Okay, NOTHING about this crowd is "regular", but from every point on the compass, 26 of our family and friends gathered for our annual toast to the year just passed. From the East came Todd Wenzel, Jim Tompkins and Lisa Selby, from the South, Jerry and Janinea Sloan, Jerry Davenport and Hank and Janelle Ramsey, John and Penny Long from the West, and Shelby and Sandy Hilton from the North. The greater Asheville crowd rounded out the collection with Carl Wilcox, Rollin Tompkins, Geoff Tompkins, Tami Cox and her daughters Alice and Lauren, Bob and Joy Currie, Dave and Garnell Jackson, Dean and Paulette Baehman, and Allen Owens and Patricia Mabe.

Dean led us through the highlights of 2004, from the cold, wet Jacksonville in February to the Red Hill with no mortar powder, the blistered hands of the Spring National Repeater teams, the excellent shoot (and dinner) of the Iredell Blues in August, the record setting floods and medals from the Fall National, to the cold, wet Homecoming where we once again swept the Region Trophies.

Dave handed out hash marks designating years of service to the following people:
Allen - 15 years
Bob C. - 10 Years
Jerry S. - 10 Years
Jerry D. - 10 years

Winners of 2004 Annual Team Awards

In the annual gift department:
Allen expressed his thanks to Dean and Rollin for their work on his new deck and to Dave for the "revolving" basement door he helped install.

Garnell presented Paulette and Dean with an "Incredible Puppy Care Video" to aid and abet with the assimilation of Max, the newest member of their family.

Shelby presented Dave a bottle of Genuine Virginia Virgin Snake Oil. "Rub into noggin as needed to prevent brain farts". Hopefully Garnell will remember to pack it!

Hank got a Picket slide rule from Dean to add to his collection and announced Clay and Claire's June 4th wedding date! Hank also expressed thanks on behalf of he and Janelle for the thoughts, prayers, and support provided by the whole team, which helped immeasurably in getting them through the tragic loss of Lee last month.

Fueled by members present and absent, and by events recent and long passed, the team spirit of the Buncombe Rifles seems stronger than ever
as we journey together into the dawn of our twentieth year.

Go Bunnies!