We want you to enjoy yourself from the first day. Why are you here? You attend a reunion to get together with guys who were aboard the BOSTON. We plan for that as the main focus, and in addition we arrange tours to interesting area attractions---where you can continue reminiscing while you're playing tourist. (But if you want to come to the reunion and just sit there in the hotel and swap sea stories, you can do that too!)
Here's what to expect.
FIRST, you register with us, and pay for the meals and tours that you select. Fill out the Registration worksheet. Add in the Registration fee for the Shipmate, plus the Guest Registration fee for each person accompanying the Shipmate. (Don't count the Shipmate as a guest.) If your dues are unpaid (tsk tsk) you must pay them at this time. Pick out those functions you wish to attend, and add in those fees as shown. (It will cost you more to register at the reunion.)
"Earlybirds" who register with us by May31 become eligible for a drawing at the reunion, and can win at least one of their nights at the hotel free.
Note: Active duty personnel are exempt from membership dues and the Registration fee.
THEN, you register with the hotel for your room accommodations. Basically, our reunions run from Friday to Sunday; Thursday activities are for those Shipmates who arrive early. We always negotiate our hotel rates to run three days before the reunion to three days after the reunion. More and more Shipmates are integrating their vacation with the reunion, and arriving on Thursday (and earlier) and staying beyond Sunday. Reunion hotel rates are in your newsletter.
The telephone number to contact the reunion hotel for reservations and questions is in your newsletter.
The hotel staff will know where our USS BOSTON folks are located. We have a Welcome Aboard team that will have a package with your name on it. This package will contain your name tags, a program and complete itinerary, meal and tour tickets for the activities you signed up for, gift checks to redeem, and (usually) by-laws of the organization.
Welcome Aboard is generally set up on Thursday afternoon, close to the lobby, and in that same area again on Friday until we leave for the tour.
Much of our socializing is in our Memorabilia room, where we have part of our collection of USS BOSTON photos and artifacts on display (and where Shipmates put their own memorabilia on display, on loan). This is where you'll run into your old shipmates. It's also here that you'll be able to buy USS BOSTON identity items such as coffee cups, hats, sweatshirts, tee shirts... things that the Shipmates have requested over the years, all proudly displaying the USS BOSTON name. The organization buys these items and generally takes the cost and rounds up to the nearest dollar. There is no profit motive.
The program that you receive at the reunion will tell you when to get ready for the various events, and which meal ticket(s) to bring. Our activities are chosen to appeal to everyone, and serve to promote conversation and reminiscing. We do not separate wives and hubbies.
The dress for most events is casual and comfortable. The Saturday banquet is the premiere event, including invocation, colors ceremony, guest speaker, presentations and so forth. This is as formal as you wish to make it. The head table is in tuxedos, so go from there. Attendees usually wear suits or sport coats, ladies dress up. Wear what makes you comfortable for a nice affair. If we have a photographer this year they will be set up in the foyer to take couples portraits. These pictures are for your enjoyment and for the reunion book. Please have your picture taken, even if you have no intention of buying a photo package. Your picture will go into the reunion book at no cost to you other than about two minutes of your time.
We do not hold a business meeting at the reunion. We're there for FUN. Business meetings take place in New England. The annual meeting of the corporation is for elections, appointments and annual reports. There are (almost) monthly committee meetings at which reunion business and Memorial business is discussed. All Shipmates are welcome at these monthly meetings; those in good standing may vote.
ABOUT CANCELLATIONS If something comes up and you're forced to cancel your reunion attendance, you need to contact us as soon as possible. When you advise us early enough for us to modify our counts to the hotel, which means in our hands at least fourteen days prior to the reunion, we can refund your meals and tours payment. If someone cancels after that, we are still obligated to pay for those meals and tours, so there can be no refund. Another reason why it's important to notify us ASAP is that if you call too late, we might not get that message until we return from the reunion.