MAILING LIST:  To date our mailing list numbers nearly 300 descendants and their families.  The breakdown follows: Allen Brown (Uncle Allen) - 50; Ann Elizabeth (Aunt Lizzie) Miller - 45; Emily Dunmire Moore - 23; Esther May (Aunt May) Brooks - 3; George Henry (Uncle Doctor) - 15; Irvin Cloyd (Uncle Irv) - 18; John Glasgow - 38; Lambert Brumbaugh - 42; Margaret Hoyt (Aunt Maggie) Netzley - 16; Nelson Archibald (Uncle Nelse) - 16; and William James (Uncle Will) - 8. 

 We know there are many more, but we need your help to find them.  Please start scouring your family tree for names and addresses and send them all to Paul Brumbaugh (email and postal addresses below).  Many people have already begun to plan their summer vacations for 2005.  We want to try to persuade them (and you) to include the reunion in those plans.

REGISTRATION:  Registration forms will be sent out just as soon as we can arrive at registration and other fees.  Since some of the final contracts have not yet been signed, we do not know what costs will be, but it appears it will be reasonable. There will be a registration fee covering things that benefit everyone.  Meals, youth programs, tour, banquet, etc., will be itemized as additional charges   That way people unable to attend the entire reunion will be able to “tailor make” their own reunion.

DISPLAYS: We are planning displays that will include Archibald, Esther, Calista (Hmm!  Who was Calista?) and all of the fifteen children.  There will be a HUGE family tree–fifteen children make a family tree get very big very quickly!!  There will be “guess-the-people-in-the-picture” games–don’t worry, there will be clues.  Also if you have old Van Dyke family pictures, but can no longer match names to the faces, bring them!  Someone will probably be able to help figure them out.  Come and find out why there will be a shovel and an eyecup on display! 

If you have memorabilia or pictures that relate to Archibald, Esther, Calista or any of the fifteen children--tell us about them.  If they do not duplicate other items, we might want to include them in one of the displays.  Try to have labels ready-made for them.  If you have something you consider too delicate or valuable for people to touch, consider making a case with a plexiglass top to protect it.  If that is not a possibility, please contact us before you decide not to bring it. 

HOUSING: You will be responsible for arranging your own housing while you are in Beatrice.  We have blocks of rooms reserved in several motels in the Beatrice area.  A separate sheet that lays out the details on the motels is included in this mailing.  We urge you to make your housing arrangements ASAP because the Gage County Fair is the same week as the reunion and housing could become a problem if you wait.  The motels insist that fair-goers do not cause them to fill up, but there will be some degree of competition nonetheless.

RAFFLE AND SOUVENIRS:  As a small money-raiser, we will raffle off a nicely framed copy of a 1910 Van Dyke-Swigart reunion picture.  Most of the members of the reunion committee had never seen this picture and consider it one of our treasures.  We are also planning to have tee-shirts, coffee mugs and possibly other souvenirs available.

TALENT: We would like to use family talent throughout the weekend and especially during the banquet.  If you or someone you know that will be attending–children, youth, adults--can sing, play an instrument, do dramatic or poetry (especially their own!) readings, tell us about them.  Unfortunately there probably will not be a piano available.  We will plan to have a good electronic keyboard available for this purpose, however.

FAMILY HERITAGE BOOK:  We plan to have a Family Heritage Book compiled and ready for sale at the reunion.  It will include stories about each of the family members and some items they wrote themselves.  But we need your help collecting stories and information for it.  Writing assignments are as follows:  

This does not mean these people will be doing all the work.  We are soliciting help from others.

For some of the siblings, information is brief and sketchy.  If you have information, stories or pictures you want us to consider including, please send them to the person responsible for the topic.  We would appreciate a phone call informing us of your contribution, but please do not expect us to take the information over the phone unless it is very brief.  Please plan to send it in writing.  (Addresses and phone numbers are at the end of this letter.)  We need this information right away.  We want to have the manuscript polished and ready for the printer by April 1, 2005.

DIGITAL PHOTO ALBUM: The heritage book will include some pictures, but we cannot afford to include very many.  So we also want to produce a photo “album” for people to buy.  This will be in the form of a compact disc for use with a computer.  This format makes it relatively easy and inexpensive to produce good quality pictures.  You can help us find the best pictures to include.  Again, they should include  Archie, Esther, Calista, or at least one of the fifteen children or scenes that relate to those two generations.

If you would like to produce a similar digital photo album specifically for your family (for example, Allen’s descendants or Lizzie’s descendants) please feel free to take the initiative and work it out with other members of your family and make it available at the reunion. 

BUSINESS MEETING: The purpose of the business meeting will be to decide 1) whether the family wants to plan for future Van Dyke-Swigart Reunions, 2) if so, how often: every three years, five years, ten years?  And 3) if the family does choose to plan for future reunions, then we will need to elect a committee to plan the next reunion.  You can nominate your suggestions for that committee on the “Reunion Interest Indicator.”

“REASONABLE ACCOMODATIONS:” Our caterers will provide diet options for meals.  When we send out the registration forms, you will be asked for any diet needs you may have.  The reunion facilities are wheelchair accessible as are several of the motels in the area.

STUFF WE ARE LOOKING FOR: 1) We know Uncle Perry put together a large shadow box of artifacts from his years in Alaska.  We believe it was eventually dismantled because we think we know where one artifact is and we plan to have it on display.  Does anyone who receives this know anything more about the display and where any of the other artifacts are?

2)  Anything written by Archie, Esther, Calista or any of the “kids” (diaries, family histories, sermons, poems, essays, etc.

3)  Stories about Archie, Esther, Calista and the “children.”

4)  Photos for the “Digital Photo Album”

5)  Nominees for the next reunion planning committee.

6)  People with talent that we can use for entertainment (children, youth, adults).