General News

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2021 Annual Meeting Information UPDATED 27 August 2021

ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE: September 17-19, 2021.

The 2021 Delano Kindred Annual Meeting, to be held both in-person and virtually via ZOOM, is scheduled for September 17-19, 2021, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Annual Business Meeting will be at 1 PM (Eastern time) on Saturday the 18th. This post will be kept updated as new information becomes available. Registration will be available via this website.

IF NOT ALREADY LOGGED ON, MEMBERS WILL BE ASKED TO VALIDATE THEIR MEMBERSHIP BY SUPPLYING THEIR LOGON ID and PASSWORD DURING THE REGISTRATION PROCESS. PLEASE LOG ON OR MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR VALID ID and PASSWORD AVAILABLE BEFORE STARTING THE REGISTRATION PROCESS. NON-MEMBERS REGISTERING TO ATTEND IN PERSON NEED ONLY SUPPLY A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION.

27 August 2021 - 

1. Cancellation Policy: Simply stated, the registration fee is NOT refundable, but money paid for the dinners, Alden House tour and pictures is 100% refundable ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 9th.
2. Masks: At the present time, Plimoth Patuxet (where our meetings are being held) is NOT requiring visitors to wear masks at their facilities. So, our mask policy is that masks are appreciated, especially for those who haven't been vaccinated against COVID, but it's up to you. We will let you know if that situation changes.
3. Vegetarian Dinner Option: We have been asked to add a vegetarian option for dinner, so if you would prefer that in place of a dinner option you've already selected, use the CONTACT US form to send in an email with your request and we'll change your order. The cost is the same.
4. Special Dietary Needs: The kitchen is capable of responding to special dietary needs, such as an allergy to wheat or shellfish or whatever, but they must be told about it BEFORE they prepare your dinner. So if you do have such an allergy, use the CONTACT US form to send in an email with your special needs and we'll update your order.

27 July 2021 - The REGISTRATION DEADLINE for BOTH the Baymont and the In-Person Reunion Meeting has been EXTENDED to AUGUST 31st, 2021.

24 June 2021 - The Agenda is set and REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN. Please click on the link at the end of this post to register for either the Annual Meeting via ZOOM (1 PM Eastern time on Saturday, September 18, no registration fee) or to attend the Annual Meeting and Reunion in person ($15/person registration fee until August 31, $20 thereafter). Delano Kindred members may elect to attend the Annual Meeting virtually via ZOOM rather than in person; ZOOM meeting credentials will be sent to you via email a day or two prior to the meeting. For in-person attendees, a valid, unique email address is required for the person completing the registration, but is not required for any of his/her guests. Important dates to remember:

• AUGUST 31, 2021 - Last day to reserve a room at the Baymont by Wyndham Hotel at the guaranteed Delano Kindred group rate (see below for hotel details);
• AUGUST 31, 2021 - Last day to register for the in-person meeting without incurring a $5/person Late Fee;
• SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 - Last day to register for the meeting, either in-person or virtual via Zoom;
• SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 - First day of the in-person meeting;
• SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 - Last day of the meeting (Annual Meeting at 1 PM Eastern time).

For those attending in person, here is what's happening (all times are EASTERN time):

• Friday, September 17
  • 10 - 11:30 AM: Early registration, genealogy chit-chat with Muriel, and "social hour" in the Baymont's conference room.
  • 12:15 - 1:00 PM: Registration in the Plimoth Patuxet Museums Accomack Room
  • 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Speaker - Jennifer Sinsigalli (author of Before the Mayflower, a work of historical fiction describing life in Leiden in 1609-1625) on Leiden in the Early 17th Century
  • 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Speaker - Carolyn Ravenscroft (Historian, Duxbury Rural & Historical Society) on the Samuel Delano Logbook, Amasa Delano's voyages and their influence on Herman Melville's short novel Benito Cereno
  • 3:00 - 4:00 PM: Speaker & Video - Carolyn Ravenscroft - Myles Standish Burying Ground tour and rededication of the restored Benoni Delano marker
  • 6:00 - 8:00 PM: Guided tour of the Alden House Historic Site with hors d'oeuvres
    • 7:00 PM: Speaker - Desiree Mobed (Alden Kindred Executive Director) on Delano and Alden Connections
• Saturday, September 18
  • Saturday morning on your own (suggest visiting Mayflower II or the Museum grounds, passes for sale at the Museum)
  • 1:00 - 2:30 PM: Annual Meeting, in-person and via ZOOM for registered attendees in the Accomack Room
  • 2:30 PM (or immediately following the Annual Meeting): Group Pictures
  • 3:00 - 4:00 PM: Speaker - DK member Becket Soule on After the Mayflower
  • 4:00 PM: Vacate Accomack Room to allow setting up for dinner
  • 6:00 - 6:45 PM: Cash bar and social hour
  • 6:45 - 9:00 PM: Dinner with guest speaker

10 May 2021 - Where to stay: A block of rooms has been secured at the Baymont by Wyndham hotel at 149 Main Street in Kingston, MA for our members on September 17 & 18 for $149.00 (plus tax of $14.45) per night for a double-queen room (non-smoking). Arrival earlier or staying later is an option at $99 (plus tax of $9.60) per night. To receive these rates, you must call the hotel directly at (781) 585-3831 and ask for the Delano Kindred Group Rate before August 1st. If you are a Wyndham Rewards member, you may accumulate points for this reservation but you may not use points to pay for it. If you would like to know a little bit more about where we're staying, click here to check out the Baymont by Wyndham website.

Ancestor Talk on “1620 – The Mayflower Journey” and Mayflower Descendants

Professional genealogist George English talks on a topic that is close to his heart as his Mayflower Ancestor, Richard Warren, actually travelled to the New World on the original Mayflower voyage.

George will deliver a free talk on Zoom "1620 - The Mayflower Journey: Who went, where from, and why did they go?" on Friday 12 March at 6pm (GMT), 7 pm mainland Europe (GMT+1) and 1 pm EST (GMT-5). This talk has been organised by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in Europe.

2020 was the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower, the voyage that changed the world. Many do not know that two major happenings in other parts of the world more than 100 years before led to the chain of events that caused the Pilgrims to migrate from England.

George’s talk covers the events during the Reformation which led to the Pilgrims’ leaving for the New World; the voyage itself; and the impact the Mayflower has had on Western civilisation ever since. He explores who these people were, the different places that they came from and the reasons that they left their homeland. George will include his Mayflower ancestor, Richard Warren, as well as Alden, Bradford, Brewster, Cooke, Howland, Mullins and Winslow. Philip Delano will also be included.

George has many years’ experience of historical and genealogical research and has published articles in the Mayflower Descendant, Mayflower Quarterly and many other journals.

The link to register for the talk via Eventbrite has been removed.

2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion CANCELLED

Regrettably, the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus has forced us to cancel the 2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion planned for Manassas, VA, on September 25-27, 2020. A virtual membership meeting, likely via Zoom, will will be scheduled to take its place. Notice of that meeting will be posted as soon as plans are finalized.

Samuel Delano Logbook from the brig GRACE (1791)

Some years ago, the Hoyt Family donated a rare and valuable logbook written by Samuel Delano Jr. to the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society (DR&HS) in Duxbury, MA. This logbook provided a first-hand account of an American vessel trading successfully with Japan in 1791, but being over 200 years old, it was physically in rough shape. The Society lacked the necessary funds to preserve and digitize the book at the time, so they sent out requests for donations. As of September, 2019, they were still far short of what was needed. Learning about the book and the Society's plans to preserve it, DELANO KINDRED members enthusiastically voted to provide the remaining funds at our 2019 Annual Meeting in Hyde Park, NY. Here is a description (shamelessly copied from the DR&HS website) of this amazing book:

The logbook for the brig Grace is the first-hand account of an American vessel trading successfully with Japan in 1791, long before Admiral Matthew C. Perry commanded the entry of American vessels in 1853. The American brig, Grace, sailed into the harbor of Koshimoto and traded with Japanese villagers on May 1, 1791. Onboard was a 22 year-old Duxbury sailor and shipbuilder named Samuel Delano, Jr. As clerk, Delano kept the log of voyage and it is the only English language version of this momentous first meeting between two cultures.

Historian Scott Ridley (author of Morning of Fire about the sister ship Lady Washington) has described the log as "a rare record of America's first visit to the closed nation of Japan in 1791. The historic visit is noted in fragments in Japanese archives, but this book, written day-to-day aboard the brig Grace as it lay in the harbor of Koshimoto, is the only American document to emerge from the voyage. It is a remarkable artifact." The Japan-U.S. Friendship Memorial Museum in Koshimoto is dedicated to this important first contact. Scott Ridley and Hayato Sakurai feature the logbook in their book, "America's First Visit to JAPAN April 29-May 8, 1791: Voyage of the Lady Washington And the Grace."

The project was completed in November, 2019, much sooner than anticipated. The preserved logbook now resides at the Society's Drew Archival Library in Duxbury. In addition, the entire logbook is now available online in digital flipbook form on the Society's web page. Check out the logbook and see what other treasures exist in the DR&HS Delano Family Collection by clicking on the link below:

https://duxburyhistory.org/collection-highlights/logbook-for-brig-grace-1791/

Along with the flipbook, there is a transcription of the events from April 29 to May 10, 1791. Further transcriptions and other site enhancements are ongoing. Congratulations to DR&HS for a job well done! The Delano Kindred is honored to have been a part of this project.

2020 Annual Meeting and Reunion

This post will be updated periodically as more details become available.

*** THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED ***

The 2020 Delano Kindred Annual Meeting and Reunion will be held at the Hampton Inn Manassas in Manassas, VA, Friday September 25 (Welcome Dinner and speaker) and Saturday September 26 (Annual Meeting and tours). There will be a Board of Directors meeting on Sunday morning, after the hotel's free breakfast is over. If you want to get a head start on reservations, the hotel telephone number is (703) 369-1100. We have a block of rooms at $94/night plus tax for one king or two queen beds, and the RATE CODE you need to mention is DKR. The room block is for the nights of September 25 & 26, but they will extend it in either direction if asked.