April 11, 2010 - The Planning Committee hard at work!
From left to right: Joyce Lohn, Bunny Baker Block, Bill Fritz, Sheryl Sankel Ives, Toby Nudelman Kaye, Angela Oxios Concklin, Peter (Pierre) Bellin, Joel Iskowitz Ives, Ellen Kempner Lawson, Jay Becker, Al Barris, Alan Hecht. Not in the picture - Gus Kourkoulis.
50th Reunion Date: Sept 16-18, 2011
Location: Doral Arrowwood, Rye Brook, NY
Use "Contct Us" on the side menu to request more information.
Dear Monroe Class of 61,
PLEASE READ THIS LETTER ALL THE WAY TO THE END AS IT CONTAINS INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW FOR THE REUNION AS WELL AS A DEPOSIT REQUEST.
The 50th Reunion Planning Committee met on Sunday, April 11th at the home of Joyce Lohn. In attendance was our fearless leader, Toby Nudelman Kaye, along with Bunny Baker Block, Alan Barris, Jay Becker, Peter (Pierre) Bellin, Angela Oxios Concklin, Bill Fritz, Alan Hecht, Joel Iskowitz Ives, Sheryl Sankel Ives, Ellen Kempner Lawson and Gus Kourkoulis.
After much reminiscing we finally got down to actually discussing the reunion. It was decided that the date would be the weekend of Sept. 16-18, 2011 and that we wanted someplace that would offer a weekend event as well as a Saturday night banquet. Reviewing possible locations that were suggested, we concluded that the Doral Arrowwood in Rye Brook, New York (www.arrowwood.com) met all our needs.
On Monday, Toby, Joyce and Sheryl went to Arrowwood to meet with the catering manager and tour the facilities. If you get a chance to look at their website, you will see that it is a lovely location in Westchester County offering golf, tennis, indoor/outdoor pool, squash, racquetball, steam rooms, sauna and more. It is also easily accessible from the New York airports including White Plains (5 miles away), LaGuardia, JFK and Stewart. For those of you in the tri-state area it is a fairly easy drive located at a point were 95, 287 and the Hutch intersect. For those taking public transportation, Metro North goes to White Plains, a short taxi drive away.
After discussing the event with the various managers at Arrowwood this is what we believe will be the approximate (I repeat, approximate) costs:
The Saturday night banquet including a sit down 4 course dinner, a 2 hour open bar and a 2 hour cash bar, DJ, deocorations, photographer, souvenirs and a memory book or DVD we think will come to around $155 per person.
The cost per room per night including breakfast for two is $129 plus tax. Please note that reservations will be made directly with the hotel.
For those who play golf, the course is a nine hole course and the green fees, including a required golf cart, is $60, as of April,2010. We are hoping to arrange a golf tournament for those interested and to attempt to negotiate a better price.
There is no charge for the use of the gym, tennis, pool, sauna and steam room and racquetball.
For those arriving Friday there is a pub where we can all gather in the evening. Sunday morning we will all gather once again for the hotel’s buffet breakfast. For those not staying at the hotel and who would like to join us, the cost of the buffet breakfast is $16.50 plus tax and service charge.
We are considering a bus tour to Monroe Saturday morning if there is interest. We also plan on providing an itinerary of things of interest to do as a group or on an individual basis. Or, you can spend the day just hanging around the grounds chatting with old friends.
In the next few weeks we will need to sign contracts which will require monetary deposits. Therefore, we are asking you to send in an $80 per person deposit which represents approximately half of your cost for the banquet. Please make your payment by check to Joyce Lohn at 68 Sky Meadow Place, Elmsford, NY10523. We have decided not to accept credit cards since there is a 4 ½ % charge for each transaction and we would have to raise the cost of the banquet. (Of course, the hotel will accept credit cards for your room reservations.)
We hope you are as excited and enthusiastic as we are about these plans. If you know anyone from the Class of 61 who is not a member of the Class Creator web site, please forward this information to them and encourage them to join.
We look forward to seeing all in 2011.
Toby and Joyce
Reunion Anxiety?
TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO MISS OUR CLASS REUNION
1. You'll laugh,cry,and reminisce with some of your oldest and/or newest friends.
2. It's okay to not remember or recognize someone. That's why name tags were invented! Hopefully there will be pictures on those nametags ;)
3. Feel better realizing you are not the only one who is single again, still married or never married! We're all just happy to be here! Who cares about the other stuff!?
4. Rekindle or begin new relationships. Life is full of wonderful surprises!
5. Even if you had some negative experiences in high school, don't fret about it, you'll most likely laugh about it now. If not now, when?
6. Enjoy an evening out! (It'll be Fun! We promise!)
7. Use the reunion as an opportunity to get in better shape! (yes, round is a shape) although this reunion is not about waistlines, but about "Life" lines!
8. Humor the reunion committee; they usually are a bunch of deluded diehards who think everyone should show up to appreciate their efforts.
9. Studies have shown that those who were initially hesitant about attending their reunions, discover it was the event that they wouldn't have missed! Those who chose not to show up, wish that they had done so!
