Reunion Schedule of Events
Sarah Smith reminds everyone to look through boxes of letters and post cards from the Spiker family that she dropped off at the farm.
By Mike Spiker
As you know, we do NOT follow a precise agenda but I have outlined a tentative schedule as follows:
Saturday, May 29
Open for business and visitation. Anyone can fish, 4-wheel trail ride and just visit on their own. We will have a campfire that night for anyone who can come. Hopefully some of our more talented family members will bring an instrument and their voices. Mark is the campfire leader/host. I am merely the director.
Camping is available to everyone. We have electric hook-up available (the Power Company replaced the transformer after last year’s blow-out.)
Sunday, May 30
Church/Sunday School at South Fork.
We will begin setting up for the picnic and starting the chicken barbeque at 10:00 AM. John is the master chef and needs trainees/volunteers for cleaning and turning the chicken, etc.
The meal should be ready around 12:00-12:30. We will have Opening Announcements and prayer followed by the traditional family photo. Lunch is scheduled between 12:45-1:00 PM.
Brought back by popular demand, the Fishing Derby is scheduled for 2:00-3:00 PM. (It’s limited to those under 18 so Jeff cannot get a prize…but he can help.) Prizes will be awarded for the Biggest Fish, Smallest Fish and Most Fish.
A drawing for free door prizes and announcement of the Fishing Derby winners will be held at 3:15 PM followed by the Auction at 3:30.
Throughout the day, family & friends may 4-wheel trail ride, swim in the pond or river (weather permitting), fish, hunt, play various yard games or just visit.
That evening we will have another campfire with music (if anyone can play and is there) for all who remain.
NEW THIS YEAR - Photo Op. Sit in the newly reconditioned Spiker Farm Buggy or on the Spiker Farm Wagon stage/seating area (constructed by Dean’s dad and commissioned by Brad Spiker in the late 1950s).
Announcements
- Submitted by Briana Spiker – Pete graduates today from the WVU School of Engineering. After a celebration this evening, we will prepare to leave tomorrow for Washington DC where we will catch a flight on Monday to Japan. I am desperately trying to get everything in order.
We are so excited! Once we get to Narita, we’ll convert dollars to yen and possibly get a phone. We have an awesome schedule. Three nights in Tokyo. Wednesday, maybe Imperial Palace. On Thursday, May 20, we go to the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. Friday, May 21, we leave Tokyo by bullet train to Nagoya where we will be picked up by one of my 1982 IFYE families. They will take us to the Japanese Alps for the weekend.
On Monday, May 24, another IFYE sister, Noriko, will pick us up by car at Mr. Yokata’s home. She has scheduled the following: 25th, Ninja Museum, Hotel in Nara, 26th Todaiiji, MyhoshinJi Hotel in Kyoto, 27th Kiyomizu Temple, Temple Hotel, 28th Kinkaku Temple, Katsura Imperial Villa, then we’ll come home, 29th Pachinco and shopping, 30th Shinkansen (to Tokyo) to a local train then take a shuttle bus to Narita Port Hotel. We’ll fly back to Washington, DC on Monday, May 31.
Home Sweet Home. An adventure for sure. I will miss the reunion though.