ASSOCIATION

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Your Board of Directors (BOD)  met via telephone and/or email to discuss the feasibility of the 2020 Reunion. The unanimous decision was to postpone the 2020 Reunion until 2021 then hold it in New Orleans at the Higgins Hotel in late September or October.

 

The 2021 Reunion will include the same activities planned for 2020. Diane Sorola, our reunion host-coordinator and Board Member is in total agreement. Also, she enthusiastically volunteered to host our 2021 Reunion.

 

John Davis who was to host the 2021 Reunion in Evansville, IN said he agrees with the postponement and he will host the 2022 Reunion in Evansville.

 

Since it is virtually impossible to hold our annual meeting and election of the Board Members and, if there are no objections, the Board of Directors will remain as is through the 2021 Reunion.

 

In reaching a decision, the BOD considered:
1. The COVID curve seems to be peaking or flattening. The experts agree on this but are concerned on what happens next. They encourage reopening our places of business and work in a safe and orderly manner. This is a work in progress.
2.The experts are saying there may be a 2nd wave of COVID in the fall beginning in September. This will probably be coincidental with the "normal" annual flu. The experts say this will be difficult to deal with.
3. Treatment drugs and vaccines are being developed and tested with no availability dates and scaling for wide use.
4. The experts are "fuzzy" on opening public venues. Our concerns are airlines, Higgins Hotel, restaurants and the WW2 Museum.. All will probably have new rules to include masks, group size and distancing.
5.The concerns on flying are flight availability and health safety. Airplanes have always been a good place to catch something. How about now?
6. Will the Higgins be open by late September? Will they employ distancing rules? How can we
congregate for the hospitality room camaraderie and the planned meals? Will "group assemblies” be limited to a given number of persons?
7. New Orleans has some of the best restaurants in the world. Will we be able to enjoy them while complying with the rules?
8. Will the WW2 Museum be open for our planned tour and luncheon? Will there be group limitations, distancing and other requirements?

9. Will our shipmates still want to attend and in what numbers? Will we have the necessary quorum?

 

The BOD's options were:
1. Proceed with "see and wait" for another 30 days before making a final decision?
2. Cancel the reunion because of uncertainties and apprehension?
3, Postpone the 2020 reunion until next year, same place same time.