Virtual Pond Gathering

Turtle Club Us Pond

An International Association of Turtles of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles.

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In 2020 we hosted a few gatherings using Zoom. Learning about people and places different from your own is always interesting. During those dark days, it was even more revealing and a more direct way to get information about the pandemic. We shared and laughed.

The frequency of our virtual gatherings has become less and less. It became hard for me to find the time and the reason to gather, but I knew it was needed. Our community is made up of doers and optimists who seek a fraternity of like-minded people.

The Third Tuesday of each month we will host a virtual gathering. With the routine schedule, we are more likely to find an opportunity to at least pop in and toast our fellow Turtles. The time zone can become problematic for some and I’m looking for suggestions on other times to add meetings beyond our 7 PM EST on the third Tuesday. Let me know what would interest you.

Now on to the report for our most recent gathering…

Bloop! Bloop!
An encore presentation of the 2020 Turtle Derby was presented for the pre-meeting warm-up. You can find the events on YouTube and I have a 2022 replay here.

Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and the Philippines were represented during our meeting. Others popped in and out and some were not able to connect audio, likely their system protecting their microphone which is normally a good thing.

Miles Wong of Manila started his morning by joining our meeting. Retired Air Force, Miles works as an attorney in Manila.

Both Kevin Jackson and William Evans shared their experiences and goals for Turtle Club. It is fun to see the vision and action that these Turtles are taking.

We discussed many things, but one topic that I want to get feedback on is an in-person event. I think it is time for an International Association of Turtles in a fun and rewarding location. The Turtle Hospital of Marathon, Florida was proposed and met with enthusiasm. Not an easy place to get to, but a winter stop in the Keys sounds like a great idea! Another idea, but equally challenging is Mackinac Island, Michigan. Mackinac Island was known as “Mitchimakinak” or “Mitchimakinak Island,” which translates to “Great Turtle” in the Ojibwe (Chippewa) language.

While a retreat or conference for Turtles to gather is fun and exciting, it is also expensive. We discussed ways for Turtles to help Turtles in need. The Council of Imperial Turltes offers a more formal structure and board to manage such a task. I’m will suggest that we investigate that path at our next board meeting.

After introductions and much discussion, we began to play with ChatGPT. The AI technology is a tool I use in my business and I was surprised that many were unaware of the capabilities.

The images and songs on this page were created in just a few minutes using AI tools. Enjoy!

I hope to see you at our next meeting. Please email dave@turtleclub.us should you have suggestions or comments.

Our first image prompt: A turtle walking into an old English pub. The turtle is wearing a top hat and holding a cane, looking sharp and sophisticated. The pub has a classic look.

Our next image prompt: A turtle walking into an old English pub, dressed as a Kingsman. The turtle is wearing a tailored suit, a top hat, and holding a cane, looking sharp

Our next image prompt: A turtle walking into an old English pub, dressed as a Kingsman. The turtle is wearing a tailored suit, a top hat, and holding a cane, looking sharp and there is an assassin behind him.

Next we created some Turtle songs real quick. You can click to listen.

I simply typed in Turtle Club members in a pub sharing riddles. It picked a Folk sultry theme.