Reunion Program Update from John

dear all:

time until the reunion is growing short.  judging from e-mails and calls received, enthusiasm and anticipation are building and we are expecting almost 60 attendees from all corners of the usa as well as a contingent from denmark.  margaret and i are traveling to elk point on thursday, june 21, to start on-site preparations, and can be reached there on our land line, (605) 356-2540  or, with less certainty, on our cell phones at (605) 670-3100 (jdf) or (605) 670-9030 (mkf).  in the absence of smart phones, we will be reviewing incoming e-mails from time to time at the library.  important planning and housekeeping items include the following:

1.   please send biographical information as requested some time ago by uncle don.  information on each individual need not be too comprehensive -- a page will do.

2.   we intend to have relatively brief meetings of all hands in the side-yard tent at hours to be established on july 5th and 6th, and maybe on the 4th as well if a "quorum" is present.  please be prepared to introduce yourself at one of these sessions and speak for 3 to 5 minutes on your life and lifestyle, reminiscences concerning your branch of the family, recollections of parents and grandparents, and the names of those family members and others who have had a particularly significant influence on your life. no power point presentations allowed!

"Uncle John" with his parents in May 1967

3.  if possible, we would like to have seven picture display boards set up, one for each of the seven fowler siblings, their spouses and progeny, plus another for pealy and sophie.  these need not be all that elaborate, but if you can bring along a few pictures (without having to check an extra bag on the airplane), please do so.

4.  we may (or may not) have time to arrange for production of commemorative t-shirts.  however, against that possibility, please send numbers and shirt sizes of your respective attendees to my e-mail address as soon as possible.

5.  the intention is to have a continental breakfast available in the tent each morning beginning july 4th, and hopefully "catered" dinners in the tent on the evenings of the 4th, 5th and 6th. we are still expecting a lynch arkansas-style bar-b-q on the evening of july 4th.  lunches would be "on your own", but with possibilites "highlighted" and possibly times suggested for noon orgies at such famous eateries as the milwaukee weiner shop in sioux city or asian buffet at the silk road in vermillion.  for planning purposes, please let us know as soon as possible the number in your party expected to attend the evening dinners.

6.  as previously noted, there is a more-than-adequate fireworks display in the elk point city park at dusk on july 4th.

7.  we also plan to set up a series of possible tours which interested parties may join on the 4th 5th and 6th.  these include the national music museum in vermillion (a must for those who have never been there); the ponca, nebraska overlook from which you can see across the missouri river to elk point, vermillion and jefferson and also visit a lewis and clark museum there (a taxpayer boondoggle?); the chaussee centennial farm;  the restored orpheum theater and the pristine and historic woodbury county courthouse (excellent example of sullivan's prairie architecture) in sioux city; various major new buildings on the usd campus in vermillion plus the dakota dome athletic facility; gavins point dam on the missouri river above yankton; st. paul's church with, among others, the beautiful kalstad stained glass window; a huge, old dairy barn on the lyle johnson farm;  the winery in vermillion; "spirit mound", a stand-alone hill which lewis and clark felt was worth  a half day's walk from the missouri river for the extraordinary view of the surrounding country and substantial buffalo herds (and up which you can hike, but without the prospect of seeing any buffalo); etc.  Obviously, some of these tours can be combined.

8.   there are enough tennis players among the attendees to provide robust competition, so please bring equipment if not too inconvenient.  both golf and swimming are readily available and we have several extra sets of golf clubs available in elk point

9.  there will, of course, be a cribbage tournament.

10.  there are a number of artists in the family and we are hoping for some form of exhibition and discussion.  obviously, any such exhibition will have to display photographs of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other art forms.   the artists among you are requested to bring along photos of representative examples of your work.

11.  we still have time to include your ideas for additional activities, competitions, discussion topics (other than politics or religion, of course!), tours, etc.

12.   many of you have volunteered to be of assistance with regard to on-site planning and execution of the various components of the reunion and, rest assured, we will be taking advantage of your offers.  if any of you want to work on particular activities (we are hoping to minimize the dishwashing detail), please advise soonest.

looking forward to seeing you soon

love,  "uncle john"