548th RTG Association Monthly Update

February 3^rd 2010

We are another month closer to our reunion in Dayton and new memberships from the “Beltway Bandits” have been coming in hot and heavy the past week, must be the snow.  As of today, membership stands at 165, up 34 in a month.  I am presently back in North Carolina, Kernersville, fixing up a townhouse we own to sell, so I am working with limited resources.  I should be back in Hawaii in about two weeks. 

Talked to the wife today, she received a heavy box from Mark Olson in Korea, THE 548^th COINS ARE IN.  I already ordered bubble envelopes to mail them in and should be able to start taking orders as soon as I have boots on the ground in Hawaii.  Will send out an email to all when that happens.  Cecil Brown and Larry Benson are putting the final touches on the reunion and we should have pricing in the next few days.  Here is what Cecil had in an email I received today;

I will work on the pricing figures over the next couple of days and try to give a best estimate of monies required/attendee based on an museum attendance figure considering a minimum attendance of 150 participants.  Not included would be the price per head for the pig roast that Larry Benson is working (For Friday night). 

 I will work my figures based on museum function and 2 bars @ museum, private viewing of IMAX feature, surcharges for museum dinner under the stars and private free flowing tours of museum, 3-course meal prepared and catered by the Hope Hotel at the museum and inclusive gratuity and associated set up/delivery surcharges, 1-continental breakfast set up for the business meeting.   NOTE: The Sunday Brunch at the WPAFB Club & Banquet Center will be a pay as you go function (approx $17/person) (for those with a late departure Sunday). 

Please note also that the Hope Hotel rooms all contain 1-Queen Size bed/room---All other rooms have been previously reserved for another  large group function which will be lodging during the period of our reunion.  ROOMS MAY NOW BE RESERVED BY CONTACTING: The Hope Room Reservations Desk @ (937) 879-2696 (no 800 #) and mention the 548 RTG Reunion 8-11 July 2010.  Calls may begin as of this email (Check-in 8 July, Check out 11 July).  The Hope has quoted us a room rate @ $75/night, there is a 10% room tax. This brings the final room rate to $82.50/night..   

I will contact a couple of hotels in the area to see if they have availability should we max out at the Hope.  

The block of rooms at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center we were able to reserve is 60, my best guess is we MAY need 75 rooms (or more).   I will be running the “SR-71 Shuttle”, so it you stay at a different hotel, I will be there to transport you to the Hope and make any necessary beer runs.  I checked Hotwire and there are other hotels available, plus check the website of those that come up on Google Earth (You can Google Earth Hope Hotel and Conference Center, Dayton, OH), the area is Fairborn, OH.

Cecil has locked in a tour of the Museum’s Restoration Area for Friday, 9 July, 0800-0900, which will include the ‘Memphis Bell”.  He is also working on an SR-71 cockpit look in tour at the museum.

As Cecil mentioned, Col Benson is working on a pig roast at a local barn for Friday Night, more to follow.  It should be a fun night

I will be publishing a new Recce Rag in the next few days, will email it out.  Ben Oakes gave me a great write-up for Life at and After the 548^th, thanks for “volunteering” Ben, who will be next?

Bottom line, make that hotel reservation early, it should be a great first reunion.  If you have any problems getting a room, or are told there are no rooms left at the Hope Hotel, please email me, we want everyone there.

The current Demographics of the 165 members are as follows:

Fred Wiles boarded a plane yesterday out of Afghanistan, WELCOME HOME FRED!

Aloha

Bill