SSN-680 familygram: 13 JUL 21

AMOEBA RACES 21 - WEKIVA ISLAND OUTING

AMOEBA RACES 21 kicks off Monday morning, 30 AUG 2021 at 1000 with our main event, the Wekiva Island Outing, and continues for the first day or so of the USSVI Convention, where thirteen other boats are also having reunions.

THE REUNION DETAILS:

1. We are coordinating our reunion with the USSVI convention in Orlando to take advantage of their negotiated rates at the Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando hotel.
2. The USSVI convention runs from 30 AUG 2021 to 04 SEP 2021.
3. The Wekiva Island Outing will be an all day (1000 to 2100) affair at the Wekiva Island resort on 30 AUG 2021.
   1. The Wekiva Island resort will provide us with two cabanas for our use.
   2. Food will be provided for an awesome barbeque, including pork, brisket, potato salad, cole slaw, chips, veggie plate and assorted fruit.
   3. Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided (soda, water, etc.)
   4. Swimming is available along the boardwalk of the Wekiva Island resort.
   5. We will have a few kayaks available for cruising the river. Additional kayaks may be rented from the facility.
   6. The Wekiva Island resort has a large beer and wine selection available for purchase (not included in the event fee).
   7. Parking is limited at Wekiva Island so please take advantage of the transportation your shipmates have volunteered to provide from the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort to/from Wekiva Island. We’ll publish transportation details prior to the event.
4. Many of us will also be attending the USSVI Welcome Party at the Rosen Shingle Creek on 31 AUG 2021. The Welcome Party is a separate event, and reservations must be arranged through the USSVI.
5. Other potential activities available are listed on the USSVI Convention website as well as the THE REUNIONS >> AMOEBA RACES 21 pages of the www.coldwarboats.org website.
   • List of all reported boat reunions: HOMEPORT >> RECREATION >> REUNIONS.
   • List of all reported boat-specific reunion events: HOMEPORT >> RECREATION >> REUNIONS >> REUNION-SPECIFIC EVENTS.
   • USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21 info and RSVP:
   • USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21 related events:
   • USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21 - Wekiva Island Outing info and RSVP:
6. There are 13 other boats that will be holding their reunions this week also. Some of you that were on more than 1 boat may have the opportunity to attend additional reunions.

COSTS TO YOU INCLUDE:

1. The USSVI negotiated hotel rate of $105/night (plus taxes).
2. The USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21, including the Wekiva Island Outing will cost each shipmate $35.00 (payable through the www.coldwarboats.org website) and $10 for each spouse/significant other. (This is to cover the cabana rental and food/beverages.
3. Wekiva Island will charge each person a $2.00 entry fee when they enter the resort. This is not included in the event costs.
4. The USSVI Convention registration fee is $25. We encourage you to register with the USSVI as well. Please refer to the USSVI Convention website for the costs associated with their specific events.
5. We have available to pre-order a “Goodie Bag” containing various USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) memorabilia, including a Billy B. ball cap and various other surprises. Cost of the goodies is $30.00, payable through the website, and must be paid in advance, by 01 AUG 2021.

WHAT NEXT? BEFORE 01 AUG 2021, YOU MUST:

1. RSVP and make payment at USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21. While there, pre-pay for the Goodie Bag if desired. Payment for the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) AMOEBA RACES 21/Wekiva Island Outing and Goodie Bag must be made before 01 AUG 2021.
2. Book your hotel reservation using this link from the USSVI Convention website.
3. Please register for the USSVI Convention and any other USSVI coordinated activities using the link on the USSVI Convention website.
4. Make your travel arrangements as soon as possible. The airlines are expecting a very busy summer.

WHAT TO BRING:

1. Swim suits (towels provided)
2. Shorts/leisure beach wear
3. Your camera/cell phone for recording memorable moments
4. Good sea stories, and good humor, in case some the sea stories are about you!

 

Reunions are one of the many ways that shipmates from years ago can reconnect, and no one can deny the pleasure of sitting around the campfire (or air-conditioned hospitality suite) and swapping stories with shipmates from back in the day.  So it is and always will be, that helping make reunions happen directly supports the Cold War Boats core mission triad:

• Assisting shipmates from years ago in reconnecting, simply, easily, and without compromising their privacy,
• Preserving the unclassified history of Cold War submarine crews and their boats in the form of photographs, stories, artifacts, and audio or video recordings, and
• Honoring the sailors and families who sacrificed so much to help bring an end to the Cold War.

Finally, we can say that we have completed the first part of incorporating command reunions into the Cold War Boats Website.

First, every Cold War Boat related reunion will find a place to be listed here at HOMEPORT >> RECREATION >> REUNIONS. Currently, there are fifteen reunions listed, mostly organized around the USSVI Convention in Orlando, FL the week of 30 AUG 21. Click on the link to explore the reunion listings!

Of course, listing reunions is easy, but we go even further by listing all the scheduled events associated with each reunion at HOMEPORT >> RECREATION >> REUNIONS >> REUNION-SPECIFIC EVENTS.

Finally, when authorized by your Reunion Manager, we make it easy for you to pay your reunion registration and additionally, sponsor your reunion through donations above and beyond your registration fees.  Your Reunion Manager then can easily keep track of who has paid, remind those you have not, and collect payments and donations for each particular reunion. 

If you need to pay your reunion's registration fee or wish to sponsor a specific reunion, provided Cold War Boats has been authorized by your Reunion Manager, you can do so at HOMEPORT >> RECREATION >> REUNIONS >> REUNION PAYMENT. All Reunion pages are easily accessible from the main HOMEPORT menu, and can even be accessed and utilized without logging into the CWB website. Shortly, we will carry a good thing even further, and add those same pages will be available on your specific boat's or command's pages as well, completely eliminating any reason you might have had for not getting around to committing to your next reunion!

So, if you need to pay for your reunion, you know where to do it. You should have already heard from your command's Reunion Manager letting you know a payment portal is available for you on Cold War Boats. If you are a Reunion Manager for your boat or command, please contact the Cold War Boats Event Manager, and we will incorporate your reunion plans into your specific boat's sub-site (see what I did there?) and make Cold War Boats your go-to location for reunion planning, scheduling, promoting, and registration. 

There will be more to come, so keep an eye on the Cold War Boats Fleet P.O.D. for the latest news and hot skinny!