Class of 1961 Reunion

MINUTES - Saturday, March 13, 2010
AMAT’61 REUNION COMMITTEE

Present: Corinne Maschio Hartmann, Larry Hartmann, Pattianne Nagel Parker, Marilyn Heglin Dunkel Jackson, Len Troncale

This meeting was held over lunch at the Kellogg-West Conference Center on the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona for the purpose of evaluating the site as a possible venue for the Amat’61 Reunion Dinner.

General Planning Image of Amat’61 Reunion: Current plans are for a complete weekend …….

1. Attend the Amat Homecoming Football game and BBQ on Friday (plus possibly a sponsored tour of the new campus),
2. Dinner & 50-Year Celebration at Kellogg-West on Saturday night,
3. Park and Picnic on Sunday

In this way, we are hoping that the full weekend of events will attract travel and attendance by out-of-state classmates. It is important to receive feedback and additional suggestions from the entire class. In the absence of further suggestions, the committee must go ahead with planning hoping their decisions will represent the wishes of the majority.

Launch of Amat’61 Website: (Chuck & Carol Sorcable) We now have our own dedicated website for the first 50th Reunion thanks to the Sorcable’s. Its URL is http://www.amat61.com
The first classmates have registered. We will now use it to report developments, minutes of meetings, and any other features our classmates want. PLEASE register and update your contact information. If you have any trouble, report it to our Webmaster, Chuck Sorcable, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Report on Liaison with Amat Officials: (Larry & Corinne Hartmann) Tried to get a firm Amat commitment on a date for Homecoming. But this particular year Amat is petitioning the CIF to change Homecoming weekend dates. This is a difficult move dependent on many variables. As a result the date for the 2011 Homecoming has not yet been set. This makes it difficult for us to coordinate our celebrations with events on-campus. Currently, the weekends of October 15th or 21st, 2011 are the best guesses and the basis for our planning and reservations. Please keep these weekends free in your schedules. There is only one opportunity per life to attend a 50th High School Reunion!

Report on Kellogg-West (KW) as Potential Dinner Site: (Len Troncale) A summary of what is included in contract facility price is as follows:

1. Five hours use of facility (hilltop dining rooms with three walls of windows overlooking valley and tree’d slopes); if extended time is necessary it is available at discounted campus rate fee of $150 per hour.
2. Wrap-around veranda with patio heaters and seating for visiting overlooking valley.
3. Pre-Reception Appetizer
4. Dance floor if desired
5. Cash, No-Host Bar; Full Bar; $5 corking fee per bottle for wine brought to site.
6. Choice of colored linens
7. Guest Registration Table
8. Extensive and Diverse Menu’s for either Buffet or Plated/Served Dinners.
9. Dessert and Beverage Stations
10. Round conference tables with eight seats each.
11. Free Parking for Event.
12. Free airport shuttle service to and from Ontario International Airport. (Not LAX)
13. 85 Hotel Rooms available next to Banquet facility. The team looked at the rooms (minus the suites) and judged them to be reasonable. Both smoking and mostly non-smoking rooms available.
14. On site hotel rooms priced at $89 per night, double occupancy, plus 12% room tax. A third person would add $10 per night.
15. With 10 booked Guest Rooms, event gets use of a Hospitality Suite at no additional charge. 30 Chair capacity. We are allowed to bring food and beverage prep appliances into Hospitality Suite. This would be very convenient for out-of-state classmates and for more time dedicated to smaller personal meetings.
16. Several campus walkways available for strolls and visiting with classmates. Campus walks meander by small ponds with ducks, Kellogg mansion, gardened hillsides, a Japanese garden, Arabian horse pastures, small vineyards, cattle, pig, and sheep pastures, sports fields, crop fields, etc. Rural rather than citified.
17. Small pool, Jacuzzi, and exercise room available to those staying at conference hotel.
18. All the above (dinner and facility), (assuming 120 guests at dinner) for $5,693.59 or about $47.45 per person.
19. Refundable deposit of $500 to reserve date; we were advised to make reservations in the next three months.
20. Go to http://www.kelloggwest.org to tour photos of Kellogg-West facilities.

Discussion and Decision Points: (ACTIONABLE points in bold)

1. Must continue to negotiate dates and plan cooperation with Amat High School Officials. It is desirable to have our event on the same weekend as homecoming but these things might be separated given the unknown status of Amat planning.
2. It was suggested to add a Discussion Board or Bulletin Board to the website for classmates to exchange information.
3. It was suggested that the three Minutes of committee meetings to-date be added to the website so classmates could receive updated info &/or respond to planning.
4. All committee members thought the Kellogg-West site was attractive and appropriate, even those who were skeptical at first.
5. Made decision to have dinner from 5 to 10 pm on Saturday evening at KW site.
6. Kellogg-West site is easily accessed via the 60, 57, 10, and 210 freeways.
7. Kellogg-West prices for hotel rooms and facilities seemed very reasonable to the committee.
8. Several of the committee members had already experienced the food Kellogg-West provides with approval.
9. Price for the reunion might be estimated at $50 to $75 per person for Sat event. Admission for Amat BBQ and football game would be additional and is not under the control of the Amat’61 Committee.
10. Planning for120 participants seemed reasonable. That would equal some sixty couples or mixture of couples and singles. There were ~165 in our graduating class in 1961. Have Troncale make reservations for both next committee meeting and dinner event planned for weekend of Oct. 22, 2011.
11. Expect to have some tables dedicated to singles.
12. Decided to have a large screen with projections of high school era photo’s submitted to committee; slideshow would play automatically during dinner and throughout events.
13. Decided to request blue and gold linens; school colors that we picked those many years ago.
14. Need to request $25 donation from classmates expecting to attend for use as development fund (decorations, slideshow, badges, etc.). Communicate this need to all prospective participants and ask them to send funds to Corinne Hartmann, 2832 S. Hacienda Blvd., Hacienda Heights, Ca, 91745.
15. Reunion committee member families will assess themselves $100 each to be sent to Treasurer Corinne Hartmann for deposit to reserve Kellogg-West.
16. Should we hire an official photographer? Cost? Who?
17. Prepare nametags for each participant with high school photo attached. (Some griping still heard about senior photos!!).
18. Committee members decided the full bar was a necessity.
19. Committee members were not so enthusiastic about purchasing a “band” and having a dance floor. It was expressed that “at our ages” few would want to dance relative to those who want to be able to talk without noise in background. Feedback from you?
20. It was suggested that we also collect donations for a final class gift to Amat High School. [see past two Minutes for additional suggestions from classmates]

Committee Members Accepted Roles for Reunion “Next Steps:”

1. Dinner Site Reservations and Minutes (Len Troncale)
2. Continued Discussion with Amat Officials (Larry & Corinne Hartmann)
3. Spreadsheets and Outreach Communications (Pattianne Nagle & Larry Hartmann)
4. Treasurer (Corinne Hartmann)
5. Website Updates (Chuck Sorcabal)
6. Banquet Plans (JoAnn Balkus Tanner)
7. Dinner Decorations (Corinne and Marilyn)
8. Coordination of Hospitality Suites (Marilyn Heglin)
9. Future Minutes (Alice Powers)

Respectfully submitted by Len Troncale. Next meeting will also be at Kellogg West on Saturday, May 22nd. Any classmate interested in attending should RSVP with Len This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
before that date so he can make luncheon reservations.