Reunion Photos... Here and Everywhere!

Lots of people were taking pictures last weekend at the various organized and spontaneous events! Here are a few from Carolyn (Roks) Young:

Andrew Wilson and Mike Sullivan on the Georgian Queen

Carolyn and Katherine McCracken, pre-party

Dave Moore, Carolyn, Stephen Hartnell and Dave Devereux at the M&M bbq

Gary Abrams, being a good soldier

Katherine and Giselle Robitaille reconnecting

Have you started receiving emails from the reunion committee with lots of photos from the weekend? If you haven't seen them yet, be sure to check your junk/spam folder, as many email programs don't trust anything sent out to lots of people. If you still can't find the emails, drop us a line at hnme2013.gmail.com and we'll send them out to you personally.
Do you have photos to share? Here are some ways to show them off:

1. If you don't have tons, and you're on the Facebook group, post them there and check out pics other alumni have shared.
2. Not on Facebook? Send your photos to the reunion committee and we'll share them right here. 
3. If you have lots of photos, we can also take them and send them out to everyone via email as a Picasa web album.

Now, who's up for another reunion in five years? :D

What a Weekend!

It all started with a few former HNME staffers deciding that the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Naval and Military Establishments (first Royal, then Historic) was perfect timing for a summer interpreter reunion... and culminated in a fabulous weekend! From the resurrected M&M barbecue Friday to the farewells after breakfast at Captain Roberts' Table Sunday -- and was anyone else reminded of those long ago end-of-summer goodbyes in the parking lot? -- the reunion weekend was unforgettable. (I do know some reunion events continued after the breakfast, but we'll have to wait for those who were there to report on them...) Credit to the various summer staff hiring teams over the years who put together such a remarkable group of amazing -- and completely ageless! -- people. If you couldn't make it to this year's reunion, have no fear: there was much talk that we shouldn't wait another 30 years for the next one! 
Thanks to all the reunion committee members for the work that went into our weekend; and for the kind words from everyone for our organizing efforts. Thanks to Peter, Karen, Paul and Nicole for starting us off on the perfect note, not to mention feeding such a crowd! And thanks to the Georgian Queen -- great service and a perfect venue.  

Stay tuned... we'll be letting everyone know about our photo-sharing plans so we can all share our weekend pics! 

Happy Reunion Weekend!

It's here! Hotels and campsites are booked, barbecues are planned, and the Georgian Queen will be packed with former summer staff tomorrow night! There are 118 people expected for the boat cruise, we've sent or received over 700 email messages, the Facebook page with its 58 members has offered 200+ posts (and counting!) and this little blog has had 3600+ page views! And now your reunion committee is ready to party. See you soon!

Excitement Builds!

Excitement for this weekend's reunion is building! Well, certainly around here it is. :P Have you RSVP'd for the Friday evening M&M barbecue yet? Of course you already have your boat cruise ticket. And just like none of the summer staff alumni have changed at all, neither has the Georgian Queen. You may never have seen it without a line-up before, but otherwise, don't these photos of the bar area bring back memories of staff boat cruises past? 

We'll have a couple of tables set up in the dining area if you have a photo album or other memorabilia you want to share, there will be tunes of the era on the speakers, and lots of time for connecting with old friends and maybe some new ones! If you have any last-minute questions, just email the reunion committee at hnme2013@gmail.com or ask on the Facebook page. You can also extend the reunion experience with brunch at Captain Roberts' Table on Sunday morning, or by attending the War of 1812 dedication ceremony at St. James-on-the-Lines. 
Can't wait!

M&M Barbecue!

Hope you're planning to get to Penetang early this weekend for the fourth annual M&M barbecue! A staple before the annual boat cruise for a few years in the 80s, Peter and Paul Mount have resurrected the tradition for the reunion. Here's Peter's latest video with all the details:




And Paul has now joined in the video fun! 




If you can come, please RSVP to Peter at pmount@rogers.com or by leaving a comment on our Facebook page. Hope to see you at Peter's on the 26th for an early start to the reunion fun! 

Sunday Plans?

What are your plans for the morning after the reunion boat cruise? The reunion committee has made a group reservation for brunch at Captain Roberts' Table for 10 am on Sunday, although you are also welcome to come later. You may wish to brave the early hour, though, and then take in a special event at St. James-on-the-Lines! There will be a ceremony to unveil plaques commemorating the War of 1812 services of Captain James Keating and Admiral John Moberly, two familiar HNME figures. All the details can be read here. 

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

We're counting down the days now... less than a week until the M&M barbecue, and of course one week until the reunion boat cruise! 

It's Almost Time!

Just seventeen days left until the reunion boat cruise on the Georgian Queen! And just one week left if you haven't ordered your ticket. Ticket sales end on July 17, and there will be no "on the dock" sales on the 27th. We are looking forward to seeing over 100 summer staff alumni that weekend! 

Do You Brunch?

It's July, and that means the reunion is almost here! The big organized event is, of course, the boat cruise (you DO have your tickets, right?). We just wanted to let you know that an option for the morning after ;) might be meeting at Discovery Harbour's on-site restaurant, Captain Roberts' Table. 

Looks inviting!

Captain Roberts' Table is open for brunch from 10 am to 2 pm on Sundays, and some of us will be taking advantage of this to have a late breakfast following the boat cruise! 

One Month Countdown!

You read that correctly! One month today is the HNME summer staff reunion boat cruise! When the committee first started planning the fun, it seemed that the summer was such a long time away... but the reunion weekend will be here before we know it! 
Be sure to email the committee at hnme2013@gmail.com if you need a reminder of how to purchase tickets, or if you have any other questions about the weekend. Ticket sales only run until July 17th, so don't miss out!  

Locals...

From its inception, HNME always seemed to hire a perfect mix of locals and students from farther away. Everyone seemed to become a bit of a local during the summer, whether it was boarding with a local family or developing a strong opinion on the best beach to visit on days off. Some interpreters were perhaps more obviously local than others, and a few could even lay claim to being descendants from the original Establishments personnel. 
In 1973, The Midland Free Press, definitely a small-town, local paper, even highlighted some of the summer interpretive staff who were also from the local area.

Remember when local papers really
were local?

(Thanks to Dan Keefe for this great newspaper clipping.)
Whether you claim local Midland-Penetang roots or not, we hope you're coming to revisit those summers when you were part of the local scene, too! 

Summertime Tunes

It's amazing how the right song can trigger memories. Do you have some favourite tunes from your interpreter days? We've had several boat cruise song requests already. 

From the Seventies:



From the Eighties:



Of course, you won't know if we play some of your favourite songs if you don't ORDER YOUR TICKETS! If you need a reminder of the ways of submitting your order, just email the reunion committee at hnme2013@gmail.com. You are welcome to make a music request at the same time! 

Hey, Sailors! 

Over on the Facebook page right now, it seems to be all about the soldiers. (And I'm sure more than one soldier thinks that's just the way it should be...) It only seems fair to pay a little bit of attention to the sailors, so here's a few pics from over the years.

A sailor's lot is a happy one...

... and sometimes a pensive one. 

Three sailors gathering can only mean trouble...

A literate sailor!

Obviously worn out by the crowds of visitors.

And the Clairol sailor. 

Thanks to Karen (Markham) Short, Beth (Truax) DesRochers and Patti Murphy for these photos.
Soldiers and sailors... must be the women's turn next. ;)

Tickets

Would it be impolite for me to say that I remember this parking lot ticket booth from visiting HNME as a kid? ;)

Beth (Truax) DesRochers actually looks happy
about her upcoming day in the ticket booth!

Of course, recalling the old ticket booth is really just a sneaky way to remind you to order your reunion boat cruise tickets! The committee has begun to receive ticket orders already, and it's good to remember -- it's a boat, space is limited. If you haven't received the email about how to order your tickets, please email hnme2013@gmail.com so we can send you the details. 
The reunion committee has also been busy promoting the reunion in the Midland Free Press, with the help of former summer interpreters Karen (Markham) Short, Peter Mount and Joan (Dalgliesh) Tulley.

Check out the variety of staff shirts!

Announcing the Fourth "Annual" M&M Barbecue!

If you were a summer interpreter the early 1980s, you may have fond (if perhaps slightly fuzzy) memories of the M&M barbecues, held the afternoon of the evening boat cruise. (Lucky us who were in the same group as the brothers Mount and had the day off.) The last one was held in 1984, but Peter and Paul Mount and their families have decided the time is right to revive the tradition. Here is your video invitation, courtesy of Peter: 





Peter and Paul will be providing more details as the weekend of the reunion approaches. As someone who attended two of these barbecues, trust me, you'll want to be there! 

Staff Training

It would have been just about this time, whichever year(s) you happened to work there, that summer staff training would begin at HNME. A chance to learn or brush up on site history, be fitted for tour guide dresses and costumes, and meet new staff. Although some years there might even be the occasional snow flurry, it seems that many days tended to be warm and sunny. 

Time for a break to enjoy the sunshine. 

Ready to demonstrate a musket drill to new staff, perhaps?

Not sure when the tradition began, but definitely by the '80s, staff training concluded with an evening talent show. We always were a talented bunch, weren't we? 

Mother Teresa (?) reminds summer interpreters of the vows
of poverty, chastity and obedience. Possibly sobriety as well?

Thanks to Karen (Markham) Short and Katherine McCracken for sharing these photos. Do you have any staff training memories to share? 
P.S. Did you receive your ticket information email? If not, please let us know at hnme2013@gmail.com and we'll get it to you! 

High Drama at HNME

Dramas and special events at the site were a great way to help to bring the story of the Establishments even more to life. Frank Milligan has provided a few great photos and captions. 

A serious meeting in Robert Adam's office. 

A lighter on-site musical interlude. 

This is the "Where's Waldo" pic -- with Nanette Moore
and Bill B. peeking in on afternoon tea at Roberts' house
with Scott Wilson, Robin Adeney and Frank Milligan. 

Be sure to watch your email next week for information on ordering tickets for our July 27th boat cruise! Not receiving the reunion committee emails? Please email the committee at hnme2013@gmail.com. And we'll continue to relive some summer memories with pictures and stories here and on the Facebook page as well. 

Party Time! 

While we are looking forward to a fun reunion boat cruise in July, we can also look back at what fun-loving party people summer interpreters always seem to be. Must be because we always had to work SO hard, and occasionally needed to blow off steam. Yesterday, Kate (Shaw) Gunn posted some great photos on Facebook, and we thought we'd share a few of them here, too, in case you missed them. 

Clowning around in Keating house.

It's important to stay hydrated when socializing. 

I really hope this was a costume party. 

Parties were always a good time to hang out with friends. 

Katherine McCracken has a few party pics she has shared, as well. 

See, hydration -- always important.

Your typical party scenario. 

Any place can be a party place: ready to head to the Pen for
a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  

Do you have any party memories or photos to share? You know how to do it -- Facebook, comments here, or the reunion email!