I hope that everyone is having a fine and prosperous summer. I think one sign of that was the wonderful turnout - over 300 people - at the Rhode Island Builders Association's 63rd Annual Outing and Clambake at Francis Farm in August. It was the best turnout in almost two decades! Many thanks to the generous sponsors who made it possible to keep the ticket price low, and to the donors who provided the many prizes. It was truly a fun day, thanks to you. And people commented that, even though it rained, they still had a great time! Free barbecue On September 12th we held our first barbecue/networking night/membership drive event. People stopped by from 4 to 7 p.m. to enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken with all the fixings. At the same time, they learned about RIBA's new recruiting rewards and the list of member benefits that just seems to keep growing. Free "Boot Camp" series for contractors Speaking of member benefits, the long-awaited series of five contractor "Boot Camps" with industry expert Shawn McCadden begins on September 26th and will continue through the fall. These are free to members and non-members, thanks to our generous supplier members. The workshops are brought to us by Andersen Corp. and will take place at RIBA headquarters in East Providence. Bring your industry colleagues, and many thanks to Don Hamel of Andersen for putting this series together! Legislative preparations Thanks to the participation of so many members, along with the legislative committee and the RIBA staff, our message got through, and four bills important to our industry became law. Soon it will be 2014 and time to begin this important work again. Please continue to support RIBA's advocacy. It is one of the most important things we do! Felix Carlone is the president of the Rhode Island Builders Assn.Felix Carlone, F.A. Carlone & Sons