Dear Fellow Classmates,
Can you believe we are fast approaching our 50th reunion from the best hospital school of nursing in Canada? As we all know, plans can change but getting an early start on people’s ideas and wishes will help us to organize an event that is worthy of our impressive class. To make it easy for the Reunion Committee to collate the information we receive, we’ve placed seven questions at the beginning of this email that relate to the information we need to continue with planning. Please respond by AUGUST 10, 2020 so that we know you received this communication.
1. Do you plan to attend?
2. Do you wish to receive future emails about the reunion?
3. Any suggestions for group activities.
4. Please select Option 1 or 2 below for length of reunion.
5. Are you in agreement with and able to make a class donation in addition to the costs of the reunion?
6. Are you willing to volunteer and if so, what is your preference?
7. Do you play a musical instrument and/or are you willing to help with singing?
Some of our classmates don’t have email and they are receiving a hard copy of this communication. They can post their answers to the above questions to Gail Blair Storr, 163 Eglinton Street, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 2V9.
Our plans at this stage are very preliminary and all feedback is welcome. The body of this email is fairly long so we have also attached it as a PDF for those who prefer to read it that way.
ACCOMODATIONS
We intend to book a block of rooms because doing may result in lower room rates and,
dependent on numbers registered, the possibility of a reduced rate for meeting room(s)
for our group events. The hotel we are currently looking at is Dieppe Wingate. The
website is https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wingate/dieppe-new-brunswick/wingate-by-
wyndham-dieppe-moncton/overview.
DATES
The dates for the Reunion will coincide with the date for the annual Alumnae Lobster
Dinner which is generally the second Monday in June (pandemic year excepted). In
making our initial plans we took into consideration that we have at least one classmate,
Joan Morrison Brunet, who is severely allergic to lobster so can’t attend the lobster
supper or any event with seafood. We’ll ask about other food sensitivities as we get
more specific in our planning.
INFORMATION WE WANT FROM YOU BY JUNE 2021
We intend to create a slide show of information about what our classmates have done in
the past 50 years. Therefore, we are requesting that everyone (even those unable to
attend) send us a current photograph (Jpeg or png format) If you don’t have computer
access for digital photos, please let us know and we’ll find a way to accommodate
submitting hard copies of pictures. We will also send out periodic reminders of this
before final cut-off date of June 2021. We would like you to include a short commentary
including the following information if you wish.
Something about your spouse/partner and number of children and/or
grandchildren (pets count for those who wish to include),
Employment and/or education pursuits since graduation,
Hobbies, travel or anything else you wish your classmates to know
YOUR SUGGESTIONS RE ACTIVITIES
What group activities/events would you suggest that we organize? Some initial thoughts
of the Committee include: Tour of the hospital, Ecumenical church Service at hospital,
Spa day with choice of pedicure, facial, manicure or massage, group nature walk,
bowling. Please let us know any you might attend so we can determine the level of
planning we need to do.
OPTIONS FOR LENGTH OF REUNION
The two options are listed below with no indication of Committee preference.
Option 1: Sunday June 12, 2022 & Monday June 13, 2022
a. Sunday
i. Afternoon: Registration & Hotel Check-In
ii. Evening: Class Dinner.
1. Slide Show of Living Classmates,
2. Tribute to Our Fallen Classmates and
3. Shortened Version of a Reinvented SNAP (Student Nurses
Academy Performance)
b. Monday
i. Morning/Afternoon: Organized Event/Activity to be determined once
we have class “wish list”
ii. Evening: Attend Lobster Supper as a Class
Option 2 Saturday June 11, 2022, Sunday June 12, 2022 & Monday June 13,
2022
a. Saturday
i. Afternoon: Registration & Hotel Check-in
ii. Evening: Appetizers and group get together
1. Longer Version of a Reinvented SNAP (Student Nurses
Academy Performance)
b. Sunday:
i. Morning/Afternoon: Organized Event/Activity to be determined once
we have class “wish list”
ii. Evening: Class Dinner
1. Slide Show of Living Classmates and,
2. Tribute to Our Fallen Classmates
c. Monday:
i. Morning/Afternoon: Organized Event/Activity to be determined once
we have class “wish list”
ii. Evening: Attend Lobster Supper as a Class
ESTIMATED PROJECTED COSTS
Most classes donate money to a nursing unit at the hospital in honour of their 50 th
reunion. Our suggestion is, given the number of classmates we have lost to cancer and
those who are cancer survivors, we make a donation to the oncology unit. To simplify
book keeping we are hoping that people agree with this and that it be included in
registration costs.
We’ve estimated projected costs to help you in making your decision. Please keep in
mind that some costs are fixed such as venue rentals for receptions and/or luncheons,
name tags, sound equipment, etc. These projected costs cover registration and class
donation only. Individuals will be responsible for paying for accommodations and any
group events that have an associated cost. We are suggesting a minimum of $10.00 for
our class donation but are quite happy to have people choose to donate more. Based
on 30 of our 57 living classmates registering for the reunions, the estimated projected
registration costs are:
1. 2-day event $85.00 + $10.00 donation to Oncology Unit = $95.00
2. 3-day event $90.00 + $10.00 donation to Oncology Unit = $100.00
VOLUNTEERING
We are eager to have as many classmates as possible, who want to be involved, to be
part of either the planning or helping with the festivities of the Reunion week-end. You
do not need to live in NB (unless otherwise specified) to be involved in the planning
because we conduct our meetings via Zoom (isn’t technology wonderful?). Our initial
suggestions for roles for volunteers, some of which may involve committee meetings
and others involvement only at time of reunion, include:
Preparing name tags and welcome bags
Creating slide show presentation from information collected
Collaborating with hotel staff re conference rooms, welcome reception and/or
dinner (Moncton resident preferable)
Booking group activities once we have determined what they are (Moncton
resident preferable)
Please let us know if you have any musical talent i.e. singing or playing an
instrument as we have written at least six songs for our SNAP and NEED all the
help we can get in performing them! In addition, anyone who would like to
perform a skit is invited to do so. Just let us know name of the proposed skit and
participants. Think of how much fun you can have when you don’t have to
audition the skit in front of Mrs. Wright and Miss Hayes!
Is there anything we have missed that you wish us to consider?
MHSN Class of 1972 50th Reunion Planning Committee: Joanne Albert Belliveau,
Marlene Myers Hill, Joanne Logan Simpson, and Gail Blair Storr
