(If you forgot - or never knew - what you think you already know, or should have known, go back to Reports # 1 & 2.)

The most recent Planning Sessions were held on Sat/Sun, Aug. 14/15, once again at Judy Wallace's house in Bethlehem. (Best hospitality in the North Country - thanks, Judy.) Attending were - in no particular order - Natalie Woodroofe, Howie Lyhte, Ned Depew, Carol Lavender (Ned's friend), Alan Strell, Ollie Drerup, Nancy Wallace, Judy, Adelina Axelrod, Holly Wilkinson, Julie Dowse, Marilinne Cooper, Mark Chain, Joe Glenn, Dan Salomon, David Goldblatt and Christie Shaw.

First items on the agenda were final decisions about the site and date of the Reunion. A little background: after months of not having calls from the Forest Hills people returned (owners of the former College site), and having gained neither binding nor reliable information from them in the sparse and chance contact that did occur, it was decided to investigate alternative possibilities. Peabody Lodge, at the base of Cannon Mountain, came up first. About a month ago, Judy, Nancy and Mark met with Bill Walsh, Peabody concessionaire, and came away very enthusiastic about having the Reunion there. Some of the reasons for this are: there is no fee for the site, which would be exclusively ours for the duration of the Reunion; it which offers a large main room with plenty of tables, chairs and space, a bar-room in the middle, a balcony with more tables/chairs/space, another good size room downstairs, and a large deck - all of which will provide ample space for bands, dancing, eating, exhibits, lounging, etc. A new, additional and connected lodge building (presently under construction, scheduled for completion this year) would also be available for our exclusive use, if we needed it. The whole site would be available and secure the week before for us to set up exhibits, decorate, etc. Echo Lake is just down the hill, the Notch is just down the road. Bill will provide all the planned meals - at pre-determined prices (more on this later) - and will have grill-, drink- and ice-cream carts set up all the time. The cash bar will also be open all the time (in case anyone runs short of cash at the Lodge). A kids' area will be available in one of the buildings if we need it, and there's plenty of on-site parking.

Aside from the physical amenities of the site, it will end up being less expensive than having to rent a tent (at about $3500), provide for water, power, site preparation, sanitary facilities, security, insurance, etc. to make the college site suitable and comfortable, and will be a LOT less work to set up and maintain.

All this information was presented and discussed at the work session, the upshot of it all being:

Because a wedding party has already booked Peabody for the weekend of August 12, and because the Franconia Triathlon is being held the weekend of August 5/6 (= lots more people in the Franconia area, a probable shortage of rooms, less beach space at Echo Lake, etc):

FRIDAY, AUG. 18
10 AM - ?	WELCOME, REGISTRATION, OPEN STAGE	PEABODY
	Arrive, register, wander around, encounter ghosts and spirits of Franconia past, begin processing, play music, tell stories, view exhibits & videos, visit the College site (if you haven't already), process some more . . . Open Stage organized & hosted by Alan "Sorry-It's-Too-Late-For-You-Not-To-Be-An-Icon-Now" Strell and Dan Salomon.
5 PM	BARBECUE	PEABODY
7 - 9 PM	TALENT SHOW	PEABODY
	Organized & Hosted by Mssrs. Jeff Greenfield and Frank Mullen
9 PM - ?	MUSIC	PEABODY
	The Mystic Suns, Con Fullam Band, maybe Swazey Lane Organized & Hosted by Alan Strell and Dan Salomon.

 

SAT. AUG. 19
11 AM - 1 PM	ROAD RALLY	ALL OVER THE PLACE
	A motorized rally/scavenger hunt through the Franconia spheres of confluence. Start at the Peabody Lodge, end at the Presidents Lodge at the College. Coordinated & Timed by Marilinne Cooper and Howie Lyhte.
1 - 2 PM	PICNIC LUNCH & ROAD RALLY AWARDS	LODGE LAWN (PRESIDENT'S EX-HOUSE)
2 PM	GUIDED TOUR OF THE COLLEGE SITE	COLLEGE SITE
	Start at the President's Lodge (tour-length not yet set) Navigation & Historical Annotation by Christie Shaw.
3 - 5:30 PM	POETRY READING BY FRANCONIA AUTHORS	TBD
	Coordinated & Hosted by Adelina Axelrod. (Contact her in advance if you want to read)
6 - 7 PM	GROUP PHOTO	DOW ACADEMY
7 PM	BUFFET SUPPER	PEABODY
9 PM - ?	LIVE MUSIC	PEABODY
	An Opening Band, then: the WICKED SMART HORN BAND. OPEN MIKE for "Precious Moments" and the DoobieUs Achievement Awards during the band breaks.

SUNDAY, AUG. 20
11 AM	BRUNCH	PEABODY
ca. 12:30 PM	THEATRE PRESENTATIONS	PEABODY
	Coordinated & Hosted by Christie Shaw (who is now accepting scripts for consideration; 30 minutes max)
ca. 2 PM	CLOSING: OPEN MIKE & TIME CAPSULE	PEABODY
	Parting words & placing of your artifact in a F.C. Time Capsule (to be housed and guarded in the Franconia Heritage Museum, and opened on a pre-determined date when at least a few of us are still around). Coordinated & Hosted by Ollie Drerup & Christie Shaw
After the Time Capsule is sealed	LAST CHANCE PHOTO OP	PEABODY
	Personal, small groups, whoever missed the class picture at Dow
	ADIEU ADIEU ADIEU
	HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU

After the "formal" session ended, most of us hung around a couple more hours and, among other things, ended up generating a long list of remembered names and prodigious pile of empty wine bottles.

Now for Sunday:
Bagels, Cheeses, Melons, Berries, Coffee, back to work.

Since the last work weekend, it had become clear that we needed some vehicle for making decisions, taking action, and committing to expenditures that might arise and need resolution between planning sessions. Voila : the creation of the EEC - Executive Emergency Committee - constituted by elected members David Goldblatt, Alan Strell, Judy Wallace, Natalie Woodroofe, Mark Chain. Encouragement, praise, Green Stamps, cash advances and paid-up liability insurance in our names may be sent to any and all of the above. As indicated in Report #1, complaints, rants, threats, and expressions of general or particular malaise should be directed to the Major Major Committee, **c/o The President's Office, Bard College.**

On to the COMMITTEE & PROJECT REPORTS & UPDATES:

FINANCES David Goldblatt
At present, there is approx. $ 1100. in the Reunion Account. (Please be reminded that money sent in for the Decal/Bumpersticker Packet DOES NOT cover any part of the Basic Reunion Fee (still to be determined; more on this below).

If everything goes well, we'll pay the $500. deposit next week to secure the Peabody Lodge.

The $750. expenditure for the Wicked Smart Horn Band is approved and confirmed.

We suggest that everyone who want to come practice the "Natalie-Dollar-A-Day-Plan" - put away a buck a day.

COMMUNICATION Howie Lyhte, Natalie Woodroofe, Ned Depew. Howie suggested and we approved the creation, at no cost, of an e-mail "announce-only" mailing list. We'll be hearing more from him on this.

Natalie will play GOOEY-GUINEA-PIG and report back to us about using the GOOEY program: if you're at the web site, you get notified of others who are at the same site at the same time and you can then have a real-time chat with one another.

** To facilitate planning group communication, Ned will be creating a new e-mail Planners' Forum. **

F.B.I. aka THE SEARCH COMMITTEE Natalie, Howie
Only a small number of people have gotten in touch with them so far. If you haven't already, let Natalie know: 1) if you think you'll be coming to the Reunion, 2) if you have names/addresses for Franconians not yet on the Heard List or otherwise located, and 3) if you know of Franconians who are no longer with us.

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE (newly formed) Marilinne Cooper, Natalie, Ned Marilinne will be writing a letter to PEOPLE MAGAZINE in response to their recent article **with/about** Leon Botstein, which and who failed to ever mention F.C. or that he was president. We agreed that Marilinne's letter ** could ** begin with "Leon Botstein may not remember Franconia College, but we certainly remember Leon Botstein . . ." The letter will include an invitation to Whatshisname to attend the Reunion.

Other publicity activities will include getting out info/press releases in response to any articles we discover that can in any way at all be related to the College, the Franconia Region, New England, higher education, bare debauchery, Precious the Pig, Dux, "David Kramer", the art of staircase construction, Indian motorcycles, lounges, lizards, WOMBs, and, of course, Social Relations.

** Marilinne will investigate the possibility of having Reunion mail accepted per General Delivery at the Franconia Post Office.**

Ned will try to get in touch with John Jerome about further articles/publication. (If anyone knows of other potential publicity persons/avenues/vehicles, let the committee know.)

STUFF Wayne Turiansky, Beth Simon
Neither Wayne nor Beth could make it to the work sessions. Ned will be in touch with Wayne to clarify/update the status of Reunion decals/bumperstickers, T-shirts.

** There was also talk about an official commemorative beer bottle label. More on this if / as it develops. **

EVENTS/PROGRAMMING Judy Wallace, Mark Chain
** The TRIVIA PROJECT will be handled by Mitch Jureckson. **

Natalie & Alan will be coordinating the APOLOGY BOARD, Natalie the IN MEMORIAM BOARD

If you want to post a photo(s) on the PHOTO BOARD, contact Judy.

Frank Mullen has some pieces of the Main Building and is donating them for prizes/awards. Nancy has a brick from Xanadu. What do you have?

Ron Smith, now once again in Bethlehem, will coordinate the ON-SITE SCULPTURE. If you want to be involved with this, contact Ron at 2028 Main Street, Bethlehem, N.H. 03574 Tel. (603) 869-5427

The lines are now open for suggestions for DOOBIE-US AWARD categories and nominees. Contact Mark.

COLLEGE SITE TOURS: We'll have maps available and there'll be markers/plaques at the various sites along the tour. People can go on private pilgrimages and/or participate in the Guided Tour by Christie, complete with historical facts, anecdotes, rumors, legends, delusions, etc. If you have suggestions/requests/stories about particular spots, contact Christie or Natalie.

INTERNET LIVE-FEED OF THE REUNION: For those who are unfortunate, paranoid, or insightful enough to be somewhere else. Ned and Joe will be checking into this.

Christie may compile and make available a LIST OF BABYSITTERS. If there are to be any organized CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES, we need someone out there to handle their organization/coordination.

THEATRE: Christie is now accepting F.C.-related scripts/bits for consideration (30 min. max running time, please). By the way, Christie is now back on line (in a 90's sort of way: "I'm on line when my generator's running", she says.

HOUSING Judy Wallace, Holly Wilkinson
Julie Dowse will investigate potential for housing discounts at local inns, motels, etc. and coordinate with Judy and Holly.

A list of housing/camping possibilities and rates will be posted ** on the Reunion web-site ** in the next weeks. We suggest you BOOK EARLY!

SITE DECORATION The Venues Committee (Judy, Nancy, Natalie, Alan) will be handling this.

BOOK PROJECT An historical, fictional, lyrical, graphic documentation of F.C., Franconians and the Reunion. Nita Gage has been coordinating this. Ned has also signed on. Contact them if you have something you want to contribute.

PRINTED PROGRAM New idea; don't know yet if / how it will shape up.

VIDEO We're still working on the basic concept of a documentary of the Reunion.

So . . . WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST & WHAT DO I GET?

Right. What we've come up with so far for a "REGISTRATION PACKET" is this:

There will be a BASIC REUNION FEE (yet to be determined) to be paid by attending student, faculty and staff alumni. Kids and spouses get in free. There will be discounts for pre-registration/pre-payment (also still to be determined).
The BASIC REUNION FEE will help cover the following:
- Organizational, administrative and materials costs
- Fee for the Wicked Smart Horn Band
- Scholarship/Financial Aid (if warranted by the Fee amount)
- Group Photo (possibly; will be decided at the October planning sessions)
- The Book: (possibly; will be decided at the Oct. planning sessions)
- The Cake: a not-quite-lifesize confectionery dream in the shape of the Main Building
- Your F.C. Diploma (see below)

ADDITIONAL, OPTIONAL OFFERINGS include:
- CATERED MEALS: order all, some, or none. Per meal tickets, of course. Prices and exact menus aren't yet set, but Judy's already negotiated a 50% children's discount. Estimated prices at this point are (including all taxes and gratuities):
Friday Evening Barbecue: ca $15.00 per adult
burgers, dogs [the only ones allowed!], sausages, ** veggie burgers **, salads, desserts, non-alcoholic drinks, etc.
Saturday Evening Buffet: ca. $19.00 per adult
(meat, poultry, fish and veggie entrees, veggies, desserts, non-alcoholic
drinks, etc.
Sunday Brunch ca. $13.00 per adult
(full Brunch selection)

**PLEASE REMEMBER: WE'RE PAYING NOTHING FOR THE SITE, ITS AMENITIES & EQUIPMENT, OR PEABODY STAFF. **

- A LA CART Grill items, drinks, ice cream, etc. will be available all the time for cash money.

- CASH BAR Open all the time; beer and wine selection and prices not yet determined.

- DECALS, BUMPERSTICKERS, T-SHIRTS, VIDEO More on all this as it develops.

We're also considering having several different package-options and will decide about this in October. We plan to design the Registration/Order form at that time and get it posted soon after.

. . . So it got to be Sunday 5 PM and we stopped (more or less)

Which brings us to the REVIEW & TAKE NOTE part of the program . . .

WHAT WE STILL NEED . . . AND NEED YOU TO DO

- CONTACT NATALIE TO LET US KNOW IF YOU'LL THINK YOU'LL BE COMING TO THE REUNION.

- ** CONTACT HOWIE TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE IN THE REUNION PACKET. If enough people want the same things, we should be able to re-design the packet to include more things at a better value. If we don't get any/enough response, we'll take that to mean you want to leave
it up to the planners **

- If you know the WHEREABOUTS OF FRANCONIANS who aren't on the heard List or haven't re-appeared anywhere else, contact NATALIE.

- If you want to be involved with the ON-SITE SCULPTURE, contact RON SMITH 2028 Main St., Bethlehem 03574 (603) 869-5427.

- WE STILL NEED an ORGANIZER for CHILDREN'S DAY CARE & ACTIVITIES. Contact MARK.

- DONATIONS OF THINGS FOR PRIZES/AWARDS. Let us know if you have anything, we'll let you know later on where to send it.

- If you have something to contribute to the ART EXHIBIT, contact VERONICA HARTMANN.

- If you have something to contribute to the PHOTO EXHIBIT, contact JUDY.

- If you want to do something on the OPEN SOUND STAGE, contact Alan or Dan.

- If you have anything you'd like to DONATE PERMANENTLY TO THE PERMANENT F.C. EXHIBIT at the Franconia Heritage Museum, contact ADELINA.

- If you have something to contribute to the creation of a DOCUMENTARY REUNION VIDEO or IF YOU HAVE VIDEOS related in any generally perceivable way to F.C. - or not necessarily - and would like to have them shown at the Reunion, contact STEVE HECHT or JOE GLENN.

- If you HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR FILMS/VIDEOS that were part of your F.C. history, and would like to have them shown, contact MARK.

- Dig out you OLD F.C. IDs if you still have them. (We hope to have an ID machine at the Reunion.)

- If you have any old COLLEGE DOCUMENTS/BROCHURES/PROGRAMS and, especially, LISTS OF GRADUATING CLASSES, please send them/copies to ADELINA (the sooner the better; helps us to locate people).

and

- In an attempt to formalize the REUNION ACADEMIC PROGRAM, suggestions are now being accepted for Course Offerings. Course meetings and times maybe posted in advance. then again, maybe not. All courses will be for ELECTIVE CREDIT only. And just because you pay for your Diploma in the Reunion Fee, doesn't mean you get it just like that. Diplomas will be awarded on a negotiable basis per the following options:
a minimum of 12 5/8 credits or;
the best essay on "M.C. Escher and the Franconia Diploma" or;
2 weeks in February, 2000 in a paid timeshare anywhere warm or;
information leading to the re-discovery and re-appropriation of the College chimes or;
the best Franconia-related poem beginning "It was a dark and stormy night . . ." or;
the best impersonation of the Old New Dorm or . . .

Voila

FIN

(almost)

NEXT PLANNING SESSIONS ARE SAT/SUN, OCTOBER 23/24 AT JUDY'S
(hopefully with visit to Peabody Lodge on Saturday before we start, and
most probably with visit Saturday night to the Hillwinds for the Wicked Smart Horn Band.)

So - that's it for the moment, folks.

To all of you out there: BE WELL, BE IN TOUCH & KEEP THOSE DOLLARS & CENTS COMING.

T minus 1 year and counting . . .

We'll continue to update things as they develop - or as we remember what we've forgotten to include.

Mark and Judy and Howie
for the Planners