In this Issue:
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Follow Us:
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In the Suq:
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ABI Board:
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President
Marie Littlejohn-Dunn DH'77
Vice President
Penny Dougharty-Maher DH'72
Treasurer
Tom Littlejohn DH'84
Secretary
Andrew Bobb DH'74
Reunion Oversight Director
Diane Knipfel-Slingluff AB'75
Director at Large - Nominations
Annie Oskam DH'74
Director at Large
Diana Ryrholm-Geerdes RT'62
Database Director
Duane Hopple RT'79
Publications Director
Gina Hess-Tanner AB'76
Class Representative Director
Robin Payne-White DH'59
Website Director
Dawn Kolb DH'92
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Upcoming Events
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Q4 2011 Financials
Our latest financial statements (through the end of the previous quarter) are available for your viewing pleasure.
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If you haven't visited ABI's Facebook page in a while, we recently converted to the new "timeline" format which features a "cover" photo across the top. This is a great place to show off photos that capture the spirit of being a Brat, like those that were submitted for our web banner contest a while back. We invite you to let us know if you have a photo that would make a banner Brats would appreciate. Never underestimate the power of a single photograph to put a smile on someone's face and bring back some fond memories.
Currently featured is one from that set, a wonderful black and white photo of Little Leaguers and their coaches (1969), contributed by Chip Noble (DH '77). Do you recognize any of these little guys?
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Online Directory
 ABI's online directory is available 24/7 to those who have paid their Adbak.
Let us know if anything changes, or better yet, log in and update the information yourself!
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Copyright AramcoBrats, Inc.
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Hard At Work
Your Reunion Committee has been hard at work planning our next get together. Erica Ryrholm DH72 (Chair), John Prugh RT66, Colette Philip DH69, Hirath Ghori DH75, and Alex RT74 and Donna Yiannakakis (spouse) want you to know they are working for you. They have even set up a forum for questions and suggestions - Tucson Forum, or you can email them at reunion2013@aramco-brats.com.
Reserve your room today:
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Reunion Raffle Treasures!
 What to Do with Those Former Treasures?
The reunion is quickly approaching us, with just over a year until we are gathered in Tucson. Do you have some old treasures from Arabia that you want to find a good home for? Consider donating them to the ABI for the Raffle and Auction. We depend entirely on generous donations from brats and parents to support this popular event. If you have anything you would consider donating, please email us at raffleauction@aramco-brats.com. It’s as easy as that. We’ll send you instructions on where to send these valuable treasures.
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Exciting Adbak News
At the beginning of each new term, ABI's board finalizes financials for the preceding fiscal year and sets a new budget for the full, 2-year term. Part of this budgeting process is to review all our our non-reunion income and expenses, estimate what we think will be required to cover the overhead expenditures that benefit our entire Brat family, and then determine "Administrative Baksheesh," a.k.a. AdBak.
 We made some major changes last term when we switched to a new website with an online database and transitioned to mostly electronic communications. The goal was to provide better communication and networking features for every, single Aramco Brat we reach while reducing our costs and perhaps increasing the number of Brats who help support the organization financially. We also added an new AdBak level, "Sustaining Member," to make it simple for someone to throw in a bit more with 1-click. We were a little surprised and even humbled by the number of people who selected this option!
The Board is very pleased to report that we achieved those goals and reduced AdBak for this term accordingly. Yes! Something in your life just got cheaper!:
| Supporting Member (U.S. or International) |
$20 |
| Sustaining Member |
$40 |
Note that due to reduced mailings, AdBak will be the same for both U.S. and international mailing addresses.
If you have already renewed AdBak at last term's rates, you will be contacted to ask whether or not you would like a refund of the difference or prefer to count the difference as an additional donation. As always, we really do appreciate your support!
We have also changed the renewal policy slightly to better reflect when people pay AdBak and how they will use the website. Traditionally, AdBak covered the 2-year fiscal term. For the current term, that would be Jan. 1, 2012 - Dec. 31, 2013, regardless of when you paid within that period. Renewal has now been changed to 2 years from Jan. 1 of the year in which you paid.* If you pay AdBak in 2012, you will need to renew Jan. 1, 2014. If you wait until March before the reunion, you won't need to renew until Jan. 1, 2015. But why wait? Renew now and stay connected!
Forgot how to pay AdBak? Go to your profile page and in the Membership Details section, click "Change Membership Level." And while you are in there, be sure your contact information is the latest and greatest, tell us where you went to high school or college, and consider sharing your personal web site or Facebook page, so people can connect with you elsewhere, too!
*For those early birds who renewed before 12/31/2011, your renewal will be 1/1/2014.
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Get the Herd Together!
 You may have noticed a few Brat-sponsored events listed on ABI's calendar over the past year. Several were in conjunction with the Dallas reunion, but others were completely independent, like the Las Vegas Mini-Reunion or Brat New Year's event in Florida. We're here to encourage and support our fellow Brats in getting the herd together, wherever they may be and whatever they may want to do.
If you have ideas for a local gathering or class event outside of the biennial reunion,ABI's calendar is a great place to list it and get the word out. Fellow brats will see your listing under "Upcoming Events" on the home page as well as in our newsletters that are sent out to everyone in ABI's database who subscribes.
Here are just a few examples of Brat-organized get-togethers or outings that you might want to organize and have listed under events:
- Local get-together at a particular viewing of "Arabia 3D" at your IMAX
- Local Brat happy hour or dinner
- Sky-diving outing for local Brats
- Brat night at the baseball field
- Off-year mini-reunion
- Brat cruise
- Class mini-reunion to celebrate a milestone like your 25th
We have some very creative Brats who love to throw parties, so we're sure there are some other excellent party ideas out there. If you're not sure how many Brats there are in your area to round up, or you want to find specific people for your event, put the online directory to work for you by searching for city, zip code, class...whatever!
Listing your event is really easy. Just contact Dawn, your webmaster, and give her the information required to create a listing: date(s), time, location, attendance limits (if any), and any enticing details or images you want to supply.
Sometimes 2 years is just too long to wait to see your childhood buddies and/or make some new Brat friends!
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In Case You Missed It
Here are some interesting items you may have missed:
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PUSH Tunisia
Brat Todd Nims (DH '95), of "Home" fame, is involved in a new film project. "PUSH Tunisia" is a skate board "activism" film, featuring skateboarders and street artists in post-revolution Tunisia. Find out more!
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Vintage Videos
Selwa Press is publishing a 12-part Distant Arabia series of vintage (mostly 1937 - 1940) videos. Subjects include a holiday in Bahrain ('38), King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud arriving in Ras Tanura ('39), Pearl diving in the Gulf ('38), a well fire ('38), and a Gymkhana ('60s). Visit Selwa Press' youtube channel to enjoy them all. Fascinating!
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