Reunion 2014 weekend schedule
Click here to access a printer friendly four page schedule of the reunion activities
WEDNESDAY:
Thursday is typically the first day that people arrive at the reunion site, but others get there a day early. The special room rate of $99. a night will apply for our group from Wednesday through the weekend so don't be afraid to come early.
Be aware that the hotel will be furnishing all Alpha Association guests with a free breakfast buffets in the hotel restaurant. Each of our rooms will entitle us to two tickets for free breakfast meals for each morning other than Saturday and Sunday, when we will be fed as a group in the Ballroom. The hours of the buffet are 6:30AM until 10AM. The breakfast buffet includes eggs, bacon or sausage, fruit, breakfast potatoes, etc, and of course drinks. Saturday and Sunday breakfasts will be served in our banquet hall.
The hotel lounge opens at 4PM and the restaurant opens at 5PM during the week. Although there are no lunches served at the hotel, there are many fine restaurants nearby to satisfy anyone's tastes and wallets.
There is free WI-FI service for all guests for the stay. An indoor pool and a work out room are available for those of you who want to exercise.
Click here to see the menu from the hotel restaurant: Largo Grille Menu
The Hospitality Room will be open to our members starting at noontime until 11PM on Wednesday. It will be open to us from 7AM until midnight for the rest of our stay.
THURSDAY:
People who arrive early generally do so for a few reasons. The first is to have extra time to socialize with other association members. The second reason is to tour local attractions in the area before the reunion actually begins on Friday. With Boston being so close, (31 miles away and a short 40 minute drive) they will have no problem finding interesting locales and historical sites nearby. Another reason is to arrive early enough to participate in whatever group tours that are scheduled for Friday.
Typically, early people who arrive on this day meet for dinner at a local restaurant. Jim Deluco will be scouting out the area for a suitable location when he arrives back in March (he's been in Florida since December to keep out of the snow). I'll post whatever he learns on our options not only on this site, but in the April newsletter.
*We have booked a 71 passenger bus for the weekend to take us to the two sites planned. To prevent the confusion that took place last year we are issuing tickets on a first come, first serve basis and everyone that boards the bus will need a ticket. I will not begin to reserve any seats until the newsletter comes out to make it fair for those who are not on the internet to have a shot at the tickets. Have no fear, everyone will have access to some form of transportation as we will be using cars should we need to make up for any deficits in bus seating.
Click here for a printable non-detailed schedule organized by Jim Deluco
FRIDAY:
Breakfast will be served in the restaurant beginning at 6:30AM until 10AM.
12:00 Noon This afternoon we will be traveling to the National Minuteman's Historic Park in nearby Lexington/Concord. Please take the opportunity to eat lunch before we leave as there are no eating facilities along our route. You can see where the local restaurants are situated by clicking on the link below. Once the map comes up click on the Holiday Inn Marlborough marker. Once that box opens click on 'search nearby' then typing in 'Restaurants' in the box. This will show you a map of the area and the nearby restaurants from the closest to the more distant.
Click here: Google Map
12:45 We should be arriving at our first stop within 45 minutes after our departure. This will be the Minute Man Visitor Center at the Minuteman National Historical Park's Battle Road. You will have approximately 30 minutes to view the displays and documents in the visitors center. Do so then as we will need to leave immediately after the 1:30PM show (a 25 minute video presentation) in the viewing hall so we can make our next stop in time to see the Ranger program at 2:15PM.
1:30 We have reserved the viewing hall for the association at this time
I found this commentary on the show on Yelp.com:
You MUST watch the free
25-minute "video" at the visitor center before you do whatever else you plan to
do at the park (walk the lovely, well-maintained trails, see the historic
houses, etc.). I put "video" in quotes because it's so much more than just a
video: it's an experience, with various displays and montages, 2 video screens,
a map that lights up in red and blue to show the locations of the patriots and
the British at the different points in time, a model of the old north church
with lights in the steeple to demonstrate "one if by land, two if by sea," and
all sorts of other really cool things that make the narrative so much more than
just a video. If this were a private operation, they'd charge you $10-$15, easy,
for that experience. But it's the national park service, and it's free, and it's
terrific. Very informative, and much easier to learn and remember this way!
2:00 Depart for Battle Road
2:05 Pass by Revere capture site to point out the site, but we won't be stopping because of the tight schedule
2:15 Arrive at the Hartwell Tavern for the ‘Who were the Minutemen’ Ranger program which lasts 20 minutes and begins with Firing of the muskets that takes place at 2:15PM
3:00 Depart for North Bridge
3:20 Arrive at North Bridge, Monument Street Concord, MA
3:30 North Bridge Ranger Historical Program at the bridge lasting 20 minutes
4:30 Leave for Hotel driving by Colonel Barrette’s house on our way back to the hotel (no parking lot, but it can be pointed out along the way
5:00 Arrive back at Holiday Inn, Marlboro
6:00 Dinner served in the Ballroom
Menu:
Garden Salad
& Caesar Salad
Pasta Marinara
Seasonal Vegetable
Chicken Parmesan
Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Chef's Selection of Dessert
Coffee and Tea
7:30 Opening night program for the 2014 Reunion begins with a slideshow tribute to Tom Nickerson and Bill Coggeshall. They were the only 2/12th Infantry Battalion soldiers from Massachusetts to have died in combat in Vietnam from the day of our arrival in Vietnam through the Tet Offensive of 1968.
SATURDAY:
7:00 TO 9:00 Breakfast served in the Ballroom
Menu:
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon & Sausage
Home Fries
Fresh Fruit
Muffins
Pastries
Yogurt and Granola
Fruit Juice
Cold Cereal
Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Tea
9:00 Bus loading up for trip to the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Worcester
9:30 Bus arrives at site. We will be met with a guide that will explain the different features of the park
11:00 Bus returns to hotel
12:00 Lunch served in the Ballroom
Menu:
Garden Salad
Potato Chips
Assorted Sandwiches to include:
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Turkey & Bacon on a bulkie Roll
Ham & Cheese on a Bulkie Roll
Fresh Baked Cookies
Iced Tea and Lemonade
2:00 Annual Reunion Ceremony begins
4:30 Ballroom cleared in preparation for dinner and annual group photo taken outside (weather permitting)
6:00 Dinner is served in the Ballroom
Menu:
Garden Salad
Pasta Salad
Seasonal Vegetable
Chef Selection of Rice or Potato
Chicken Marsala
Roasted Pork Loin – apple chutney
Rolls & Butter
Dessert
Coffee and Tea7:30 Annual Social and Dance begins
SUNDAY:
7:00 TO 9:00 Breakfast served in the Ballroom
Menu:
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon & Sausage
Home Fries
Fresh Fruit
Muffins
Pastries
Yogurt and Granola
Fruit Juice
Cold Cereal
Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Tea
We have until noontime to say our goodbyes for another year.