Planning to visit the White House with us?

One of the activities we are planning for Saturday, July 10th is a tour of the White House. Although the tour itself is free, our 'group tour request' needs to be submitted several months in advance. The request must include the names, dates of birth, social security numbers and passport numbers of each person in the group. We can make no changes once the list is approved. The office of my Congresswoman has recommended that because of the popularity of the tour, we should submit our request as early as possible - 6 months before our visit. That means Jan 10th. Please give this some thought and let me know if you wish to be included. There is a link to an informational website in the sidebar. Keep in mind, this would be just one stop in a day of touring the city. You can do the city tour without touring the White House or you can hang out at the Visitor's Center (which is open to everyone) and wait for the group.

A Change of Venue!

The location for the 2010 Family Reunion has been changed to the Embassy Suites Hotel at Chevy Chase Pavilion in Washington, DC (www.embassysuitesdcmetro.com). Apparently, the banquet room was not available for our Family Dinner on Saturday, July 10th at the Crystal City location so in order to keep to our Reunion schedule we are moving the event. What we are giving up in convenience (close proximity to the airport) we will make up in fun. The new location is actually in the "District" near to shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc. We were also able to keep the cost pretty similar to what we had already worked out. Stay tuned for registration instructions.

Let's make a list!

As you know, the reunion in being held in a city where none of us actually lives. This means that we won't have easy access to many items that make a picnic more comfortable and fun - things like folding chairs, coolers, sports equipment, a portable (iPod adaptable) stereo, etc. Since we do have family members who will be driving to D.C., we can create a list of 'nice-to-haves' that I will run in the sidebar. As we draw nearer to the date of the reunion, those who will be driving can consult the list and see what they can bring. It is also my hope that those who won't have to pay airfare will be able to pick up sodas, bottled water, juices, snacks, etc. to share over the weekend. The actual picnic lunch will be catered, but it would be nice to have our own coolers filled with water and beverages. I'll begin the list and I will revise it as I receive suggestions from you.

Let's hear your ideas!

We have an outline for the overall format of the reunion - now we need to begin working on details. If you have ideas for activities, share them with us.
- We know that on Friday evening there will be a 'Family Meet and Greet' during the Manager's Reception. Do you know of any 'getting to know you' icebreaker games?
- We have time blocked on Saturday for 'recreational activities'. Some of the ideas circulating include a bus tour of Washington D C with a stop at the White House, a shopping trip to the mall and a visit to the Six Flags Amusement Park. Is there anything else we should add to this list?
- Family Dinner on Saturday night. Ideas for themes, recognitions, etc.
- The picnic will be on Sunday afternoon. Caterers will take care of the food, but what about games, competitions, etc? Any thoughts?
We want this to be all inclusive - fun for all the generations. But you have to help us - give us some imput.

More responses . . .

Latanya would love to participate in the family reunion as long as it's something that her children (ages 16, 11 & 4) can enjoy as well and its within her budget. She also notes that she is willing to drive but not fly to to the event.

Debbie says, Perhaps Virginia Beach is a good location. What is important is that we begin.

Zanzana thinks that Washington is a 'great location' - central for most family members. Agrees with Uncle Hubie that we should move forward with a plan and put it out there - the people will come. She also passed on that Aunt Edna agrees with Uncle Ray that 'the sooner, the better' She thinks our format is good.

Sandra W absolutely agrees with Zanzana, put the plan and best location in place and let’s go for it.

Tracey: Washington DC is great for the family members in NYC.


Renee C says, 'I agree - Washington is a great place. I was going to suggest Virginia Beach. Let's do this!'


I spoke by phone with Uncle Ray, who was thinking Virginia Beach, and Derek, who was pulling for a cruise to Bermuda. Both gentlemen now concede that a Fri - Mon reunion in D.C. is more central and more affordable and will probably make the event feasible for more family members.

Family Reunion Responses/Comments

As promised, here's a summary of what's being said:

Uncle Hubie said (by phone) that even though family members may be slow to jump on the planning band wagon, if we plan the event, the people will come.

Uncle Ray said (by phone) relative to the ideal date "at my age, I think the sooner the better"


Suzette thinks that planning a family reunion can get quite cumbersome and expensive, but if there is one, my dad will come. She's not sure how far his sisters will want to travel


Clarence, Jr feels that Washington DC is a pretty convenient driving distance for his family (from Maryland)


Sheila is not sure - she needs more info on proposed dates and costs.

Zanzana feels that its definitely time for another family reunion. The last one was in Bermuda in 1988. There's another whole generation of 'Hazels' since then


Derek wonders, "How about a cruise! Lots of families are doing that now."

Stacey F. and Renee F. both thought a cruise would be nice but expressed concern about the cost of a family cruise for families with 4 or 5 fares to pay. Stacey would like to see us return to Bermuda, where it all began but she will go with what the majority decides

Sheila suggests that an all-inclusive resort in Mexico would probably cost about the same as a cruise but would be more condusive to family socializing

Gregory likes the Washington DC idea. Understands the challenges of coordinating the whole effort. Suggests that we keep it simple and that we pray early and often.


Kovan and I have been engaged in a very productive dialogue. We've decided that it is probably too ambitious to plan anything that requires cooperative prepayment or guaranteed attendance numbers to secure certain rates. Instead, right now focus on where and when. Select a base hotel and maybe another one nearby with a lower room rate, and let each family make their own reservation directly with the hotel. As the date nears and we know who is committed to attending, we can figure out what we will do about meals, activities, tee shirts, etc. This way we can still customize our event but no one is taking a huge financial risk way in advance. He likes the dates of July 2nd - 5th and he likes the area of Bear Mountain National Park, N.Y.

Mystery Picture

Does anyone recognize the cricket player in this picture as Aunt Myrtle? The picture appears on page 26 of a book (title unknown) along with pictures of other Bermudians. The caption next to the picture says:

Taking Her Turn: Some time in the 1930's, Myrtle Edness took her turn at bat on the grounds of "Woodstock", Paget east. Submitted by Myrtle Edness

Family Reunion 2010

Here's the format for the July 9 - 12, 2010 reunion:

Washington D.C. - Embassy Suites at Chevy Chase Pavilion

Friday - check in

Friday evening - meet & greet

Saturday - choice of recreational activities

Saturday evening - official family dinner

Sunday morning - optional worship service

Sunday afternoon - family picnic

Monday morning - farewell breakfast and checkout

Welcome!

This is my first attempt at creating a blog.

If this works the way I am hoping, we can keep a big conversation going about planning a family reunion without having to email each other. Of course, talk about a family reunion started up again after the recent funeral of our dearly departed, Joan Marilyn Browne.

This objective of this site is to share as many thoughts and ideas as we can before we begin nailing down specifics - date, location, costs, etc.

Right now, I am charting the George Hazel Family Tree on myheritage.com. Once you have been invited to join that site, you will have a password that allows you to log in and make updates, corrections, etc. Please feel free to help me out with appropriate edits