The 2011 Bolling Family Reunion will be held at the Williamsburg Hospitality House in Williamsburg, VA on October 6 to 8. The Hospitality House was the site of the 1999, 2003, and 2007 Reunions and the price has been set at $119 per room. This price has held steady over the last two Reunions. Our meeting and banquet spaces will be provided free of charge as long as we meet the minimums set in the contract.
This continues the policy set by the BFA Board of Directors to rotate our Family Reunions between Richmond and Williamsburg in October of the odd years. Our experience has been that Reunions held at other locations do not draw as many members. These two locations allow access to the largest number of Bolling sites of interest within a one and a half hour bus ride.
Members are invited to arrive any time, our rate is good for the days before and after our formal meeting and there is so much to see and do in the Williamsburg area. For those who have never been to Jamestowne Island or the new Jamestown Museum or to the Yorktown Battlefield, these are well worth a visit. Colonial Williamsburg has full day passes to all of its facilities. We will also have our traditional Family Hospitality Room where members can visit and view the many artifacts and research brought by our members to share.
The BFA Board meeting will start at 12:30PM on Thursday, Oct. 6 in the hotel Board Room. Members are invited to attend, but due to time constraints will be allowed only brief comments on applicable subjects. New issues and major family discussions are reserved for the Family meeting. There will be an opening casual Family Reception that evening in the outdoor patio area from 5:30PM to 7:30PM with light refreshments and a cash bar.
Plans for the Friday, Oct. 7 Family Tour are still in the planning stage. We are looking at several interesting alternatives which we feel will be of great interest to our Family attendees. We toured Jamestowne Island and the Jamestown Museum in 2007.
The Bolling Family Association Business Meeting will start at 9AM on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Hotel. The major business activities are the reports of the President, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Chairs as well as the election of officers and some Board members. Officer and Board member terms are for four years and we try to elect approximately half the Board each two years. Family members will have an opportunity to speak and ask questions at this meeting. There are no major motions to be presented or voted on. The Family Genealogy Session, chaired by Family Genealogy Coordinator Larry Bowling following the Business Meeting. We hope to have reports by each of the Major Family Groups, bringing us up to date on their research, and other useful research information. There will also be updates on the DNA Testing Program and the Family Data Base.
The Family Banquet will start at 7:00PM following a reception starting at 6:00PM. This is a fun event with no speaker or entertainment. We just want family members to enjoy one another’s company and especially get to know our newer members.
We will again ask the Muscarelle Museum to set up an exhibit of the Bolling Family portraits in their collection. The Museum is within walking distance on the William and Mary campus and has been most cooperative in the past. They also sell color copies of Bolling and Randolph portraits.
This is the 12th Family Reunion. From 1993 to 1995, reunions were held annually including ones at Nashville (1993) and New Orleans (1995). All the rest were held in Richmond and Williamsburg including the first one in Richmond in 1991. There have also been four England trips in 1992, 1997, and 2004 and 2008. Members have always enjoyed these opportunities to meet with fellow members and link up with people in their lines. Please plan to join us and see old friends and make new ones. It also gives you a chance to learn more about genealogy and research.
Traci Bolling-Pollard, our Williamsburg Area Associate Director, is coordinating our hotel and local Reunion arrangements.
Registration information was sent out in the February and May 2011 newsletter. A registration form is attached. Members are asked to make the Registration check out to BFA and mail it to Director John Bowling at the address on the form. Hotel reservations are to be made directly with the Williamsburg Hospitality House at the number given on the form.
We are looking forward to seeing many of our members, both new and old, in attendance.
Click for Registration Form
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