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This is a plea to all planning to attend the upcoming Hanna Family Reunion
Friday, July 31st – August 2nd – it is essential that everyone
bring a side dish for the evening meal. If it’s inconvenient to bring
one with you, then pick up something from local catering or shop locally
and arrange a time to prepare your dish at one of the kitchens available
for the reunion. Pat Bitar has made herself available as a contact for local
sources of Syrian food (724) 335-6778. In addition to this contribution to
the main meal, a dessert item is always welcome. If you arrive in the area
earlier, check in with Pat to see where the family may meet for Thursday
night dinner.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Breakfast on your own
10:00 am – Tent and Outdoor Kitchen set-up
11:00 am – Registration Begins
12N – Lunch (American Style)
6 pm – Dinner –All those who are in town are the guests of Buzz and Pat
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Breakfast on your own
11:00 Registration Begins
1:00 pm – Lunch (American Style)
1:30 pm – Let the Games Begin
Horseshoe competition
Bocce Competition
Bingo
Children’s Activities
6:00 pm – Dinner (Syrian Style)
7:00 pm – Family Story Telling/Music
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Breakfast on your own
12 N – Lunch (American Style)
12:30 pm – Finish competitions
4 pm – Dinner (Leftovers)
5 pm – Tent down
As always, whatever you bring that is not consumed should be taken with
you.
When I lived in San Francisco, I worked for a time as an options floor broker at the Pacific Stock Exchange. I was one of the maniacs screaming in a trading pit. I got a call one day from Uncle Shuff, who was in town for a school board conference. We agreed to meet at the exchange and have lunch. I set him up in an area where he wouldn’t be trampled by traders and runners, and Shuff watched the last half hour of my trading day. Then we went to lunch in Chinatown. Although he may not have fully gotten the technical aspects of the options floor, he had an innate and intuitive feel for what was really going on in the pit. The stock exchange is a microcosm of American business in general, and in the specific, the unwritten rules of the world of business; what David Mamet continually writes about - “conducting business in the world of men.”
That visit with my uncle summed up for me why Shuff was so special. Family was most important to him, after all he called me to get together for a visit, even though we hadn’t spoken to each other in years. He was in San Francisco, representing his school board, one of many community services he was glad to perform throughout the years. He also understood the world of business and his questions about my stock market experiences reflected that understanding as well as his genuine interest in how I was faring in it. I’ll never forget that visit and how much it meant to me to connect with him again.
Shuff Bitar was the patriarch of a loving family and I’ll always remember
when I last saw him at the 2008 Reunion, how much he brightened up in the presence
of family members, especially the children. We all knew he wasn’t feeling
well, but he was among family, and that made him happy. I’ll miss my uncle.
A kind and generous family member has offered to put up 2 round-trip airplane tickets from anywhere in the US to Portland, OR for the 2010 Hanna Reunion. This is the first announced fundraiser for the Hanna Family Trust Fund. Look for raffle details at the upcoming 2009 Hanna Family Reunion.
At last year’s reunion, interest was expressed in the cookbook published by the late Sylvia Michael. Ernie has generously offered to publish a 2nd edition. Send him your recipes for the updated cookbook and $10 each for copies, with proceeds going to the Hanna Family Trust Fund.
For those arriving early for the reunion, there is a golf outing planned
for July 25th at the Breckenridge Country Club. For more details, contact
Buzz Bitar.
Since we have a publicly accessible website (www.hannafamilyreunion.com),
I've limited the personal information listed out of respect for individual
privacy. Thanks to all of you for your updates and photos. If there are
any family photos you’d like to share, please contact me or Fred Thomas
(ahab627@windstream.net).
The utmost care will be taken to see that they will be returned to you. Please
caption
the photos with the names of those in the photo. Also, if we don't yet have
birthdays for all family members on the birthday calendar, please send them
in by e-mail (raydhanna@hotmail.com),
phone (503-897-5483) or mail (PO Box 961 Mill City, OR 97360). ). If you
have any thoughts about the newsletter or the website, I'd love to hear from
you. Any communications to, about or by the family will find a place here.
Ray H.