Annual Banquet Invitations Being Mailed This Week!

Sorry for the delay in getting the postal invitation & registration forms into the mail for this year’s return of the Annual Dinner Banquet on June 11th. Unfortunately, two days after I completed the printing of the addresses on the pre-printed mailers, I tested positive for Covid-19! Fortunately, I am fully vaccinated and boosted, but my booster shot was five months before I tested positive, so it was definitely wanning in effectiveness. Although I never experienced any severe symptoms, the virus still really walloped me with muscle weakness and physical exhaustion for over two weeks. But, I am finally on the mend, the mailers are now folded, sealed, trayed and headed to the post office on Monday. The mailers for all dues paid active members actually went to the post office on Friday, thanks to our president’s, Kim Dean, husband John coming to the house to pick them up and deliver them to the Camden Post Office.

Since the mailers were printed with addresses on April 2nd, you may get one in the mail even though you sent in your reservation and/or dues & scholarship donation in the past three weeks… I could not pick out those people who already sent in their forms, as that would mess up the mailing as declared in the postage statement paperwork for the post office.

Annual Meeting & Banquet Details…

2022 Annual Meeting & Banquet

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Camden High School Cafeteria, Oswego Street, Camden, New York

(Catered by Dean’s Concessions, Tim Dean, Class of 1983, Proprietor)


Doors Open: 3:30 pm – Dinner & Program Begin At: 5:00 pm


You must purchase reservations in advance, no walk-ins will be accepted.


Doors will open at 3:30 pm. Candid pictures will be taken during the event and will later be put on the web site under the Camden Alumni Photo Gallery link. There will also be tours of the High School between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. Due to the venue rules and regulations, there will be no alcohol served.

The dinner & program will begin at 5:00 pm with the awarding of eight scholarships to qualifying graduates of the Class of 2022 and honor the 50-year class of 1972 along with the past two 50-year classes of 1971 & 1970. A sit down dinner featuring Turkey & Stuffing, Pasta with Marinara & Alfredo Sauces, Sausage, Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Tossed Salad, Rolls & Butter, Dessert and Beverages (Coffee, Tea, Soda & Water) will be served buffet style. (Table service will be available for those in need of assistance.)


This year, due to inflation pressures, we had to raise the dinner price to $23 per person.
Annual dues will remain $5 per year to help cover other additional costs incurred throughout the year.


Complete and mail your Banquet Reservation and your annual Alumni Association dues, using This Form, by the banquet reservation deadline date of Friday, May 27, 2022. You may also make your Banquet Reservations, pay your Annual Dues and make a Scholarship Fund donation online using This Link to the payment page on our website. Please consider making a scholarship donation with or without your banquet reservation.


Due to the potential turnout for this year’s banquet with three years of 50th Reunion Classes celebrating together and seating limitations of the venue, attendance will be limited to the first 325 reservations, so make your reservations early!


Alumni Banquet Reservations

We hope you are planning to attend the Annual Alumni Meeting and Banquet on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Please complete and return the reservation form at the bottom of this letter by Friday, May 27, 2022 to guarantee your reservation and allow us time to arrange seating. Reservations postmarked or requested after this deadline will only be accepted based on available seating.


You can make your online Banquet Reservations, Dues & Scholarship Donation payment by CLICKING HERE


You can download a Banquet Reservations, Dues & Scholarship Donation form by CLICKING HERE


 

Today would have been Banquet Day!

We just wanted to send out a message to all alumni to say “Happy Banquet Day” even though we have been unable to gather as a group due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are all saddened that the 50-year class of 1970 and all other 5-year classes have been unable to celebrate their milestone events this year.

However, there are discussions and works in the plans for a joint celebration between the Class of 1971 and the Class of 1970 for next year’s banquet, and if this all plans out, hopefully the other 5-year classes from this year will also be able to join us at the 2021 Annual Banquet for a belated celebration of their special years missed this year.

Also, as is usually done as a part of the annual banquet, the Annual Reports for the Treasurer, Scholarship Chairperson, Secretary and Registrar are now online for downloading.  You may download them by clicking here.

COVID-19 Coronavirus Banquet Cancellation

At this time, we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to cancel the Camden Alumni Association Annual Banquet for this year. Our desire is for everyone to stay safe & healthy. Plus, with the uncertainties for what the near future holds on public gatherings, it has become nearly impossible to plan future events at this time.

We are still working on the details to award the scholarships to the graduating seniors. We are still hoping to award eight scholarships of $1,000 each this year, and are awaiting the receipt of the scholarship applications from the school system. They have a process in the works for collecting and distributing the various scholarship applications from graduating seniors.

In the coming months, we will be sending out a mailer to our alumni to ask you for your annual membership dues and any scholarship donation you would like to make for this year to help us fund next year’s activities and scholarships. We will greatly appreciate your support at that time.  If you wish to make your membership payment and/or a scholarship fund donation now, you can download a printable form by clicking here.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time of social distancing and personal seclusion. We feel the sadness for the 5-year reunion classes, especially the Class of 1970, the honored 50-year class for this year, who are unable to celebrate as a group this year. We are looking forward to resuming our Annual Alumni Banquets in June 2021 and hope many of you will join us for future banquets.

Statement on COVID-19 (Corona) Virus…

We are following the COVID-19 (Corona) Virus carefully, and do not know what conditions may be by Alumni Banquet time in June.

At this time, we are hoping social distancing and the warmer early summer weather will slow or halt the spread of the virus and no action will be necessary. But at this time, the forecast from the CDC is not looking promising.

However, please keep in mind that if health & safety conditions or federal, state, county or local regulations make it necessary, we will have to cancel the Annual Alumni Banquet and send refunds to everyone who has made reservations.

We will do our best to make such a decision in a prompt and timely manner to allow everyone to adjust their plans. At this time we are delaying any email or postal mail advertising about the Annual Alumni Banquet as long as possible. We hope to have a better handle on things by the middle of April. We have set an internal deadline of April 20th as our final decision point to either cancel/postpone the banquet or continue with the advertising as planned. We are also leaving open the possibility of having to cancel as the date gets closer if things have not improved and we have sent out the invitations.

At this time, we are removing access to the downloadable reservation form and blocking access to the banquet reservation page until such time as we have made a decision on what we will be doing concerning the annual alumni banquet.

We have been thinking about this a lot this week, and are trying to find the most prudent, safe and effective path to follow forward. May you all be safe & healthy during this troubling time. We all look forward to our next alumni gathering, whenever that may occur!!