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| Reunion 2008 |
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27th Annual Rhodesian Reunion Reunion Friday, July 18 - Sunday, July 20, 2008
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(Grab yourself a nice cup of tea … or a beer – Fun Times!) OK. So we’re standing by carousel 999 waiting to pick up our kit bags when this bladdy suspicious looking character wearing a camo shirt sidles up and quietly says under his breath, "You look like a couple of bleddy Rhodies – you’re under arrest." My first thought was, "Oh sh**t, we’ve been busted; there goes the biltong!" Turns out it was David Vining cruising the carousels looking for Rhodies who needed a ride to the Golden Nugget; "The least I can do to help out a fellow Rhodie" he says. Great stuff!So now we’re standing in a queue with the rest of Vegas trying to check into the Golden Nugget. . This is the best place to meet up with follow Reunionists (I think we should start a new political party); easy to spot as we’re the only ones standing in the queue with drinks in hand. True to form, Don Newsam pipes up "Bugger this; this is going to take all day. How would you like to be checked in within the next few minutes?" Yeah right, Don! I’d like to see that. Well, I’ll be buggered; he yells out BOMB and within seconds the entire lobby ducked out, leaving only us bomb-hardened Rhodies – drinks in hand, smiles on our faces and enjoying the express check-in! Great way to start the reunion. And what a reunion it was. Seems like the whole of Rhodesia as we knew it was represented. You know how it is – in true Rhodesian fashion, this person is related to that one, and before you know, the whole bladdy county is related. Talk about stretching the boerewors, fish and chips and Shepherd’s Pie – just like manna from heaven. Imagine this. As one of the waiters entered the room with a dish full of boerewors, he stumbled and one of the precious wors fell on the carpet. The entire room fell into a stunned silence until someone yelled, "Road kill". There was a mad dash for the wayward piece of sausage, and I am proud to say that I came away with the well-seasoned grand prize. What a great evening! Great food, libations and friendly banter. Nobody was in a hurry to leave and most of the time you had to use sign language to be heard. Oh, and by the way, did I happen to mention the Irish wenches serving us? They all claimed to be authentic, but I had my suspicions. Saturday came way too soon for some, some more than others. We need to add a new trophy to the Veldskoen Award - the Party Animal Award. Alan Roodt and Susan Irie will win this hands down. Where they get the stamina and energy, who knows. The Donkins take a close second. Following Hennessey’s, the party animals congregated at the piano bar and continued from there. Something must have been in the air that night. There were reports that the band in the bar was really hot and some of the audience even hotter, and Doug and Rose Quinn also reported a skinny-dip-in at the shark tank. Hmmmmmm! Sobering comes to mind when you have to make it to a 9:30 a.m. AGM following an extended night of frivolity. Surprisingly enough, it was better attended than in past years, which bodes well for the Association and says a lot for the bravery of those souls attending. Seating was close and personal in Stella’s suite, with standing room only for the overflow. Saturday was a day of diversity, and we’re not talking Obama here. Shopping, golf, Nash-Webber trying to figure out his helium tank/balloon blower/ribbon tying contraption (which he invented), gambling, sleeping, and as Nash-Webber would say, "Dopping of note." Oh, and by the way, did I happen to mention the cocktail waitresses and their extremely conservative attire – Not!!Hanging out at the Shark Tank is definitely worthy of mention. There is literally a two-storey-high water slide that goes through the shark and fish tank, which is surrounded by the pool. Definitely weird being able to swim up to the tank and watch sharks swim up to you and bump up against the glass. The Donkin Family held court poolside with their private cabana, Richard proclaiming all of the swimmers his ‘surfs’ (spelling intentional) and mermaid servers his loyal subjects. There were definitely human fish species in abundance: beached whales; barracudas, if you know what I mean; Great Whites and tuna - eeeeuuuuu! Thankfully there were also a fair number of minnows! Oh, and by the way, did I happen to mention the mermaid servers? Saturday night was incredible! For starters, the room looked fantastic! The amount of time and effort that went into organizing, decorating and setting up needs to be recognized. Well done to Stella Anderson and Caron Berryhill for coming up with the idea and all the goods to create an outstanding Safari theme, and thanks to the many others (you know who you are) who helped set it all up. I would be remiss in not acknowledging John Nash-Webber, John Berryhill and Caron’s son Michael Hooten for taking on the "battle of the balloons," also with some assistance from people who shall remain anonymous for fear of leaving someone out!!As always, the generosity of Rhodies was evident from the tables full of items donated for raffle, auction or sale. Great fun with the auction and Suzie Matwetwe’s jewelry collection. Alan Roodt must have been a tobacco auctioneer in a previous life! Grateful thanks to all who dug deep for the benefit of struggling Zim pensioners at Nerena Gardens in Cape Town. The food was outstanding, and once again thanks to Stella for her creativity, and the kitchen staff of the Golden Nugget, in coming up with lekker Mashona Salad, Matebele Game Hens and Kariba Custard!Thanks to Peter Cary for securing our guest speaker Doug McClure. Doug generously agreed to extend a personal trip to California with his lovely wife, Fiona D’Arcy Fisher, to speak at the banquet. Peter’s mother, Anne Gilbert, graciously hosted them in California and personally chauffeured them to Vegas! Doug’s experience and knowledge gained from working for both regimes of the S.A. Government equipped him to give us a very current update on the political and economic situation in Zim, South Africa and the region, and he delivered a very interesting speech that was "out of this world." The African/safari theme costumes were a huge success! Personally, I spotted Toni and Don Mesley "on safari"; Don Newsam sporting an original Rhodesian Association t-shirt (I wonder if it was an even older RVA t-shirt?); Tony Granger and sons representing the Rhodesian rugby squad; the Alvord Clan in colorful traditional African attire; several members of various branches of the Security Forces; Paul ‘Van der Merwe’ Mroz; a bladdy skollie from the Queens Hotel, aka Paul Wingrove; and our esteemed leader in resplendent |
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full mess dress, still fitting after all these years! Nash-Webber maintains moths had gotten to his trousers in a certain area. Personally, I think it was as a result from over-venting! Oh, and by the way, did I happen to mention our bevy of beauties – the finest looking group of women in Vegas that weekend! Dancing was way too short, as we simply ran out of time. With DJ Paul Mroz manning the music equipment, Cecil "Twinkle Toes" Cooper and June were quick to head onto the dance floor. The Chicken Dance, conga line, and Hokey Pokey should be banned – should be "Tikkie Draai" or nothing! We did manage to get in "Rhodesians Never Die" with two or more repeats – an absolute ‘must,’ which is always very emotional – and this was followed by the traditional balloon release outside to the strains of Auld Lang Syne. I hate to say this, but I believe that bladdy Mugabe balloon may have outrun the hot pursuit! We can only hope for next year. The party continued until the wee hours, led by none other than, guess who?If Saturday came early, Sunday morning came even earlier to make it to a tribute and memorial for The Honorable Ian Douglas Smith. Organized by Paul Mroz and John N-W, this was a serious, moving program of music and readings appropriate for the occasion. Being the most serious part of the reunion also ended up being one of the highlights. Well done, Paul, and thanks to you and John and Paul for the delectable breakfast of koeksusters (home made by John, no less!) and guavas and cream provided by Paul. The day of departure is always bitter sweet. This year was helped tremendously by joining the Nash-Webber/Mroz Family for their one-for- the-road party that lasted about four hours!! Anne Gilbert had another solution. While we were having one of our last "one for the road" Anne, just across the casino, within our sights, hit a $4,000 jackpot on the slots and was seen fleeing the scene when it was suggested she buy the house a round! (All kidding aside, Anne – well done!!)Just as we were finishing up, this suspicious bugger sneaks up behind us and quietly says, "You look like a couple of bladdy Rhodesians, you’re under arrest. I spin around and it’s David Vining! It’s time to go to the airport. Thank you one and all for a great reunion. For those who couldn’t make it, it was your loss! And for those of you who watched the movie - Stella’s definitely got her groove back!Cheers, Paddy Quinn
A note from our eloquent Speaker, Mr. Douglas McClure I shall long treasure the award of the Golden Veldskoen and always think back nostalgically as we trooped down into the street to release those balloons up into the fetid night air where they could drift lazily past the buildings and out into the Nevada desert, dispersed as the Rhodesians have been dispersed by the wicked and sinister events beyond all our control. Bless you all for a treasured time with exceptional people in a most unusual environment, and thank you again for all your hard work which made it all possible. Contact Us for More Info |
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