From Tom Hewes [ thewes@popasmoke.com ]

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Where & When

The tenth Pop A Smoke reunion will be held at the Reno Hilton and run from Thursday, 8 July to Sunday morning 11 July 2004. The Association (read J. D. Barber who does all the work) has negotiated a room rate of $79 (not including 12% room tax) with the hotel and a discount of 15% at the adjoining KOA RV Campground.

The Reno Hilton will start accepting reservations on 31 January 2004. The registration phone number and code word will be published in the winter edition of the Pop A smoke newsletter. To get the negotiated rate of $79, your reservation should be made before 6 June.

To assure fairness, the hotel has been instructed to accept only one reservation per person or family. The hotel will not accept reservations for blocks of rooms so please do not attempt to reserve by squadron.

Information on the KOA Campground, including daily rates and reservation phone number, will also be published in the winter edition of PAS. The Campground will start accepting reservations immediately upon publication.

Pay Me Now or…

In January, every member whose dues are paid up (dues year 10 Nov 03 to 9 Nov 04) will receive a reunion packet with the reunion schedule and sign up form. The cost will be the same as the last reunion: Registration $ 45.00 per person, the Thursday Welcome Aboard Reception $35.00, and the Saturday Dinner & Show $45.00 for a total of $125.00.

Remember, you have to be a paid up member of Pop A Smoke to attend the reunion. No dues, no packet – no packet, no reunion.

This reunion there will be a stiff penalty for failing to pre-register. Those who wait until they get to Reno to sign up will be assessed an additional $50 per person. Why? Cause we have to give the Hilton an accurate C Ration count days in advance of the meals. If we don’t know how many are coming to chow we have to guess at the number of meals to order, the extra cost of which comes out of the Association treasury. That’s your money so give us a huss and pre-register.

As an incentive to pre-register, the large (100 or more members) and small (less than 100 members) squadron with the highest percentage of pre-registrations will receive a free hospitality suite for the duration of the reunion. Whether your squadron had planned to reserve a hospitality suite or not, this will save it a cool $240.00.

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Tentative Reunion Program (It will change!)

Thursday 8 July:

0900-1630: Registration in the Grand Salon
0900-1000: Friends of Bill meet in Crystal 5
0900-1630: Vendor Sales in the Tahoe Room
0900-1500: Socializing in the Pavilion (room must be cleared at 1500 for Welcome Aboard reception set up)
1700-1900: Welcome Aboard Reception in the Pavilion

Friday 9 July:

0800-1400: Golf Tournament at the Northwoods Golf Course
0900-1630: Registration in the Grand Salon
0900-1000: Friends of Bill meet in Crystal 5
New Event/Time TBD: Showing of video ‘Lucky Looks Back’ in the Pavilion
1700-2200: Squadron Dinners at various locations

Saturday 10 July:

0900-1000: Friends of Bill meet in Crystal 5
0900-1500: Socializing in the Pavilion (room must be cleared at 1500 for Dinner set up)
1700-1800: Happy Hour in the Pavilion
1800-1830: Presentation of the Colors, Invocation, and Memorial Eulogy
1830-2000: Dinner
2000-2030: Awards Presentation
2030-2100: Special Guest Appearance
2100-2300: Music by Request

Sunday 11 July:

0700-TBD: Breakfast at the Canyon Buffet. Not Association sponsored since it’s cheaper than a catered meal.

Squadron Hootches

Each squadron will have an opportunity to reserve a squadron 12’ X 12’ “hootch” constructed of pipe and drape and located in the Pavilion. Each hootch will have a sign indicating the squadron and an electrical hook up capable of handling slide or movie projectors (bring your own projector & screen). The hootches will probably be dark green in color with a 4’wide red and yellow stripe down one side. Since the space allocated for hootches can only accommodate a total of 24, we won’t know whether hootch size can be doubled to accommodate large squadrons until closer to the event.

Squadrons signing up for hootches will be charged a fee of $75, which is one half the cost the Association pays.

No No's:

Hotel policy prohibits the importation of personal beverages and food into public areas of the hotel. This means that you will not be permitted to supply your own beverages and food for squadron hootches in the Pavilion.

Hotel policy also prohibits hanging or affixing anything like banners, posters, and pictures to any portion of the hotel’s permanent structure.

Hospitality Suites

Each squadron will also have an opportunity to reserve a hospitality suite. There are 19 hospitality suites available at the $79.00/day room rate. The suites come in two sizes: Deluxe (floors 4-18) capable of hosting 75 to 100 and Sierra (floors 4-27) capable of hosting 25 to 50. All have a bedroom and bath plus a parlor area with bar.

Concerning bringing food and drink into the suites, our contract with the hotel reads, "Corkage in Hospitality Suites will be waived, however, no service will be provided by the Hotel". This means you can supply your own beverages and food, but – and it's a big but – the "no service" provision means just that. You will have to supply your own ice, glasses, tableware, napkins, etc. – and do your own clean up.

On Site Registration

In reality, it’s not registration but the distribution of individual reunion packets containing your name tag (must be worn to get into the Pavilion), meal tickets, and other information. Registration will take place in one half of Grand Salon which comprises 4500 ft2 of space.

The distribution of reunion packets is a squadron responsibility. Each squadron will be provided a 6’ wide registration booth equipped with a squadron sign, chairs, wastebasket, etc. Bring your own pencils, paper and office supplies. The squadron will also have to provide troops to man it, ideally two guys in either 2 or 4-hour shifts, during the registration period. See program above for hours.

Squadron watch standers should be prepared to maintain two lists, each with the names of those who have checked in, where they are staying, and their room/local telephone number. An Association staffer will pick up one copy every hour, which will be used to both update a master directory that will be on display in the Pavilion and to permit timely notification of members in case of a family emergency.

Since the packets are valuable, they will have to be signed in and out daily at the SNAFU counter located in the Grand Salon by one of the squadron watch standers. Each member will also have to sign for his packet as it is issued to him to complete the chain of custody.

Squadron members arriving outside registration hours (see program above for hours) should contact a SNAFU staffer (names to be provided on site) to arrange for the pick up of his packet. Members desiring to register as walk ins (and pay the $50 penalty) should go to the SNAFU counter in the Grand Salon. The same applies to anyone whose registration packet does not contain the items he paid for.

The registration area will also contain a telephone table with two or three house phones for the specific use of squadron coordinators. These house phones will be linked to both the Association Operations Manager, Buck Massie, or the Reunion Coordinator’s CP at the end of the Freebie area.

Freebies:

The Freebies are will be located immediately upon entry into the Pavilion (hence the requirement to wear a nametag). The Freebie area will be set up to accommodate 4 lines. Since all Freebie items except size specific T-Shirts will be pre-packed in a sporty gym bag with the Pop A Smoke logo, there should be no delays or long lines.

Reunion CP:

At the far end of the Freebie area is a small, fully enclosed office that will be the Reunion Coordinators CP.

Either the Reunion Coordinator (RC) or his Assistant Coordinator (ARC) will be stationed in the CP during Thursday and Friday registration, and at such other times as may be necessary. Squadron coordinators can reach either the RC or ARC, both of who will be available 24/7, by either regular house telephone or the registration phone located in the Grand Salon. Telephone numbers will be published shortly before the reunion starts.

Questions:

In any case not covered by the above call the Corporal of the Guard (correction), please contact your squadron point of contact (POC). Don’t know who he is? Check your last two issues of Pop A smoke and you’ll find his name.