MR_09--Sep 2010 -- Chicago #2

The Incredible Chicago Mini Reunion (#2)

September 10-12, 2010

ATTENDEES

What an INCREDIBLE weekend!!! We set a new attendance record for a Mini-Reunion! The "Roll Call" included 18 classmates (most with spouses) plus our "Honorary Class of '62er" from the Culver faculty (Bob Hartman; he started at Culver the same year many of us did: 1958).

Bill & Vicki Boies, Chicago
Howie & Mary Bridges, Chicago
Ken & Judy Calhoun, Emporia, KS
Craig & Janet Duchossois, Chicago
John & Betsy Davis, San Francisco area
Bill & Stephanie Fohey, Flint, MI
Buzz Eisenberg & Tricia Fox, Chicago
Bob Hartman, Culver, IN
Mike Hood, Dallas, TX
Bart & Sharla Hotchkiss, Midland, TX

Phil & Suzanne Kaufman, Munster, IN
Doug & Susan Neumann, Detroit / Ann Arbor, MI
Marty Oberman, Chicago
Jay Owen, Chicago
Jim Runnion, Chicago
Joe & Peggy Schluchter, St. Louis, MO / Palm Springs, CA
Dee (Gleason) Stinson, New Orleans
Rocky & Twink Wayburn, Nashville
Phil & Carol Wright, Hebron, MD

Not everyone was able to attend all the events, but here is the head count from the individual events:

Friday night dinner at Gibson's: 31
Saturday night dinner at Tommy Gun's Garage: 25
Sunday football game at Soldier Field: 24

In addition to the dinners and the game, we had some great gatherings in the Hospitality Suite at our Headquarters Hotel (The Seneca) before and after each dinner, thanks to Howie Bridges.

FRIDAY

Social Hour

The weekend began with our first social hour in the Hospitality Suite. As you can see below, the suite was quite well filled. That's Doug Neumann and Phil Wright's wife, Carol, sitting in the foreground. The only really easily recognizable person in the background is Bill Boies (he's talking to Bob Hartman whose back in to the camera). The pictures that follow will give you more identifyable images of who was there.

Twink Wayburn (back to camera), Rocky Wayburn, Ken Calhoun, Dee (Gleason) Stinson (in profile)

Doug Neumann, Dee (Gleason) Stinson Bob Hartman

Dinner

About 7 PM, we headed over to Gibson's on Rush Street where we had our own private room on the second floor ... and our own custom menu.

After the delicious and bountiful hor's d'oeuvers ... and open bar ... the dinner menu almost seemed superflous!

Bob Hartman, Jim Runnion, Buzz Eisenberg

Janet Duchossois, Sharla Hotchkiss, Craig Duchossois, Bart Hotchkiss
... Tricia Fox with back to camera

Phil & Suzanne Kaufman, Jay Owen, Twink & Rocky Wayburn

Vicki Boies, Jim Runnion, Dee (Gleason) Stinson

Vicki Boies, Craig Duchossois, Jim Runnion

SATURDAY

Saturday morning and afternoon, we were all on our own. It was sprinkling in the AM, but cleared off nicely in the afternoon. Around 4 PM, we started returning to the Hospitality Suite.

Social Hour

Howie Bridges, Phil Wright, Doug Neumann

Craig Duchossois, Buzz Eisenberg, Howie Bridges
(There was obviously no shortage of adult beverages.)

Dinner

Next on the agenda was piling into taxis to get down to Tommy Gun's Garage on South Wabash.

This establishment is billed as "Chicago's Only Original Roaring 20's Speakeasy and Longest Running Audience Interactive Dinner Show".

Bart Hotchkiss, Twink Wayburn, Rocky Wayburn (partially hidden by Twink), Betsy Davis, Stephanie Fohey (head turned), Bill Fohey, Ken Calhoun (back of head),
Doug Neumann

Phil Kaufman, Suzanne Kaufman (partially hidden), Buzz Eisenberg, Tricia Fox, Mike Hood, Jay Owen, Craig Duchossois, Phil Wright, Carol Wright, Peggy Schluchter, Joe Schlucter (pasted in)

After dinner, our servers headed to the stage to entertain us. Interspersed with song and dance were a couple of skits. Thanks to Howie Bridges' negotiations, two of our classmates were hand-picked to be part of the show. Not surprisingly, Buzz Eisenberg was the first to join the show. If the Borscht Belt in the Catskills ever makes a comeback, we all know where Buzz can pick up some spare change.

After Buzz left the Master of Ceremonies speechless, Craig Duchossois was called up for the second skit, a pseudo radio show set in the 20's. When asked his name, Craig quickly responded "Buzz, Jr.", which was followed by howls of laughter and applause from his classmates!

No, Buzz is just **touching** his nose (field sobriety test ... he failed)

Craig (a/k/a "Buzz, Jr.") doing his best Jimmy Cagney impression

In the course of the skit that Craig was in, the plot had his character being driven all over Chicago, with one of the landmarks on the drive being Arlington Race Track! After the show, Craig talked to the MC, first to tell him his name was really "Craig", not "Buzz, Jr.", and then to ask if the mention of Arlington Race Track was a standard part of the show. When he was told it was, Craig let him know that his family is "involved with" the track. Not sure the MC believed it at first ...

Buzz being congratulated on his fine acting ability by a cast member

SUNDAY

Craig Duchossois generously provided us with complimentary tickets in his Executive Suite at Soldier Field to see the CHICAGO BEARS beat the DETROIT LIONS in their season opener … and credentials to get on the field for some pre-game activites.

We certainly rode to and from the game in style. Here's the interior of one of the stretch limos we used.

Judy Calhoun's purse, Joe & Peggy Schluchter, Phil & Suzanne Kaufman

Craig Duchossois, Doug & Susan Neumann, Buzz Eisenberg, Twink Wayburn

Doug Neumann, Jay Owen (head turned), Craig Duchossois, Bill Boies

Front Row: Susan & Doug Neumann (somewhat hidden by each other and Jay Owen), Craig Duchossois, Ken & Judy Calhoun, Joe Schluchter
Background: Stephanie Fohey, Buzz Eisenberg, Bill Boies

Among the many benefits of sitting in the Executive Suites is the opportunity to participate in some of the pre-game activities on the field. For example, seven of us got the chance to be part of the ~100 "Flag Holders".

Phil Kaufman, Rocky Wayburn, John Davis, Sharla & Bart Hotchkiss, Ken Calhoun, Howie Bridges

On the far side of the rolled-up flag is Howie (with cap on), Ken, Bart, Sharla, Rocky, & John (looking toward the camera)

Rocky (back of his head), Sharla (mostly hidden by Rocky), Bart, Ken, Howie, Phil

What is the "4th Phase"? Here is the offical defintion: "In football, we know that the first phase provides the offense. The second phase brings the defense. The third phase is truly "special." But the Fourth Phase makes it all matter. Bears fans are the 4th Phase ... and they are the lifeblood of the Chicago Bears."

Some of the wives anxiously awaiting desert: Carol Wright, Sharla Hotchkiss, Twink Wayburn

Joe Schluchter taking a close look at the desert cart. Definitely worth waiting for!

Susan & Doug Neumann
*(Ask Doug why he has the cap where it is...)*

Jim Runnion, Stephanie Fohey, Bill Boies, Howie Bridges, Jay Owen
*(There was more food and drink than any of us could finish.)*

Suzanne Kaufman, Carol Wright, Twink Wayburn (back to camera), Peggy Schluchter, Mary Bridges, Stephanie Fohey

Front Row: Howie Bridges, Suzanne & Phil Kaufman
Background: Jim Runnion, Bill Fohey, Phil Wright, Betsy Davis (among others)

Oh ... yes ... we did spend a little time actually watching the game. (Bears won ... on a controversial call.)

In summary, a HUGE thanks to the "Chicago Five" (Bill Boies, Howie Bridges, Craig Duchossois, Buzz Eisenberg, and Jay Owen) for organizing this incredible weekend. Howie deserves special thanks for arranging the restaurants and managing the Hospitality Suite. Also, with Jay's help, he played the roll of "cat herder" in keeping track of all the RSVPs.

Of course, an extra special thanks to Craig for arranging the limos to the game, the tickets to his Executive Suite, and all the other behind the scenes things he did.

Photos by John Davis, the Wayburns, and Phil Wright.