100th Annual Viers Family Reunion
Date:
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Time:
1:00 p.m.
Weather:
93 degrees, hot, humid and sunny
Attendance:
148
At approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, as people continued to gather, reunion
president, Dale Viers (Toledo, OH), welcomed all to the 100th Annual Viers Reunion.
As is our tradition, all in attendance held hands and said the „Lords Prayer‟, officially
starting the family reunion and the serving of the food.
Around 2:20, Dale started the meeting by welcoming everyone. He talked of how
proud he was that we had such a large turnout for this special event and how most
families aren‟t able to say that they have gathered together every year for the last
100 years to enjoy each others company, making this a truly historical event. He
then welcomed members of the press, including reporters from the Toledo Blade and
Ohio Magazine (Dave Golowenski) who were on hand to interview family members in
hopes of their writing articles for the publications.
To celebrate the occasion, some unique items were for sale including gold pencils
engraved with “Viers Family Reunion, 1906 – 2006”, refrigerator magnets with a
photo of the pioneers of the very first reunion in 1906 and M&M‟s with “Viers
Reunion” printed on one side ($1 pack/$5 for 6). In addition, a variety of t-shirts
featuring designs by Michelle Libbee (daughter of Milton Zimmerman) were for
sale with all proceeds going back to the reunion fund.
Reunion secretary/treasurer Tina Sanson (Viers) (Cleveland, OH), read the
meeting minutes from 2005 and, after they were unanimously accepted, Dale started
with the old business.
Old Business
 It was requested that returned postcards be corrected and that everyone sign
the official registration book and that, at the end of the meeting, if there were
any births, deaths or marriages to be recorded that they please talk with
reunion secretary and treasurer, Tina Sanson, after the meting.

Warren Nichols volunteered for story time and read a story originally
published in Omni Magazine in April 1991, written by Terry Bisson, titled
“They‟re Made Out Of Meat”, equating this story with what might be said
about humans in another 100 years and just in time for the 200 year Viers
Family Reunion.
"They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"Meat. They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"There's no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts
of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them
all the way through. They're completely meat."
"That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the
stars?"
"They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don't come from
them. The signals come from machines."
"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."
"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat
made the machines."
"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me
to believe in sentient meat."
"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only
sentient race in that sector and they're made out of meat."
"Maybe they're like the orfolei. You know, a carbon-based intelligence
that goes through a meat stage."
"Nope. They're born meat and they die meat. We studied them for
several of their life spans, which didn't take long. Do you have any
idea what's the life span of meat?"
"Spare me. Okay, maybe they're only part meat. You know, like the
weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside."
"Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads, like the
weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They're meat all the way
through."
"No brain?"
"Oh, there's a brain all right. It's just that the brain is made out of
meat! That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"So ... what does the thinking?"
"You're not understanding, are you? You're refusing to deal with what
I'm telling you. The brain does the thinking. The meat."
"Thinking meat! You're asking me to believe in thinking meat!"
"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat.
The meat is the whole deal! Are you beginning to get the picture or do
I have to start all over?"
"Omigod. You're serious then. They're made out of meat."
"Thank you. Finally. Yes. They are indeed made out of meat. And
they've been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of
their years."
"Omigod. So what does this meat have in mind?"
"First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the
Universe, contact other sentiences, swap ideas and information. The
usual."
"We're supposed to talk to meat."
"That's the idea. That's the message they're sending out by radio.
'Hello. Anyone out there. Anybody home.' That sort of thing."
"They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?"
"Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat."
"I thought you just told me they used radio."
"They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You
know how when you slap or flap meat, it makes a noise? They talk by
flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air
through their meat."
"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you
advise?"
"Officially or unofficially?"
"Both."
"Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all
sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe, without
prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records
and forget the whole thing."
"I was hoping you would say that."
"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make
contact with meat?"
"I agree one hundred percent. What's there to say? 'Hello, meat.
How's it going?' But will this work? How many planets are we dealing
with here?"
"Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers,
but they can't live on them. And being meat, they can only travel
through C space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes
the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in
fact."
"So we just pretend there's no one home in the Universe."
"That's it."
"Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the
ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you probed? You're
sure they won't remember?"
"They'll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads
and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them."
"A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be
meat's dream."
"And we marked the entire sector unoccupied."
"Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others?
Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?"
"Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a
class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations
ago, wants to be friendly again."
"They always come around."
"And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how unutterably cold the
Universe would be if one were all alone ..."
Apparently no one is brave enough to follow this story-up in 2007, so there
were no volunteers to read a story next year.
New Business

The kids games are missing! It was asked that the sacks for the sack race be
returned along with any other legacy games be returned so it could pass to
the entertainment committee. They went missing between this year and last
year.

There was no White Elephant sale in 2006. Instead a cash raffle was offered
with tickets on sale: $1 for one or 6 for $5. As is the custom, half the money
collected is used for the raffle and the other half is returned to the
Entertainment Committee: $209 collected; $104.50 won by Dan Groves
(Archbold, OH) who graciously returned $50 of the funds to the reunion
committee for future entertainment needs. A colorful balloon bouquet was
also donated by Anita Zimmerman and raffled off and won by Kendra
Smith, Hicksville, OH.

Reserving the Hall in 2007: Once again, Janet Groves (Archbold, OH)
agreed to be at the door of the park director‟s office on Monday, July 17,
2006, to reserve the cabin for 2007. Special thanks to Janet who has
reserved the hall in-person for the last four years.

Photo: a 100 year commemorative photo would be taken outside the hall
after the meeting commenced and copies would be available for sale in 2007.

Viers family Song: Judy Hinkelman (Elgin, IL) closed the meeting by
leading the group for the Viers family song, as written by Alta E. Baker in
1965 and sung to the tune of “Columbia Gem of the Ocean”.

Marriages:
o None reported

Deaths:
o Sylvia Viers (93) passed away in December of 2005

Births:
o Brian & Jennifer Hinkelman welcomed Elyssa Kaelyn Hinkelman
on July 10, 2006 (Seattle, WA)
o Mahlon & Erin Nichols welcomed Colin Matthew Nichols on
January 25, 2006 (Clausen, MI)
o Brian & Sherrie Groves welcomed Brian Andrew Groves Jr. on
November 21, 2005 (Fayette, OH)

Oldest in attendance: Bob Dunbar, 79 (Adrian, MI) and a special marble
plaque was awarded

Youngest in attendance: at six months Alan Schudel, son of Brenda &
John Schudel (Jasper, MI) and nominated to be the “future reunion
president” by Dale Viers. A special marble plaque was awarded.

Furthest traveled: Suellen Kleiner from Denver, CO. A special marble
plaque was awarded.

Trivia Question: given all the extra activities planned for the 100 year, the
tradition of reading a trivia question was broken (making the question “What
year was their no trivia question read?” a future trivia question).
Elections
 Re-elections: it was unanimously approved that the current committee should
stay as elected.
o
o
o
Dale Viers, President
Milton Zimmerman, Vice President
Tina Viers, Secretary

Newly Elected
o Kelly Viers (Kosnik) and Ronald Viers stepped down as the
entertainment committee and Brenda Schudel & Heather
Rufenacht graciously agreed to take over.
Reunion 2007
 It was unanimously agreed that the 101st Viers Family Reunion should occur
the third Sunday in July of 2007, making the date July 15, 2007, and should
be kept at the same location, Ruihley Park, Archbold, OH
Finances
Expenses for 2006
Post Cards
Postage:
Banners
Buttons:
M&M‟s:
Ice Cream:
Rent:
Entertainment:
Pencils:
Raffle Tickets:
Total
$0.00 *
$62.40 (Tina)
$102.48 (Dale)
$120.00 (Dale)
$0.00 (donated)
$44.00 (Dale)
($120.00) from last years funds
($86.00) from last years funds
$0.00 (donated)
$7.03 (Dale)
$335.91
Due Tina:
Due Dale:
Total 2006 Expenses
-$62.40
-$273.51
$335.91
Expenses for 2007
Hall rent for 2007:
Entertainment Committee:
Total 2007 Expenses
$60.00 **
$80.00 ***
$140.00
Income for 2006
Collection:
Raffle:
Button sales:
T-shirts:
Donation (Bob Raffle):
$176.00
$109.00
$126.50
$75.00
$50.00 ****
Total collected for 2006:
Balance from 2005:
Total
$536.50
$44.00
$580.50
Silver coins (9)
Balance as of 7/21/2006
9.00
$113.59
*
Postcards are created by the reunion secretary, Tina Viers, who donates
the cost of the postcards as her contribution to the reunion.
** Advanced $60 to Janet Groves in 2006 for 2007 hall rental.
*** $80 given to entertainment committee for games.
**** $50 from the raffle proceeds donated back to the reunion.
Respectfully submitted,
Kristina Marie Sanson (Viers)