An Online newsletter of
“The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Welcome to the May 2024 Weaver’s Newsletter!
This is the third issue of Weaver’s Newsletter for 2024 and things have really been exciting in the Mayberry community in the months since our last issue. Many fellow fans had big trips to Mayberry events like those found in the Event Calendar and several created their own event based upon their travels. It’s always great to hear about the Mayberry fun that can be had throughout the year so we’ll hear from some and see images of their adventures.
As a reminder, Weaver’s has 53 items that have been discontinued by the vendor. A special section of the Weaver’s website has been created so you can see if any of those items might be some you’ve held off purchasing. Grab them while there is still stock because they are going fast.
While we hate to see some of our favorite products become unavailable, rest assured Mr. Weaver is working hard to make sure fans have exciting new products that we hope will become new favorites. There are several new items listed below that you are going to enjoy.
**** Merchandise Update ****
As mentioned above, a Weaver’s supplier of The Andy Griffith Show licensed t-shirts & sweatshirts will no longer be producing Mayberry themed products. 53 different items will no longer be produced. What that means to you is as soon as Weaver’s inventory of those t-shirts/sweatshirts are gone, they can not be re-stocked. IF there are particular items you’re interested in having, purchase them before they are gone.
Enjoy checking out the many fun items in our online store store. Here are some highlights:
These are some of the items that are discontinued. Basically, if there is the face of a character on the shirt, it is very likely discontinued. It isn’t just t-shirts and sweatshirts. There are so many on the chopping block that I really can’t list them all. Clicking this link will take you to a page a Weaver’s that list all the discontinued products.
An incomplete list is: Lawmen, Fishin Hole, Barney Face – Woven Throw, Beach Towels, Pillows, Pillowcases, Bandanas, and Accessory Pouches.
It’s pretty shocking when you see how many things that are no longer being made but don’t worry. Weaver’s is hard at work to find more fun Mayberry items for you to enjoy like the ones below.
New Products only at Weaver’s
Colonel Harvey’s Indian Elixir Flask – $9.00
Weaver’s has been working with traveling salesman, Colonel Harvey, to bring you this stainless steel hip flask branded with the labeling for the Colonel’s elixir. The elixir is sold separately at your favorite local “tonic” store but you can enjoy displaying the flask on your shelves. Otis told Mr. Weaver that he’d take two.
You may not need to purchase the actual elixir unless you feeling tired and run down. Dragging yourself out of bed in the morning or feel that life seem hardly worth living. Then friends, you may need the elixir. Otherwise, this flask may lift your spirit by at least 85%.
Flask comes with a funnel to aid in filling with your choice of tonic.
Size: 4.8″ x 3.7″ – 8 oz. – Stainless Steel
NOTE: Label may not survive in high quality if it gets very wet. (It may smear or become stained.)
Mayberry Axes Pizza Cutter – $15.00
Weaver’s found these pizza cutters that have a Mayberry feel to them. You can get your choice of a phrase that is laser engraved on one side of the handle.
From the “Alcohol and Old Lace” episode, you can celebrate National Still Smashing Day with an “ax” that has the phrase “Pow, pow pow.”
Or choose, from “The Haunted House” episode, the “ax” that old man Remshaw left floating around in his house that almost made Barney faint. The phrase on this one is Barney stating “With an ax.” and Gomer replying, “An ax? Shazam.“
Get yourself one or both!
Size of each: 7 ¼” long
Care Instructions: Hand wash only.
Aunt Bee Wooden Spoon – $9.00
Briscoe Darling learned quickly not to cross Aunt Bee when he was “declaring” for her. She used a wooden spoon to correct him if he wasn’t quick enough in doing what she expected.
That’s why this rememberable quote by Briscoe came to be laser engraved on this wooden spoon. The spoon says “I ain’t about to be beat to death with no spoon!” and I dare you to read it without hearing Briscoe Darling in your mind.
The spoons are a generous 12” long and laser-engraved, so the words won’t rub off.
The engraving says “i ain’t about to be beat to death with no spoon!” (all lowercase) is on the inside of the “bowl.” The back of the spoon is blank. (front and back shown in image above)
Size: 12″ long
Mayberry Park Wooden Ornament – $11.00
These laser engraved birch ornaments are inspired by the traditional National Park signs seen around the U.S.A. This ornament says: Mayberry, North Carolina
Ornaments come with twine to hang from. They’re made of laser-engraved birch & sealed for durability.
Size: 3″ x 4″
Comes with twine ribbon.
Mayberry Four Coaster Set – $28.00
These four Mayberry stone coasters actually absorb condensation from your drink!
The coasters are digitally printed here in the USA with hand painted artwork. The back of each coaster has cork, safe for any surface.
The Art is heat & water resistant for top absorption!
Design of each coaster:
1 – Sheriff badge
1 – Meet me at Fishin’ hole
1 – Truck / barber stuff / pickles / baseball / beanie / jug
1 – Squad car / jail keys / badge / pistol
Size: Each coaster is a 4.25″ Square with cork backing
Sold only as a 4 piece set.
Mayberry Tote Bag – $24.00
Fall in love with this large tote bag made from of organic cotton canvas material. Printed with original hand painted artwork. The design is similar to the Mayberry Tea Towel and the Mayberry Coaster. It is sure to be a conversation starter with fellow Mayberry fans.
These tote bags come with a full side and bottom gusset for support and durability. Over-the-shoulder organic cotton web handles are reinforced with stress point stitching for durability and to carry a heavy load comfortably.
Use this bag daily, for work, at the beach, during Mayberry events, or on a day of grocery shopping.
Made in United States
Weight: 4 oz (113.4 g)
Size: 15 x 5 x 15 in (38.1 x 12.7 x 38.1 cm)
Beehaving Wooden Cutting Board – $22.00
This bamboo cutting board will serve any kitchen well for years to come.
Not only is it functional it will look great on the counter top or hanging on the wall.
Etched into the wood is the phrase “Land sakes alive! …If it wasn’t for me, this house wouldn’t be fit to live in!” along with a wonderful lady you may think you know.
Bamboo construction with the dimensions of 13 1/2″ x 7″
Made in United States
There are more new things to be found over at Weaver’s that you will enjoy so drop by the store and browse around. You might even want to drop some hints to folks in your life, just in case they might want to give you a gift for some “special occasion” like Sir Walter Raleigh Day or maybe National Still Smashin’ Day.
Floyd’s Barbershop Bulletin Board & Event Calendar
The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring the late Emmett Forrest’s amazing collection of Andy Griffith artifacts, is a must-see attraction for any visit to Mount Airy, N.C. For complete updates on operating hours and other info, visit the website at AndyGriffithMuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
Here are upcoming events that folks have posted on Floyd’s bulletin board:
* May 25: Karen Knotts performs her standup act as part of “Industry Night Out” at the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville, Fla. at 7 p.m. Ticket prices start at #45. For info, visit www.ticketmaster.com.
* May 30: The “Mayberry Man” TV series premieres on UpTV’s streaming service called Up Faith & Family beginning May 30. There are five episodes for starters and the possibility of more. Written and directed by Stark Howell, son of Hoke Howell (Dud Wash) and produced by Cort Howell (also Hoke’s son) and Greg Schell (son of Ronnie Schell, who also appears in the series), “Mayberry Man” the series continues the story and has many familiar faces (including Allan Newsome in a featured role) from the recent Mayberry Man movie. If you’d like to support this Mayberry feeling series, check their website at https://upfaithandfamily.com for streaming options. The world needs more of that Mayberry spirit so let’s spread the love.
* June 15: Essential Mayberry author Neal Brower kicks off his summer lecture series about TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. All three monthly, hour-long lectures this summer feature an episode dealing with matchmaking and romantic rivalry. Today’s lecture is about “The New Doctor” from Season 2. Lecture admission is included with Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* June 21-23: After the roaring success of their 2023 festival, the second edition of Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg will be held in Scottsburg, Ind., this weekend. Scheduled to attend are: Rodney Dillard (guitar-playing Darling boy) and his Dillards band; Dennis Rush (Opie’s friend “Howie”); Keith Thibodeaux (Opie’s buddy Johnny Paul Jason) with Christian rock band David and the Giants (Keith is the band’s drummer); Ronnie Schell (two episodes and Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”); Karen Knotts (Don’s daughter); Dixie Griffith (Andy’s daughter); Dreama Denver (wife of Dud Wash #2, Bob Denver); and Dick Atkins (producer of Murder in Coweta County).
There will also be a full slate of Mayberry tribute artists attending and performing throughout the weekend. For updates, a more complete list of performers, and the schedule, visit the festival website at www.mayberrycomestoscottsburg.com and check out their page on Facebook. Mark your calendar!
* July 11: Karen Knotts presents her one-woman “Tied Up in Knotts!” show at 7 p.m. at the Ohio Star Theater in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Full details TBA. For more info, visit www.dhgroup.com/theaters/the-ohio-star-theater.
Photo by Jan Newsome.
* July 19 & 20: 12th Annual Mayberry Meetup, sponsored by TAGSRWC’s “Two Chairs, No Waiting” podcast, gathers in Mount Airy, N.C. Details and registration info can be found here. Registration is not required but it will allow you to get updates about schedules for the weekend.
* July 19-21: Karen Knotts performs at part of the “Clean Comedy Challenge” at Stardome Comedy Club in Birmingham, Ala. For info, visit www.stardome.com.
* July 20: Timed to coincide with the Mayberry Meetup, Neal Brower, author of The Essential Mayberry, presents the second installment of his summer lecture series about TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Today’s lecture features “Andy’s Rich Girlfriend.” Lecture admission is included with Andy Griffith Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* July 21: A Don Knotts 100th Birthday Celebration Event at the Royal Theater in Macon, Mo. This afternoon event, sponsored by Carousel Productions and hosted by Blood Brothers chapter of TAGSRWC, features Sean Dietrich (aka Sean of the South), musical guest Keota, and an audio-visual presentation by Randy Turner. Details TBA, but for now just mark your calendar. For more info, contact Johnna for tickets at 660-413-2244 or purchase them on Eventbrite..
* Aug. 17: Mayberry author Neal Brower concludes his summer lecture series about TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Today’s lecture features “A Wife for Andy.” Lecture admission is included with Andy Griffith Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
Photo by Robbie Curlee.
* Sept. 24-29: 35th Annual Mayberry Days® in Mount Airy, N.C. Full details TBA, but advance tickets to some portions of the weekend–including for The Emmett Golf Tournament (followed by the Mayberry Days® Dinner with Entertainment, available with or without participating in the golf), a concert by The Dillards featuring Rodney Dillard, a concert by The Bellamy Brothers, and a new presentation called “Make America Funny Again ” by Karen Knotts (daughter of Don)–are available to order now.
Also confirmed are the popular “Memories of Elvis” show with Michael Hoover, perennial favorite bluegrass and comedy by Tim White & Troublesome Hollow, and the Mayberry Melodies show, plus a screening of Murder in Coweta County (starring Andy Griffith and Johnny Cash) hosted by producer Dick Atkins, lectures by Neal Brower and Randy Turner, and the comedy of John Floyd (aka The Mouth of Mayberry). For tickets and more info, visit www.mayberrydays.org.
* Oct. 26-Oct. 31: Cruise to Mayberry 17 sets sail for five days from Charleston, S.C., with ports of call at Princess Cays and Nassau, Bahamas, aboard Carnival’s Sunshine. The cruise’s Special Guest will be Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt ).
Also on board will be a full crew of Mayberry tribute artists, including Dixie Griffith (Andy’s daughter) as Mt. Pilot Fun Girl Skippy. For more info and to book, call All About Cruises (336)538-4926.
***
****News of Cast & Crew ****
Ron Howard (Opie) is looking forward to the release of his most recent documentary called “Jim Henson Idea Man” will premiere May 31, 2024 on Disney+ streaming service. As I’m sure you know, Jim Henson was the creator of the Muppets and has been responsible for bringing smiles to kids and adults. Who better than Ron to tell the story of this imaginative creator.
Ron recently felt the loss of the man that gave him his start as a director, Roger Corman. It was Mr. Corman who helped the young Ron Howard transition from being a child star into the versatile director he is now by giving him his first directing job with the action comedy “Grand Theft Auto” in 1977. Ron had this to say, “For us rookie directors, he taught us to find our creative voices and express ourselves within the framework of popular entertainment genres. The audiences were always king and despite the tight budgets, Roger pushed to deliver on each movie’s promise to the audience. In the case of ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ that meant more cars, more zany characters and more outlandish crashes. But don’t think I didn’t learn lessons both in shooting and post-production that I’ve leaned on throughout my career.“
A thank you to Mr. Corman for giving Ron his directorial debut. Without him, we might never have gotten all the amazing entertainment that Ron and Imagine Entertainment have produced. And rest assured, Ron has many more irons in the fire that will be coming our way.
Clint Howard (Leon) is continuing to appear on Bold and the Beautiful as a “homeless man” named “Tom”. In recent episodes, it turned out Tom is able to officiate weddings? The mystery continues with this character so stay tuned to see what happens next with him. You may not know that this isn’t Clint’s first time on a soap. He appeared on Santa Barbara as a character named Marshall for a few episodes back in 1987. Clint did mention in a recent conversation that he’s looking forward to eventually being able to “clean this up,” referring to shaving his ‘homeless’ beard and trimming his hair a bit.
Clint celebrated a big event on April 20th with a surprise 65th birthday party. His wife, Kat, was able to pull of a fun surprise party without Gomer or Laura Lee Hobbs from over at the dime store giving away the secret. Family and friends gathered celebrate Clint’s life. Kat even arranged for people dressed as characters Clint has portrayed in TV & film throughout his career, to include full special effect makeup, to be in attendance. Whobris Who from the Grinch, Sy Liebergot (the flight controller from Apollo 13), and many others were wandering through those attending and getting smiles & photos. Clint was truly honored that evening with one highlight being big brother Ron telling the story of why he calls Clint the “Hehe man.” If you don’t know the story, get a copy of Ron & Clint’s book “The Boys” and give it a read.
Ron was wearing a suit that Clint had bought for him several years ago. It was an LA Dodges suit coat, pants and tie. Clint told us that when it bought it, he mailed it to Ron because they were living on the opposite coasts of the country. Ron did thank Clint for it but Clint said he had hoped Ron would put it on and send him photos but he never did. It was special to him that Ron chose to wear it to is surprise party and Clint was glad to see Ron wearing it.
In the mean time, Clint continues to travel to Star Trek, Sci-fi, and horror conventions/events around the country as his schedule permits. Be looking for a possible appearance near you.
Speaking of birthdays, Happy 82nd Birthday to Rodney Dillard (guitar playing Darling boy). It was on May 18, 1942 in East St. Louis, Illinois that the world was introduced to Rodney and folks have been singing along every since. He is a featured artist in THREE major Halls of Fame and, as confirmed by The Dillards Facebook page, the “absolute #1 actor that Missouri ever produced” so he has a LOT to be proud of. While semi-retired, Rodney says he’s not quitting for many, many more years and his newest album, “The Songs That Made Charlene Cry,” is entering final production stages. He’ll be performing at Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg in late June (see event calendar for details) and will be performing at Mayberry Days in Mt. Airy, N.C. this September . So, Mayberry says Thanks and Happy Birthday to Dr. Rodney Dillard!
As a quick note, while Mayberry fans certainly know who The Dillards are because of our love of The Andy Griffith Show, the publication American Songwriter just named The Dillards as the #1 Most Underrated Bluegrass Bands of All Time. Of The Dillards, they said, “The original lineup was composed of brothers Douglas and Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb, and Mitch Jayne. The Missouri bluegrass outfit is widely considered to be vital in exposing a new generation of fans to bluegrass via their appearances on The Andy Griffith Show and other variety shows that were popular in the 1960s. They were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, but we think they deserve a new generation of listeners.” We couldn’t have said it better and hope music listeners everywhere give ’em a listen. Maybe even with a bucket on their heads so they can think real good.
Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason) and Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt/Williams) both appeared in Granville, TN for the 4th Annual Mayberry & I Love Lucy Festival in early April. Fans loved having a chance to attend sessions to hear stories from their careers and for Q&A’s . They also were treated to Keith playing his his ‘58 Gretsch drum kit that Lucy gave him. Both men will be attending Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg in late June (see event calendar for details) so make plans to be there so you can experience all they have to offer.
Margaret Kerry (Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey) keeps the birthday wishes from us flowing as she celebrated her 95th on May 11th. Margaret had a fall and fractured her hip not long after the last issue of Weaver’s Newsletter was published (April 6th). The good news is she is already home from rehab and is recovering. She still needs a bit more time to fully recover but is her ever vibrant self. She’s already planning on new adventures in the future so be on the lookout for her at future Mayberry and Disney related events. Also, be sure to follow her on her Facebook page to stay up-to-date.
Ronnie Schell (on two TAGS episodes and Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”) is making plans for this years events . His first Mayberry event of the year is Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg coming up in June and he’s a regular at Mayberry Days as well. You can follow along and keep up with Ronnie on his Facebook page where he posts memories of his very long, exciting career as well as the many famous friends he’s worked with.
That’s all the news we could find for this issue of the newsletter. If you run across “news of cast and crew, ” please consider passing it along to me (Allan) by email <anewsome@gmail.com> with the subject “News of Cast & Crew.”
****Chapter News ****
Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.) had gathering /birthday party for Margaret Kerry on May 18, 2024. They had a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (her favorite) and talked with Margaret on the phone for about 30 minutes. She is recovering well from her fall and is back in her new home. She told the group about her USO experience, told them that Will Wright (Ben Weaver on her episodes) was a quiet man on the set, and so much more. As always, it was a joy talking with her and the chapter members wished her a very happy 95th birthday!
The Mayberry chapter also reported that a small group of super diehard TAGS fans took a trip of a lifetime to Los Angeles April 4-14, 2024. Dennis Beal, Randy Turner, Codie Sloan, Neal Brower and Vickie Drescher stayed the whole time. Dixie Griffith (Andy’s daughter) joined us for the first three days and Andy Bullock (Harvey’s son) joined us for the first two days.
They visited all the major filming locations for TAGS including Franklin Canyon, Red Studios and the Desilu backlot (Forty Acres). The group (mostly Codie Sloan) also discovered other filming locations that haven’t been previously identified, to our knowledge, such as the baseball field where Opie’s Mayberry team played Mt. Pilot and the gas station where the Taylors and Goober stopped for gas in “Goober and the Auto Show.”
They got to sit in Aunt Bee’s plane and see where that episode was filmed at Whiteman Airport. They met with several cast or crew members including Ruta Lee, Bruce Bilson, Leroy McNees and Joy Ellison. They met Kit McNear for the groups first time, and as a result, he has agreed to attend Mayberry Days for the first time. The group also saw many of the Mayberry stars’ homes they lived in while doing TAGS. Dixie showed them several homes she lived in as a child and teenager. Andy Bullock showed them his boyhood home where Harvey Bullock wrote most of the scripts used on TAGS.
A more detailed account will be in the next edition of the chapter’s paper newsletter, The Mayberry Minutes, is expected to publish in late May. It will be a big edition you won’t want to miss! The Mayberry Minutes is available for $20 for two or three 16 page issues per year or $10 for a pdf version emailed to you. If you like your Mayberry news on paper, or as a pdf, Mayberry Minutes is a great option. For more info, contact editor Dennis Beal at KingOfMayberry@comcast.net.
The Gomer and Goober Pyle Comic Book Literary Guild chapter (Cincinnati, Ohio) sponsored and held The Mayberry Retreat in Archbold, Ohio. It was an intimate gathering of Mayberry fans from all over. Those in attendance included representatives from A Dollar and a Quarter chapter (New Philadelphia, Ohio), Briscoe of Mayberry (Indianapolis, Ind.), I Ain’t No Rockefeller (Big Stone Gap, Va.), Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.), Blood Brothers (Macon, Mo.), Remembering Mayberry (Chillicothe, Ohio), Mother Figure (Huntsville, Ala.) and “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” Chapter (Internet). Randy Turner was the host for this second edition of The Mayberry Retreat and it was a wonderful experience for all who attended. David Browning was the special guest speaker along with his wonderful wife Patty. David created “The Mayberry Deputy” character as a tribute to the great Don Knotts and entertained Mayberry fans for many years before he decided to hang up his uniform and enjoy the semi-retired life. He shared his many memories of great times spent performing as the Deputy and his love of Mayberry, it’s fans, and the stars from the show. It was an amazing time of fellowship.
Blood Brothers (Macon, Mo.) did an extremely informative presentation during the above mentioned Mayberry Retreat. Even if you are not a quilter, the presentation is certainly something you’d enjoy. The skill and imagination it takes to make those quilt patterns is something to behold and I think Gomer would think it is a site no artist could draw. If you’re goin to be in at Mayberry Comes to Scottsburg, don’t miss the presentation at noon on Friday June 21st.
Their sub-chapter Blood Brothers Mayberry Card Guild met in March and just met again May 20 in their continuing effort to make hand made greeting cards. Their current effort is to make cards for teacher retirees especially in mind, What a wonderful way to spread the Mayberry spirit.
Blood Brothers is also hard at work preparing for A Don Knotts 100th Birthday Celebration Event (see event calendar above for more info) coming up on July 21st….hmm….I wonder if they’ll be doing something on August 21st, too? I see a pattern starting but I’ll have to check in with them on that. They’re a busy bunch of brothers. The Blood Brothers are excited to welcome folks to this once-in-a-lifetime event. Contact Johnna for tickets at 660-413-2244 or purchase them on Eventbrite.
The Mayberry Cronies (Sebring, Ohio) got together with the Dollar & a Quarter Chapter (Dover Ohio). They had a good time with our “Barney Figure” Todd Beckett sharing a meal at the Top of the Viaduct Restaurant in Massillon, Ohio. Todd has grown a long beard, he says he’s a “Nate the Goat” Tribute Artist now too! The Hinkley’s and Millard’s of Dollar & a Quarter came up from Dover for the meal as well. The Cronies reported, “It was good getting together (with Todd). He said his son is bringing him again to Mayberry Days in the fall. He’s a fine Son! I wonder if he’ll be getting him a new septic tank….I hear he’s hard to buy for. It was good for him to see all our Mayberry friends.”
Three chapters of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC) met up in the little town of BIG things Casey, Ill.. Jeff (Rayfield), Stephanie & Carlie Gossett of the “Now You’re Gonna Glenn Ford It All Over Town” chapter (Lafayette, Ind.), Scott, Cory & their pup Dixie Higgins of the “Oh Brother She Is A Dog” chapter (Hookstown, Pa.), Butch (Reggie) & Valorie Ruffner & Mike & Stacey Nichols of the “Still Ugly, Single and Pitting Prunes” chapter (Casey, Ill.). The group had a lunch at a Mexican restaurant (didn’t stay for the floor show) then strolled around Casey visiting for a bit. Butch Ruffner (Reggie from the Mayberry Man movie & series) autographed some Mayberry Man The Series playing cards for his fans and then all headed home, it was a BIG day!
The Hearty Eatin’ Men and Beautiful Delicate Women (Northport, Ala.) and Mother Figure (Huntsville, Ala.) chapters met up in Valley Head, Ala. for the Memories of Mayberry festival and it was a very relaxing Mayberry experience. It was so good, the two chapters are planning to meet up again on May 31-June 1 in Gordo, Ala for Mule Day/Chickenfest. Floyd, Charlene and Otis tribute artists will be there from Mayberry and Festus Haggen will be there from Dodge City! Hope to see you there.
Send in your chapter reports (floyd@imayberry.com), show off your chapter’s Mayberry spirit and encourage others along the way. We would love to hear from you.
****Chapter Update ****
TAGSRWC has a new chapter! This is the second NEW chapter we’ve added this year but only the second since April 2023 so great to see our family grow. Here’s the latest:
| Opie’s Newspaper | Auburn, Ala. |
Our total number of chapters that have started since TAGSRWC was founded in 1979 is now 1,487.
Starting a chapter of TAGSRWC is still just as easy as it was four decades ago. You simply pick a name that hasn’t previously been selected by another group. (You can check the searchable list of chapter names already taken at www.iMayberry.com.) Then submit your chapter’s name with your location and a list of your founding members by e-mail to Goober@imayberry.com. That’s all it takes!
Whether or not you start or join a local chapter, you can always join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter or any of several exclusively online chapters on Facebook (see Mayberry on the Web below).
**** Mayberry on the Web ****
The iMayberry Community
This TAGSRWC online group is organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome with most of the work begin done by Keith “Col. Harvey” Brown. You can check out the fun of this online community and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com.
The iMayberry Community complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook pages, online newsletters (such as The Weaver’s Newsletter), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms.
“Two Chairs, No Waiting” is our weekly podcast of TAGS news, interviews and pretty much whatever’s happening in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by Allan Newsome.
There’s a new episode every Tuesday (and you can watch and listen during live recording of the show on Monday evenings at 8pm ET @ live.twochairsnowaiting.com ). As of this week, there have been a mind-boggling 787 episodes since Allan launched the podcast over 15 and a half years ago, in October 2008. Past episodes are in an online Archives in case you want to listen to or view installments you’ve missed. Surely you can find a few episodes you’d enjoy out of all those that are available. OH….they are all FREE!
And look around the main Mayberry Podcasts (https://iMayberry.com/podcaasts) web page for various other links, including one for another outstanding Mayberry-related podcast: “Burke on Mayberry“ (hosted by TAGSRWC’s Kevin Burke since 2008). There are also links for the Mayberry Devotional hosted by Brian Rose and for the Mayberry Bible Study Podcast.
TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook has over 251,000 Followers. You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. If you haven’t already dropped by the page, we hope you’ll check it out sometime when you have the chance. We invite you to become a TAGSRWC Facebook Friend!
We also have links in our “Liked by this Page” section to the pages (in the “About” section) of several TAGSRWC chapters on Facebook, as well as to Facebook pages for Mayberry Days,® the Andy Griffith Museum, TAGS actors and others. Click “See All” to check out all the links.
Even Ben Weaver has his own Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weaversdepartmentstore. It features all the latest in Mayberry items and merchandise news. Weaver’s is also on X (Twitter) so follow Weaver’s there if you’re on X.
**** Post Note ****
Another issue of Weaver’s Newsletter is coming to a close. Thank you to everyone who sent chapter and event news & updates. As always, a very BIG thank you to those who have shopped with us at WeaversDepartmentStore.com. The support and shopping at Weaver’s means so much to Jan and to me (Allan). We hope you enjoy browsing around our online store and that you get joy from reading the Newsletter.
Between issues of the Weaver’s Newsletter, you can keep up with all that’s going on in and around Mayberry by being part of the daily Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? (aka “WBMUTBB?”) Digest. It’s free and you can sign up for that list by going to WBMUTBB.com and choosing the “Join/Subscribe/Unsubscribe” link. Check out the WBMUTBB Facebook GROUP with links to more WBMUTBB chapter WBMUTBB.com fun. The Facebook group is private and administered by me (Allan) so I hope that makes you feel better about joining in on the fun. It’s made up of TAGS fans only and I do my best to make sure things are fun for all…both on the WBMUTBB Digest emails and the WBMUTBB Facebook group.
Finally, the next issue of our Weaver’s Newsletter will be published in July so make sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter so you don’t miss an issue.
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