A group of Maule cousins (who have evolved into an ad hoc reunion planning committee) has been acquiring information and making decisions about the 1990 Reunion. The following information reflects the state of the arrangements as of April 1989. Additional, and more specific information, will be distributed in the fall 1989 newsletter. Subsequent communications will be limited to those who have identified themselves as participants in the 1990 Reunion.
The following information is subject to change:
TRAVEL: If a sufficient number of people indicate, arrangements can be made for group or charter air travel from New York to Paris and from London to New York. Obviously, participants are welcome to get themselves to the Reunion locations however else they might wish to do so. Similarly, a group crossing of the Channel by hovercraft (and travel from Paris to the Channel and from the Channel to Edinburgh) can be arranged.
ACCOMMODATIONS: The reunion planning committee will try to make group accommodation arrangements (much in the style of the 1988 Salem Reunion) in Maule, France, and Brechin, Scotland. Success in doing so depends on knowing, with great accuracy, the number of participants. If group accommodations can be made, it would be highly desireable for participants to stay in the castle, hotel, or other lodging that has been obtained. All other accommodation arrangements would be at the discretion of the participant.
MEALS: At least one dinner in each location would be planned as a group activity. Preferably, all dinners would be so arranged. Other meal arrangements would be at the discretion of the participant.
COST: These are all ballpark estimates. Air fare, per person, would be about $1200 round trip. Accommodations and meals would be about $100 per day (a difficult call because of the variety of participants' lodging and eating habits and because the cost of accommodations in the two locations would be a matter of negotiation).
PERSONAL PLANNING: Passports are needed, and cannot expire before March 1991. Visa from France also are needed, and the passport is needed to obtain the visa.
NEEDED NOW: The reunion planning committee needs to know by June 30 the names of all those who plan to attend the Reunion. As you can tell from the preceding information, knowing the number of those attending is critical to effective planning. Please fill out and return the form on the next page, even if you do not plan to attend (that helps in making estimates). Feel free to photocopy the form if you do not want to tear up this priceless newsletter.
ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________
PHONE: _________________________________________________________
OTHERS TRAVELLING WITH YOU: ____________________________________
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___ I (We) plan to attend the 1990 Maule Reunion....
___ I (We) would like to travel with the group....
___ TO Europe | ___ from France to Scotland | ___ FROM Europe |
___ I (We) will not attend the 1990 Maule Reunion
OPTIONAL: Because:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Comments: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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PLEASE RETURN THE FORM TO:
Though attendance at past reunions has been encouraging, though lower than expected (ranging from 40 to 110), the response rate has been surprisingly disappointing. At best, 50 to 75 responses arrive from a mailing of at least 500 newsletters that reach at least 2,000 Maule cousins. Perhaps I overestimate interest levels, or perhaps there is some other factor at work that I have not noticed.
In past years, one could treat a non-response as an indication of non-attendance. The only risk was that someone would attend who had not responded. Usually the arrival of unexpected participants causes no problems; at worst, if the Reunion is like the one in Salem, it might mean last-minute meal changes or someone's non- admittance to a ticketed event. Planning involved estimating the number of participants, "announcing" the Reunion, and waiting for people to respond and attend.
This approach will not work for the 1990 Reunion. A reunion held in two locations in Europe requires a much greater degree of commitment from those planning to attend than did the previous Reunions. It also requires much more detailed planning than anything in which the family has ever before been involved.
Fortunately, with respect to the planning, those of our cousins who are on the reunion planning committee have been doing much work. Most of it involves determining the things that need to be done and the time frame that applies to the plans. For example, Betsey Collins and Gloria Pierce have met with travel agents to ascertain cost estimates, travel and visa information, and ideas for how the travel can be arranged. Bill Maule corresponded with the secretary to the Earl of Dalhousie concerning Brechin Castle. Dave Maule is on standby, and will soon be involved in specific planning for events once the number of participants can be ascertained. My thanks to the committee, especially because I know that I could not have done something of this scope myself.
What emerges from the committee's work is the paramount fact that no matter how much any one specific member of the ad hoc planning committee does, the 1990 Reunion cannot be adequately arranged without the cooperation of each and every member of the family. It is essential that each person respond by filling out and sending me the form on page 3. Knowing that 450 people are planning NOT to attend makes planning infinitely easier than knowing that 40 people plan to attend, 7 do not, and 493 do not care enough to respond.
Please be nice to those who are trying to put this together. Take a moment to share YOUR plans, no matter what they are.
DECEASED: Katherine Hewitt Cummin, on Dec. 17, 1988. Kady was very active in the Radnor Historical Society, wrote "Radnor: A Rare and Pleasing Thing", and was very helpful in teaching this writer about Radnor and places connected with our family history. Though not a member of the Maule family, she made the collation of its genealogy one of her concerns. She and her concern will be missed.
DECEASED: Jane Maule Little, Jan. 7, 1989. Jane was the last member of a major branch of the Maule family. Her father, grandfather, and great grandfather were involved in the Maule Lumber and Maule Seed Company enterprises. Jane was very interested in Maule family history, and fortunately shared what she knew when I met her some years ago. She was one of the last of that group of special cousins who knew Maules in the fifth, sixth, and seventh generation, and who encouraged me in the early stages of my involvement in the Maule family history project. I am happy to report that there have been entrusted to me much of her Maule collection, and I will see to its preservation along with the rest of the Maule Collection now in my care.
DECEASED: Lawrence Lambelet, December 4, 1988. Larry was well known by those who attended Maule Reunions, as he attended most of them and made it a point to talk with people and get to know them. He was a strong supporter of the reunions, the Maule genealogy research projects, and of the family in general. He will be missed.
DECEASED: Mary Zelma Maule, wife of Bob Maule and mother of Bill Maule (whom many of you know from reunions and his service as Consul General in several places). I regret that I never met Zelma. In my correspondence with Bob, one of the many things I learned was that she was a fantastic person. She and Bob were married for more than 64 years, which says a lot about both of them.
DECEASED: Marguerite M. Foley, Jan. 18, 1989. Peg was the widow of my father's only Maule first cousin Bob Foley. Bob's father was the brother of my grandmother and his mother was the sister of my grandfather. Some years ago I visited Bob and Peg when I was putting together the Maule genealogy. It was interesting, though perhaps typical, that she had acquired more information from older members of the family when she was younger (or at least remembered it) than had Bob, though both shared several hours of their time educating me. In my usual style of being overextended I never did get back to see them after that visit.
It is not as though I was not warned. Years ago, when I was much younger, more energetic, and less understanding of others' slower paces, my mother told me that as I grew older I would get busier, acquire a longer "to do" list, and discover that days grew shorter. Nowadays, the fancy word for this phenomenon is "overextension". The fact that I have friends dealing with the same problem lets me take comfort in viewing this as an aspect of being in one's thirties!
When I discover how to put 30 hours in a day I will let you know. In the meantime, my apologies to those expecting to hear from me.
BOWMAN, Susan (Rockford IL) | MAULE, Norman P (Carmichael CA) |
EBERT, Janet (Chalmetter LA) | MAULE, M/M Warren (Idaho Falls ID) |
KASKI, Nancy Mae (Portland OR) | MAY, M/M Lewis L (Frisco TX) |
LEWIS, M/M Peter (Visalia CA) | PAXSON, Mildred S (Lititz PA) |
MAULE, Bill (North Wales PA) | SKAGGS, D & MAULE, Mrs James(Norwalk CA) |
MAULE, James S (Beverly Hills CA) | THOMSON, Mrs Erma (Wagontown PA) |
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