Baker-Blumin-Passin-Robinov Family Reunion

July 1-4, 2012

Kent Island, (Chesapeake Bay), Grasonville, Maryland

March 2011

Howdy Cousins!

I’m delighted to share some exciting news with you about plans in the works for a fourth Family Reunion to be held next year. Many more details will be provided in the months ahead but please mark your calendars now to save the dates of July 1-4, 2012 for another terrific gathering, this time on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay at Kent Island, Maryland where we plan to use a wonderful Hilton Garden Inn as our home base.

About Kent Island and Maryland’s Eastern Shore

For those who may be unfamiliar with the area, Kent Island is the gateway to Maryland’s bucolic and historic Eastern Shore and is connected to the mainland by the Annapolis Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Kent Island is a popular destination for pleasure boaters, tourists and vacationers who seek out waterfront restaurants, golf courses, vineyards, historic sites, marinas, antique shops and wildlife conservation refuges in and around the area’s communities many of which remain classic examples of small town America.

Getting to and from Kent Island is easy. The closest airport is Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI), about a 45 minute drive, which is serviced by all major airlines and has scheduled shuttle (van) service to the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s about a 1-hour drive from downtown Washington, DC so Reagan and Dulles airports could be alternative choices. For others who might be driving, Kent Island is about a 4-hour trip from midtown Manhattan; less for cousins residing in parts of New Jersey and the Philadelphia area; and somewhat more for those coming from New England and Canada.

About the Hilton Garden Inn

Our adopted cousin Owen Basil, who was so helpful in planning our three prior reunions, is again actively involved in assisting our 2012 reunion. Owen was born and raised in nearby Annapolis and is very familiar with the Eastern Shore. Further, Owen’s sister just happens to be the General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn where we intend to stay and that “close connection” should prove very beneficial for us in obtaining top-notch service, favored pricing and other courtesies.

The hotel, located adjacent to Wells Cove marina, has 90 guestrooms overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, a waterfront terrace and boardwalk (plus slips for those who might opt to come by boat), a business center and workout facility. Room accommodations feature flat panel televisions, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, complimentary daily newspapers and high-speed internet. A full-service breakfast will be provided for us. More complete details including pricing and making room reservations, etc. will be contained in my next communication.

About our reunion

Our 2012 reunion will keep the same 4-day/3-night format we have followed in the past. Please note, however, that the July 1-4, 2012 dates span a Sunday to Wednesday period rather than a Thursday to Sunday period we used previously. The reason for the switch is that our prior reunions in Lake Buena Vista, San Diego and Scottsdale all took place during “off peak” periods while our 2012 reunion is to be held during “prime time.” In recent years, Kent Island and the Eastern Shore have developed into very popular prime time summer locales for weekend weddings and tourist visits which become the mainstay business for area hotels. Therefore, in order to obtain a most favorable room rate which will help keep our overall anticipated expenses in-line we needed to avoid booking rooms over a Friday-Saturday period. Also, some family members favored the Sunday-Wednesday period to help avoid conflicts with summer (sleep-away) camp schedules.

Other than this change, we intend to feature the same overall format for our 2012 reunion. For those who have not attended before that means we will begin with a gala welcome reception and family dinner on Sunday (July 1); then continue with various morning and afternoon events and family evening dinners on Monday and Tuesday (July 2 and 3); and conclude with a breakfast and family meeting on Wednesday morning (July 4.) Complete schedule and registration information will be provided once our program and pricing have been determined.

A special post-reunion opportunity

With so many historic, fun, interesting and educational things to see and do both on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and in Washington, DC, families may want to consider arriving early and/or extending their stays around the reunion schedule. For family members who might be interested in visiting Washington after the reunion ends, cousin Owen Basil (a well known figure in that city’s hotel industry) expects to offer a special opportunity to come to the nation’s capital and visit the museums, monuments and historic sights and take part in the patriotic events and celebrations, including the extraordinary Fourth of July fireworks display and Smithsonian Folk-life festival. More details, information and pricing, etc. will be provided in our next communication.

Next steps

Please mark the July 1-4, 2012 dates on your calendar now.

Please encourage your children and grandchildren to attend with you.

Please let us know your suggestions and ideas for the reunion.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Cousin Howard A. Baker

12 Shelbourne Lane, Commack, NY 11725

Tel – (631) 499-6066

Email – habaker@att.net

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At the request of several family members, our reunion name is being expanded to now include the surnames of the main family branches – the Bakers, Blumins, Passins and Robinovs - that have descended from our common ancestor Abraham Blumin. To recall, our family tree is comprised of the known descendants of Abraham Blumin's three daughters and two sons who all married and had children:

daughter Leah Ester married Jacob Baker which started the Baker branch name;
daughter Raisel married Gadelia Robinov which started the Robinov branch name;
daughter Ida married Abraham Passin which started the Passin branch name; and
sons Simon and Harry married Dora and Stella which continued the Blumin branch name.

You can familiarize yourself with all these family relationships and see where you fit in by checking http://www.bakerbluminfamilytree.com