Ditto to all.

FYI before the first time I bought kegs (might even have been pre TB, I don't remember) was at Pemi. I spoke with a member of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission who was the person responsible for enforcement in the region to discuss ways I could legally provide beer at a campout. I consulted with my attorney and my insurance agent about liability.

At the rally one of the Knights of Columbus guys was asking how I was able to sell beer. I told him I was not selling beer, people were purchasing commemorative cups. He looked at me weird and went and made a phone call to the guy I spoke with who apparently was a nephew or something. I think the KOC guys wanted to figure out how we could do something they couldn't. He was told that we were ok.

Now I want to reiterate that it is not necessary to have a keg to have a good rally but it is vital to have a nice central gathering place where Dana can strum and folks can get a little bleary eyed if that is what they wish to do.

The original reason I started bringing kegs was mainly to provide a service and have some control over the environment. Personally I am not a big drinker but in the middle of nowhere with my friends it is fun to have a beer or two.

I observed that many people make their last stop of the day at a beer store and load up on beer and ice. I also observed that many folks were also leaving the site to go get more beer because they ran out of beer. The first two years I specifically remember seeing folks leave Pemi in shorts and T shirts sans helmets to just "go a mile to the convenience store".

As an aside for the MOA National in Vermont I was the on the permit (you have to have a person, not an organization on the permits) for the beer garden and I had to get licensed by the state to do so. When the DLC had an issue they didn't look for the Executive Director, Swider, Mike Friedle or the beer committe chairs, she had them find me. I'm no lawyer but I have done considerable research in this area because I have been "on the hook" and I have plenty to loose.

So... I figured that it would be somewhat safer and a ton more fun to provide a couple of kegs and figure out a way to break even because from day one myself of the Shagger put up the front money, it never came out of the club treasury which was done to further insulate the club from the BG.

Now if you are a friend of Wilie Coyote or a former drinker with attitude I can definitely understand how the BG could turn you off. I sympathize but all the places we go are large enough that if you don't like the BG there are plenty of other places for you to hang out. In Heath and Pemi there were gathering areas with either a bonfire or music and conversation that were well away from the kegs and noise. Nobody ever got hurt, nobody ever rode or drove anything drunk and yes, once in a while we would gently cut someone off and guide them to their tent. A field in the middle of nowhere is a pretty easy environment to control.

In the past the YB's were loud n proud coast to coast.

The bottom line is I love to have a good time and I enjoy it even more when everyone around me is having a good time and I really get jazzed when I can do something to help make it a good time. I still have the impression that the board nuked the BG (and to some degree the TBTT) because we were having too much fun.

Regardless of the reason the board spoke and that is that. It is a new year, we have some wonderful events coming up and I prefer to look forward not back. I've been expending my energy and time for the MOA which has been a wonderful experience but I'm going to be spending more time at home and look forward to helping out when appropriate. From this thread there are some potential new members of the Toy Box Trucking Team, that is where I plan on focusing my energy.

Viva la YB! I like bikes!