​January 2025
3 Digit Raffle
GOING, GOING,
ALL GONE!
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It's now over, so if you haven't got yours already, there's a 100% chance that you won't.
You couldn't have procrastinated again this year.
Or did you?
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If you DID get in, you could end up being the favorite member of your family and of all your friends. IF you got them a winning ticket, that is.
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You couldn't have procrastinated again this year.
Or did you?
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If you DID get in, you could end up being the favorite member of your family and of all your friends. IF you got them a winning ticket, that is.
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For a measly $5, you were able to give these out like candy as stocking stuffers.
Now all you, your family and your friends need to do is watch for their number(s) to be drawn each night in January.
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Any ticket that you sold or bought for yourself could win 31 times! (But they won't. I'll bet you).
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GOOD LUCK!​
Thanks a million to you from all of us at Ravens Roost 138!
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Charity Award Night
January 15, 2025​​​​
Our Charitable Donation Night on Wednesday was a resounding success! Between all of our members and the representatives of the charitable organizations that we had selected to receive our funding this year, there were plenty of smiling faces present.
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The representatives receiving our checks were all outstanding again this year. Each one impressed our membership with an update on the great work their organization had accomplished in 2024. The Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore representative even found out what had happened to their old facility after they moved into a larger place a few years ago. It has been purchased by the Hope Lodge, one of the organizations to which we gave a check for the first time this year.
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It’s a small world, isn’t it?
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Check out photos from this night under our in the scrolling window on the Home Page.
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As my own personal reflection, but one which I believe our Roost members would share, the organizations that we have selected for funding do some very needed work in our community. They should each be congratulated on their accomplishments and thanked for their caring.
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Anybody can get a job, but not all that many get a job that gives back so much. You might each want to consider that the next time you have a few dollars to give to a good cause.
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Polar Bear Plunge
February 1, 2025
9AM - 4PM
Sunny, 90 degree days in Bermuda? Who needs them! We had our own little 46 degree (water temp was only 38 degrees though) Plunge Day here in good old B'more.
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That's PERFECT weather for a little plunge, don't you think?
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This year, our Roost showed a record high 16 different plungers. There were actually 18 "registered", but one was a duplicate that couldn't be removed, and the other was, well, Will!
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John and Heather rocked, supplying a bus to transport our brave plungers down to Sandy Point. That's where a giant polar bear greeted us and showed our plungers where the warmest water was.
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You can check out photos of this year's Plunge in the scrolling window on the Home Page.
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When the smoke cleared, our little Roost had raised a total of $4,723 for this great cause! That sets the bar at a VERY HIGH level, but we CAN still beat it next year. All it takes is a boatload of plungers and Roost members and friends with wheelbarrows full of money.
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There. The gauntlet has been thrown down.​
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Council of Baltimore Ravens Roosts
Annual Bull & Oyster Roast
March 1, 2025
7PM - Midnight
Those of you who have been a member of any roost for at least a year already KNEW just how much fun this event was going to be. ​
Their 2025 bull and oyster roast blew it out of the park again, in no small way due to the band Oracle. Then there was all that great food - and those deserts.
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Even though the silent raffle merchandise was not as plentiful this year, there were still many great pieces up for grabs. Hopefully you scored at least one.
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Ravens Roost 138
Bull and Oyster Roast
March 29, 2025
6PM - 10PM
​WOW!
Just WOW!!!
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This year's Ravens Roost 138 Bull and Oyster Roast was another resounding success.
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Just like last year, Jill Black and the Panic Attack performed all night long, playing some great music that all of us knew.
How many other bands do THAT these days?
None. That's exactly how many.
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Shucks. There were oysters, clams, beef, turkey, ham, pulled pork, chicken, salads, vegies.
I just couldn't get enough of that stuff.
(Not because there wasn't plenty of it - it was only because I stuffed myself
with all the meats.)
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What with the liquor wheel, door prizes, merchandise raffle boards, 50/50 boards, and our famous Silent Auction, money was flying all over the place that night.
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PLUS, it seemed like pretty much "everybody" there celebrated their birthday with us.
Jill spent a lot of time between their normal songs, singing Happy Birthday to each one of these lucky birthday people.
(Lucky because they each got a Milani cupcake too.)
And YES. The birthday people did include Jack.
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This event is one of our most lucrative outings each year.
This night certainly qualified as such again.
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Not that we couldn't have entertained more people, though.
We did fall a little short of our ticket sale goal.
We ask all Roost 138 members to keep that in mind next year, since the profit ultimately all goes to one of the charitable organizations that you each voted to support.
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Council of Baltimore Ravens Roosts Annual Convention
Ocean City, MD
May 29 - June 1, 2025
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The Council’s 2025 convention in Ocean City was THE place to be on this weekend. If you wanted to see Poe, that is. Our Rooster, Rick, even shared a drink with him. (Poe is the one on the right)
Now THAT’S camaraderie for ya’!
Hopefully you had a chance to go. If not, there's always next year. Put it on your calendar now so you won't forget.
Ravens Roost 138
Annual Election of Officers
and Board Members
June 18, 2025
6:30 PM
CONGRATULATIONS to our newly elected, 2025-2026 Roost 138 Officers and Board of Director members.
We’ve got some new blood serving our Roost this year, so it’s going to be a lot of fun around here!
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The following Roost members were elected to serve in the positions indicated below during our June meeting:
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PRESIDENT: Phil (“Pete”) Bryan
VICE PRESIDENT: John Cardinale
TREASURE: Tim McGarvey
SECRETARY: Heather Roach Bateman
SERGEANT AT ARMS: Ian Sherry
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Will Latvanas, Robert ("Doc") Gregory, Jean Beal (CHAIR), Rick Hull, and Pete Jardieu
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The membership of Ravens Roost 138 thanks both the outgoing officers as well as the incoming officers for your unselfish commitment.
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Catonsville 4th of July Celebration
July 4, 2025​
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​The weather was hot again this year, but our country's birthday celebration in Catonsville was another great event none the less.
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I hope you were able to make it!
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Now it's time to clean off those lawn chairs, and coil up that rope.
Put them all away someplace where you'll be able to find them next June because
NEXT year's event will be a MUST SEE.
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It's going to be our country's 250th Anniversary!​
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RAVENS SCRATCH-OFF TICKET RAFFLE 2025
August 25 - October 23, 2025​
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This was our 2nd year for this fun project, and it certainly won't be our last!
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Just ask Jenny.
She happily gave up her $10 bill for what turned out to be the WINNING TICKET drawn for 15 SEQUENTIALLY NUMBERED $10 Ravens Scratch-Off tickets.
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How she knew it was going to be the winner is completely beyond me, but she was right.
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Although she didn't exactly get rich from the scratch-offs themselves, she STILL has a chance to score some REAL PRIZES. These bad boys have a "Second Chance" where she could still win that Top Prize of $200,000 or some other nice things. Stay tuned.......
While we're certainly happy for Jenny, her $10 bill will soon going to one of the great charities that we support, and THAT'S our real end game.
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Jenny's winning ticket was drawn at our Charity Auction on October 23, 2025.
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It's a WIN-WIN for sure!​
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SOCKTOBERFEST 2025
October 1-31, 2025​
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This was our 5th year gathering socks for the homeless in our area. Most of us can't comprehend just how much a pair of warm, clean socks can mean to a person - unless you're the Rooster who delivers the socks to a shelter.
Seeing the look on the face of a recipient, I'm told, is a heart-warming experience.
Just ask Rooster Mark.
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Now our 2025 Socktober sock drive is over, and we did pretty well again.
The Drop Box, as usual, was located at Monaghan's Pub in Gwynn Oak, MD.
We asked for new socks for men, woman, and sadly, even kids.
Our first sock delivery of 2025 was made by Rooster Mark to the Westside Men's Shelter on October 7th, so the drop box was emptied out at that time.
Our second delivery was also to the Westside Men's Shelter. This time we delivered a case of socks (1/3 of the contribution that we received from Bombas). Rooster Phil made that delivery on October 14th.
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That second delivery freed up PLENTY of room in the sock collection box again for YOUR sock donation. Unfortunately, only a few of you took advantage of this third opportunity.
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We made our third delivery, this time to Liberty CDC in Security Square Mall, on October 21st. This delivery included the second case of socks donated by Bombas. Rooster Phil made this Socktober donation.
Our final "delivery" of socks, the last case from Bombas, was picked up at Monaghan's by representatives of the Helping Up Mission on October 21st. Honorary Rooster Dianne greeted the HUM representative and was nice enough to pose for a pic with him while collecting the socks.
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You can see a few photos of all four of these deliveries in the scrolling window above.
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We're now done for this year, but the smart money is on us doing this campaign again next year too.
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Fourth Annual
Ravens Roost 138 Tailgate Party
October 5, 2025
9AM - 12AM
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We had some more great weather again this year. Thanks, Mother Nature!
Overall, we counted around 27 Roosters and guests partaking of this team-building event this year. There was plenty of free food and drink, this year garnished by a Bloody Mary and Crush Bar.
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The Cornhole Range was open, but only two teams were up to that challenge. Everybody else was sitting and eating.
Oh, well. If you don't have any cornhole skill, it's best to stay off the court.
(Just ask Pete).
TWISTED SISTER was not available, so we had to revert to canned music. Sorry.
Grilling was performed again this year by the world-renowned Hull Brothers, and you just can't do any better than that. We should probably secure them for next year's Tailgate before some national restaurant snaps them up.
Rick and Carroll would honor that prior commitment (I think).
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Annual Charity Auction
October 23, 2025
Bidding Starts at 6:45PM
Hopefully you were able to join us at Monaghan's for this once-a-year event. It's usually one of our most lucrative fundraisers of the year, and this time was no exception.
A bunch of our Roost members donated items for the auction, as did many of Jack's suppliers.
This night was also when the winner of the Ravens Scratch Off Ticket Bundle was selected.
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With the final hammer of the night, every donated item had been auctioned off.
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That's right.
EVERY ITEM!
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Although the math hasn't quite been finalized yet, we definitely took in over $6,100 from this night.
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Thanks again to all those people and companies that made this event possible.
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Marine Toys For Tots Foundation
Holiday Toy Drive
October 31 Through December 10, 2025
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Some people put out cookies and milk for Santa. We're going to do a whole lot better than that!
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On or around October 31st, a giant Toys For Tots Drop Box will magically appear at Monaghan's Pub.
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But it will be EMPTY!
That's where YOU come in.
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Our Roost's goal, as always, is to fill this box to overflowing - not just once but multiple times - with new, unwrapped toys. You know, the GOOD stuff that you would buy for your own children or grandchildren.
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There are far too many kids out there that won't be getting ANYTHING at all for Christmas without the toys collected every year by the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The problem is that there are way too many kids for the Foundation to provide toys to without YOUR help.
The box will be continuously monitored and emptied again and again until the Toys For Tots toy drive closes around December 10th.​​​
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