MILITARY REUNIONS TO REMEMBER

(A Division of MRE Services, INC)

USS BAD CALL (ABCD-19) ASSOCIATION

Reunion Status, 2005 Valley Forge, PA








If you are reading this, I assume you are from a group we represent or a group that is considering using our services. The story you are about to read is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I am placing this story on the web for several reasons. First, there is no doubt it is an entertaining story and I do hope it makes you smile, even if it is at our expense. Second, while the results from this particular client were dissapointing, the following pages show you how we basically get a group started, from the initial contact to the actual reunion. The following chain of events should also help you understand some of the changes we have made to the way we do business. Finally, I am putting it here so that those who were participants in this fiasco might read it and learn the facts about this event. Since most of this was written as the events unfolded, it is a simple task to put the final details on at the end. I hope you enjoy.

October, 2002: Was contacted by (Deleted at members request) and asked if we would consider assisting with a first USS Bad Call reunion. Did a searched of the Internet and identified the USS Bad Call as a possible future client. Did a search of Military Reunions and determined that there was currently no scheduled reunion for this command. Identified several Command Web Sites and verified that there was no scheduled or projected command reunion.

November, 2002: Using one of our Classmates (Military) accounts, we contacted several former members from the command and solicited input to determine the amount of interest in holding a reunion. We also asked each member if they were aware of any plans for a reunion. Finding that the interest level was high and that there was currently no plans for a reunion, we began to contact all the crew members listed in Classmates (Military). Next we created a new account for your command in our Reunion Data Base. The names from Classmates (Military) were added to the data file and given a status of Missing (M). An email message was sent to each Classmates (Military) member advising them that we were looking for former crew members and that we were working on forming an Association with the intention of organizing the first reunion. We also set a reunion target date based on the number of names in Classmates (Military) and location for the first reunion. In the case of USS BAD CALL, that target is July, 2004 with the first reunion being held in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

We continue to contact members listed in Classmates (Military) web site. We imported the names from Hullnumber and Warships into our data base along with the names from Navysite.de. In addition to asking for a valid mailing address, we started to ask for a volunteer to act as the Reunion Chairman during the first reunion.

November, 2002: Identified Reunion Chairman and Web Site coordinator. Began to exchange names, addresses and email information. Webmaster, Mr. Mork Piddleboy creates web site for the command and assumes point of contact responsibilities. MRTR opened funding account for Association. This is an account where we draw funds to finance the organizing of the group. All startup funds are provided by MRTR. Mork advises us that he is ready to take on the responsibilities of chairman provided he has no financial liability whatsoever. His wife Mindy agrees. I am pleased since Mork insinuates that he is about to retire from the United States Navy as a Master Chief Petty Officer.

January, 2003: Begin to arrange site inspection for Reunion Chairman. Plans for July or August 2004 Reunion are forwarded to local Convention and Visitors Bureau. RFP (Request for Proposal) is submitted to CVB. Projected room block of 40 rooms per night with a Wednesday in, Sunday out pattern, as determined by the number of "Found" contacts in MRTR Data Base is included in the RFP. Date is selected for Site Inspection (March 17, 2003). Site Inspection form is forwarded to CVB for distribution to properties bidding on proposed reunion. MRTR has already toured the area, we are familiar with many of the properties and already know what their rates should be. Most of the pre site inspection work has already been completed.

February, 2003: Continue to exchange data file information with the Reunion Chairman. MRTR starts working on the first newsletter. This is a simple task for MRTR since we generate several newsletters already. The majority of the work involved is creating the newsletter format and generating a unique masthead for the cover page of the newsletter.

March, 2003: Opened Internet Auction Accounts for USS Bad Call. Search engines configured to notify MRTR of appropriate items placed up for bid. MRTR begins to purchase items of interest to the Association. Items purchased by MRTR will be displayed at the first reunion.

March, 2003: Site Inspection. MRTR, in cooperation with the Valley Forge CVB arranges a site inspection for the Reunion Chairman. Mork, along with the Reunion Chairman from one additional command are invited to visit the site on a complimentary basis. The Itinerary is developed by the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Sunday, March 16, 2003 Arrive in Valley Forge, PA. Check in, Double Tree Hotel in Plymouth Meeting.
Monday, March 17, 2003 0900: Meet with Terry W. McManuels, Military Reunions to Remember. 10:30: Meet with Tour Company Representative to discuss tours. 12:00 Lunch with CVB Representative.
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Complimentary Breakfast. Tour property with sales rep from the hotel. Complimentary lunch, check out of Double Tree and check in at Valley Forge Radisson Hotel. Tour property with sales rep from the hotel. Complimentary Dinner and Show at Lily Langtry's
Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Check out of Radisson Hotel, check in at Sheraton Park Ridge. Complimentary lunch, tour property with sales rep from the hotel. Afternoon meeting with second tour company representative.
Thursday, March 20, 2003 Check out of Sheraton Park Ridge, check in at Valley Forge Hilton Hotel. Complimentary breakfast, tour property with sales rep from the hotel. Complimentary dinner.
Friday, March 21, 2003 Check out of Hilton, return home.

Mork is not available to do site inspection, trip is canceled, CVB is notified. Selection of property is to be made by MRTR.

March, 2003: Property selection process begins. Radisson Hotel declines due to unavailability of requested dates. Double Tree is declined by MRTR due to unsatisfactory hospitality room. Hilton offers $79.00 rate (10 percent commission to MRTR), Sheraton offers $75.00 rate (10 percent commission to MRTR).

If the Bad Call Association decides to continue with plans for the reunion, MRTR will provide services to the group. In return, the hotel will provide MRTR with a commission based on 10 percent of the groups room revenue. All MRTR registration fees for your group are waived.

Sheraton Park Ridge Hotel is selected to host the 2004 Reunion. Contract negotiations begin. With this contract, we have now arranged an additional event in the same area. Rates quoted to your group are based on multiple reunions and therefore are at lower rate than we might receive otherwise. While the lower rate means a lower commission to MRTR, often it also means more people may be able to attend the reunion. This means additional revenue for MRTR. In the case of the Sheraton Park Ridge, our first reunion at this property will be the 2003 Patrol Gunboat Association Reunion. The rate for this reunion is $78.00 per night (no commission to MRTR). The next two reunions scheduled and under contract with the Park Ridge are at a group rate of $75.00 per night, with a 10 percent commission to MRTR.

April, 2003: Newsletter is complete. Following approval from the Reunion Chairman, MRTR has copies produced for mailing. Members receiving the newsletter are advised that all money for the 50-50 drawing as well as any donations will be forwarded to the reunion chairman, Mork. Cost to produce the 1-1 Edition of the Bad Call newsletter, $144.50. These costs are paid from the MRTR Expense account, subject to reimbursement at the discretion of the Bad Call Association following the reunion. We do several newsletters each quarter. Our copy services are done by a local company run by a retired Navy Veteran. MRTR receives a rebate from this company based on the total number of copies of all combined newsletters in each group order. The Bad Call newsletter is produced at the standard rate, as are the rest of the newsletters included in the job order. The rebate is returned directly to MRTR for our use. Included in this job are ticket stubs for the USS Bad Call Association 50-50 drawing.

Newsletter mailing begins, cost to mail, $113.59, paid for by MRTR. Included in the newsletter are two surveys. One requests information about when your members were attached to the command. The other is a reunion survey, giving basic information about the reunion and asking how much interest there is in attending. Information on the 50-50 drawing, 50-50 ticket stubs and information on start up finances and donations are included in the newsletter. All funds from 50-50 ticket sales and donations are returned directly to the Reunion Chairman for his use.

We want you to create your own Association. It is a simple fact that as a business, we need to operate at a profit. It is also a simple fact that we do not want to become sales people. Our product sells itself. We believe that if you use our services for your first reunion, you will like what we have to offer. We are so certain of this that we arrange your first reunion free of charge. Our expenses are taken care of by the hotel commission. If, following your first reunion you or your members are not satisfied with the services provided by MRTR, then you are welcome to continue on your own. If, on the other hand you do like the services we provide, future reunions will include a registration fee for each member attending the reunion. These fees can be found on the Registration Fee's page of the MRTR Web Site. They vary according to the projected number of attendees and the location of the proposed reunion.

April 02, 2003: National press release with information on the USS Bad Call Reunion is produced and mailed. Reunion Chairman is listed as point of contact for 2004 National Reunion. Cost to produce and mail the Press Release is paid from MRTR funds.

May 6, 2003: Imported all ABCD-19 names into the MRTR Data Base from Classmates.

Sent email messages to all ABCD-19 names listed in Tin Can Sailors Registry.

May 7, 2003: Sent email messages to all ABCD-19 names listed in Navy.DE Site.

May 7, 2003: Sent email messages to all ABCD-19 names listed in Military.Com Site.

July, 2004: Plans for a 2004 reunion are canceled due to insufficient number of interested personnel. Following an email message from one of the members, MRTR declines to continue. Chairman is advised.

Data files are archived and program is terminated.

August, 2004: Following a discussion with the chairman, we regroup and start planning for a 2005 reunion.

November 6, 2004: Reunion Chairman signs a contract with MRTR. This contract simply states that MRTR is acting as the contracting agent for the Association and assumes all liability for the event.

December 06, 2004: MRTR signs a contract with the Sheraton Park Ridge Hotel and Convention Center to host the 2005 USS Bad Call Reunion. Reunion dates are (deleted), 2005. Initial room block set for a Wednesday - Sunday pattern with 30-30-40-40 room night guarantee. Following discussions with Chairman and the offer of a 70 percent attrition clause from the hotel, the contract is adjusted and room block raised. New room block and food and beverage guarantees are agreed on. Room block and food and beverage guarantees are increased at the request of the chairman due to the high number of anticipated attendees based on the results of the Website survey results.

Let me note here that MRTR normally does not accept on-line survey results. We have always felt that people who are unwilling to provide a mailing address, unwilling to take the time to fill out a simple survey form, and unwilling to invest in the cost of a stamp and mail the form back are not the type of people we can count on to attend a reunion. Our mail back survey suggested we should yield a net room pick-up of around 25 - 30 rooms per night. Mork's online survey suggested around 90 rooms per night. We compromised and agreed to a block of 70 rooms per night.

December 19, 2004: MRTR starts negotiating a contract with the American Heritage Landmark Tours for tour program during the 2005 reunion.

January 09, 2005: Second press release is produced and mailed. Reunion Chairman is listed as point of contact for 2005 National Reunion.

We send out multiple press releases each year. The cost of this press release is shared by the four or five Associations listed in each release, each one requesting their reunion information be listed for publication. If this is your first reunion where MRTR is acting as an agent for your Association, then there is no charge for this service. The cost of future press releases are split between the four or five Associations listed in the release (currently $120.00 per group). This means that each group has a press release sent to the military editor of over 700 newspapers nationwide telling readers about your Association and planned reunion. This reduces each groups cost and reduces the amount of work on our part. It also helps increase your membership, which helps increase attendance at the reunion. Since the plans for the 2004 reunion were canceled, this is the second national press release for the Bad Call Association, provided at no charge.

Tours are arranged. Contract is developed and approved, deposit is submitted to tour company.

Meals are negotiated and menu's developed.

Reunion Itinerary is developed and approved.

Reunion coffee mugs are designed and approved by the reunion chairman. 108 cups are ordered and paid for by MRTR as a give-away for each member attending. Remaining cups to be sold to other attendees.

Reunion Ballcaps are designed and submitted to Eagle Crest. MRTR pays for the Ballcaps and has them shipped directly to the hotel. Ballcaps will be given away with the purchase of raffle tickets for a raffle table drawing following the banquet dinner. All proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will be used to reimburse MRTR for the purchase of Ballcaps, coffee mugs and raffle table prizes purchased by MRTR. Once we has sold a sufficient raffle tickets to cover these costs, all remaining funds will be turned over to the reunion chairman at the end of the reunion for reunion related expenses.

Final newsletter is mailed out to members. This newsletter contains all necessary registration forms for the 2005 reunion. Production costs of $514.24 and mailing costs of $114.17 are paid by MRTR. Registration period begins.

March, 2005: First registrations are received. At this time the development program for the USS Bad Call is completed.

Pending: May, 2005 (approximate): Drawing for early registration upgrade.

Pending: May, 2005 (approximate): Prepare to turn over newsletter program and all files to Association. Turnover not completed, no volunteers to take over newsletter. Asociation chairman states he plans to do newsletter on line, that mailing newsletters cost too much.

Note From MRTR: It is a rather simple task take the newsletter and print it to a PDF file, then make it accessable to the members. We continue to resist this idea for several reasons. First and most important, using our program, the newsletter is the only thing that that differenciates between dues paying and non dues paying members. If a member pays dues, then he gets all the newsletters. IF a member decides not to pay annual dues, then he only gets the newsletter with reunion information and registration forms. Receiving the newsletter is the only actual incentive a member has to pay dues. The simple fact is that most groups cannot survive without a significant number of people supporting it. The other reason we have always suggested that the newsletter be printed and mailed is the fact that we put a great deal of effort and expense in producing the newsletter. It is always a quality product, printed on 60# color stock. We have found that many people enjoy the newletters and tend to keep them as an additional reminder of their time in the service.

Mork has indicated that he intends to have the Bad Call Association supported by donations only. There are several drawbacks to this idea. First, it places the chairman in a position where he may have to beg for funding in order to have operating expenses. Next, he will be unable to estimate his annual income level. In time the Association chairman would be able to estimate the groups annual income based on the historical ratio of dues payers to non dues payers. Finally, having each member paying the same amount each year means that all dues paying members are equal. Whena group operates on a donation based finance program, you run the risk of having those who donate more expecting to be treated differently.

Our goal has been to get the Association organized and create a data base of former crew members. If the 50-50 program is successful, the Association should realize a net profit of close to $500.00 based on previous experience. Of course each group is different but this should be a fairly accurate estimate. The sale of raffle tickets and ball caps should be a break even program. The proceeds from the hats for raffle tickets program should yield enough to pay for the hats and raffle table items plus the remaining balance on the coffee mugs with perhaps a little left over. Assuming we did our job correctly, following the first reunion the Bad Call Association will be on the road to many more successful reunions and have a solid financial foundation to start with. It has been a pleasure working with you. We are looking forward to assisting you with many reunions in the future.

This is where the story should end. They should have had a great reunion, which they did. There was no doubt in my mind that we over estimated the room block. That didn't worry me since I have a great relationship with the Park Ridge Hotel. I was certain that they would not hold me to any attrition penalties.

Click here to see the results of two and a half years of work.

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