[speaker001:] okay
[speaker002:] yes
[speaker001:] well this is a very timely topic in as much as we're going to a family reunion this weekend yes
[speaker002:] oh are you really where is it going to be
[speaker001:] down at Lake Texoma lodge yes this is one that's uh the Baker family reunion
[speaker002:] oh uh-huh
[speaker001:] and this has been going on at least uh I would say at least twenty five years or thirty something like that maybe longer than that I'm going to get back into the fifties sometime
[speaker002:] oh that's marvelous um-hum
[speaker001:] first time I got I married into the family and the first time I went was about fifty seven I think
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] but uh this one has been uh been well organized and in fact it used to be at Lake Brownwood and now it's Lake Texoma because that's more central location for people from Oklahoma and Texas to come to
[speaker002:] um-hum I'm sure location is really important as far as figuring out where one ought to be
[speaker001:] very important because uh you'll start losing people if it's too far to go
[speaker002:] um-hum we have factions when it's one part we I have one reunion on my mother's side and we found that if it's in a certain part of Texas some people come and if it's elsewhere other people come we never get them at both of them it seems like so I think we need to find a new place
[speaker001:] yeah yeah never get them at both places right listen they've uh they've had this one well it just of course over the years it has uh built up as far as the organization is concerned but now they uh have a golf tournament on the Saturday
[speaker002:] um-hum um
[speaker001:] and then they have generally a show or an auction or something on Saturday night to help raise funds to cover the costs of such
[speaker002:] oh that's a neat idea
[speaker001:] yeah and uh everyone uh they get the community building there at Lake Texoma lodge and everyone brings in food
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and then for the Saturday night dinner they bring in like Kentucky Fried Chicken from Durant and uh it really uh has worked out
[speaker002:] um-hum how many people Jim are involved
[speaker001:] uh generally uh I think it's been as high as about a hundred and twenty people I think normal is about sixty or seventy
[speaker002:] wow yeah well I guess um ours probably isn't that big our family is dwindling for one thing
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] and I often feel funny because I'm in a branch that's all but died I just have one aunt and my family
[speaker001:] oh
[speaker002:] so sometimes when these other families get together they're really pulling in aunts and uncles and grandkids and we're kind of off on the sidelines
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] but it does remind us that we have family and roots so we keep going even though we're not a real big part of it
[speaker001:] right yeah well our family started reunion started out my wife and I were the kids the newlyweds so to speak
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and now we go our children go and our grandchildren are going now so it's uh wound up that uh we're the old folks now
[speaker002:] oh that's great um-hum um-hum
[speaker001:] but um they have various organized they have generally a volleyball net set up and horseshoes uh to pitch and they organize a baseball game for the kids
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and several people bring boats and there's a place they they take the kids up to the lodge and go swimming up there in the afternoon so it it's a full day some of the people come down on Friday afternoon and spend the whole weekend and some just come in for Saturday
[speaker002:] so there's lots to do um-hum uh-huh
[speaker001:] so it uh has worked out quite well and it's a chance to see some of the relatives you don't see all year long except that once a year
[speaker002:] um-hum that's true well that's neat I I think they're really fun we go to mine regularly and then we go to my husband's occasionally down in Temple and he has a large family so it's it's fun when we go to that one
[speaker001:] yeah my side of the family is from back in Ohio and West Virginia and I think we've been to one in thirty five years or something like that so
[speaker002:] oh
[speaker001:] that's just too far away
[speaker002:] oh it would be more yeah yeah that that is a problem with the distance the people that we have that don't come are out El Paso way and it's just too much for all of them
[speaker001:] yeah it's an all day drive just to get to this area
[speaker002:] all of that group to travel right but then we have the same attitude when it's out there although this year we're going out they're going to have it at Fort Davis and we thought that would be
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] fun to kind of tie it in as a vacation time as well as reunion
[speaker001:] yeah yeah we have uh each year of course they elect officers of the family reunion and a number of years ago back in the early eighties my wife was president we discovered how much work it is just to organize and get it together and it takes a lot of planning and
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum and choose some place that everybody's going to like
[speaker001:] assembling of stuff right
[speaker002:] as far as food and all that
[speaker001:] that's correct
[speaker002:] so that's a heavy burden
[speaker001:] yes it is I I I don't really care for her to be president again
[speaker002:] no
[speaker001:] but that is uh it's it's a lot of work but it's a lot of fun
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] we've enjoyed it and
[speaker002:] well I think
[speaker001:] the grandkids really enjoy it because it's the only time of the year they see all their cousins from Oklahoma
[speaker002:] yeah and it's it's good for kids to know that they have other family
[speaker001:] yeah and this year they're all excited The show this weekend this weekend is going to be a rock and roll show my two grandsons and one of their cousins are are going to dress up and lip sing to a rock song you know in jeans and T-shirts and such
[speaker002:] oh boy oh what fun uh-huh
[speaker001:] so it's uh it's going to be exciting for them and for us too
[speaker002:] um-hum probably lots of laughs
[speaker001:] oh yes there have been some really wild shows put on there they uh really get uh into it
[speaker002:] um-hum well it sounds like you really have a good structure and have it going along ours ours is still kind of loosely organized and the same people usually get stuck with doing it and
[speaker001:] yeah well oh that generally happens
[speaker002:] they do it as a labor of love so the officer idea is a good idea
[speaker001:] yes yeah well we've uh had various things over the years uh to raise funds for it
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and again it's not it's not cheap to rent the lodge up there or the meeting meeting room down in the cabins and such but uh they've come up with they've tried passing the hat and they've had auctions and various things to raise funds and uh
[speaker002:] yeah um-hum  um-hum
[speaker001:] some people do and some people don't
[speaker002:] yeah and it's not fair that everybody not contribute
[speaker001:] excuse me but um anyway that's the family reunion story
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] okay
[speaker002:] well thanks a lot I enjoyed talking to you
[speaker001:] been nice talking to you
[speaker002:] bye
[speaker001:] bye