|
* |
* |
* |
* |
CLICK ON ANY OF
THE FIVE TITLES ABOVE TO SEE MORE DETAIL ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THIS YEAR’S
REUNION.
*** NOTE: The “HOTEL” link above is just for info on hotel
facilities. Please follow the directions
under “SIGNING UP” to register. ***
|
Once again, the Beach Cove has worked with us by
continuing to provide a fine banquet dinner even with our falling
numbers. Don’t let yourself get
comfortable with that though. We
really need to pick up our numbers this year.
Some of you regulars have had some issues being able to attend
reunions recently. Hopefully this year
you’ll be able to help us reach something like our previous numbers. We know you enjoyed your time with us and you know we’re anxious to get together with you
again. And of course, we still have so
many of you whom we’ve never (or very rarely) had the pleasure of your
company. Make an
effort to join us this year! It
truly is fun, and proves the old saying “the more, the merrier!” There will still be additional info added to
this page, so stop back often to check for those updates. You can check the “attending” section below
to see those who have already indicated an interest in attending the
reunion. I know it still feels early,
but we are currently at a VERY LOW participation level. I hope we’ll see many more of you saying you
want to attend! Those of you who’ve
been to reunions before will know of the good times that are to be had, and I
can guarantee a good time to those of you who may be
attending for the first time. You
should not procrastinate too long in registering with the hotel (following
the guidelines under “SIGNING UP”).
You can reserve your room at the Beach Cove immediately if you want
to. The Beach Cove will be retrieving
unassigned rooms from our reserved block on 15 August. After that, the rooms will be returned to
the general public and your ability to get a room
will be based solely on availability.
DON’T MISS THE BOAT! Reserve
sooner rather than later. You can
always cancel for a FULL REFUND if your situation changes and you’re unable
to attend the reunion. If that should
happen, just be sure to contact either me, Pete
Johnson at 980-328-4150 ([email protected]) or Jake Reece at 336-601-3522 ([email protected])
and we’ll make the arrangements to be sure you’re TOTALLY refunded. Please
note that reunion fees, as well as ticket fees for the Greg Rowles Legacy
Theater (if you expect to attend the show) MUST
BE PAID PRIOR TO THE REUNION.
Also, when you send in those fees, you MUST
SELECT YOUR ENTRÉE CHOICE FOR THE FRIDAY EVENING WELCOME DINNER. Below are some details on what we’ll be up to this year. A few bits of information are not yet
confirmed, so as I said earlier, check back every now and then to see if
additional numbers/details have been included or changed. In the meantime, you should consider
getting yourself signed up, particularly getting registered at the Beach
Cove. Scan through the info below and
see what’s going to be happening. *****SPECIAL
NOTICE*****
|
*FRIDAY 13 sEPT* (Salon
assignments are tentative) 4:00
PM HOSPITALITY ROOM OPEN (Salon E/F) 6:00
PM WELCOME DINNER (Salon D) Welcome
to Reunion 2024, our 24th
annual reunion! As in previous years,
the first event of the reunion will be a welcome dinner. NOTE THAT IT IS BACK TO OUR USUAL 6:00
PM. Please wait to enter until
6:00 in order to allow us time to get things ready
for you. The evening will begin with a
presentation of the National and Air Force colors followed by some brief
welcoming comments from Jake Reece.
The dinner will be hosted by the Beach Cove resort and service will
begin at 6:30 PM. We will have a table outside Salon D that
will have your name tag, your t-shirt (if you ordered one),
your theater ticket (if you’re attending it) and your dinner
selection tag. Be sure to pick all
that up. We are asked to provide the
hotel with our final dinner selections no later than September 1st. Therefore, PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE EACH PERSON’S DINNER CHOICE
WHEN YOU FORWARD YOUR REUNION FEES! Here are your dinner choices: ENTRÉE CHOICES: o
Grilled Bacon-Bourbon Sirloin Steak served medium with a Bacon-Bourbon Glaze o
Herb roasted Boneless Chicken
Breast served with Pan au Jus o
Grilled Salmon served with a lemon-butter dill *New York Cheesecake with a fruit topping for dessert (We are looking at a possible
special substitution for this. Stay
tuned!) Each dinner will be
accompanied with iced tea/water; Tossed green salad; Balsamic Vinaigrette and
Ranch Dressing; Steamed Medley of Seasonal Vegetables; Garlic Mashed
Potatoes; Warm Rolls with Butter Balls.
Dinner will be followed by a dessert and coffee service. The Hospitality Room will be open after
dinner and throughout the reunion…normally between the hours of ~ 10:00 AM
and as late as people choose to hang around.
It may be closed during any time that a group event occurs off the
resort property. *Saturday
14 SEPT* (Salon
assignments are tentative) 10:00 AM
PUTT-PUTT TOURNAMENT Meet in the lobby. This is also an OPT-IN event, not
covered by your reunion fee. You
will pay the fee at the venue. As
in the past, it will be held at Molten Mountain. If you want to participate and don’t have
transportation, there will be folks willing to give you a lift. If you’re having difficulty arranging a
ride, seek out Mark Gransden, Jake Reece or me, Pete Johnson and one of us
will help you with the arrangements. ~10:00 AM
HOSPITALITY ROOM (SALON E/F) The Hospitality Room will be open all
day until the last person puts down their last drink of the evening. We may begin the Corn Hole tournament, so
check the roster to see when you’re scheduled to compete. It will be on one of the display
tables. Other than that, the day is
free until about 6:00 PM when you should be prepared to leave for the Theater
show if you’re attending it. Should
you need a ride to the theater, this would be the time to hit up a potential
driver! 6:30 PM GREG ROWLES LEGACY THEATER This is an OPT-IN function. It’s not covered by your Reunion fee
and of course you don’t need to attend if you choose not to. The fee is $34 per person. They have a pre-show at 6:30 and the actual
show begins at 7:00. This is a new venue for Myrtle Beach. Bonnie and I attended it in May while
confirming plans for the reunion and were quite impressed with it. The performance has less of a “show” feel
to it and more of a concert atmosphere.
It’s a smaller facility which makes it feel as though they’re
performing just for YOU! Some of the
artists will be familiar to you from previous shows, and they were the best
of those shows. The music
represents a broad variety of types, but is heavily
weighted in a popular style. As you
would expect, they also do a nice tribute to veterans and first
responders. The location is just a
stone’s throw from McLean Park, so you can use the provided map to the park
to get there. It’s actual address is 701 Main St, North Myrtle Beach. You should probably leave the
Beach Cove no later than 6:00 PM.
Remember, if you plan on going, YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR TICKET FEE ALONG WITH YOUR
REUNION FEE. The
Beach Cove will be picking up our tickets before we arrive at the reunion. *Sunday
15 SEPT* 12:30 PM McLEAN PARK BBQ We have the pavilion reserved for the
entire day, so you can show up as early as you’d like, but Mission BBQ
caterers will arrive at the Park around 11:30 to set
up, and we expect to eat around 12:30.
We’ll bring the Corn Hole boards so we can begin/continue the
tournament at the park. A map to
McLean Park is included below. Here’s
what will be served: o
Pulled Pork o
Beef Brisket o
Slider Rolls o
Cornbread Halves o
Memphis Belle, Smokey Mountain, and Tupelo Honey Heat sauces o
Maggie’s Mac-N-Cheese, Baked Beans w/Brisket, and Cold Slaw sides Mission
BBQ will provide plates and cutlery.
We will supply water, soft drinks, and beer to fend off the dastardly
heat.
Follow
these directions to the park: There
will be a larger version of this in the packet you receive at the
reunion. It’s a very simple
route. Leave the Beach Cove and go to
Hwy 17, take a right and continue about 3 or so miles to Main Street where
you’ll take another right, then a right onto Pine Avenue and a left onto
South Oak Drive…and you’re there! Easy
peasy.
I hope to have the Corn Hole
Tournament Bracket all made up prior to the reunion. That will mean I need to know who will be
participating BEFORE the reunion, and the sooner the better. I’d like to have it put together no later
than sometime in August. Let me
know if you want to be included.
Remember, this is supposed to be a FUN event! If you win, the best you’re going to get is
a cheapo trophy. If you lose, you get
to sit down and have a drink…possibly a better result than having to cart
that cheapo trophy home! Just
remember, it’s a binary thing, whether you win or lose by two points or 20
points, it’s simply a win or a loss.
It’s not serious, i.e. more beers makes it even less serious and even
more fun! JUST LET ME KNOW SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER! Remember, everyone
is welcome to play – members, spouses, friends, kids, other relatives. The only requirement is that you’re
attending the reunion! Do it, do it,
do it!!! The
Hospitality Room will be open for the rest of the day after the McLean Park
event begins to thin out. *Monday 16 SEPT* (Salon
assignments are tentative) 10:00
AM – about 12:00 PM
BUSINESS MEETING (Salon C) This is it folks. First, that image above was taken before we
were all assembled for the meeting! We
only meet in-the-flesh once a year and it’s our one chance for members to
discuss face-to-face any/all issues relating to our group – the good, the
bad, and yes…the ugly. Bring it
on. Hold nothing back. We hope (expect actually) that all members
attending the reunion will be sure to attend the business meeting. If you have thoughts that you’d like to see
discussed, come prepared to bring them up.
You may receive a little flak, but it’ll all be light-hearted. I’m sure there must be SOMETHING you’d like
to see done a bit differently, or maybe something we should be doing that
isn’t currently done at all! Share
what you’d like to see in the future; what you’ve liked or disliked at past
reunions. Let it all hang out; we’ll
all have our big-boy pants on, and crying will be kept to a minimum In addition to any topics of discussion,
we’ll have our usual Chi service, Yes,
authentic Turkish tea (not Lipton tea-bags!) served in those little glass
cups and saucers we all remember from the ferry service to Istanbul, and of
course we anticipate the meeting being wrapped up by our long-time good
friend Ed Watts supplying some of his dry “Great State of East Tennessee”
humor while raffling off some highly desirable items. The Levy rules will apply. Ed will attempt to explain how that works! 10:00 AM – about 12:00 PM
LADIES’ TEA (Hospitality Room) During the members’ Business Meeting the
ladies will enjoy a tea service in the Hospitality Room. There will be a variety of teas as well as
a variety of munchies…both healthy and downright un-healthy. Be sure to show up. I’m told there are rousing
chatty-conversations that take place while the menfolk are taking care of
critical high-stakes organizational issues in the Business Meeting. Yeah, I know, I’ll be taking some grief for
that last comment, but the devil made me do it. Anyway, it goes without saying that we hope
all the ladies will attend the tea.
But for some reason I chose to say it anyway… 6:00
PM – When ever
ANNUAL BANQUET (Salon C/D)
The
Annual Banquet is a very special part of every reunion. The doors will open at 6:00 PM. Please honor that and don’t attempt to enter
earlier. We and the Beach Cove staff
will be busily getting a plethora of things organized and it usually takes
right up to the last moment to get done. Beginning
at 6:00 there will be a cash bar where you can purchase a variety of beers
and wines. We will be invited to the
buffet tables by about 6:45. When we get that word, Dick Casseri
will offer thanks for the dinner after which we will proceed to the buffet on
a table-by-table basis. By the way, we will continue to have access to the bar
during the course of the meal, so if another wine (or beer) suits your fancy
during dinner (and you have change in your pocket} help yourself! Here’s
what you’ll find in front of you at the buffet table: SALADS AND SIDES o
Tossed Fresh Garden
Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ranch dressings o
Beach Cove’s Signature
Mizeria Cucumber Salad o
Mixed vegetable medley
with roasted Red Peppers o
Oven-roasted Potatoes ENTREES o
BBQ Beef Brisket with
Turkish Toasted Rice Pilaf on the side o
Light White Fish with Lemon
Butter Sauce o
Char-grilled chicken Beast
with Champagne Sauce o
Freshly baked rolls
and butter DESSERTS o
Peanut Butter Mousse o
Peach Cobbler BEVERAGES Water, Iced Tea Freshly brewed coffee,
decaffeinated coffee Following
a hearty meal, you’re probably going to want to get a little shut-eye. Go ahead and snuggle down in your chair, but DO
NOT GO TO SLEEP! As we always have in
the past, we’ll follow dinner with a short little program. It’s what you do at an organizational
function! Passing on it just isn’t
done! There’ll be a somber bit but we’ll hopefully end it with something a bit more
light-hearted. We will
certainly recognize our fallen brothers; those who have passed since our last
reunion. We’ll be remembering Paul
Barnes, Fred Delp, Ron Scott, Jonathan Booth, Allan Bir, and Dick
Herbert. Then we’ll spend a bit of
time on the lighter side. We’ll make fun of something or someone. Who knows, maybe it’ll be you! Then you’ll wish you’d steeled yourself
with a couple additional glasses of wine during the dinner! But it’s too late. Don’t look back, you can never look back. Maybe you’ll recognize that line I just
stole from Don Henley of the Eagles…maybe not. Should
anyone like to make some comments to the group (appropriate ones please!),
contact me at [email protected] or 980-328-4150. Or you can
just come up to the mike if something you want to share strikes you in the
moment! Don’t hesitate! The group will surely enjoy hearing from
you, particularly any stories from Karamursel you’d like to relate. Maybe a story about one or more of the guys
we’re remembering this year. I know
the folks would rather hear from some of you than to listen to me drone on
and on…and on! Just bear in mind that
there will be ladies present! Hehe! After the
program, we’ll gather in the Hospitality room and take the dreaded group
photo. Make sure you’re a part of it.
2023 reunion. We want to see YOUR smiling face in the
2024 picture! *Tuesday
17 SEPT* (Salon
assignments are tentative) 7:30 – 9:00 AM DEPARTURE
BREAKFAST (Salon C/D) The departure breakfast is always the same,
so there’s no good reason to change the words from previous reunions. So I didn’t. Here are the old words: As we always do, we’ll close out the
reunion with our departure breakfast.
Some will have to leave early to meet transportation schedules, but
for most of us this will represent a final chance to say goodbyes, trade hugs
with friends both new and old and maybe get a last picture or two. Don’t sleep through it! Our good friends at the Beach Cove Resort
always put on a very good breakfast buffet which we know you’ll enjoy. Eat your fill, take a few pictures, shake
some hands, and give/receive some hugs.
Remember, KAS 60-61 is a family.
Make plans with other members/spouses to meet again next year. Our numbers may be getting smaller, but the
good times just seem to grow. No one
knows the future and with us now bumping up against the “codger class,” it’s
important to live the moment. Whatever
future we may have in front of us is a blessing, but don’t short yourself on
the present. GO HOME GLAD THAT YOU SHARED
ANOTHER GET TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE VERY BEST PEOPLE, or as Bill Hesseltine used to say, “the cream of
the cream of the crop!” The few
costs associated with the reunion are listed below. You should know that when you make your
room reservations, the hotel will charge your card with your first night’s
stay. The balance of the nights you
reserve will be due when you arrive and check in. If you need to cancel your reservation for
any reason, do NOT
contact the hotel. Contact
either Jake Reese (jdon[email protected] 336-601-3522 or Pete Johnson ([email protected]) or
980-328-4150). One of us will contact
the hotel to make sure you receive a FULL REFUND of your reservation
charge. We will also ensure that you
are refunded any reunion fees you’ve paid, with the exception being payment
for the Gregg Rowles Legacy Theater.
Once the tickets are purchased, we can’t turn them back in. We will see if another member is interested
in purchasing them from you. Here are
the fees:
Once you’re prepared to sign up for the reunion,
there are a few simple steps to follow.
The order you complete them in is not important in most cases, however
completing them all IS important. It
will make things go much more smoothly for you and for the organizers of the
reunion. o Call the Beach Cove Resort reservation service at 888-974-5531 to reserve your room.
Be sure to let them know you’re with the KAS 60-61 reunion so that you’ll receive our
discounted rate. You’ll want to
reserve the nights of 13, 14, 15 and 16 September. You will also be able to reserve up to 3
days before and/or 3 days after the reunion at our discounted rate. If you encounter ANY problems in
this process, contact either Jake Reece (j[email protected] or 336-601-3522) or Pete Johnson ([email protected] or 980-328-4150)
and we will resolve the situation with the hotel. · If you require handicap facilities in your room let (j[email protected] or 336-601-3522) or Pete Johnson ([email protected] or 980-328-4150)
know. We will make that arrangement
for you. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT
WITH THE RESERVATION CLERK. They may or may not be aware that those
facilities can be made available to you. o Once you have reserved your room, please let Pete
Johnson (info above) know so that we have an on-going accurate count of the
rooms that have been reserved and what attendance to expect. o Send a check to our treasurer for the reunion
fee(s) and for any show ticket(s) if you want to attend the show. At the same time, include your choices for an entrée at the Friday
welcome dinner. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS
ALL BE DONE AND RECEIVED BY THE TREASURER NO LATER THAN 15 AUGUST. Make your check out to “KAS 60-61”
and mail it to:
That’s it!
You’ve completed the process.
Now you can sit back, relax and know that in a very short time you’ll
be at the beach (I’m sure we’re scheduled for great weather) among
old buddies from long ago, and maybe some new ones you’ve first met over the
years from previous reunions or have never met at all. As usual, you can expect great stories,
many retold for the umpteenth time, more colorful with each iteration. If you have memorabilia from your time in
Karamursel, think about gathering it together and bringing it to the
reunion. Our memorabilia table always
welcomes new examples of old items from your days of service. They’ll be safe in the Hospitality Room and
if, in all the excitement you neglect to collect them all at the end of the
reunion, we’ll get them back to you.
We know where you live!! Yep, this is the place! Will you be there? LET US SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!!!
….and below is current list of who you’ll see there! Below is a chart indicating who has already
indicated an interest in coming to this year’s reunion. If the information on you is incorrect,
please let me know at [email protected] or call at 980-328-4150 so I can correct
it. When you do get yourself signed
up, be sure to follow the directions in the “SIGNING UP” section. Also, even if you’re not yet ready to make
your reservations or to send in your reunion fees, but fully expect to attend
the reunion, let Pete Johnson know as soon as you can using the contacts
listed above. Having an accounting of
likely attendance as soon as possible helps us to solidify plans early. The chart will be updated as new
information is received. NOTE: for planning purposes,
persons are considered committed to attending the reunion after paying
reunion fee and/or making a room reservation.
HOPE TO See ALL OF
you at the reunion! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
