[Distributed: August 1, 2008]

Hello Rutherford Clan!

The "2008 Rutherford Reunion" is fast approaching. Only EIGHT MORE DAYS until the reunion on Saturday, August 9th at Harrison Park in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada!

We have received RSVP's for over 120 people who are coming from five Provinces and eight States.

This newsletter contains a request related to your family tree data, has information about family displays and a large wall chart, information regarding the Park's no pets, no alcohol policy, instructions regarding when you first arrive, and some additional information.

We are taking this opportunity to update our family tree data by asking each family for information on their branch of the family tree. For example, names, birth dates, marriages, etc.

We already have over 1,000 Rutherford related people in the genealogy database thus far, but we are missing many, many branches of the family. Or the information in some branches was gathered 5 or 20 years ago, and the later generation(s), marriages, children are missing.

So we need your help. Could you please send your family tree data to Doug Braun in one of the following ways:

FIRST CHOICE: Email

If possible, please email your family tree data to doug.braun@pobox.com -- Please do it before the reunion if possible.

SECOND CHOICE: Fill In Form Now & Bring to Reunion

There is a blank "Family Group" form available at the following web site address. Just print out that form on your own printer, write the information on the form, and bring the completed form to the reunion (and give it to Doug at the reunion):

http://www.RutherfordReunion.com/ref/Family_Group_Sheet.pdf

THIRD CHOICE: Fill In Form at the Reunion

Doug will bring copies of these blank Family Group forms to the reunion. There will be a location within the community centre where the forms are, a place to sit down and fill in the forms, and where Doug will be to answer any questions.

FAMILY DATA SUGGESTIONS

We would appreciate family data on your family, on your children's families (if any), on your siblings' families, on your Rutherford-related parent's family, etc. We also need to know where within the Rutherford family tree your family "plugs in".

Some suggestions and help relating to using full names, maiden names, dates vs years, divorces, multiple marriages, etc., can be found at the following web site address:

http://www.RutherfordReunion.com/tree_faq.php

No one has ALL of the family data. Just send what you have. If you have gaps, no problem, just send what you have.

EXISTING DATA?

You are welcome to ask Doug for an extract of the current family tree data on your family so you know what additional information is needed. Just email him at doug.braun@pobox.com specifying your full name and your spouse's full name (if any), and your Rutherford-related parents' full names (and grandparents names if you know them), so he knows what area in the family tree you are from.

WALL CHART

Inside the community centre will be a large wall chart containing over 1,000 Rutherford related people that we currently have in the genealogy database. The chart will be approximately 3 feet high by 35 feet wide. (Ya, you read that correctly...)

DISPLAYS & BOOK

Multiple people are bringing family memorabilia displays and pictures of some of our ancestors to the reunion. They will be setup in the community centre.

In addition, Elma & Milt Barnes have compiled a book about Rutherford descendants, starting at our common ancestor Adam Rutherford, including background information on Scotland and Ireland. Their book has just been printed and they will be bringing copies to the reunion. Cost $20. They will take orders if the requests outnumber the quantity of books that they bring with them.

HARRISON PARK POLICIES

We were informed by the Park staff that they have a policy of no alcohol and no pets (e.g. no dogs, no cats, etc.) for any rental functions in the park. These rules were contained in the Terms & Conditions we had to agree to when we rented our portion of the park for the reunion. We would ask everyone to respect their policies on the day of the reunion.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

When you arrive at the park for the reunion, there will be the occasional sign on the side of the road that says "Rutherford Reunion" to guide you on the right roads through the park to find the community centre.

Please go into the community centre first and register as soon as you arrive. We want to have a record of everyone who is at the reunion and this will help us identify faces in the group photo that will be taken later in the day. We also want to have a count of how many people were able to make it to the reunion. As soon as you register, we would then ask you to move your vehicle to the parking lot that is located just north of the community centre.

There will be a sign outside of the community centre that says "Please Register Here Upon Arrival - Rutherford Reunion". Please do so as soon as you arrive.

We ask that people arrive between 10:00 - 11:30am. However, if you are bringing a memorabilia display for the community centre, then please ensure that Doug knows about it (for planning the room layout) and please setup your display between 9:15 and 10:00am.

SCHEDULE & WHAT TO BRING

The schedule of events for the day, and suggestions regarding what to bring to the reunion (e.g. food, drinks, cutlery, etc. for your own family or group, baseball gloves, balls, bats, other games to play, lawn chairs, sunscreen, etc.), can be found in the first newsletter that was distributed. A copy of the first newsletter can be seen here:

http://www.rutherfordreunion.com/news_1.php

HELPFUL LINKS

We have a Rutherford Reunion web site setup which contains a lot of helpful information regarding the reunion: http://www.RutherfordReunion.com

To see a page that summarizes the reunion day's information, go to link: http://www.rutherfordreunion.com/invitation.php

To RSVP (if you haven't already done so, please do so ASAP), go to link: http://RSVP.rutherfordreunion.com

When you RSVP using the above online form, you are automatically added to the reunion mailing list. However, if you would like to add any additional email addresses to the reunion mailing list (e.g. your work address, other family members), then use the following form to do so:

Mailing List: http://www.rutherfordreunion.com/list.php

CLOSING

Please let us know if you have any questions about the reunion by sending questions to doug.braun@pobox.com (they will be forwarded to the planning team).

I speak for the planning team when I say that we are really looking forward to getting together and meeting as many of you as possible! It should be a fun day! (Remember to RSVP!)

Please send us your family tree data as soon as possible or bring it to the reunion: http://www.rutherfordreunion.com/tree_faq.php

We will be sending out additional email messages with further information as the day approaches.

Thank you.

Doug on behalf of the planning team (Debbie Campbell, Kevin Rutherford, Pat Myers, Carey Rutherford, Doug Braun)
http://www.rutherfordreunion.com/who.php