Note from Members Weekend

By Lisa Duff
Marketing and Membership Director

Great Smoky Mountains Association hosted some 135 members at this year's Members Weekend in Gatlinburg. From a high-donor reception to a basket-making class, the event is always a good time for those in attendance.

Members, above from left, John, Sue and Hugh took home a hand-crafted basket.



Valerie Polk in our Creative Services Department created this video (left) in record time following the event. Click to watch.
Business Outreach Specialist Breckenridge Morgan took our table centerpieces to a whole new level by starting with donated 'tree cookies' from Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge. From there he added plush from Product Support and Development, signage created by Emma DuFort in our Creative Department and some moss from Old Time Pottery. For a donation of $30, the centerpieces could be taken home. Almost every one of them sold!
Our silent auction was our best yet. Between the centerpieces and the auction, we raised more than $3,500.
We do not yet have a plan in place for our 2020 Members Weekend. If you have ideas to share or want to help us organize a fun event, please let me know.
October Retail Sales Goals
Congratulations!

All teams achieved their Super Bonus Goals in September!

Teams must reach their overall team goals to receive bonus profit sharing.

  • Blount's team goal is $402,485 for bonus and $421,651 for super
  • Sevier's team goal is $613,811 for bonus and $643,040 for super
  • Carolina's team goal is $438,454 for bonus and $459,333 for super.

For more information on how our profit-sharing bonus program works, ask your manager.
October Membership Sales Goals
Team Carolina
October Goal: $23,376
Daily Goal: $753
Team Sevier
October Goal: $35,303
Daily Goal: $1,139
Team Blount
October Goal: $15,862
Daily Goal: $511

Congratulations!
Teams Blount and Carolina achieved their area goals in September!

Top membership recruiters for September from each area based on bonus calculations:

Cory Cable, Team Blount
Cathy Gilmore, Team Carolina
Laurie Walker, Team Sevier

For more information on how our membership profit-sharing bonus program works, ask your manager.
A quick and easy way to increase membership revenue is to recommend to visitors that they take the Chestnut Challenge when joining (or rejoining) GSMA this fall.

Anyone who joins or renews at the Chestnut (or higher) level by December 13 is automatically entered to win one of two prize packages, graciously given by our Lookout League members and compiled by Business Outreach Specialist Breckenridge Morgan.

Package #1
 
Ripley's Mouse Pad
4 tickets to Titanic in Pigeon Forge
2 tickets to take a Nantahala Outdoor Center guide-assisted raft trip
4 tickets to Ripley's Aquarium
$300 in Mast General Store gift certificates
6 VIP guest passes to Gatlinburg Area Attractions
Two-night stay at the Lodge at Five Oaks in Pigeon Forge
One-night stay The Appalachian Lodge in Gatlinburg
 
Package #2
 
Ripley's Mouse Pad
4 tickets to Titanic in Pigeon Forge
2 tickets to take a Nantahala Outdoor Center guide-assisted raft trip
4 tickets to Ripley's Aquarium
$300 in Mast General Store gift certificates
6 VIP guest passes to Gatlinburg Area Attractions
One-night stay at the Lodge at Five Oaks in Pigeon Forge
Two-night stay The Appalachian Lodge in Gatlinburg

The winning members will be contacted by email and phone on Monday, December 16. Immediately after we've let them know they've won, we'll mail their prize packages.

Our Creative Department is working to create Chestnut Challenge signage , so be looking for that to arrive soon.
Coming Soon: Our newest Holiday Catalog

As is a retail reality, well before Halloween sends tiny ghouls and ghosts to our front door, GSMA plans to send our 2019-2020 Holiday Catalog to as many mailboxes and email inboxes as possible. In the stores, the catalog will soon be available to send home with October/November leaf-lookers.

Up there with family summer vacations and 'Rocktober' as coined by CEO Laurel Rematore, the year-end holiday season is one of our biggest. While our stores are sure to be slammed with visitors, those who might not find themselves in the Smokies can still find great gift ideas at our online store. To sweeten the online shopping experience, be sure to mention that we are offering free shipping on orders of $150 or more through December 13.

Special thanks to the Creative Team's Karen Key for her work to design this year's Holiday Catalog. When you flip through it, look for GSMA staffers and their children who served as clothing and jewelry models, as well as toy testers.
NEW: Digital membership cards
When members ask, we can email a digital version of their membership card. We do not know yet if a digital card can be scanned, so if you see one and want to try it, please let us know what happens.

Images of all other GSMA-issued membership cards are included below...
Temporary Member Card
This card is only given to individuals who RENEW their membership in-store. It should specify the member level.
Hemlock Member
Discount amount: 20%
Lifetime Member
Discount amount: 25%
Buckeye, Chestnut and Dogwood Members + GSMA Employees
Discount amount: 15%
GSMA Employees: 20%
Member card
Acorn (Youth) Member
No discount
Lookout League (Business) Member
Discount amount: 20%
* * * Other cards that may be presented include Friends of the Smokies membership cards and reciprocal association membership cards. Friends members receive a 15% discount and reciprocal association members receive a 10% discount in our stores.
News from HR:
Two ways to save for the future

By Kelli Green - HR & Office Manager

GSMA offers a 403(b) retirement plan. Our pension plan is administered by Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association (TIAA) and has two possible components for 2019 contributions: A. an employee-funded supplemental retirement annuity and B. an Association-funded retirement account
 
Supplemental Retirement Annuity-eligible on the first day of hire: All employees are eligible to participate in the Supplemental Retirement Annuity from the day you are hired. This plan allows you to voluntarily contribute some of your pre-tax wages to a supplemental retirement annuity. You can contribute up to $19,000 a year from your wages into your TIAA supplemental retirement annuity. Employees over 50 years old can contribute up to $25,000 a year. This is a voluntary plan, and your contribution picks back up after a lay-off period. 

To establish a supplemental retirement annuity, you need to complete our company's Salary Reduction Agreement form. Call me at 865.436.7318 x 228 or email me at kelli@gsmassoc.org to get directions to set your account up online. Be prepared to allocate your contributions into the various investment vehicles offered by TIAA.

If you do not currently have a supplementary retirement account, but wish to start one, request forms from me at any time.

GSMA-funded Retirement Account: GSMA will match any amount in your Supplemental Retirement Annuity up to 6% of your wages on a monthly basis to TIAA if you decide to participate in the retirement plan. You will need to allocate these contributions into the various investment vehicles offered by TIAA.

Matching contributions will begin for new hires after six consecutive months of employment or 1,000 hours worked in a calendar year.

To establish a GSMA-funded Retirement Account, you must complete our company's Salary Reduction Agreement form.
GSMA Product Highlight:
Our Fall Pottery Mug

From Team Sevier

This month's product highlight comes from Team Sevier's Nadine Whitted.

"What better way to kick off our fall season here in the Smokies than with the beautiful new Deneen Pottery Mug," says Nadine. "The orange glaze with cornfields and pumpkins is sure to be hit with members and visitors alike."

Thanks for sharing, Nadine!
Our Deneen Pottery Mugs are handcrafted in the USA. Each spring and fall, Deneen creates an exclusive designed sold only in the Smokies. No design will ever be repeated, meaning once they are gone, they are gone forever.
October means cooler temperatures, beautiful fall foliage and the start of Pumpkin Spice Season. Be sure to let our park visitors know they should fill their new fall mug with this classic seasonal treat. Even better, let them know they can make it themselves at home with our Pumpkin Butter!
2017
What's cooking? Share your favorite recipes

Pumpkin Spice Everything is just one of a thousand holiday and seasonally flavored ways to ensure our Foods of the Smokies find their way into our recipes. We want to share more of your ideas.

Perhaps you incorporate our cornmeal into pancakes dripping with our maple syrup, or you use Hot Chow Chow to spice up meatloaf, or you have a favorite preserve flavor that makes the best pie. We'll compile your recipes and share them in upcoming Trailhead newsletters.
Foods of the Smokies as seen in our upcoming Holiday Catalog, layout designed by Karen Key
When visitors ask, our line of Foods of the Smokies items come from individuals and companies surrounding the national park:

  • Preserves and Butters (Apple and Pumpkin) – Anna Miller of Munfordville, Kentucky
  • Relishes, Pickles and Chow Chow – Habeggers Amish Market in Scottsville, Kentucky
  • Honey – C&S Honey and Allison’s Honey, both located in north Georgia
  • Chocolate – Blanton Candy in Sweetwater, Tennessee
  • Cornmeal and Whole Wheat Flour – Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  • Sorghum Molasses and Aunt Becky's BBQ Sauce – Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill in Monterey, Tennessee
Riddle Me This: Will Parsons Branch ever reopen?

By Team Blount Manager Russell Heenie

In addition to often being asked this question, we hear a great deal of verbal displeasure from people who have traveled it in the past and wish to do so now.

We are now four years into the closure of Parsons Branch Road, which would carry vehicles and their occupants from the back of Cades Cove to SR129, also fondly known as the 'Tail of the Dragon' in North Carolina.

As we approach October and look forward to crazy travel times driving the Loop, I find myself reflecting on how I would sometimes exit from work down Parsons Branch. It would often afford me a quicker trip home than driving the Loop.

For insiders like myself, the story of the closure involves several threatening trees and branches. A couple of visitors were hit by falling branches. A study was ordered by the Park and many trees were identified as needing to be removed. Some 1,700 trees were identified as needing to be removed or felled along Parsons Branch Road, which fronts a nice portion of the virgin forest we still have in the park.
As I understand it, some funding was set aside and a few timber workers were assigned to begin the removal. Sadly, just as this had been arranged, the Chimney Top/Gatlinburg fires occurred. The project ended up never getting off the ground as the resources were used elsewhere.

So maybe the appropriate question is: When will funding become available again to resume plans to reopen Parsons Branch Road?
Masthead
fall foliage laurel falls trail gary wilson
Fall into a Smokies adventure this autumn

October offerings include:
  • Monarch Butterfly Tagging – Saturday and Sunday, October 5 & 6
  • Fall Hike to Rich Coves – Thursday, October 10
  • Birding Cataloochee – Saturday, October 12
  • Finley Cane Naturalist Ramble - Saturday, October 19
  • Rich Mountain Loop Hike – Friday, October 25
  • Lost! How to Prevent It for Families – Saturday, October 26

*Remember, GSMA employees may attend most Branch Out events for FREE!

If you are interested in attending an event, please contact Logan at 865.436.7318 Ext. 254 or logan@gsmassoc.org.

Space is limited and registrations are required.

NOTE: October event posters have been ever so slightly delayed. Look for them to arrive soon.
Road Trippin' in Carolina
From Team Carolina

Even during a year with extra high store sales precipitated by similarly high park visitation, September could seem like the calm before the October storm, right? Not so for Team Carolina! Not only did our in-store sales and memberships keep us as busy as bears feeding on fall mast, but we also took part in several off-site events last month.

Smoky Mountain Elk Fest – The inaugural Smoky Mountain Elk Fest in Maggie Valley (our booth is pictured above) was September 14. Despite an afternoon storm, team members Bob Flood and Micaela West collected more than $1,900 in gross sales, including a whopping $545 in new memberships.

“Elk Fest was a great event,” Bob said. “People really like elk, and they showed this by purchasing anything and everything with an elk on it. So much so that we asked OVC to send a second shipment because we were quickly running out of product to sell.

"Unfortunately, by the time we put out the new stock, Mother Nature had other plans, and the rain and lightning forced us to fold our booth and call it a day," Bob continue. "But all in all, it was a great event, and I look forward to doing it again next year.”

Mountain Life Festival – Next up was the ever-popular Mountain Life Festival on September 21. Not only did in-store sales surpass $7,100 that day, but we also brought in more than $1,200 at our booth 'down on the farm,' the Mountain Farm Museum, that is, where the festival is held.
Kephart: A Librarian’s Effort to Create a National Park – GSMA and Friends of Hunter Library at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee presented this program on September 26. George Ellison and Janet McCue (pictured), co-authors of the acclaimed “Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography” published by GSMA, and retired WCU archivist George Frizzell discussed Kephart’s vital role in promoting a Smokies park.
 
Mountain Heritage Day – Finally, on September 28, GSMA was once again present for WCU’s time-honored Mountain Heritage Day, which annually attracts a big turnout.

So much for what might be considered a relatively quiet month – at least during a typical year.

* * *

As if the various off-site events weren’t enough, Team Carolina received CPR/Basic First Aid Training on September 5. The following team members earned their certification from American Safety & Health Institute for completing a class by Code 3 Emergency Training Solutions of Pigeon Forge:
  • Senior Store Manager Fred Guffey
  • Assistant Manager Matt Drauszewski
  • Barry Hipps
  • Laura Lyon
  • Sarah Spiro
  • Ben Anderson
Upcoming Off-site Events

Fall is festival season in the mountains, and Team GSMA will be representing at several upcoming events.

Happy October Birthdays!
10th - Cheyenne Gordon, NC Team

11th - Russell Gifford, Sevier Team

17th - James Jenkins, Sevier Team; Brenda Ownby, Product Support & Development

21st - Charlene Shiver, Marketing & Membership

26th - Melissa Crisp, Parks as Classrooms
In the Spotlight
During September's Sevierville Chamber of Commerce meeting, a whimsical competition was held to determine the winner of a door prize. GSMA's Business Outreach Specialist Breckenridge Morgan and 150 other chamber representatives faced off in fierce battles of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

Emerging victorious at his table, Breckenridge continued to smash, cut and cover his way to the top until he and DJ Kevin Griffin were the last contestants standing. With the winning move of paper-covers-rock, Breckenridge was named champion and took home the prize. He then donated the basket of goodies, valued at about $80, to our Members Weekend silent auction, where it racked up winnings for our organization.

Congratulations and thank you, Breckenridge!
Now, who will step up to challenge the champion?
Park Visitation Stats
January: 496,743
February: 421,770
March: 786,305
April: 999,259
May: 1,096,056
June: 1,469,857
July: 1,613,133
August: (Haven't been updated yet, but we know lots of folks were here!)
2019 Total Thru July: 6,883,123
Don't Miss Out! 2019 Archived Editions
Thank you for all you do to support
Great Smoky Mountains National Park!