COST UPDATE and money business for the reunion

,After further discussion with Mom and Dad and a few other people ... here are some more thoughts.

It would be better to stay for 4 nights instead of 3 to really get some good time together. 3 nights, with the late check-in and early check-out, would make it so we'd have only about 48 hours together. And with everyone traveling such a long way, that's just not worth it. So we stay an extra night.

The tentative plan is: Friday July 29 to Tuesday August 2, 2011 in Nauvoo. Mom got a hold of the cabins, and they start taking reservations for next summer on January 1. I've been assigned by Mom to call them first thing that morning to get our dates on the reservation.

There are beds for 13 people in the largest lodge - if everyone comes (26 people), it would be best to also get a smaller cabin that fits 6 to get all the adults into a regular bed (plus Brooke and Bryan and a couple of other kids), and the small kids/babies can be on air mattresses next to their parents. This would eliminate the possibility of any hard feelings from anyone who paid the full amount but got stuck on an air mattress and was not very comfortable sleeping. This also means we have 4 showers and 2 refrigerators to work with. (The lodge has 3 bathrooms, the cabin 1. The cabin does not have a full kitchen but does have a fridge.) If not everyone comes, we can cancel the smaller cabin a couple of months in advance and readjust everyone's costs. But I think it's best to plan for everyone and make the full reservation and cut back later if needed, rather than attempt the other way around.

The new cost estimate will be $325 for each couple (again, Tawnia and Emily split that). This is $50 more than my original estimate. The cabins will be about $2200 including tax (I googled Illinois hotel taxes, and I'm estimating $1940 for the cabins plus 12% tax of $235). Four full days of meals at $100 a day puts the total at $2600, so $325 per couple.

Meals provided would be Friday dinner, all 3 on Sat-Sun-Mon, breakfast on Tues before we check out and everyone could make lunch to take with them. That would end the official reunion. If people want to go together to see other Church history sites in Missouri after Nauvoo or other things in Illinois, that would be fun to do. Each family would need to handle their own accommodations and food in any other locations.

Relating to costs, in future years when the kids are older, it would probably be more fair to estimate per person rather than per couple and those with larger families should pay a bit more. But the kids are small enough now that I don't think it matters much either way on food costs.

For immediate planning, the cabins website says that it requires a deposit of half the reservation and they prefer a check rather than a credit card. So that means we need $1100 in cash rounded up between now and Christmas. If we can all pay half between now and then, that would obviously cover it. Or if some people can pay their full amount now, then others could save up a bit more to get their share put together. Dad will collect the money, so make out your check to him. Dad, please make a spreadsheet to keep track of who has given you what.

I have my old account at the credit union in Oregon just sitting there with nothing in it (I've used it once in about 5 years), so we'll use that as our PALMER REUNION ACCOUNT. Dad's name is on the account so he can do anything necessary at the bank. And my name is on it, so I can write a check for the deposit directly out of the account instead of having to shuffle money here and there. Also, this way, the reunion money is set aside where it's not going to get mixed in with anyone's personal account. I'm fine with sharing receipts or bank statements if anyone wants any sort of "audit" on the account after the reunion next year.

Any questions or comments?