The 33^nd Last Annual Crusader Ball

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Hey Crusaders, LACB33 is rapidly approaching. If you've been thinking about it, now is the time to get your registration in. We've got a great group coming and it's going to be a wonderful time on the harbor overlooking the San Diego city skyline. Don't wait any longer, download the registration form below and make you plans to be part of the festivities.

As we mentioned earlier, in keeping with the spirit of the Polynesian atmosphere of the Bali Hai restaurant, we’ve decided on Hawaiian attire for the event. That makes your packing easy. So, grab yourself a Hawaiian shirt (or the closest thing you have to it), toss it into your suitcase and get ready to head to San Diego. Call those squadron mates and encourage them to join.

Thus far we have 48 attendees registered. You can take a look and see who's signed up here.

If you wish to stay in the immediate vicinity of the Bali Hai there are several options for you to consider. Click here to see what’s available on Shelter Island.

We purposefully scheduled LACB33 to coincide with the Miramar Air Show. Click here for details and options on preferred seating.

Just to let you know, we've got SWAG for you to buy: ball caps and our treasured challenge coins. They make great stocking suffers for those grandkids and great grandkids. The blue ball caps are priced at $22. We have a limited amount of the challenge coins for $10 each. Grab them before they're gone as we do not anticipate restocking them.

It’s getting close. We’re looking forward to gathering with you in San Diego.

 
Thank you and hope to see you in sunny San Diego in September.
 

SITREP #2

Registration for the 33^rd Last Annual Crusader Ball is now open. We will convene Friday, September 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in the South Pacific Room of the Bali Hai, 2230 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego.

The reunion begins with a welcome aboard social hour. There will be an open bar for beer and wine. Spirits will be available on a pay-as-you-go basis. This will give us all time to greet friends we haven't seen for awhile and catch up on how things are going.

The buffet luncheon begins at noon. It will include choices of two salads, two side dishes, and two entrées, plus wine service during the meal.

After the meal we'll have a brief Crusader Association business session, to include collecting your inputs concerning LACB34. More information will be promulgated later.

Then, there's more time to socialize in the South Pacific Room until 3:00 p.m.

Bali Hai is a great venue with beautiful views of the harbor and the San Diego skyline. It's a perfect place to enjoy the beauty of the city and relax with friends.

Register now now and start making your plans to gather in beautiful San Diego. Registrations must be received by September 16 so we can provide a final head count to the restaurant. Should your situation change, we will honor a full refund provided your request is received prior to September 16.

Thank you and hope to see you in sunny San Diego in September.

— Board of Directors

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SITREP #1

The 33rd Last Annual Crusader Ball will be in San Diego, Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Bali Hai, Shelter island, in the form of a luncheon. Bali Hai is a great venue with beautiful views of the harbor and the San Diego skyline. So, set that date aside and start making your plans to gather in San Diego. We expect to open registration in June.

The Board of Directors and LACB Committee have been looking at new ways to continue LACBs in a viable manner. Last year LACB32 was held in conjunction with Tailhook in Reno. That was a great success with attendance about the same as previous LACBs. It afforded the opportunity to reunite with friends from other communities as well as learn about current Navy ops.

This year we are exploring another approach: a scaled-back reunion in a high-interest location. We feel the era of multi-event, Crusader-only reunions is over. They are becoming increasingly expensive, are work-intensive in organizing and executing, and have been money-losers for the Association.

We chose to do a single event that includes social time and a meal together. We opted for a luncheon affair since many prefer not to be driving at night.

This format allows everyone to prioritize their own time and activities while in San Diego. It’s a great place to visit with lots of things to see and do. The Miramar Air Show is this weekend for those who might want to attend on their own.

We hope this single-event approach works for you. If so, we envision the possibility of joining with Tailhook every other year and on the alternate years continuing with this format in high-interest locations around the country.

Thank you and hope to see you in sunny San Diego in September.

— Board of Directors