Beaujolais Nouveau A French Tradition Gone American

Although  the last Thursday of the month of November is always Thanksgiving, there is another tradition in our fair city in November, it is the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau. Every third Thursday of November at midnight cases and cases of Beaujolais Nouveau are opened to be sold all across the USA. Every purveyor agrees not to open their shipments or sell them until the midnight hour so that literally the world opens the Beaujolais Nouveau at the same midnight hour (although different time zones) as the residents of the French Province of Beaujolais. Beaujolais is just fun as witnessed by the bright colorful labels reminiscent of Mardi Gras. Beaujolais is also important- it is the first press of the first harvest of the season. The flavors of Beaujolais Nouveau are thought to be predictors of what this year's harvest will be. A great Beaujolais Nouveau year can mean big dollars as investors/wine collectors purchase wine that has not even been bottled yet! I have been taking a part of the Beaujolais celebration for the last 25 years. I always buy the wine for Thanksgiving for a happy year ahead. To find Beaujolais while there is some left Cellar Wine & Spirits on 90th and North May is a great store. They even bring items out to your car for you and their manager picks have never disappointed.

As my family gave thanks this holiday while toasting with Beaujolais Nouveau my thoughts turned back to OKCMAR. I thought about how the OKCMAR/MLSOK strategic planning retreat followed by the OAR membership conference are just like Beaujolais, a precursor of the harvest and year ahead. For OKCMAR 2011 the first press will be greater involvement in legislative advocacy but more in terms of building relationships to be looked at as the source of everything real estate in Oklahoma City. Since the retreat over 25 townships and OKC legislative leaders have received an individualized by township state of real estate report with an analysis. This is a much shorter (1 page) version of the comprehensive report available to brokers. If you are a broker and are not receiving this report you are missing a huge broker member benefit. To sign up for the e-report (delivered to the broker via email) click here!

When I attended the OAR conference I saw an organization poised to maximize its main asset, the membership. The strategic plan features many initiatives to link the locals (OKCMAR included) with the state. I saw this outreach earlier in August at the NAR Leadership Summit, where our incoming National President, Ron Phipps, gave a thoughtful and quietly powerful speech about our responsibility to "Seize the Day" and as REALTORS® comprehending that our actions, how we work within this market and change it, can change the world. His speech is on REALTOR® TV just click to watch. I see this as a year where REALTORS® come together to turn our economy and our industry into a new opportunity. We need to look at ourselves and the market differently.

It was understanding that a subtle shift in how we view our world could change it that was the impetus of 2011 President Steve Mann hopes to bring to the OKCMAR membership in his year. That is why he chose "Perspectives in Real Estate" as his theme for his year. If you haven't signed up yet for the free inaugural celebration there are only a handful of seats left so please register as soon as possible. The event, thanks to member Marilyn Torbett, will be held at the OKC Golf & Country Club this year. While at the inaugural reach out to your future leaders- let them know your perspective. So as I wrap up this post I leave you with the list of your 2011 Leaders.

OKCMAR:
2011 Past-President Dave Moeller
2011 President Steve Mann
2011 President Elect Lorna Koeninger
2011 Vice President Ryan Hukill
2011 Sec/Treas Mike Malone
Director- Cindy Cheatwood
Director- Gigi Faulkner
Director- Barbara Harris
Director- Jennifer Johnson
Director-Art Kastner
Director- Nels Pederson
Director- Shelly Pryor
Director- Kelly Willis
Commercial Director- Andrea Frymire
Affiliate Director- Max Dugan

MLSOK
President- Chuck Harris
Vice President-Jerri Shepherd
Sec/Treasurer- Gigi Faulkner
Ex-Officio- Steve Mann
Director- Julie Buthion
Director- Cyndi Cheatwood
Director- Barbara Harris
Director- Joe Pryor
Director- Keith Taggart
Director- Pat Townsend