F3 Alpha Fall 2023 Convergence

Preamble:

F3 Alpha Nanta’an Speedo volun-told the Hooch that it was high time for a convergence, and that it was Hooch’s turn to host. The men of the Hooch and surrounding AO’s responded immediately, fielded a shared leadership team of 22+ PAX to administer the event, and got to work planning. It’s amazing what a late Thursday night at Six Bridges Brewing can do for a convergence. 😉

The date was chosen as 11/11, to honor Veterans Day. Octane who is a staff member of Perimeter Church and Perimeter School in Johns Creek cleared the way for us to use their beautiful campus. As the date of the convergence approached, the forecast of cold, wind, and rain would not deter 76 stalwart PAX from 6 regions and 25+ AO’s across the Alpha and surrounding regions from posting and engaging in a fine morning of fitness, fellowship, and faith.

Warm-O-Rama:

9 pre-runners (Q: Tenderfoot) and 5 pre-ruckers (Q: Zohan) started the morning’s festivities at 0600.

At 0700, the PAX assembled under the shelter of the H0.0ch pavilion for the disclaimer, five core principles, and several warmup exercises in cadence:

• Side Straddle Hop
• Weed Picker
• Windmill
• Imperial Walker
• Mountain Man Pooper
• Michael Phelps

The Thang:

YHC explained to the PAX that the format of the convergence would comprise four pain stations, with a blast from an airhorn to signal clockwise rotation among stations. YHC counted the PAX off into four groups, and the real work began.

Station 1: The Track (station Q’s: Ballboy, HIPAA)

• 11’s in honor of Veterans Day
• Exercises were Inchworms and Manmakers
  • PAX do 10 inchworms on the first side of the track
  • Bear crawl across the median of the track to a center line of cones, then mosey the rest of the distance
  • PAX do 1 manmaker on the second side of the track
  • PAX mosey back to the first side and rinse and repeat the above, decrementing inchworms by 1 and incrementing manmakers by 1 each time

Station 2: The H0.0ch Pavilion (station Q’s: McCracken, Speedo)

• The H0.0ch used to be a Friday AO in the Johns Creek region of the Alpha before it was retired with the opening of The Bridge AO in 2019. This morning, the PAX did coupon work under the shelter of the pavilion for old times’ sake.
• 11’s in honor of Veterans Day
• Exercises were Thrusters and Straight-arm Big Boy Situps, both with coupons
  • PAX do 10 thrusters w/coupon on the first side of the pavilion
  • Zamparini the coupon to the second side of the pavilion
  • PAX do 1 straight-arm big boy situp w/coupon on the second side of the pavilion
  • PAX zamparini back to the first side, decrementing thrusters by 1 and incrementing big boys by 1 each time

Station 3: Sojourn Hill (station Q’s: Potter, Spackle)

• 11’s in honor of Veterans Day
• Exercises were Mountain Goats and Crab Cakes
  • PAX do 10 mountain goats and 1 crab cake at the top of the hill
  • Mosey to the bottom of the hill
  • PAX do 9 mountain goats and 2 crab cakes at the bottom of the hill
  • PAX mosey back up the hill and rinse and repeat the above, decrementing mountain goats by 1 and incrementing crab cakes by 1 each time

Station 4: Ready-Mix Gauntlet (station Q’s: PuffDaddy, Humperdinck)

• Ready-Mix is a dearly departed Hooch PAX who was known to Q beatdowns that incorporated an alleyway between two lines of pine trees just off the parking lot northwest of Perimeter Church. There was no question we would incorporate Ready-Mix’s gauntlet into this convergence beatdown plan.
• PAX partner up to work through three exercises of 111 reps apiece, in honor of Veterans Day
  • Partner 1 hacks away at 111 merkins, 111 squats, and 111 calf raises
  • Partner 2 runs the gauntlet
  • Partners switch and cumulate reps

Honorable mention: Docents. Much thanks to Birdie, Turk, Boomer, and Meatball for shepherding their respective groups from station to station and ensuring no PAX got lost or was left behind.

Mary

PAX reconvened under the pavilion, and YHC barked out LBC’s in cadence until we hit 0800.

COT:

76 PAX did count-o-rama and name-o-rama. We annointed 3 FNG’s Ripcord, Mulch, and Stitches. Group photo at the shovel flag-lined steps and bleachers beside the track. As one of the shovel flags had fallen due to wind, the PAX all did 10 burpees before the photo op.

PAX enjoyed fellowship with Sara Donuts and MacBeth’s Firelight coffee.

Three veterans among the gathered PAX were honored and applauded for their service. THANK YOU!

FNG Ripcord, aka Brendon O’Dowd, is the headmaster at Perimeter School and a US Air Force veteran of 24 years. Ripcord shared a brief message from Hebrews 3:12-14, with watchwords of Beware and Encourage.

Naked-Man Moleskin:

Some recognition was made during COT of YHC’s role in coordinating this convergence, but in reality nearly two dozen PAX formed a shared leadership team to make this event a success. The secret of F3 is that in truth, it is a leadership development regimen disguised as a workout. If this team of PAX was successful in preparation and execution, it is only because of the leadership skills that our brothers in the gloom have sharpened into us, and the joy of paying that investment back in kind. Thank you to the PAX of F3 Alpha and surrounding regions for gathering in fitness, fellowship, and faith. What a sincere joy this convergence was.