Reservations are now closed.

As stated in the original information (shown below), "...reservations will close on Monday, August 27, at 10 AM Eastern time."

Thank you for your interest.

If you already have an invitation, we will see you in Birmingham!

Original invitation:

You are invited to the EOGN Genealogists' Dinner!

Join us for dinner! You are invited to join me and many other genealogists on Saturday evening after the close of the FGS 2012 conference for dinner. Rumor has it there will also be a few door prizes.

The dinner will be held at the Birmingham Sheraton Hotel, the official hotel of the conference. We will meet and dine in a meeting room in the Rotunda. This means no walking outdoors for those staying at the conference's official hotel.

Check the TV screens throughout the hotel on Saturday for the exact location.

We will meet in the Rotunda of the Sheraton Hotel between 6:30 and 7:00 pm on Saturday, September 1, shortly after the close of the FGS conference, for a social half hour. A cash bar will be available. Dinner will be served promptly at 7:00 PM.

Dinner will be buffet style and you can sit with friends or not, as you wish. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet "new friends." The menu is shown below.

The agenda is simple: there isn't one. There will be no presentations, no programs, and little of anything else in the way of organization. This is a chance to sit with friends, even newly-found friends, and to relax over a meal and discuss genealogy.

If you know anyone who has ever attended a previous EOGN Dinner, ask them if they enjoyed it.

As in past EOGN dinners, reservations are required. In fact, you will need to make a reservation online. If you have a printer available, you can save yourself a bit of time if you print your ticket(s) in advance and bring it with you. That will save a bit of time when we all arrive at the restaurant. However, a printed ticket is not mandatory. If you do not have a printer available, don't worry about it. We can still check you in manually as we will have a printed list of everyone and can verify your status in a few seconds. Having a printed ticket will save you a bit of time, however.

Only those with confirmed reservations can be admitted.

Unlike some past EOGN dinners, payment must be made in advance. The charge is $50 and payment may be made with a credit card, e-check, or a PayPal account. I can also accept cash if you see me at the conference prior to Saturday evening. The $50 charge includes everything at dinner except for sodas and alcoholic beverages. Those will be available at the cash bar.

OK, here's how to attend the dinner:

You absolutely MUST have a reservation in advance. No exceptions.

If you are bringing a spouse or other invited guest(s), make sure you make a reservation for everyone in your party. It will be embarrassing to tell your spouse that you are going out to dinner with others while your spouse is left alone in the hotel room because "you forgot to make a second reservation!" If there are two of you, you need two tickets.

Past experience has shown that these reservations fill up quickly. However, if we don't fill the reservation list earlier, reservations will close on Monday, August 27, at 10 AM Eastern time. I have to call the restaurant and give them an exact final headcount that morning so they may order and prepare enough food for all of us. There will be no last-minute additions (unless someone cancels and you can obtain their ticket).

Dinner will be served buffet style. The menu includes:

Creamy Coleslaw, Southern Egg Potato Salad and Tossed Green Salad.

Your choice of:

Birmingham’s Finest BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Southern Style Fried Chicken

Fried Catfish Strips with Tartar Sauce, Lemon Wedges

Accompanied by Creamy Potato Au Gratin, Fresh Green Beans, Buttery Corn on the Cob, Homemade Corn Bread and Assorted Rolls and Butter

Dessert: Chef’s Assortment of Delicious Cakes and Pies

Coffee and Tea are included with the above. Sodas, beer, wine, and mixed drinks will be available at a cash bar.

I'm hungry already!

I'll see you at dinner. You could win a door prize. Bring your appetite!

 - Dick Eastman