BFA President Gil Bunker sent along this  along this message to the Bunker family:

Cousins,

Apparently the economy or my grandiose planning (or both) have nearly scuttled the Centennial Celebration in Nantucket, Durham and Boston. We are tragically under-booked for the two tours and the banquet. Our festivities in Boston could also use an increase in participants.  We are forced to reschedule activities and drop two days (the 18th and 19th) from our plans.

The Holiday Inn has granted a one week extension of the accommodations deadline – it is now May 21.  Call 1-800-HOLIDAY – Ask for Bunker / Breed rate – $129 a night plus tax.

In an attempt to remain solvent, the Tuesday morning business meeting is rescheduled to Saturday morning (June 15) about  9 a.m.; the Durham tour starts at noon. We will now have an adequate number of members for a quorum.

The Tuesday banquet is rescheduled to Monday evening June 17) after the Bunker Hill Day activities have concluded. Usually the banquet has the largest number of participants but barely two dozen have purchased tickets.  Choice of chicken, salmon or pork – $45.

The Nantucket and Durham tours will commence as scheduled however there are so many unsold seats, we’ll not come close to breaking even. Nantucket tour – $104 (includes bus, hi-speed ferry and tour) Durham tour – $30.

There are local cousins that haven’t registered at the hotel; that is understandable but I need to know if you will attend any of the activities. Your support is needed.

We’re going to have a great reunion, we always do. See you in Boston,

Gil

BFA members can register now for the BFA’s 100th anniversary reunion in Boston June 13-19.

BFA President Gil Bunker has announced the program details for the event. The registration form is being mailed to BFA members along with the February Bunker Banner (also sent electronically to those members requesting that format of delivery).

Download the registration form [PDF]

Mary Bunker Peterson has shared some photos of the Bunker Graveyard in Durham, New Hampshire.

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/tKu3xzfI/1/5935323

If you wish to go directly to those albums designated specifically for the Bunker Family Association, use the subdirectory method:  greencity.phanfare.com/bfa.  If you are asked for a password, enter this:  CND_BunkY!

The Bunker Family Association is requesting applications for the Annabelle Moore Scholarship for 2013. The Annabelle Moore Scholarship Award is a $500 grant given to a child or grandchild of a Bunker Family Association member in good standing. The recipient will be a high school graduating senior or college freshman. The scholarship is awarded on the following basis: (1) Scholarship attainment, (2) Goals and worthiness, (3) Financial need, (4) Activities and awards.

Download application form [PDF]

Applications are due May 1, 2013.

We have completed the required software updates on the BFA web site. Thankfully, the maintenance downtime was not excessive. We apologize for any inconvenience in downtime while these activities were being completed.

While we’re all busy doing family history research (you do that as your main hobby or job, right?), it’s not too early to think about sharing with family members for the holidays, and the Bunker Family Association has a perfect way to do that this year.

Books and CDs are listed on our publications page, but this year we have some specials on our Devon and Bedford Bunkers Books in electronic form:

Books on Compact Disc
Send $25.00 check for one book on a CD
(10% discount on CDs to BFA members)

Books now available on USB flash drive
Send $25 check for one book on a USB flash drive
or $35 for both books on one USB flash drive.
All prices include postage – mail to:
Bette Bunker Richards, 1655 W. Ajo #399,
Tucson, AZ 85713-6632 <betterichs@live.com>.

® Indicate whether you want a CD or USB ®
® Indicate which book/s you want ®

Holiday Special

Two (2) Bunker Family History books, pub 1984
by Henry L. Bunker, III for $25.00, incl. postage.
Mail check to BFA Office
9 Sommerset Road
Turnersville, NJ 08012-2122

Bunker Family Centennial
June 13-19, 2013
Holiday Inn Boston, Somerville
30 Washington St., Somerville MA 02143
1-800-HOLIDAY
Ask for Bunker/Breed rate

We shall stay at the Holiday Inn, Somerville (AAA rates it three Red Diamonds), it’s a mere mile and a half from the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. You may book a single or double at $129 and receive a complimentary buffet breakfast, free parking and free Wi-Fi internet in the meeting room & guestroom. There is a restaurant and full bar on the premise and the free large function room will accommodate all the Bunker/Breed cousins and displays.

June 14 – The Nantucket day-long trip should be a winner. The excursion will include a 90 minute bus tour of the island, and still leave about 4 ½ hours to visit the Historical Society, hopefully a few former Bunker homes, do lunch or just explore the island. Nantucket was home to many Bunker whaling captains and countless seamen,  however, this will be the first “official” visit by the BFA.

June 15 – We’ll get a late start the following day but allow time to visit the Dover graveyards, dedicate the Memorial Bench, explore the museum and have a early dinner at Newick’s on Dover Point. A good night’s sleep may be necessary before the big parade on Sunday (16^th) through Charlestown.

The outcome of the war between the Colonialists and the Redcoats was decided 237 years ago, but the battle between the Bunkers and Breeds will remain in limbo until next year. We need your helping hands on the “rope of recognition.”

More than anything else, the BFA needs an early commitment to attend our week-long 100th birthday party. BFA President Gil Bunker said, “Knowing the complete package may be too much for some, I would appreciate your loyalty if only for a few days. Please let me know your intent.”  Send an e-mail to Gil (gilbunker@snip.net).

The Bunker Banner is in the mail to members, and contains a survey regarding electronic distribution as well as information needed for planning the 2013  reunion.

The survey form is also available to members here.

The August edition of the Bunker Family Association’s quarterly newsletter was distributed electronically to more than 40 members of the BFA who initially responded to an effort to reduce expenses by opting to receive the newsletter via e-mail.

Printing and postage expenses are reduced when members receive their Banner’s electronically, and delivery is actually faster than waiting for the Banner to arrive in the mail. BFA President Gil Bunker produces the multipage newsletter meticulously each quarter and creates it using Adobe Pagemaker.  The file is then sent to the printed for production and mailing.  The Pagemaker file is easily converted to an Adobe PDF file, and can be attached to e-mail to the BFA’s new distribution list. Members only can opt to receive electronic copies, which are password protected, via the new software on the BFA web site.

If you are a BFA member, and want to take advantage of this, please send an e-mail to Gil (gilbunker@snip.net) or web master Doug Detling (doug.detling@gmail.com), and we’ll set you up.

In an effort to reduce expenses from mailing our multi-page quarterly newsletters (the Bunker Banner), we are making available to members options to receive the newsletter electronically via e-mail attachments and downloads.  The BFA officers are working on a proposal that members who elect to receive newsletters via electronic means (e-mailed directly) will qualify for discounted annual membership fees.

The newsletters will be password protected and accessible to members only.

Download a sample copy of the Bunker Banner (the February 2011 edition).  This file and other editions of the Banner, including the upcoming August edition, are posted on the Bunker Banner page.

If you are a Bunker Family Association member (membership will be verified) and wish to view this file electronically and receive future editions via e-mail, send an e-mail to the web site coordinator (doug.detling@gmail.com) requesting that.

The password to this sample will be sent in response, and we will add you to the separate e-mail list. Once added, you will receive future Banners beginning with the first issue after September 1 (the August Banner is scheduled for mailing shortly).

Please copy BFA President Gil Bunker (gilbunker@snip.net) on your e-mail to me, but we ask that you do not send a message to the Bunker list at Rootsweb.