McNair Kaserne Reunion

Straight from Rhonda Gunn: "
Hello to all. Good news – final details for the reunion are done!!!

Today I was able to finalize the menu for he banquet dinner. I have worked it out so that it shouldn’t be more than $45 per person. The menu is:
“Wood Smoked BBQ” which includes:
“Beer can” chicken, BBQ pulled pork, [some kind of fish – still working on that – probably broiled]
Summer pasta salad, mixed greens with crumbled blue cheese, candied pecans and apple-cider vinaigrette;
Sweet cabbage slaw, Butter poached corn on the cob, Assorted breads and rolls, Assorted deserts and freshly brewed ice tea, coffee and hot tea selection.

I have attached the registration form I need you to fill out and return to me. You will note that I am asking for $75 for each person who will be attending the banquet. After I settle up with the hotel I will divvy up and refund whatever is left over, as I have done in the past. We will need 30 people to attend the banquet to keep it at the $45 per person price. The hotel will charge a surcharge for less than 30 people. That is why I need to ask for more than $45. I have also reserved a bus for Sunday for anyone who wants to go explore the Inner Harbor. The bus will leave the hotel 10 am and take us back to the hotel at 4 pm.

So fill out the registration form and send back to me with a check payable to 32nd Signal Battalion Reunion by May 10. Remember to make your hotel reservations no later than May 20, 2010.

(After that date the rooms are available to the public and you will not get the group discounted rate). Also remember to mention you are with the 32nd Signal Battalion Reunion group to get your discounted room rate.

Let me know if you have any questions. See ya soon!

HERE'S THE RESERVATION FORM FOR THE BANQUET MEAL AND ROOM.

Fill it and send it, along with your check, to Rhonda.

From Rhonda Gunn (mostly):

Hey everybody!  Good news.  I signed the contract today for the Inn and Spa at the Colonnade, Baltimore (A Doubletree Hotel).  Website is: http://www.colonnadebaltimore.com/
Our group rate is $109 per night for your choice of a king bed or 2 queens.
I have reserved a block of rooms from June 10th through the 16th.

The Banquet Dinner will be on Saturday, June 12th.   I am still working with the hotel for some menu options (the prices here are a bit more than those in Kansas City, but I am trying to keep the cost down for all of us).  Again, refunds will be given for any money not used from the reunion account to pay for the banquet. 

This is a pet friendly hotel, small deposit required (sounds like a nice treat for Fido or Muffy!)
Complimentary full American breakfast buffet each morning (2 vouchers per room)
Indoor pool and Spa on premises
Room Service 7 AM until 11 PM

Here are some of the perks I was able to work out
No charge for the banquet room  
Overnight parking for $12 per day (unlimited access in and out of the garage - half off of the advertised price on the website).
You can get both a refrigerator and microwave in your room for $10 per night.
ALSO:  The hotel will provide us complimentary transportation for a day in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  (For those non-New Englanders – the Inner Harbor is where the Aquarium and a couple of museums are located)

QUESTION:  Would you guys like me to set this up for Friday, June 11 or Sunday, June 13th? 

I am going to check into shuttle service from the BWI airport to the hotel and see if I can get a discount for us.  The current price is about $25 roundtrip.

My advice is to book your rooms as soon as possible. You will not be charged until you check out.  There are some smoking rooms but not many, so if you need to light up whatever you are smoking I suggest you reserve a smoking room asap. 

FYI - I signed up for Hilton Honors – I filled out a charge card application and received it a few days later in the mail.  There are several options to chose how you want your rewards to be used.   

Ok – that’s it for now.  I will be sending out a registration form shortly.  HEADS UP:  I will be asking for $$$ from you when I send out the registration form.  So start saving your pennies now!   I may need $125 for every person who will attend the banquet.  But, as I said, I am still working on a lost cost menu and will do my best absolute best to keep costs down. 

One last thing – start thinking of either a great memory or a horrible ordeal that you went thru at McNair.  We all must tell a story of some kind or another at the dinner.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it!  Also, start getting your photos and other memorabilia together to share with the rest of us. 

Anyone want to announce his/her intentions to attend here????

(Click on the photo for a PDF image)