagined, starting from the first email confirmation to the time we stepped back off the chartered plane back to PDX. The entire team representing the Portland Timbers accepted us in, and made sure we had all the best every step of the way. In the end I got pretty emotional thanking Coach Porter, Gavin Wilkinson, the entire team who made the trip, and every Timbers staff on the airplane back to Cascadia.

Not only was it an honor to be with the club, but I've been very thankful for the opportunity to have traveled with Shawn Levy. He's a pretty amazing writer and travel partner. My rule of thumb is to always follow a New Yorker in the city.

-Steven Lenhart

Guyana is a tough place. I've traveled Eastern Europe before the Euro, and have spent extended time in Mexico City and surrounding areas on two occasions, but Georgetown, Guyana is different. A certain smell is in the air that isn't pollution but decay. Only a few places seemed safe, and even fewer were safe for eating. Oh, and the water, forget about it. No one can drink the water. Sanitation is a huge concern with open sewers and piles of garbage littering the streets. To me it seemed it's a fight just to deal with life.

I struggled to locate sanctuaries where a person could just go to chill out. Certainly not the "Seawall," a place where you would at least think one could go to ponder life's wonder in a level-headed way. The shoreline did indeed have sturdy benches but although we had walked the hustle of the market for over an hour I did get a potential "this is a dangerous area" vibe about the Seawall. Maybe it was the folks milling around in the hot muggy sun next to open piles of waste, or maybe just the cow/bulls with big horns hanging out in-between missing barbed-wire fences? Pick your poison. It was a truly dark place.

I didn't realize how intense such an adventure could be.

Normally when making decisions about what type of camera gear to lug around I think ahead about what types of shots I want to frame before even coming into situations where subjects exist. With Georgetown, Guyana the only thing I had to go by was the very limited trip reports and images found on sights such as google image search and flickr. Photos of the market clock tower, the Cathedral, and Providence Stadium being the most common.

Add in to the idea that Shawn and I had warnings about theft in the streets by our traveling team security man and the very taxi driver who was about to "drop us off in the safe area" around the market. Despite those concerns we still were determined to explore this ourselves, and explore we did. We walked Georgetown's fringes and depths for six hours, going off the map grid for much of the day despite more safety warnings from passers by on the streets.

As a visual person I've always had great wonder when flipping through National Geographic and seeing exotic locations and how photographers have dealt with such scenes. This time it was me exploring in a potential beehive of a place behind a camera. For me the making of memorable images includes taking in more than just what I see. Although I'm not a writer I do feel meeting, talking and asking questions adds depth to my best images or the best images I desire to make. By breaking through all warnings, Shawn and I were able to experience some pretty amazing moments both on and off camera.

The guy who identified Levy as being from New York because of his walk and me being a little "country," the teenager with whom we yelled back and forth across the street about our Chelsea predictions, the group of kids we saw huddled around a television playing FIFA, the two kids we met on Bent Street who told us the history of Alpha United, and the cab driver who wanted to talk Landon Donovan and had questions about who the best footballer we have ever seen was. Truly amazing. Truly memorable. Truly comforting in the name of a round ball.

But indeed we were here for the game, a game. The big game. A Timbers CONCACAF Champions League match to be exact. A Portland Timbers "Club" I have followed in one form or another since childhood. They had a job to do and I was here to document these important moments for my friends back home.

On match day, once inside the stadium and while messing about with my camera gear, I was greeted by a fellow who introduced himself as a local photographer. We chatted and I mentioned my lenses fogging up after only a few shots from the humidity. He advised me to keep my lenses out so they were acclimated to the air and within 10 minutes the fogging would no longer be an issue.

His side-kick for the night was a Guyanese fellow who now lives in New York City and hadn't been back for 25 years, until this current visit of two weeks. We talked about the struggles of the people and he lamented the total lack of infrastructure. He then pointed out the standing water in the aisles of the stadium, the stadium that's "supposed to be the prized national stadium of the country". Despite my Timbers evangelism, before we parted ways, he said NYCFC is who he will be following starting next year. I wished him well.

As we all know the Timbers put in a most excellent performance against a motivated and feisty Alpha United FC team. The match ended 4-1 Timbers, with a free kick strike by Alpha United being the best of the bunch. I left the stadium feeling content and proud, but I returned to the Pacific Northwest different. Ask me about it.

The return group match in Portland should make for another memorable night for both clubs. Trust me.

—by Clifford Eiffler

Featured on Sunday August 24th, 2014 during a home match in front sold out crowd at Providence Park in the final regular season meeting between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.

There is nothing like a visit from the fishing village up north to bring out the best from the tifo crew. A brilliant display which brought out the darker side of Dorothy.

Photo Credit – @meluhkneebee on Instagram

 

TA v ECS soccer, TA/GA tickets for the Seattle match, and the chance to raise money for Jefferson High School's field renovation. What could be better?

This Saturday, members of some of our own Timbers Army FC teams will be playing against Emerald City Supporters in three matches at Buckman Field: a D4 match and a women's match at 4pm and a D1 match at 6pm. Come on out to cheer for our men and women as they take on their our fishy rivals to the north. And while you do, you can also enter into a raffle for one of two TA/General Admission tickets to Sunday's PTFC game vs the Sounders.

Golazo has graciously donated two TA/GA tickets to the Seattle game as a fundraiser to help cover costs (the cost of field rental, referees, etc.) for Saturday's matches. Any money raised beyond that cost will go directly toward supporting our fundraising for Jefferson High School's field renovation.

Raffle chances cost $5 each, or 5 chances for $20. Drawing will be held at 6pm at Buckman Field, in between matches.

Click below to donate and enter the raffle:
And, of course, huge thanks to Golazo for their gracious ticket donation.

Vancouver is truly an away day to be experienced. You've heard the stories of legendary gatherings, gracious hosts, and poutine, and you're eager to take part in the action. We're happy to announce that tickets are now on sale for the August 30th Vancouver away match!

Again, we are keeping things simple and only offering a match ticket. You will need to arrange your own transportation and accommodations..

Tickets are $35 for members, $38 for non-members. We are asking you to limit your purchase to 2 tickets.

Click here to buy tickets

Members should have received an email with a discount code - if you have not received this email first check your spam folder, and if it's not there please email memberinfo@107ist.org and we'll look into it.

Ticket distribution info will be sent in a separate email the week of the match.

IMPORTANT

For this trip you MUST have a current passport, enhanced ID, or other acceptable international travel document.

If you are NOT a US Citizen, please consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for your specific ID and visa requirements

Canada, like the United States, has rules that prohibit entry for persons with specific ineligibilities. For example, anyone with a criminal record (including misdemeanors or Driving While Impaired (DWI)), no matter how long ago, may be barred from entering Canada and must obtain a special waiver well in advance of any planned travel. To determine whether you may be inadmissible and how to overcome this finding, please refer to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

—by Garrett Dittfurth

I shouldn't have to do this but I'm gonna.

It's finally over and we can now focus on what's important. The Timbers. We play the soon to be renamed Chivas USA squad on Saturday. We'll be back to our normal configuration in the North End and we'll have capos directing chants for the Timbers that were intended for the Timbers and not some conglomerated team made up of MLS's best players.

It was incredible to have the all-star game here. Run ins with world famous athletes happened daily and they were all actually very cool. Yo DeAndre Yedlin is incredibly hard to dislike and so is Clint Dempsey despite the fact they play for Seattle. Yes I do have personal experience. I'm still solidly club before country. Though after meeting them I am fairly certain both of those players understand that while they both may be booed by a crowd in Portland one is a national team legend and the other is probably going to be. It's ok. They get it. What struck me hugely was how others don't get it.

You've got famous MLS blowhard, Simon Borg tweeting about how he doesn't understand why Julian Green is cheered while Clint Dempsey is booed.

Did that just happen? #USMNT captain Clint Dempsey gets booed by Portland crowd. Julian Green, with 2 caps, gets loudest ovation. Huh?

— Simon Borg (@SimonBorg) August 7, 2014

It almost made my head explode. He's the biggest player on the most hated team Portland plays, Simon. We have a history you probably have failed to comprehend at this point because you live in your NYC bubble. Sorry, bro. 30+ year history of hating everything related to the Seattle Sounders. Their players are going to get booed even if DeAdre Yedlin is actually a really cool dude who is a sick soccer player.

Here's how you know when MLS actually got there. It happens when people remember non-competitive matches don't mean anything and while they can be fun you don't have to pretend it's like the club you love is playing a life or death match against a competitor in a completely different league that really doesn't care about the result because they're just trying to get their players fit for the league competition they actually care about. The all-star game is a nice event that shouldn't be cared about by a league that is in the top 5. At some point the league has to grow up and realize they don't need to do celebrity stunt friendlies to attract attention. Yes I realize we don't have to do this in Portland with our team and yes I understand teams in other places in MLS aren't there yet.

Some clubs and maybe MLS needs it. They fly in some big club from Europe and they can sell out the stadium to promote the sport. Every full kit wanker will show up. It kind of works in certain cities. It was actually pretty cool a few years ago when the Kansas City Wizards beat Manchester United. Once in a while it is worth it. I get certain markets needing to bring in a gigantic club they'll probably toss 7 figures at to play there to bring attention to the sport. Portland probably isn't that place though and it's probably going to reflect better on MLS when no club is willing toss 7 figures at any club to run out mostly scrubs in a meaningless game. If a club would like to tour the US to promote their brand and play for a cut of the gate then that's fine but we all know that as it is now teams from Europe are getting PAID to come here.

To address some of the butthurt. Yes the Timbers Army didn't have tifo. Why would we? Did you want us to drop $5,000 on a tifo display for a game that meant nothing to us rather than investing it on the next Bless Field? We didn't have capos either. Did you want them to just appropriate Timbers Army chants for the meaningless all-star game? Remember how most of the Timbers Army clowned Seattle for doing Seattle Sounders chants during MLS Cup when LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake were playing in Seattle? Oh wait that was in 2009. I'm going to be the dick that reminds you that the many of the people who have problem with this weren't there in 2009. Some people need to look inside themselves and realize that happened then and they are giant hypocrites. Yeah also we weren't going to modify a chant to say all-star in place of Timbers. We are not trained seals and do not perform on command. We have always been better than that. If you are sincerely butthurt just grow up. We have the best atmosphere in MLS. We don't need a meaningless friendly between two teams that are not named the Portland Timbers to prove that. We prove it day in and day out when the Timbers take the pitch. Who cares about anything else?

The whole week was great. If anyone walks away thinking the Soccer City USA moniker bestowed on us in the 1970s wasn't deserved I would be shocked and the denier would probably be lying. At maybe 25% power our stadium still sounded better than 75% of the stadiums across the league. The Timbers FO did everything right this week with events. MLS did everything right this week. I even saw Sunil Gulati out this week with a huge smile on his face, which I assume means US Soccer was pretty happy about this week.

Now let's get back to what's really important. The Timbers play the soon to be renamed club Chivas USA. Let's just support our club and beat Chivas.

As you probably know, one of the biggest community outreach undertakings of the 107IST this year is the renovation of Jefferson High School's field. If you'd like to have a chance at an All Star Game ticket and put some money toward a worthy cause at the same time, now is your chance.

We are fortunate to be able to raffle four (4) general admission tickets to the MLS All Star Game vs. Bayern Munich this Wednesday, August 6th. For $10, your name will go into a drawing for one of these tickets. For $25, you'll get three chances at the drawing.

Drawing will be held on Tuesday evening, August 5th at 9pm. Winners will be notified by email, and tickets will be emailed via PDF.

Click the link below for a chance at the tickets, and to help to support the Jefferson High School field project:

The following information was originally emailed out to all members. If you are a paid-up member but not receiving our emails please first check your spam folder, if it's not there email us at memberinfo@107ist.org and we'll look into it.

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Play a Game of Footy on the Bricks - FREE

Come on down Sunday 8/3 from 4-8pm and experience a unique soccer event right in the heart of Portland. As part of the MLS All Star game celebration, Adidas will be putting down a small pitch in the middle Pioneer Courthouse Square. This Sunday the Timbers Army will be running an informal tournament “Kick on the Bricks” on that pitch open to all in a free walk up and register format. There will be a beer garden and food carts at the event, so come for the afternoon and enjoy a great night in downtown!

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All-Star Week Announcements and Party

We’re ready to have some fun sharing the town and game we love with a ton of out of town visitors during All-Star Week. Keep an eye out for an email later this week with more information on some special events and an invitation to a party.

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Kick Kick Score!

KKS is a family friendly event on Sunday, August 3rd for fut-golf aficionados and newcomers alike. Think miniature golf, but with soccer balls. Participants will complete nine fut-golf holes along Hawthorne Boulevard, with an awards ceremony celebrating the Best Kickers held afterward at 6:00pm outside Bazi. Cost is $5 for youth and $10 for adults. A limited edition t-shirt can also be purchased during registration for $10. Learn more at the Kick Kick Score Website. The No Pity Van and the Rose City Riveters Merch table will be stationed in front of Bazi if you need to purchase t-shirts, buttons, scarves.

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Fanladen Office Hours

The fanladen will be open on Thursday, July 31st 6:30pm-9:00pm. Come on by if you have membership questions, if you want to pick up your membership swag/mug, and/or to pick up preorders of R/W/B special fringe scarves.

We’ll also open before the Thorns match on Sunday August, 3rd 5:00pm-6:30pm and briefly after the match. Stop in to buy Riveters merch, pick up your 107ist mug, or participate in our face-value ticket exchange.

The fanladen is located at 1633 SW Alder, on the corner of SW 17th and Alder. And yes, you do need your mug coupon to pick up your free mug; additional mugs may be purchased for $5 each.

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MLS All-Star Week Volunteer Opportunities

If you’d like to score two free TA/GA tickets to the September 23rd CCL match vs. Alpha United FC, while volunteering to be an ambassador for Soccer City USA, now is your chance. The All Star Game comes to Portland the week of August 6th, and we have the chance to introduce visitors to the town and the sport we love.

Check out the volunteer opportunities available. If any of them sound like something you’d like to do, sign up at the link provided. You’ll receive two free TA/GA tickets to the CCL match on 9/23! Click here for details and volunteer sign up links.

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Download the MLS All-Star App

MLS All-Star Week is coming to PDX, featuring 6 days of epic showcase games and events. Only one app connects you to all of the action, and OregonLive.com and The Oregonian are delivering:

• Get event + player info
• Create your personal game plan
• Read MLS news
• Share photos + updates
• Connect with other fans

Plus score points, badges and prizes when you use the app. Take your place at the top of the Leaderboard! Download It Now – FREE

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Away Match Partners

Looking for a partner bar to catch Saturday morning’s match? Check out our longtime partner Paddy’s (65 SW Yamhill Street, Portland). Present your 107ist card and get happy hour prices on food and drink all day on both home and away games days. Additionally, the first 20 members who show their card on game days will receive their first draught beer for $1.07 in honor of the section that started it all.

Further afield? Check out another longtime partner, Dublin Down Irish Pub (813 Main St., Vancouver, WA). Dublin Down continues to honor 107ist members with $1.00 off all regularly priced, micro/import draught beers and appetizers. This special is available all day, everyday!

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Featured Partner: Chunky Pig

Remember, the 107ist has numerous non-bar partners as well. Check out Chunky Pig, which offers candied bacon confections combining sweetness, salty & pork. Featuring Niman Ranch bacon, there’s plenty of pig packed into every bite. Chunky pig offers 15% off entire purchases to 107ist members who use the code RCTID15 at www.chunkypiglove.com.

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More Events and Volunteer opportunities

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8/2 - 8/3 TAFC Futsal Tourney/TACPR Fundraiser - Play some footy and help save a life.

The exclusive 107ist registration phase is over, but you can still sign up through Rose City Futsal during public registration while space is still available. Join us for a great weekend of futsal and fun with the TAFC at Rose City Futsal. Enjoy BBQ, CPR demonstrations, and a few surprises. More details here.

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8/15 - 8/17 - Mt. Hood Campout

August 15-17 join the Govy brigade for a weekend of pub crawls, camping, and, of course, match viewing. PTFC will be away that weekend at New England, so why not make plans to spend a few days with fellow TA enjoying all that Mt. Hood has to offer.

More details can be found here.

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8/15 - 8/16 Glendoveer FootGolf to Benefit Playworks

Another fun opportunity to wear silly caps and kick a ball and raise some money. The FootGolf craze has hit Portland at Glendoveer Golf and Tennis to benefit Playworks Pacific Northwest (a local nonprofit supplying trained personnel for school day recess programs at 16 low income schools in the Portland area). They will also show the Timbers vs. Revolution after the event on Sunday. Check it out here http://www.playglendoveer.com/footgolf/footgolf-open!

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Earlier this year the 107ist board conducted a survey of our membership to help guide our decisions as a board as well as get a better sense of the priorities and demographic makeup of 107ist members.

As a member, you’re likely interested in the results as well. We’re sharing a brief overview below.

Methodology and Response:

A questionnaire was sent in January to all 2014 107ist members.  About 63% of members completed the survey, which is an excellent response rate in the non-profit survey field.

Demographics:

75% of respondents were male and 25% female with just over 45% falling between the ages of 18-34.  Oregon dominated geographically with 90% of respondents hailing from our great state, but we have members in nearly every state and as far flung as Kathmandu, Nepal.   Unsurprisingly the Timbers were the first choice as a favorite team:

Favorite Team	Percentage
Portland Timbers	91.0%
A team not based in Portland (e.g., another city's club, an EPL team, another international team, etc.)	3.4%
Portland Thorns	2.7%
U.S. Men's National Team	2.2%
A University of Portland team	.5%
U.S. Women’s National Team	.3%

Membership Priorities

One of primary goals in commissioning this survey was to receive feedback from members of their desired priorities for the organization. When asked to rank their reasons for being a 107ist member in order of importance respondents overwhelmingly chose gameday activities followed by charitable efforts.  Our spending and effort for 2014 will closely align with those priorities, as it has for the past 3 years.

Activity	1st Choice Percentage
To support the Timbers Army game day experience	63.2%
To support the 107ist charitable efforts	19.6%
To purchase Cascadia away day tickets and travel	11%
To purchase exclusive merch and swag	2.8%
To support the Rose City Riveters game day experience	2.4%
For partner discounts and specials	1.6%

Timbers Support

We first asked respondents about their Timbers attendance, viewing habits and ticket purchases.  Some key findings include:

107ist Members Are Financially Committed

• It was not a surprise that 107ist members attend a lot of Timbers matches.  However, their financial commitment to the club exceeded our expectations. Over 94% of participants attended at least one Timbers home match during the 2013 season and over half (54%) of members who live elsewhere in the U.S. traveled to a Timbers home match last year.  In all, 64% of 107ist members have season tickets.

Attending a Timbers match is a Family Affair

• Half of all season ticketing holding 107ist members who responded have 2 sets of season tickets in their household and 25% have 3 or more season tickets.

Timbers Army Dominates but West Side Strongly Represented

• The vast majority (73%) of 107ist members who responded have tickets in the Timbers Army/General Admission sections, while 24% of STHs sit on the West Side.

Thorns Support

We also asked about the Thorns and 107ist member’s activity with the club.  Over half of the respondents attended a Portland Thorns match in 2013 and nearly a third are Thorns season ticket holders.  While, participation in supporting the Thorns is lower than that for the Timbers it is certainly of significant interest to our members. It’s important to note the club is only it its second year. We expect interest to continue to grow.

Some key findings included:

• 51% of respondents attended a Portland Thorns home match in 2013
• 29% of 107ist members owned Thorns season tickets in 2013 or will own in 2014
• 66% of those season ticket holders stand with the Rose City Riveters

Communications

Having heard anecdotally that our members would like more effective communication from the board, we solicited feedback on how members prefer to access information.. Members overwhelmingly (88%) said they prefer to access information via email from us (with social media being the second choice) and that they’d like to receive information on a weekly basis.

Based on the survey results we have adopted several new communications strategies that you may have noticed.  The weekly “what you need to know” email is part of that.

In Conclusion

We would like to thank every member for taking the time to respond to this survey.  We would like to thank in particular 107ist member Amber Hayes who volunteered her time to draft and administer the survey.

We intend for this to become a regular survey in the coming years in order to help guide the 107ist board. In the meantime, feel free to contact the 107ist board and committees of volunteers via the contact forms on the website.

—Posted on behalf of Mick Hoban

A word of thanks to the 107ist/Timbers Army members who participated in the ‘Work Party’ at the Conway’s ‘new’ home yesterday. Timber/Jim and Mike [Coleman] can tell you more specifically who was there but we had around 20 volunteers all told which turned out to be a perfect number – enough to get the work done expeditiously but not too many that people didn’t feel personally involved in the project. I’ve attached a group photo and Mike took photos to share with members of your organization too.

Under the leadership of Timber Jim who taught us ‘city folk’ many valuable skills including tying knots, the group had an enjoyable day clearing out the Conway’s back yard. The ‘skip’ was filled in record time and Noeleen, true to form, provided cold drinks and food which provided everyone with an opportunity to meet and greet others.

As a former Timber, a former team-mate on Jimmy’s and a fellow ‘Ring-of-Honor’ member of Jimmy and Timber Jim I was extremely proud of the way that everyone contributed to the call for support. Timber Jim is to be thanked for the impetus and a big thank you is in order for your group.

Thanks for your help and support. It is much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Mick Hoban