1. Reunion Tennis Help
2. Planning a Road Trip
3. ABI Suq
4. BratBoard
5. Class Rep Vacancies


1. REUNION TENNIS HELP

The Houston Reunion Committee 2005 needs your help !!!!!

The Reunion Committee would like to have the Tennis Tournament at the
University Club at the Galleria (indoor courts), just down the street
from the DoubleTree Hotel. It is a private club, and they would like
to know if any Houston Brats are members, and if so, would they allow
us to use their membership for the tournament. The Committee could
also use the Houstonian (a bit further away) if anyone is a member of
that club.

Please respond to AndrewBobb@aol.com.


2. PLANNING A ROAD TRIP?

ABI has several boxes of treasures that need to get from San Diego to
Houston and/or Oakland to San Diego before the reunion in May. If you
are planning a road trip and have extra trunk space, please contact
diana@aramco-brats.com.


3. ABI SUQ

It is never too early to start planning what you are going to pack to
take to the Houston 2005 Reunion. Check out the ABI Suq to purchase
T-Shirts, sports towels, 6-pack coolers, beach towels, and Brat
window stickers. To access the ABI Suq, point a browser at the ABI
home page (http://www.aramco-brats.com/), click the 'ABI' button in
the toolbar, and click 'ABI Suq' when the menu appears on the left
side of the window.


4. BRATBOARD

The ABI BratBoard (http://www.aramco-brats.com/BratBoard/) is our new
innovative way to communicate with fellow Brats. Keep up on the
latest ABI and reunion news; join a discussion regarding food,
recipes, culture, politics; communicate with your classmates; or
initiate a new topic for discussion. You just need to register for a
free membership if you want to post messages, but you can read
messages even if you are not yet a member.


5. CLASS REP VACANCIES

If you are interested in being a class rep, but wonder what the job
entails? Visit http://www.aramco-brats.com/classes/cr_faq.htm. We
are looking for reps for:


AB57, DH57, RT57
AB63 & DH64
DH74, RT74, AB75, DH75, RT75, AB78, DH78
DH80, RT80, UD80, UD81, RT82, UD82, UD83, RT86, UD86, UD87, AB88, AB89,
UD89
AB90, RT90, UD90, AB91, RT91, UD91, AB92, RT92, UD92, AB93, DH93, UD93,
AB94, DH94, UD94, AB95, RT95, UD95, AB96, RT96, UD96, AB97, AB98, DH98,
RT98, UD98, AB99, RT99, UD99

We also need class reps for all classes, all districts, 2000 to present.


Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about how
the ABI is doing.

Happy Fall,
Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes RT 1962
for the ABI Board of Directors

---------------------------------------------------------------
This is the ABI Announcement List, a low-traffic list reserved for
official ABI business. To unsubscribe, send an email with your name
and class to opt-out@aramco-brats.com.
Email webmaster@aramco-brats.com if you have any questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------

The following was mailed to all AramcoBrats for whom we had an email address on August 12, 2004.

To improve our service to the Brat community, we have set up an ABI
email announcement list, which will be reserved for official ABI
business. We don't expect the list to receive more than one or two
messages a month. We recognize that some folks might find even this
low level of email traffic to be intrusive. If you'd prefer not to
receive an occasional ABI announcement, you can just reply to this
message (or send an email to opt-out@aramco-brats.com)and we'll
remove your address from the announcement
list. If you unsubscribe from the announcement list, you're welcome
to rejoin later.


1. Calling All AdBaks
2. Houston 2005 Reunion Hotel Reservations
3. Help Wanted - Reunion Class Party Night
4. Help Wanted - Reunion Tennis and Golf Tournaments
5. From the ABI Test Kitchens
6. Newsletter/Address Verification


1. CALLING ALL ADBAKS!!!

As you know, the ABI runs on donations from Brats - we call these
donations AdBaks (Administrative Baksheesh). The recommended AdBak
amount is $18 if you live in the U.S. or $23 if you live overseas.
(Feel free to donate beyond that...we won't mind!)

It would be of great help to our planning if we had an idea how much
money we have to work with for this term. If you have not yet paid
your 2003-2005 AdBak, please use the form in the newsletter or on the
website to do so.

Questions? Contact our Treasurer, Cathie McCoy at cathie@aramco-brats.com.


2. HOUSTON 2005 REUNION HOTEL RESERVATIONS

We are pleased to report that, after a brief delay to sort out some
technical issues, the Hilton (2005 reunion hotel) webpage customized
for reunion reservations is now online and ready for use. To make
your reservations, point a browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer or
Netscape Navigator only) at
<http://www.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/private_groups/iahws_abt/index.jhtml>
and click the "Book a Room" button below the hotel picture. The ABI
has negotiated a special room rate of $79/night for rooms, so make
sure you tell the reservation clerk you're an AramcoBrat if you call
for your reservation. The reunion dates are Thursday, May 26 through
Monday, May 30. The banquet is in the evening on Sunday, May 29.
The special $79 rate is available to Brats three days prior and three
days after the reunion.

There are no suites available at this time. We expect a limited
number of Junior, One Bedroom and Two Bedroom suites to become
available no later than December 2004. If you would like to be
placed on a wait list for a suite, please contact Diana
Ryrholm-Geerdes at diana@aramco-brats.com. In order to assure that
you have accommodations at the reunion, you should reserve regular
room(s) now, which you can cancel if a suite becomes available.


3. HELP WANTED - REUNION CLASS PARTY NIGHT

Saturday night at the reunion is designated as class party night. We
are looking for one person from each class to organize the gathering
for their class. You can plan to get together to look at old photos
and yearbooks, go out to dinner, have a hotel-catered event in one of
the meeting rooms, or whatever else you might like to do with your
class. If you're interested in helping with your class event, please
contact Gretchen Connally (ABI Class Rep Coordinator) and Penny
Dougharty-Mahers (Houston Reunion Committee) at
class-parties@aramco-brats.com.


4. HELP WANTED - REUNION TENNIS AND GOLF TOURNAMENTS

The 2005 Houston Reunion Committee is looking for a couple of
volunteers to assist in organizing the tennis and golf tournaments
(they already have a volunteer for the bowling tournament) to be held
during the reunion. They would prefer someone who lives in the
Houston area and plays the sport. If you are interested, please
contact Penny Dougharty-Mahers at penny@aramco-brats.com.


5. FROM THE ABI TEST KITCHENS

We are very excited to announce our plans to put together an
AramcoBrats, Inc. Community Cookbook. Remember those great Dhahran
Women's Group cookbooks that our moms had?? Let's aim for something
of similar greatness! If there is sufficient interest, our plan is
to put together a great cookbook that has traditional family
favorites, as well as all of those great Middle Eastern recipes that
our families collected during our years in the Kingdom.

Please submit your favorite recipes as soon as possible to Gretchen
Connally. You can email gretchen@aramco-brats.com or send them in
the mail to 116 Sapphire Lake Drive, Kyle, TX 78640. If you have any
questions about the project, please feel free to email Gretchen.


6. NEWSLETTER/ADDRESS VERIFICATION

The Spring 2004 issue of the ABI newsletter was mailed out last
month. If you have not received yours yet, please contact our
Database Director, Sherri Dent-Moxley (sherri@aramco-brats.com) to
confirm that we have your correct current mailing information. You
can complete the online address change form
(http://www.aramco-brats.com/address_change_form.htm) to update our
mailing and email information for you.

If you didn't receive your newsletter, you can view it online as an
Adobe Acrobat file at
<http://www.aramco-brats.com/newsletter/BratnewsS2004.pdf>. To
contain ABI costs, we are no longer remailing newsletters that are
returned to us.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about how
the ABI is doing.

Hope you are having an enjoyable summer,
Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes RT 1962
for the ABI Board of Directors

---------------------------------------------------------------
This is the ABI Announcement List, a low-traffic list reserved for
official ABI business. To unsubscribe, send an email with your name
and class to opt-out@aramco-brats.com.
Email webmaster@aramco-brats.com if you have any questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Dear AramcoBrat,

Even if you are sure you are not interested in the reunion, READ THIS
MESSAGE! (Especially number 3)

__________________________________________________
In this e-mail:

1- Reunion Update -- Status Report
2- Reunion Goodies -- What to Expect
3- New Simplified Reunion Registration Process!!!

__________________________________________________

1-Reunion Update

Only six short weeks to go! As things currently stand, 419 people
have completed their registrations and mailed them back. This is
shaping up to be as fine a reunion as we have ever had. The good
news is that there is plenty of room for all the procrastinators and
undecideds to get in on the reunion action this coming Memorial Day
Weekend. Contrary to early reports -- blame it on erroneous
communications from the main hotel -- *nothing* is sold out. Rooms
are available for all nights at the El Conquistador, so make a
reservation now to ensure you don't miss a thing throughout the
reunion. (Reunion Hint: Some of the best and most memorable reunion
experiences happen between midnight and sunrise. If you're asleep at
another hotel or a friend's place, you are just flat out going to
miss those altogether.) So pick up the phone and call 1-800-864-1284
to make your room reservation. Do it now.

If the reunion registration process just seems too complex and that's
holding you back, jump down to number 3 below for some great news.

__________________________________________________


2-Reunion Goodies -- What You Will be Missing if You Don't Go to the
Reunion

The reunion committee and the ABI have planned another fantastic
weekend which includes live music each night, special drink prices,
discounted room rates, an abundance of door prizes, the ever popular
raffle/auction, the Sunday night banquet, the live auction, pinatas,
bowling, golf, tennis, group and class photos, class party night, the
opportunity to relive your childhood, visit with old classmates, meet
new Brats, reminisce, have fun, and much more. But then, all of that
just goes without saying.

What you probably don't know is that, thanks to a generous cash
contribution from Aramco Services Company, the reunion committee has
personal shoppers scouring the streets of Al Khobar even as you are
reading this. The resulting hoard of baubles and treasures from our
shared past will be shipped to the reunion to be used as prizes,
gifts and door prizes throughout the weekend. The only sure thing is
that if you aren't there, you won't be able to share in this
incredible bounty.

Are you someone who remembers hours playing Spades, Hearts or
Backgammon with friends as a primary form of social interaction.
Does the reunion committee have a deal for you! Come to the reunion
and check out Auntie Di's Perfectly Fabulous Game Room. Grab an old
friend and challenge them to a rematch of that game you lost so long
ago in the land of our
youth.

Now, this is just a rumor, but there may be some olfactory
stimulation to be had at the reunion this time as well. Sources
report the heady aroma of warm pita bread, slow-roasting meat and
rich tahini sauce might be found emanating from one or two small
stands around the pool throughout the weekend. Wink, wink. If this
is something that matters to you, you know what we're talking about.

There is so much more, but time is short. The only way to experience
it all is to reserve a room and register today. Which conveniently
leads us right into the third topic of this announcement.

__________________________________________________

3- Registration Made Easy -- A New Simplified Reunion Registration
Process

Time is short. Decisions need to be made very soon on the number of
t-shirts and other goodies to order. The sooner you register the
more accurately the reunion committee can estimate what needs to be
ordered.

If you have not received your registration packet yet, it is most
likely because you haven't paid your AdBak and/or filled out the
reunion survey. In the interest of streamlining and making it easier
for you to register, we have decided to eliminate these steps between
now and the reunion. If you want a registration packet mailed to
you, please e-mail Erica at ericamel@comcast.net or call at
*82-1-520-529-2164 (*82 unblocks your phone number to ensure your
call goes through). She will need your full name (first, maiden and
last), your correct address, and your District and Year. You can pay
the required AdBak, registration fee, and late registration fee in
one shot and mail it all back with your completed reunion
registration. We'll sort it all out for you and you'll be all set in
one easy step!

Even more important though is for you to call and reserve a room at
the El Conquistador immediately! Don't wait for your registration
package to arrive. Do it now. It will become more difficult to
secure a room at our reduced rate (if at all) after April 30. Call
the El Con for reservations at 1-800-864-1284. Make sure you say you
are with the AramcoBrats.

BONUS MESSAGE -- If you've read this far, you really are someone who
should be at the reunion. The bottom line is this: These things are
magic. They renew, revive and rejuvenate us like nothing else can.
Come home. Spend the weekend with a few hundred friends who know you
like nobody else can.

============
This is the ABI Announcement List, a low-traffic list reserved for official ABI business. To unsubscribe, send an email with your name and class to opt-out@aramco-brats.com. Email webmaster@aramco-brats.com if you have any questions.

The following was mailed to all AramcoBrats for whom we had an email address on January 27, 2003.

1. Officer Nominations
2. El Con Change of Ownership
3. Overflow Hotel Information
4. Survey/AdBak Reminder
5. Reunion notes

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Officer Nominations
Nominations are open for the four elected ABI Board positions
(President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer). If you are
interested in placing your name in nomination for one of these
positions, or if you are interested in knowing more about what these
officers do, please contact Gary Barnes (gbarnes@ne.rr.com). Officer
nominations will close on February 15, 2002, and ABI ballots will be
mailed on or about March 1, 2002.

Gary Barnes had received an inquiry from someone regarding the
Secretary and/or Treasurer position. Unfortunately, his computer died
and he lost this person's contact information. If you were that
person (or if you know who the person is), please contact Gary.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
El Con Change of Ownership
The El Conquistador has been purchased by CNL Hospitality Group and
Hilton Hotels. The resort's new name is Hilton Tucson El
Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort.

This purchase does not affect our reunion. Our El Con contacts have
assured us that Hilton has "some good things" in store for the hotel,
and they are confident that it will all be very positive. The guest
rooms in the main buildings have all been renovated in the last year,
and the pool area is being remodeled.



The El Con staff is still in the process of converting from the
Sheraton to the Hilton system. They have only entered reservations
through mid-March. This means that we cannot receive an accurate
printout until all transfers have been made. Please be assured that
everyone's reservations are in place and nothing will be lost.

IF YOU DO HAVE A RESERVATION AT THE EL CON.... (especially those
holding multiple rooms for friends, siblings, parents, etc.) Please
take a moment to think if you do require all the rooms you have
reserved. Call and make sure that those you are holding rooms for
are not doing the same thing for you. Please release any unneeded
rooms as soon as possible!

El Con Cancellation Policy: If a guest should cancel a reservation,
the deposit is refundable if notice is received at least 7 days prior
to arrival and a cancellation number is obtained.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Overflow Hotel Information

Our overflow hotel for the 2003 reunion is the Holiday Inn Express
(of Oro Valley). This is an all suite hotel that sits at the foot of
El Conquistador Drive. The Holiday Inn Express can be reached at
520-202-4000. You must tell them you are an AramcoBrat to get the
special rate of $72.95 (this rate is for one or two people; it is
$82.95 for triple or quad occupancy). This price includes the deluxe
breakfast buffet -- if you can manage to be out of bed that early
after all the fun you'll be having the night before!

The cut-off date for this room block is May 10, 2003. All rooms that
remain in the block after that date are automatically turned back to
Holiday Inn Express. Reservations received after the cut-off date
shall be available by request only, on a space available basis.

Once you have made your reservation with the Holiday Inn Express,
please e-mail Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes (drgeerdes@cox.net) and the Hilton
El Conquisador (zuraida_lewis@hilton.com) and request
to be on the wait list for a regular room at the El Con. You must give
us your arrival and departure dates, as well as your contact
information (e-mail address, telephone number, and snail mail
address). Please make sure you have AramcoBrats in your heading. All
of this will ensure that we have an accurate list. Room transfers
will be made on a first come, first served basis.

There will be cancellations between now and the end of May as people
firm up their plans and release rooms. If you have placed your name
on the wait list and are notified that you have a room at the El Con,
it will be your responsibility to call the Holiday Inn Express at
520-202-4000 to cancel your reservation (no penalty if canceled more
than 24 hours before scheduled arrival date).

Please e-mail Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes (drgeerdes@cox.net) if you have any
questions or concerns or are just plain confused!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Survey/AdBak Reminder
If you want to receive the Reunion registration packet, you must send
in your reunion survey and pay your Administrative Baksheesh. You can
complete the reunion survey online by pointing a browser at
http://www.aramco-brats.com/re_pre_bsurv.htm.

To pay your Administrative Baksheesh, send a check for $18 (if you
live in the U.S.) or $23 (if you live outside the U.S.) to

Kathy Montgomery, Treasurer
AramcoBrats, Inc.
P. O. Box 2036
Pismo Beach, CA 93448

You can find the AdBak form on the ABI website at
http://www.aramco-brats.com/adbak2.htm.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reunion Notes



• Class Parties: Saturday evening has been set aside for classes to
  get together and party. If you are interested in helping to
  coordinate the party for your class (or if you want to coordinate a
  party with another class), please contact Erica Ryrholm-Martin
  (ericamel@comcast.net) or Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes (drgeerdes@cox.net).
  
  
• Food Stations on Class Party Night: We have made arrangements with
  the El Con to have food stations set up around the pool on Saturday
  evening. Food stations will offer the following:
  - Steamship round with rolls and horseradish $5.00 plus tax
  - Hamburgers and hot dogs with condiments $5.50 plus tax
  - Submarine sandwiches $6.50 plus tax
  - Caesar salad $6.50 plus tax
  - Pasta with alfredo and meat sauce $6.00 plus tax
  - Chicken fingers with oney mustard sauce $7.50 plus tax
  - Barbecue buffalo wings $7.50 plus tax
  - Nachos $4.50 plus tax
  - Chili with grated cheese, onions, and crackers $5.00 plus tax
  - Tacos $4.50 plus tax
  - Individual bags of assorted chips $1.25 plus tax
  - Egg rolls with plum sauce $7.50 plus tax
  - Ice cream cups, bars, and sandwiches $5.50 plus tax
  - Cookies and brownies $2.00 plus tax
  
  
• The traditional end-of-reunion banquet will be held the evening of
  Sunday, May 25. A number of Brats have made reservations that call
  for them to check out of the Hilton El Conquistador on Sunday. If you
  plan to attend the ABI Banquet and Tri-D dance that follows, you
  might want to extend your reservation through Monday.
  
  
• Information about the 2003 Reunion, such as who is coming and what
  events are scheduled, is updated on the ABI website weekly. Please
  check the ABI website (http://www.aramco-brats.com) periodically to
  obtain the most current reunion information.
  
  Thanks and Happy New Year,
  Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes RT'62
  ABI President
  
  
  ============
  This is the ABI Announcement List, a low-traffic list reserved for official ABI business. To unsubscribe, send an email to
  opt-out@aramco-brats.com. Email webmaster@aramco-brats.com if you have any questions.

The following was mailed to all AramcoBrats for whom we had an email address on December 13, 2002.

1. Officer Nominations
2. Newsletter/Address Verification
3. Online Auction
4. Suq Sale
5. Reunion notes
6. Class Representatives

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Officer Nominations
Nominations are now open for the four elected ABI Board positions
(President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer). If you are
interested in placing your name in nomination for one of these
positions, or if you are interested in knowing more about what these
officers do, please contact Gary Barnes (gbarnes@ne.rr.com). Officer
nominations will close on February 15, 2002, and ABI ballots will be
mailed on or about March 1, 2002.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Newsletter/Address Verification
The Fall 2002 issue of the ABI newsletter was mailed out last week.
If you have not received yours yet, please contact our Database
Director, Sherri Dent-Moxley (sherri@aramco-brats.com) to confirm that we
have your correct current mailing information. You can complete the
online address change form
(http://www.aramco-brats.com/address_change_form.htm) to update our
mailing and email information for you.

NOTE: If you didn't receive your newsletter, you can view it online
as an Adobe Acrobat file at
http://www.aramco-brats.com/newsletters/Bratnews9.pdf. To contain ABI
costs, we are no longer remailing newsletters that are returned to us.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Online Auction
The ABI online auction will kick off on Sunday, December 15. We will
be selling about 30 items over the course of the next few weeks,
including Arab clothing, jewelry, and collectibles. To see a preview
of what we will be auctioning, see the picture on
http://www.aramco-brats.com/. To access the auction page, just click
the auction link on this page on December 15.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Suq Sale
We have significantly cut the prices on items in the ABI suq.
Quantities are limited, so please place your orders soon to ensure
you get what you want.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reunion Notes

- You can register to receive reunion materials by filling out an
online form on the ABI website. Only those people who have asked to
receive reunion materials and paid their Administrative Baksheesh
will receive reunion registration materials. If you have already
asked to receive reunion materials, please review the Who's Coming
list on the ABI website to make sure your name is listed in black.

- The traditional end-of-reunion banquet will be held the evening of
Sunday, May 25. A number of Brats have made reservations that call
for them to check out of the Sheraton El Conquistador on Sunday. If
you plan to attend the ABI Banquet and Tri-D dance that follows, you
might want to extend your reservation through Monday.

- Information about the 2003 Reunion, such as who is coming and what
events are scheduled, is updated on the ABI website weekly. Please
check the ABI website periodically to obtain the most current reunion
information.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Class Representatives
The ABI has a new Class Representative Coordinator (Wendy Nine
Sosinski DH'68), and we need Class Representatives for all classes to
keep Brats connected and to help plan reunion events. If you are
interested in serving as a Class Rep, or if you would like to know
more about what Class Reps do, please contact Wendy
(wendy@aramco-brats.com).

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about how
the ABI is doing.

Thanks and happy holidays,
Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes RT'62
ABI President



============
This is the ABI Announcement List, a low-traffic list reserved for official ABI business. To unsubscribe, send an email to
opt-out@aramco-brats.com. Email webmaster@aramco-brats.com if you have any questions.

The following was mailed to all AramcoBrats for whom we had an email address on October 29, 2002. Brats,

To improve our service to the Brat community, we're setting up an ABI email announcement list, which will be reserved for official ABI business. We don't expect the list to receive more than one or two messages a month.

We recognize that some folks might find even this low level of email traffic to be intrusive. If you'd prefer not to receive an occasional ABI announcement, you can just reply to this message (or send an email to opt-out@aramco-brats.com)and we'll remove your address from the announcement list. If you unsubscribe from the announcement list, you're welcome to rejoin later.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Michael McCoy RT'72
ABI web guy