Family Letter

Here is a copy of the "snail" mail letter that will be going out to the whole family this week. Yes, there are a handful of "non-technical" family members. So read it below AND look for it in your mailbox next week!

Hi Everyone :):):)

The Daniels' Family Reunion will be on the weekend of July 23rd - 25th, 2010.

Rock Springs 4-H Center
1168 Highway 157
Junction City KS 66441

We will have the Hansen Cottage and the Weatherwax Cottage to ourselves. They are fully air conditioned and similar to the building we had last year. This actually gives us more rooms to spread out and have more privacy and more facilities. All buildings have always been non-smoking (there are smoking areas outside). Accommodations will be for Friday and Saturday nights.

You should plan to arrive after 6 p.m. on the 23rd. A cold supper will be available for your arrival. All meals on Saturday and Sunday are in the main dining hall; they are buffet style (all you can eat!!!!!). The last meal we have scheduled, and paid for, is Sunday lunch so plan to stay for lunch.

These cottages are near the creek and closer to the fishing than we were last year. For the younger crowd, basketball, sand volleyball, softball, disc golf, and horseshoes is available as well. If we want, we can also have a horse trail ride for a minimal cost (less than $2.00 per person). Please go to the website, www.rocksprings.net , along the left-hand bar select "Activities" then check out the "Scheduled Activities", these activities we need to know interest beforehand, such as the horse trail ride. Or check out the activities on the enclosed brochure (see previous blog). We plan to sign up for the team-building course, which was a blast last year.

We have not received the paperwork yet for this contract so we do NOT know what this year’s cost will be. The cost for the last reunion, which included all meals, snacks, most activities and two nights lodging per person, was; Adults - $120; Age 6 to 17 - $110 and under age 6 - free
Again, it will be all-inclusive and per person for the weekend. We just do not know the exact amount yet however it should be very similar.

Speaking of cost…Family dues are due! We will need this in order to pay Rock Springs a deposit along with a tentative head count by November 1st. So start looking at your calendars and send in $40 per family and $20 per single for family dues. Payments can be made to Jeff by paypal, cash, or check. FYI our balance from the reunion fund from last year is $461. This and family dues will, of course, help lower everyone’s cost.

Finally, we included our latest spreadsheet of family information. Please update it with any corrections you may have. Thank you to those who have already sent corrections!

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing many of you in July!

Jeff Daniels

danielsj@wwdb.org

cell: 602-570-3403

Paula Daniels

pauladaniels@wwdb.org

cell: 602-380-2294

voice: 877-300-6791

Rock Springs Reunion Information

Housing - - Housing opens at 6:00 p.m. on July 23rd, 2010, check-out by 2:00 p.m. on July 25th, 2010.
Hansen Cottage - - Accommodates a capacity of 64. Sixteen air-conditioned sleeping rooms each with two bunk sets and one trundle. Each suite has a private bathroom. A spacious lobby furnished with a fireplace and ample seating provides a convenient gathering place.
Weatherwax Cottage - - Remodeled in 2007, it accommodates a capacity of 25 each. Seven sleeping rooms with various bunk sets. There are two central bathrooms for six of the rooms and one handicap room with a private bath. A lobby area with comfortable seating, as well as a fireplace, and a kitchenette, equipped with coffee maker, microwave and small refrigerator.
Meals - - Rock Springs groups eat together at Williams Dining Hall. Tables will be assigned for each group. Each table seats eight to ten people. Groups may be assigned a specific serving time. Meals are served at the following times:
- Breakfast - - Buffet from 7:30-8:00 a.m.
- Lunch - - Buffet from 12:00 noon-12:30 p.m.
- Supper - - Buffet from 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Our normal buffet service allows individuals serve themselves. Guests are encouraged to return for additional food. They are asked to return their plates, glasses and utensils to the cleaning station following the meal.
We have arranged to have a cold supper available at Hansen Cottage upon your arrival on Friday.
Rock Springs Activity with Season Available - -
- Team building on the low-ropes adventure course - year round, weather permitting
- Archery – year round, weather permitting
- Canoeing – April to October
- Swimming – Memorial Day to Labor Day
- Horse Trail Rides – March to November

Unscheduled/Anytime Activities - - Courts and equipment are available for softball, basketball, volleyball, football, horseshoes, hiking trails, tennis, disc golf and soccer. Equipment is limited, and groups are welcome to supplying their own. Catch and release fishing is available by special arrangement, with your own equipment. A nine-hole Frisbee golf course is available. Discs are available for check out, with a deposit, from May to August at the snack bar and the remainder of the year at the Johnson
Self-Guided Tours - - Rock Springs has four historic buildings available for self-guided tours:
- The ranch house features more than 200 antique furnishing items with a functioning water wheel. Guided tours are available upon request.
- Built in 1887, Green Valley Country School features a traditional one-room school with furnishings moved from Marshall County.
- Built in 1885, Parallel Country Church from Clay County shows the strong faith connections to the Bible belt.
- A 1800s draft-horse barn features a12-stall horse barn moved from Mitchell County.
Rock Springs has many natural, out-door attractions including - -
- Nature Trails offer a quiet stroll or simple relaxation through the natural prairies and woods. Trails include the Dorothy Griffin Akin Wildflower Walk, the Flint Hills Forest Trail, Sunflower Walking Trail and the handicap accessible Texaco Nature Trail.
- View unusual and beautiful specimens of trees through the Memorial Tree Walks. The memorials create a living memorial to a broad collection of Rock Springs friends.
- The Kansas Native Plant Garden encourages native plant conservation and suggests an alternative to cultivated flowers with a focus on native grasses and wildflowers.
Phones - - Cell phone access for most services is limited. Phones are not available in the housing areas. However, pay telephones are available by the outer door in Williams Dining Hall, Flint Hills Building, lower level of Heritage Hall, Williams Dining Hall lobby, Johnson Administration Center lobby and Leadership Lodge lobby. There is no charge required to call the operator in order to place a long distance credit card or collect call.
Pop Machines, Snack Bar and Gift Shops - - Vending machines are located in the Flint Hills, Heritage Hall, Leadership Lodge, behind Williams Dining Hall, lower level Williams Dining Hall, lower level Johnson, outside the snack bars. The snack bar opens from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m. June to August at Rock Springs and WaShunGa. for soft drinks, food and souvenir items. The gift shop is located in Williams Dining Hall from September to May, providing snacks, souvenirs, change and commissary items. Please contact Rock Springs to schedule a gift shop time.
What to Bring - -
- Comfortable clothes and shoes
- Money for snacks, gifts and vending machines or to cover activity costs, if requested by group. The only activity with a cost attached is horse back riding.
- Toiletries such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, bug spray and flashlights
Other Information - - Because Rock Springs emphasizes positive youth development, alcoholic beverages and use of tobacco are not served or permitted on the property. Pets or domestic animals are not allowed.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! We have a date!

It's official!!! We have the Hansen & Weatherwax Cottages at Rock Springs for the weekend of July 23rd-25th. Check it out at http://www.rocksprings.net/

Hansen Cottage sleeps 64-80 people, however the 16 extra are trundle beds so we have Weatherwax which holds 25 people, for overflow.

We would LOVE to pack out both buildings!!!

Hansen Cottage has a common room where we can gather. Which as we know is a key feature for Daniels reunions.

Details will be coming out as we get them.

For now we need to get a head count, family dues (see minutes) and feedback for which activities people want to do. Go to the website, along the lefthand bar select "Activities" then check out the "Scheduled Activities". These are the ones that we need to know interest beforehand.