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Ok Guys, both Dave Farran and Pat Householder took pictures of me pretending to work, so we are covered. A lot of people have looked at Lance's DVD and are impressed. Brochures are going well and there are many that now know what we are doing. The convention is well run and we are busy. Hopefully tomorrow, Tom and Lesley will be there.Bill
Things are going very well in Ft. Worth. Temp tonight was in the 70's. A little breezy..Met Dave Stoops for the first time in life. We've been talking in email and on BBS's for 10 years. Also met Roy Ator. He's been around my BBS for ever also.What's nice about these affairs is the closeness of the National Officers. Went to dinner last night and sat with Mike Bircumshaw, John and Joan Peters, Pat Householder, and Fred Borgmann from the National Office. Tomorrow Gil and I go to Breakfast with Mike Bircumshaw. Meetings start tomorrow with the District Commanders seminar. Holland Club breakfast was this AM.I've seen the new calendars and they are terrific. The best yet.National SK is not here again because of hurricane problems in Louisiana.I think Bill has also signed up a couple of LIB members. I had another but found out he was from Salt Lake City and I yielded and will get him into the Utah Base. Forgive me. LOLBill was very busy today. Pat Householder watched the entire Lance Dean Museum video today. He was concerned it would detract from sales of his calendar. But there is no competition. They will complement each other. Pat is a huge memorial boat care fan and right now has this thing for the Clamagore. That boat is probably most in need of care.I have spoken with the San Diego Convention planners. This one is going to the biggest ever. Start saving NOW! 600 rooms at the Host Hotel are blocked for us and 300 more to the International Submarine Association. If you want this hotel, get in early.Bill went to the Welcome Aboard Party tonight at another location. Got to see a Dallas Cowgirl on stilts. How cool is that.Tomorrow night the crew heads for Billy Bob's. This is the largest watering hole in the country I believe.Ron Smith showed up today to begin selling his book. Not doing well. He begins chemo Monday. But he's still lucid and in good humor.That's it...Have to watch the lady from Alaska about to speak.Rontini
Well, Ron may have SEEN a Cowboy Cheerleader in stilts, but I got a couple of kisses from that tall gal! We had a very spirited board meeting today and a number of things got taken care of. The weather has been great and the shipmates have been terrific. It was great to meet Dave Stoops finally, and to chat with Gil Raynor and Ron Martini again. There really are a great bunch of folks here. The all color museum boats calendars are going briskly. Contact Huey Hahn at subhuey@aol.com for ordering information. Got to go to the Bureau of Printing and saw how they print our money. Very Impressive! I only wish that all could be here to share in the good times.
I have enjoyed this convention so far, I have seen more of my former shipmates here that I have not seen before and this helps build our reunion list for the next Madison reunion in July. Ron Smith made it, but he is taking a lot of medication and can only work his book table for short periods of time. Warshot will be starting radiation treatments for cancer on Tuesday. The Submarine Museum table is being well attended and folks are watching the DVD of the museum boats that Lance Dean put together. So awareness of the museum boats and their needs is being widened and interest in helping as volunteers, docents and other wise is being gained.John McMichael came up and spoke at the Holland Club Breakfast, but had to return to Galveston as Billie had some back surgery on the 2nd. Well, I am so damn tired, gonna sign off for now.Gil
