Lion relies on her 3rd grade teaching skills to tame crowd

Wimberley Lions Field contains over 490 vendor booths leased to annual lease holders.  Usually, 10% to 15% of these Lease Holders have conflicts or are sick on a typical Market Day and are no shows.  The Wimberley Lions Club attempts to fill those vacancies with Day Renters.  Day Renters complete the market injecting new products and treasures.  Many become annual lease holders because of their day rental success.  This process is challenged during November and December.  Christmas is everyone's mind, the weather is pleasant, and the shoppers are plentiful.  The Wimberley High School Texan Cheer Leaders counted 10,500 shoppers and 1,000 vendors and volunteers on the field this last Saturday.

This November Market Day's inventory showed 38 empty booths and 105 vendors signed up online for day rental provided the challenge for Lion Rebecca  Stoian, Day Lease Manager.   This is where her 3rd grade school teaching experience comes in handy.  She gets the crowds attention.  She tells them they must fill out the rental form.  If they do not have their completed rental form and sales tax form in their hand, They go to the end of the line.  She makes them line up in the order the number they got off of the internet.  She gives each her undivided focus for a short amount of time and quickly dispatches them where they can set up their wares.  Because of the demand greater than the supply, Rebecca has information about locked booths with some room between the booth and street where someone can set up.  Even grassy knolls become vendor space.  She had labeled tables set up on the pavilion for vendors.

Rebecca is supported by both Lions and Volunteers. Pictured Lion Harold Hudnall and Volunteer Bill Brown of the Hill Country Community Band.  They are taking the rental fees, issuing passes, and giving the renters their parking and driving on the field instructions.  Volunteer Ann Rollings also helps in this area.  Booth inventory is accomplished by Lions Larry Thomas, Harold Hudnall, Frank Williams, Lane Hartsock, Dan Williams, Morris Haggerton, and Cris Criswell.  Most of the gate attendance is managed by Lions Linnea Bailey and Bob Pierce with their crew of great LEOs from Katherine Ann Porter School.  KAP LEOs are led by their President Chaley Esensee.  There is also the staffing of the late arrival call in phone from 5:45 until 7:30.  It all starts with Lion Annette Harrington staffing the Day Rental call in on Thursday.

Spending an average of  37 focused seconds for each of the 105 vendors, Lion Rebecca eliminated the crowd in slightly over an hour sending them out to have a wonderful day selling their wares and putting $4,505 into the Lion's coffers for field repair and donations.