2023 Reunion Planned for August 2-5, in Fort Wayne, IN.

Reunion plans are underway for 2023.  We hope you will join us in Fort Wayne, August 2-6, for our Annual Reunion and Meeting!

For those who attended the Board/Annual Meeting in 2021, some things will feel familiar.  For instance, we have a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn and Suites, just two blocks from the Allen County Public Library.  This is the same location as in 2021. The group rate includes a large buffet breakfast and free garage parking.

Something totally new and never done before Sheldon activity is that we are planning a group outing (ideally in a private suite with A/C, food and beverages) to see the Fort Wayne TinCaps take on the Great Lake Loons at Parkview Field, directly behind our hotel. This is a minor league team and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.  More information on that to follow.  We hope you’ll join us for a fun night at the ballgame. 

Other plans include tours to the neighboring town of Grabill, and Amish community with shops and horse drawn vehicles, The DeBrand Chocolate factory tour, a stroll through the Botanical Conservatory, a downtown walk to see 11 amazing murals, or how about trying an escape room? 

Of course, we haven’t forgotten that the main reason why we have an annual reunion:

  • First, we look forward to sharing Sheldon discoveries. We have scheduled time to again visit and peruse the Sheldon Files housed in the Allen County Public Library.  We hope you will feel the exhilaration of touching and feeling true Sheldon history.  As is always the case, the second time around is a better set of eyes.
  • The second is to connect with our Sheldon cousins
  • Third is participating in the discussions on how to take this wonderful data and put it out to the world of Sheldons.
  • Fourth is our Annual Meeting when the election results and new leaders will be announced along with a review of the year’s activities.

There will also be time for you to work on your own family genealogy projects as well.  The ACPL has an amazing genealogy department and staff to help you.  The last time I was there I found a photo of my Grandfather in a 1930 yearbook!  The ACPL is a FamilySearch affiliate library, providing access to digitized records from all over the world.  For more information on the genealogy department and how to make the most of your visit, please see https://www.acpl.lib.in.us 

As you can see, there are a lot of activities and discussions planned!

The Hampton Inn & Suites is ready to take your room reservations using the online link below.  Please remember to make your reservation by the cut off date of July 2, 2023, to get the group rate of $149 + tax per night.  

Hampton Inn and Suites, Downtown Fort Wayne

223 West Jefferson Blvd

Fort Wayne, IN  46802

Sheldon Family Association group booking link –

https://group.hamptoninn.com/cj86bd   

 

We look forward to seeing you in Fort Wayne!

 

Respectfully,

Libby Wilson, Reunion Committee

Reunion@SheldonFamily.org

Reunion 2023-SAVE THE DATE!

This year’s annual reunion will be held in Fort Wayne, IN on August 2-5 and all members and prospective members are welcome.  Details will be provided as they are finalized.

President’s Report (July 2022)

To all SFA members,
First, I am pleased to announce that the Board has appointed Kevin Sheldon as a Director at Large for the remainder of this year. Kevin, as the webmaster, has regularly attended all our meetings since his appointment and is aware of SFA’s current issues and status. Wende Warren asked Kevin if he would consent to be a Board member, and he agreed. I appointed him at our June 26th meeting, and the Board ratified his appointment. His name will be put forth as a nomination from the floor at the 2022 Annual meeting to be officially elected to serve a three-year term. He remains our webmaster.

As already announced, August 20, 2022, will be our Annual Membership meeting. You can either attend in person or join on-line via Zoom. A reminder will be sent out shortly, and the actual Zoom meeting invitation with the time will be sent out (emailed) to all members in good standing ten days before the meeting. July is a high membership renewal time, which will help minimize sending out multiple invites. If you choose to attend in person, the conference will be at the Double Tree by Hilton Boston Logan Airport Chelsea. The address is 201 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150. 617-884-2900. If you plan to attend the meeting but not the Reunion, please let me know so we can arrange for proper space. We pay for the meeting room, so I ask that you help us with that cost. It will likely be about a $10 to $15 registration fee. If you attend the reunion, that cost is already included in your registration.

The Bylaws require that any election ballots for offices and Board members be sent out either by mail or electronically no more than fifty (50) days before the meeting. All votes should be received by email or mail ten (10) days before the meeting. Several requests for nominations, as well as a call for any proposals for bylaws, were sent out via SFAQ and social media. No names were received as nominations, and no Bylaw proposals were made. Consequently, we will take nominations from the floor during the annual meeting. The positions up for election are Vice President, Secretary, and Board of Directors members. Our Bylaws also stipulate that if no one is nominated and elected to the positions up for election, the current officers will remain in place until a successor is found and appointed. Both Libby and Elizabeth have agreed to stay on if that happens.

Any proposed Bylaws submitted between now and the annual meeting or at the annual meeting will be acted upon at the 2023 Annual meeting. Bylaws must be reviewed carefully to avoid conflict with Maine regulations, IRS provisions, current Bylaws, and Roberts Rules of Order.

Besides elections, the Annual Meeting is also a time to give a “state of the association” address. This includes all the activities of the past year and our current financials. I look forward to seeing everyone in person or online.

Michael Sheldon
President, Sheldon Family Association

SFA Reunion 2022 Deadline Approaches

Hello Sheldon cousins!

If you are a descendant of Godfrey Sheldon(S4), 1599-1670, this year’s reunion will be especially interesting for you. We will be discussing the Sheldons who descend from Godfrey, including his son William and his involvement in King Philip’s war, his granddaughter Susannah, who accused many of her neighbors of witchcraft, and his 4th great-grandson William Everett Sheldon, who died at Andersonville, GA during the Civil War.

The deadline for booking a room at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Logan Airport Chelsea is fast approaching!  We have a room block available for Wednesday, Aug 17 through Saturday, August 20.  Reserve your room no later than July 17 to get the group rate of $139, plus tax.  To reserve a room you may call Sharon Romano, Director of Group Sales at the hotel at (617) 336-9008 and tell her you are with the Sheldon Family Association.

The hotel has a free airport shuttle for those who are flying in. Once you have your luggage, call the hotel at (617) 884-2900 to arrange for the shuttle to pick you up. They will also be available or for your return trip to the airport. The shuttle runs from 5 am to 10 pm. 

On Thursday, August 18, we will be touring Danvers and Salem. The bus will leave the hotel at 8:30 am and return around dinner time. We will see the Veterans Memorial in Danvers, visit two cemeteries, and  Sheldon Square, and have free time to explore Salem. Water and snacks included, lunch is on your own at The Village Tavern in downtown Salem.

 On Friday, August 19, we will head to downtown Boston where we will walk the Freedom Trail to see sites important in American history, including Boston Common, Paul Revere’s home, and the Old North Church. The walk is about 2.5 miles. Some of the sites charge admission fees. You choose the sights you want to tour. 

And, on Saturday, August 20 we’ll have our annual meeting at the hotel, at 3 pm eastern time. Following the meeting, we will meet for dinner at a local restaurant.

So, pack your good walking shoes, and come along with us on an adventure to explore the greater Boston area!  We look forward to seeing you in August in Boston!