The Great Chicago-Culver Mini Reunion

July 13-17, 2016

From the inspiration of Craig Duchossois and the perspiration of Bob Sindelar sprang forth yet another great Mini Reunion.

Background: During one of our Class Conference Calls, Craig observed that very few of us Winter School alums had ever seen what the Academy and Lake Maxinkuckee were like in the summertime: The beauty of the campus and lake plus some activities and events that only Summer School offered. After discussion, your Reunion Committee resolved: We should have a Mini Reunion at Culver in July 2016!

The next step was Craig recruiting Bob Sindelar (our Co-Chair for Mini Reunions) to do most of the "heavy lifting" to make it happen. With the support of Alan Loehr (the Academy's Director of Alumni Relations) and the gracious hospitality of Craig and his wife Janet (augmented by that of their two daughters: Ashley Joyce and Shallen Hazlewood), Bob juggled all the priorities and worked out all the housing and other details.

Then Craig invited everyone to a "pre-event": A day at the horse races near Chicago before the days at Culver. And then Bob secured a VERY inexpensive group rate at a hotel near the track ... and we were off to the races.

Bottom line: The Great Chicago-Culver Mini Reunion was planned.

The Mini started in the northwestern Chicago area at Arlington International Racecourse (hosted by Craig) followed by two days on the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee.

Attendees included:

* Only at Culver

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Bob Sindelar arranged to a great rate of $129/night at the Marriott Schaumberg for Wednesday and Thursday nights.

As we trickled in, several of us ran into each other in the Executive Lounge. After much indecision, a number of us (the Davis, Williamson, and Wright clans, plus Mr. Bridges and Mr. Neumann) settled on simply having dinner in the hotel. The food was quite decent for hotel food, but the best part of the evening was the repartee with our 8+ month pregnant waitress. You can ask Doug Neumann to fill you in on all the details when you join us at our 55th Reunion in May 2017. (Sorry no pictures of the dinner ... or our waitress.)

Thursday, July 14, 2016

As a precursor to weekend on Lake Maxinkuckee, Craig and Janet Duchossois graciously offered to host our contingent for a day of horse racing at Arlington Park International Racecourse. It was a positively gorgeous day at the track: Bright sunshine, maybe a bit breezy, but a prefect temperature. And the view from our suites was absolutely spectacular ...

...only to be outdone by the copious quantities of delicious food and the open bar.

Trackside for the "Culver Mini Reunion" Race
Phil & Carol Wright, Howie Bridges, Cheryl & Mike Ryan, Vicki & Neil Crist, Rocky & Twink Wayburn, Betsy Davis, Linda Dewey, John Davis, Raymond Dewey, Tom & Cathy Westbrook, Bob Sindelar

Carol & Phil Wright, Bob Sindelar, Cheryl Ryan, Rocky & Twink Wayburn, Mike Ryan, Linda Dewey, Raymond Dewey, Tom Westbrook (partially hidden), John& Betsy Davis, Howie Bridges, Cathy Westbrook, Neil & Vicki Crist

One of the highlights of our time at the track was to meet and talk with Craig's father, Richard L. "Dick" Duchossois (or "Mr. D" as all the track personnel referred to him). Although his alma mater is Morgan Park Military Academy, he was most hospitable to our motley crew of Culver grads and their significant others. In meeting him, it was impossible to believe this man is 94 years old! For more details on Mr. D's life, checkout his bio on Wikipedia and this article from a few years ago.

As if we really needed more food after the fantastic spread at the track, Bob Sindelar arranged a superb family-style, price-fixed dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy. At the end of the meal, it was debatable as to which was fuller: Our stomachs or the multitude of doggie bags with which we left.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Doing our Mini the same weekend at the Summer School Homecoming and the Town of Culver's LakeFest presented some housing challenges. However, thorough the generosity of Craig Duchossois and his two daughters plus the coordinating efforts of Bob Sindelar, all 32 of us enjoyed truly outstanding accommodations.

Following the drive down from Chicago and getting settled in our respective lodgings, we gathered at the lake house of one of Craig's daughters (Ashley Joyce) for some welcoming libations.

Then around 5 PM, we loaded into a pair pontoon boats for a leisurely tour of the lake while noshing on delicious appetizers and refreshing drinks.

Following the boat tour, we all headed back to the Joyce cottage and gathered under a tent in their "backyard" for a catered dinner.

But before dinner, a group shot of all the guys.

Standing: Bob Osborn, Jay Owen, Mike Ryan, Raymond Dewey, Bob Sindelar, Lou Desenberg, Howard Bridges, Neil Crist, Penn Williamson, Rocky Wayburn, and Bill Hall
Sitting: Doug, Neumann, Rene Murai, Craig Duchossois, Bob Hartman, John Davis, Phil Wright, Buzz Eisenberg

Then a group shot of the guys with their ladies.

Standing: Bob Osborn, Jay & Mona Owen, Cheryl & Mike Ryan, Linda & Raymond Dewey, Nannie Sue & Bob Sindelar, Lou and Cathy Desenberg, Howard Bridges, Penn & Margarida Williamson, Neil & Vicki Crist, Rocky & Twink Wayburn, Bill Hall, and Tricia Fox Eisenberg
Sitting: Doug, Neumann, Rene Murai, Janet & Craig Duchossois, Bob Hartman, John & Betsy Davis, Phil & Carol Wright, Buzz Eisenberg

We had several special guests with us at the dinner. First and foremost, we were delighted to have Bob Hartman, Culver Historian and Honorary Member of the Class of '62, join us.

In addition, we invited three of the Academy staff with whom your Reunion Committee works most frequently (and without whom your Committee could never accomplish what it does): Capt. Mike Neller (Commandant and our coordinator for events supported by our class's Student Enrichment Fund) and his wife Jeni; Alan Loehr (Director of Alumni Relations) and his wife Wendy; and Jeff Anderson (our liaison to the Culver Fund) and his wife Ashley.

On to pictures of the attendees during the dinner...

After dinner, we all crossed the road to the Joyce's cottage to watch the Ann M. Smitson Moonlight Serenade featuring the Culver Naval Band playing on board the 3-masted square rigger R. H. Ledbetter (the 1984 replacement for the O.W. Fowler from our days at Culver).

We were certainly honored to have them stop right in front of us. However, we are still puzzling over the significance of them playing "Y.M.C.A." as they stopped to serenade us.

The picture below doesn't really fit any specific place in this gallery of images, but it was too classic to not include somewhere!

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Everyone was basically on their own for the morning and afternoon.

In the morning, Rocky Wayburn organized a threesome to explore the aeromechanical properties of dimpled spheroids (a/k/a "golf") at the Mystic Hills course. Joining him were Howie Bridges and Lou Desenberg. (Unfortunately, the only quote offered to describe the event was "The memory was it was not memorable!" from Rocky. No pictures.)

Some people went trap shooting. (There were rumors that the Culver Fund benefited significantly from some wagering between two of the shooters.)

A few couples visited the photography exhibition of photos by Eudora Welty, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and Ansel Adams in what we knew as the Eppley Hall of Science (now the Crisp Visual Arts Center). Taken from the archives of the Culver Art Collection, this exhibition included photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt created for the 1939 article on Culver Military Academy for Life Magazine.

Some people watched the 33rd Annual Culver Lakefest Parade. The Parade started at the downtown shopping district and ended at the Original Root Beer Stand. Several Culver Summer Schools & Camps units participated.

Others visited the Robert C. Vaughn Stables & Jud Little Riding Hall and the new White DeVries Rowing Center.

Craig even got the Officer of the Day to unlock the Chapel for us to see the columbarium that is in the process of being added.

Following some socializing back at the Joyce cottage in the late afternoon ...

L to R: Penn & Margarida Williamson, Howie Bridges, Cheryl & Mike Ryan, Rocky & Twink Wayburn, Bob & Nannie Sue Sindelar, Neil & Vicki Crist

... we all piled into buses or cars and headed over to the James A. Henderson Parade Field to view the Garrison Parade. Sure, we had all been in parades (or even watched one or two as malingers on Sick Call), but the Summer Camps have a total of about 1400 campers from 38 states and 37 countries participating, compared to the relatively puny 800 or so during our days at the Academy. In short, summertime Garrison Parades are REALLY impressive!

Back at the Joyce cottage, we again gathered under the tent for yet another fantastic catered dinner.

Following dinner, it was back across the road to gather around the fire pit ...

... and watch the Culver Lakefest Fireworks over Lake Maxinkuckee.

But when that show was over, it turned out the show wasn't over: Craig had his own collection of very professional fireworks to add a magnificent postscript to the evening. (Sorry no sounds or pictures.)

Sunday, July 17, 2016

To close out our magnificent Mini Reunion, most of us gathered at Cafe Max in downtown Culver for a "farewell" breakfast.

While all the food was outstanding, one of their more decadent house specialties must be highlighted: Sinful French Toast (which the menu describes as "Prepared with our fresh baked cinnamon roll that has double icing. We grill it just until the buttercream icing caramelizes.")

No pictures of our actual crew chowwing down, but we all did profusely thank Bill Boies for picking up the tab.

Acknowledgements

Again, a tremendous thanks to the Duchossois family, Bob Sindelar, and Alan Loehr all their efforts in making the Mini Reunion happen.

And thanks to all those classmates (and their ladies) who contributed a total over over 200 images for the webmaster to choose from to create this web page:

But images from classmates were only the start: A very special thanks to Grant Munroe of CGM Photography who took over 300 images during our gatherings at the Joyce house.

Many of his images are also included on this web page. Contact your webmaster to get the URL and password to see all 317 of them.