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URGENT UPDATE — A MESSAGE FROM FRANK STODDARD ABOUT REUNION

Submitted by Frank Stoddard (ACS)

Frank got back to me with the Reunion information. The most urgent information is that *Group Discounted Room Rate* will END on April 30th. After that you’ll have to pay the resorts normal rack rates. So MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW BEFORE THE GROUP DISCOUNT EXPIRES!!!!

REUNION INFORMATION AND MOST RECENT UPDATES ARE BELOW … Scroll down and read on ….

Admin Note: I received an email from Frank asking me to post this message from him on the blog. This is the first I’ve heard about a reunion, so I’ve requested he provide complete information and details. Once he does I’ll update the post.

Bob

I realize that everyone has an issue or two. As we get older the issues could be money, looks, desire, or we just do not give a darn. To many of us, Saigon was a very special place. Richard has spent many hours in to preparing for this special reunion. I, myself, am 73. I hope I have many more years, but who knows. My Saigon years were by far my favorite years of my youth. My time in I Corps were my worst. Such irony that Vietnam had so many flavors, both the best and the bad. lol Saigon and my friends there will always stand out. I just do not want to sit around and write or talk about them. I want to see them in Maine in September 2017.

Frank

CLICK HERE FOR REUNION INFORMATION AND UPDATES THROUGH OCTOBER 2015

Click the various links in these postings for complete information about the resort the reunion is being held at; and, how to make reservations.

MOST RECENT UPDATES PROVIDED BY RICHARD HENRY THE REUNION ORGANIZER ARE BELOW:

Hello, My Friends,

This note is directed only to our current group of actual and prospective attendees. I have attached a separate note detailing where we stand with members attending, and money. There have been several unfortunate instances of health issues over the past few months that have unavoidably brought our attendance down a bit. Some who attended previous reunions have not responded to this one, and to my knowledge several who have not attended previous reunions will be attending this one. We have a great group of people together who have given of their time and money to come to this not-so-convenient-to-get-to location, which I deeply appreciate. As I have been told when commenting to locals about some expenses incidental to being in this beautiful area, “It is the price of admission.”

The next four months will pass very quickly. I am very such looking forward to seeing all of you in September, and to a fun and rewarding time with you.

If any of you need information or suggestions about travel or anything else related to arriving at your ultimate destination at the Spruce Point Inn, or if you have any questions at all, please feel free to call on me. I will offer what I can. Bear in mind that check-in time at the Inn is 3:00 pm. I am going to try to schedule the Meet and Greet the first evening for 5:00 p.m. or so in an effort to accommodate late afternoon arrivals.

Take care, all.

MAINE REUNION ATTENDEE AND FUNDING STATUS
As of now (April 15), out of a total of 41 people (spouses and friends, and me and Sharon, included)
originally and along the way indicating intention to attend the reunion, two will not be able to attend after all and one is unfortunately now deceased. Of the remaining 38, 2 have neither reserved a room nor paid the Activity Fee, and have not given me an answer as to whether they are really going to attend or not. 6 others have reserved a room but have not paid the fees, and 2 of those are attending for one night only.

For the latter two persons I have suggested a reduced activity fee of $80 each which will cover
participation with us Wednesday evening (boat trip and dinner) and use of the Activity Room. One or two
people not included in the 41 are rumored to have said they are attending, but I have not heard back from them.

Regardless of the size of our group that we end up with, we have a $4000 minimum food and beverage
obligation and a one-time $500 set-up fee for the Meet and Greet and Lobster Bake. As of now, I have
$6800.00 on account from the 29 who have paid the activity fees (including one of the part-timers).
When the remaining 5 full-timers and 1 part-timer pay their fees, we will have an additional $1280.00, for a total of $8080 to fund this reunion.

The Meet and Greet and Lobster Bake combined are expected to be around $120.00 per person. If we
have 33 people attending both those events, the total incurred (assuming my cost estimate is accurate)
will be $3960.00 When individual beverage purchases are considered, I believe we will be over our
minimum obligation, leaving about $3580.00 on account after deducting the set-up fee.

Other costs that form the basis for the Activity Fees are the $20 pp Discretionary Fund (food and
beverages in the activity room plus other incidentals); boat trip at $39 pp; and group dinner at $32 pp.

Based on 33 full-timers and two part-timers, we need a minimum of $3163.00 for these activities, and
$7663.00 for everything. So, we appear to be ahead of budget by about $11.00 pp., assuming all fees
have been paid. Bear in mind that the Inn’s 2017 food prices have not yet been published (the Inn is
technically closed until sometime in May). Those new prices could alter our expectations slightly.
If all or any of the 3 people who have not responded do pay the fees and attend, we will be under budget a little further because shared costs like the boat trip and the set-up fee would be proportionately reduced per person. If we lose any more people to get below the 33 full-timers I am assuming here, we will be very close to the line, or below it. I certainly do not want to raise the fees or cut into any of our events.

The message here is that for budgetary and planning purposes, I need to know where people who have
not totally committed stand. By totally committed, I mean making your reservation and paying the Activity Fee. Even though we appear to be okay based on the 33 I am assuming here (which includes those who have not yet paid the fees), to make this work out optimally we need all of you (and of course, want you!).

Please, those who have not replied to my e-mail requests about whether you are coming or not, do so,
and if you are coming, please make your room reservations and send in your fees ($240 pp). Those of
you who have reserved a room and not paid your Activity Fee, please do so as soon as possible. If there
are special circumstances preventing you from fully committing now, please let me know so I have an
idea of what to expect.

When making reservations, refer to the Saigon Reunion to get our group rate. Note that all rooms in our
bank not taken by the end of this month go back to the Inn. You can probably get a room later, but at the regular higher rate.

Thanks very much, all, and best regards.
Your Concierge, Richard!
Current Mailing Address: 33 Nicholas Court, Portland, Maine 04103

The Maybe Not-So-Last
SAIGON KIDS REUNION
SPRUCE POINT INN AND RESORT, BOOTHBAY HARBOR, MAINE, SEPTEMBER 5 – 8, 2017
GREETINGS, FRIENDS,

THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THE 2017 SAIGON
KIDS REUNION WILL SOON BE UPON US. THE PAST YEAR HAS ELAPSED
WITH WARP SPEED. THIS NEXT YEAR WILL PASS EVEN FASTER

ROOM RESERVATIONS
Of the 38 persons who have signed on so far (including spouses, and/or significant
others, and/or friends or relatives), most have already reserved rooms at the Spruce Point Inn.
Those who have not done so may want to act soon to get the pick of the rooms that remain.
Those who have not signed up, please reconsider by sending me a note saying you will attend,
and by making your room reservation. Every attendee will be an important contributor to the
success of this reunion. I am hoping to have at least 50 in attendance. I have attached the most
current list, with the last estimated fees breakdown included.
Please remember to let me know when you’ve made your reservations, for how many
(with names and relation), and for what room, so I can keep track.

The room reservations deadline is April 30, 2017.
All rooms set aside for us that have not been reserved by that date will go back to the Inn
to be available to the public at large, and will no longer be available at our group rate
LIFE IS SHORT. DO IT NOW.
***********
ACTIVITY FEES

I am cautioned by the events manager that food costs could rise slightly from what I
published last year at this time, to the time of the reunion. I believe my earlier tentative guess of
$230.00 per person in total fees may be too conservative, and that $240 per person is more
realistic. I would like to operate accordingly, with any adjustments to be made later.

Though the reunion is still a year off, I urge folks to begin sending in the activity
fees ($240) to avoid a last-minute push to meet our obligations to SPI. Please make your
checks payable to me with the notation “Saigon Kids Maine Reunion”.

Richard C. Henry
33 Nicholas Court, Portland, Maine 04103 (until Nov. 1)
3820 N. River Hills Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85750 (Nov. 1 – April 30)

Please see next page
TRAVEL NOTE (For future reference)
You likely will find that flying in and out of Portland is more expensive than flying in and
out of Boston. The cost difference might be enough to cover a rental car from Boston. There is
excellent hourly bus service non-stop from Boston’s Logan Airport to Portland’s bus terminal via
Concord Coach (roughly $27 per person one way, I believe), but there is no car rental at the
Portland bus terminal. It is a very short cab ride from the terminal to the Portland airport, where
you can rent a car, but there is little or no advantage to renting here rather than in Boston, and
ultimately more costly when bus and cab fares are considered.

Concord does provide bus service to mid-coast Maine, but not to Boothbay. Automobile
is the only convenient way to get to Boothbay Harbor and SPI.

For those traveling by car from Boston, you will need to use your GPS to navigate from
the airport to I-95 North. South of Portland you will want to connect from I-95 to I-295 north and
stay on it until you reach the exit for the Coastal Route, Route 1, north of Freeport, which you
will take to get to Boothbay Harbor and SPI. Two hours by car or bus Boston to Portland, and 1
hour 15 minutes downtown Portland to Boothbay Harbor by car (pretty drive). I-95 north of
Boston is a toll road (about $6.00 to Portland, I believe). I-295 is toll-free.
By car from Portland, access I-295 north to the Coastal Route (Rt. 1) exit.
I do not recommend taking Route 1 from Boston all the way to Portland. It can be a slow
and torturous drive, it is generally not all that interesting or scenic, and most of it is not on the
water. But you may want to take Exit 7 off I-95, near York, ME, to visit the popular Stonewall
Kitchen headquarters store that’s right there at the exit. (You can look it up on line).
______________

Thank you all. I hope everyone has had a great summer, and that you will have a nice
Fall and Winter wherever you are. I look forward to hearing from you.! !!
My best to everyone
MAINE’S SLOGAN — “THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE”
Rich Henry

8 comments to URGENT UPDATE — A MESSAGE FROM FRANK STODDARD ABOUT REUNION

  • Cathie McIntyre

    Richard Henry has put in a lot of work planning this reunion, and it willbe a great opportunity for some Saigon Kuds to gather and catch up on each other’s lives. As for me, I am living in Cambodia and will not be at the reunion. Best wishes to all of you.

  • Maile Doyle

    Hi all, many thanks to Rich for getting us together at such a unique spot. I have never been to Maine, so am looking forward to exploring the area and meeting up with Saigon Kids again. The Phoenix Reunion was such fun and this one looks to be every bit as fun and memorable. See you in Maine in September! Cathie McIntyre, you will be missed.

  • Suellen Campbell

    So sorry Charles and I will not be able to attend this reunion. I know those that do will have a memorable time in such a beautiful location. Maine is a place for making memories and I am sure you all certainly will do so.
    Love to all my Saigon friends.
    Suellen

  • Kenneth R. Yeager

    Like Suellen, I won’t be able to make it either. Sadly, I’ve missed every reunion but blame my wife..she wanted to live in Germany where it is still damn cold, even had a bit of snow today….Anyway, I wish you all well and have a great time together.

  • Franklin Stoddard

    Every reunion, I wonder if this is the last. Darn, I thought that ten years ago. lol We had the first one in 2000. I have never been to Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont. That will be my last of the 50 States.. You folks know that all the Saigon Kid’s Reunions have been during a full moon. Of course you knew that! That, being on the full moon (and two Blue ones) has been on purpose. I think that all of us kids know that Saigon was special. Having our reunions on a full moon, and perhaps there is an Asian thing here, was to emphasis that distinction. This one has another distinction (Yea, the full moon will still be there) .. Some of us, Sarah, Richard, Larry, Steve, Bob, MiMi, etc. (and Moi) graduated from high school 55 years ago this year. Now I am trying to come to terms about this reunion. Will Frank and friends act like adults or teenagers.

  • Barbara L. Parker AKA Bootsie

    It pains me to send our regrets, but Glenn and I will be unable to attend. What a lovely “home coming” it will be for all.

    Bootsie

  • Franklin Stoddard

    O.K. perhaps that because I am only 16…ah the age I was when I arrived in Saigon…but now I am 73 and take wonderful pills that keeps me alive. I read where so many Saigon Kids express how wonderful. or at least how their years were so important. So why do you not want to get together at a reunion and see, talk and really know what others know and understand? Since 2000, I have found this as a struggle. People brag and talk about Saigon, but do not seem to want to come together. Gosh, In Saigon…I fell in love for the first time…I started smoking and drinking..I lost my virginity, rock and roll was my guide. Ah yes, I remember when AFR arrived.I lived there when my Dad Died in August ’62. I never made it back to Saigon until 2009. It is so much more crowed and noisy. I guess that is just the way the whole world has become. Tell me Saigon Kids, will we have another reunion?

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