ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- Gina Grant, 2012 president of the Alabama Association of Realtors, spoke to members of the Baldwin County Association of Realtors at the Association’s membership meeting Thursday at the BCAR office in Robertsdale.

Grant served as AAR Executive Committee vice president for the Central Region in 2007, secretary in 2009, treasurer in 2010 and president-elect in 2011 before taking over duties as president for 2012.

She served as chair of the AAR Finance Committee, Governmental and Political Affairs Committee, Awards Committee, Awards Selection Task Force, Information and Member Services Revitalization Task Force, Planning Committee and Convention Program Advisory Group.

She has been a member of the AAR Board of Directors for 10 years and has served on various state committees and task forces.

She is a graduate of the Leadership AAR Class of 2005 and served as a Leadership AAR Trustee for the Class of 2006.

Grant provided an update for BCAR members on Thursday about ARPAC.

Created in 1969, the Realtor Political Action Committee promotes the election of pro-Realtor candidates across the United States.

The group’s Alabama affiliate, ARPAC, supports candidates both local, statewide and nationwide, and also follows bills currently proposed in the state House and Senate, which affect Realtors, Grant said.

“When real estate is your profession, politics has to be your business,” she said.

ARPAC is currently following several bills in the Alabama Legislature, Grant said, including several which were proposed by local legislators, including House Bill 166 proposed by Rep. Steve McMillan which proposes a Homeowner’s Bill of Rights; and Senate Bill 231 proposed by Sen. Ben Brooks of Mobile, which pertains to insurance reform.

Several other bills currently under debate in the State House and Senate were also discussed.

“We currently have 50 pieces of legislation we are following that directly affect Realtors in the state,” Grant said. “We are doing everything we can to protect Realtors across the state and we encourage you to give all you can to ARPAC.”

One event being put on locally to benefit ARPAC will be the “You Can Bet On ARPAC” casino-style game night being held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 10 at Turquoise Place in Orange Beach.

The event costs $20 per person with gaming beginning at 6 p.m. A total of 16 tables will be set up for the event. Sponsorships for each table will be available at a cost of $250 each. About half of the tables still need a sponsor said Jeff McLaurin, BCAR Board president.

Food will also be served.

There will also be a poker run with designated areas set up throughout Turquoise Place. Participants will receive a stamp at each area and for each area visited, participants will receive a chance to draw for prizes.

The BCAR Affiliate Council will also be sponsoring a wine cellar for the event. Bottles of wine, which will be hidden in brown paper bags, can be purchased for $10 each. The $10 donation, which will benefit ARPAC, will guarantee at least a $10 bottle of wine and could include a bottle of wine valued at higher than $10.

Tickets for the event can be purchased through the BCAR office in Robertsdale, online through Navica or through an Affiliate Council member.

“This is a really exciting event and I encourage everyone to be involved,” McLaurin said.

BCAR members also heard from Shawn Reeves, Central Region vice president of AAR and chairman of the Convention Advisory Committee, who spoke about the AAR Summer Convention which will be held in June in Orange Beach; and Julie Minto, secretary of AAR who spoke about the AAR Annual Convention, which will be held in September in New Orleans.

Baldwin County Realtor Anthony Kaiser, who serves as Southern Region vice president of AAR, was also present and gave the invocation at Thursday’s meeting.

BCAR also held drawings for door prizes, included a $50 gift certificate to Gulf Coast Newspapers, donated by Brenda Schmucker, won by Dottie Farias of Re/Max; and a full page ad donated by Gulf Coast Newspapers, won by Judy Smith of Coastal Title of Daphne.