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April 2013 Dear Classmates and ’57 Family, Here’s hoping when you read this letter that the weather
will have returned to some semblance of order! The year ahead involves an off-year Reunion
and two Mini’s: Philadelphia in May and
Sun Valley in October. As of the 20th
of March, we had 18 signed up for Philadelphia and 39 for the Sun Valley Jazz
Jamboree. The timing of the first Mini
was established so that you could roll right into Princeton and get ready for
the Friday night Class dinner on May 31st (cocktails at 6:30 dinner at 7:30) at
Cottage put together in excellent fashion by Bob O’Grady. There is still
space available at both 2013 Mini’s. Murray
Peyton is the Class contact for Philadelphia at 609-658-4954 or mspeyton57@aol.com
and Tony Weinress at 415-332-6944 or wienress@pacbell.net
is handling Sun Valley. You will be receiving a postcard from O’G in April
about the Friday, May 31 dinner, and anyone planning to attend should let O’G
know by following the instructions on that card. Looking ahead to 2014, we have several interesting Mini possibilities in the hopper. The first is orchestrated by Rick Kennedy, who has lived in Tokyo for 40 years. He is offering to put together a Tokyo Mini-Mini in either the spring or fall of next year. The key to its success is its size. Besides Rick, it would involve only 5 or 6 people. Many of Tokyo’s best experiences are small scale and this would allow access to small restaurants, tiny drinking places with space for only ½ dozen people. Because so few people are involved, there would be no need to hire a bus or make complicated arrangements and it can be easily adapted to special interests. Rick sees this whole experience as a relatively intimate adventure. While Tokyo is an enormous city, it is best shown up close. This would be a tour for walkers, for people who enjoy just wandering around a city built for poking around. Quoting Rick: "As for me I am still fascinated by the city. The Japanese are extraordinary people, if a bit shy with foreigners; the transportation system is super efficient; and the food is the best of any city in the world, as has been certified by Michelin. I have written four books about Tokyo (including "Good Tokyo Restaurants”) and Classmates interested in exploring the possibility of participating in this Mini-Mini may want to order my "Little Adventures in Tokyo” from Amazon to get an idea of what they might be letting themselves in for. My on-going website, http://tokyohometown.blogspot.com/ would also give an idea.” If you have an interest in participating, I suggest that you contact Rick directly at rok@ba2.so-net.ne.jp. This is a work in process and he would like to know if you have questions or special interests. In answer to many requests made during our 55th Reunion for another Mini in Ireland, Whit Courtney has put together a rough draft of a proposal that would take place in the spring of 2014 (late April or early May). Before he proceeds further, it is necessary to get a count of those in the Class who are interested in participating. This information should be sent to Whit ewcourtney@aol.com by the first of May so we can decide whether to proceed with the development of this project. As with the Cork Mini, he‘s proposing a single hotel headquarters for the entire duration and that efforts be made to shorten the length of any travel, walking or by bus. He’s also suggesting a mix of touristy sightseeing, entertainment and intellectual content similar to the arrangements made in 2007. The rough agenda is enclosed*. In 2002, the Class of 1957 had a Mini Reunion entitled "D-day to the Rhine” under the auspices of the tour company headed by renowned author Stephen Ambrose. The following Classmates and significant others attended: Bachman, Blankley, Connor, Courtney, Demarest, Deming, Elliott, Erdman, Geyer, Goldin, Jones (Ted), Knisley, Martinson, Rockey, Rosborough, Rosensweig, Scurria, Tirana, Urbaniak, and Ward. This trip was led by the extraordinary Ron Drez, historian and Captain, USMC Retired. We are making plans for a subsequent trip in late September and early October 2014 to be led by Mr. Drez. Details will follow. For further information see Stephan Ambrose Historical Tours, (http://www.stephanambrosetours.com) or contact Nate Bachman at nate@natebachman.com. Heartfelt thanks to Murray Peyton for his assistance in organizing Class participation in Alumni Day activities and Barry Caskey for representing the Class in the Service of Remembrance. Many thanks also to all those who have paid Class Dues this year and also to those who have made contributions to our Classmate Fund, the ’57 Memorial Scholarship Fund and/or Annual Giving. The enclosed orange sheet lists the Honor Roll of 288 Dues payers this fiscal year to date. If you have not yet sent in a Dues payment, or would like to make a contribution to our Funds, please use the enclosed Dues Card and return envelope and send it to Class Treasurer Fred Deming. I am sad to report the loss of ten members our ’57 family since my November letter: Roberta Barnett 10/21/12, Vonnie Block 10/30/12, Dick Moore 11/26/12, Bill Farlie 12/14/12, Toby Richards 1/8/13, John Newton 2/13/13, Knight Alexander 2/14/13, Stokely Towles 2/14/13 and Mort Lewin 2/20/13. We were also informed of the death of Mike Anderson 3/20/08. Sincerely, John
*Proposed Irish Mini
TIMING: Spring 2014 (Late April or Early May – TBD) LOCATION: Galway, Republic of Ireland DURATION: 5 days and nights (approx.) CONTENT: Tour(s) – short, half-day
tours of local area attractions HEADQUARTERS: A local (4 star; no hotel of the 5 star quality of the Hayfield Manor used in our 2007 Irish Mini is available in Ireland; even if it were, I doubt that a reasonable budget could include it) CONSIDERATIONS: Venues here are not guaranteed to be accessible per US standards, but we would endeavor to make trips and walks as brief and stress-free as possible, and to allow ample time for rest and recuperation. There are many attractions of possible interest in the Galway/West Coast area and we will be able to experience only a small sampling of them, so an attempt will be to align ourselves with a helpful Irish travel agent who can assist those who might like to extend their trip here. GUIDE(S) Jill (and Don, as and if needed) Herlihy (our 2007 guides in Cork). TRAVEL AGENT TBD COST TBD SIZE OF GROUP TBD – Probably in the 20 to 40 (max.) range CONCERNS Several at this early stage, including but not limited to our age and its potential impact on financial planning.
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