By the 21^st of January weekend, I am sure all will be ready to chase those winter blues away and catch up with old Miata friends have some very well deserved R & R., and play in an impressive water park.

So Join us for our annual post-holiday get-together at the Great Wolf Lodge & Awesome Water Park in Fitchburg, MA.

We’ll enjoy our usual Cocktail Party before dinner at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., to meet up with old friends and make new Miata buddies. There will be a cash bar available for our pre-dinner get together. Unfortunately, we will not be allowed to bring snacks or our own drinks into the function room or the hotel lobby areas.  It’s the resorts policy. After the fun and frolics and meets and greets, we’ll enjoy a buffet dinner in our private function room, followed by our Annual Yankee Swap.

Hotel Accommodations

A block of 20 rooms has been reserved for Saturday, January 21, 2017 for members of the Mass Miata Club for $129.00 per night, plus applicable state and local taxes. The resort fee has been waived for our club.  Your confirmation email may show a Remaining Balance due as the Resort Fee will be adjusted out at check-in.

The Room Features are:

Two queen size beds Full bath Living area with twin-size sleeper 32-inch TV Microwave, Mini refrigerator Coffee Make Hair Dryer Large Picture Window

If we exceed the 20 rooms and if there are still room availability, they will honor our agreed upon price per night.  I can call and expand our room capacity if there is still room availability. So if you are coming, make your reservations early so they can accommodate us all.

Things to know before you go: Water passes included in your suite price – with access from 1 p.m. on the date of arrival until close on the day of departure. Water Park Hours – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (subject to change based on occupancy and season) Check in at 4 p.m. – Check out at 11 a.m. (late check out packages may be available) Also include with our stay: In addition to all the water park facilities; access to the Rope Course.

And if you decide to have a mini winter vacation, the $129.00 per night rate, plus applicable state and local taxes, will also be honored for Friday, January 20, 2017. We have a total of 5 rooms blocked for the Mass Miata Party for Friday evening.

This resort is extremely popular and sells out fast and the winter months are its prime season, so if you procrastinate you might just be out of luck.

Reservations must be called into the Telephone Reservation Number is: 1-866-980-9653 and identify yourself with the Reservation Code: 1701MAMIATA.

All reservations are to be guaranteed by a first night room deposit with a major credit card. Each individual has up to 7 days prior to arrival to cancel with a fee of 15% of our deposit. If you cancel 4-6 days prior to arrive there will be a 30% fee, and 3 days or less of arrival, the deposit become non-refundable.

Reservations MUST BE MADE no later than December 20, 2016 (if there are still rooms available) and please, remember, as reservations after this date will be at prevailing rates and availability. 

The annual holiday party has always been an extremely popular event amongst our members due to the camaraderie and wonderful venues we procure each year. To best serve our club, we ask that only those with an active, named membership attend the evening’s festivities. Limiting our attendance to club members helps us subsidize some of the meal and venue costs while also increasing the available spots for club members.

Additionally, we’d like to remind members that while Great Wolf Lodge is a great place to bring little ones, children under 18 must always have an adult chaperon per Great Wolf Lodge’s rules – there is, unfortunately, no child care available on site.

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Holiday Banquet Menu

Salad

Caesar Salad

Entrees

Roast Beef – Savory Onion Jus, Roasted Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetable.

and

Cranberry & Sage Stuffed Chicken – Pan Gravy, Wild Rice, Seasonal Vegetable.

Dessert

Cake Tasting –  Assorted Petite Cake Squares, Fresh Berries & Whipped Cream

Includes:  Bread & Butter, Gold Peak Iced Tea, Fresh Brewed Coffee, Assorted Teas

 The Total Price per person, including all taxes and gratuities: $ 38.60

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MEAL PAYMENT INFORMATION

Pay using PayPal or with your credit card through PayPal:

Pay by Check

Make out a check for $38.60 per person made out to the
Mass Miata Club and mail it to our Club Treasurer:

Mary Lou Hunt
90 Taft St
Upton MA 01568

The contract cutoff date for the meal count is Friday, January 6, 2017.  Mary Lou must have your check in hand or your payment through PayPal by this date.

Please also be advised that for this event, we are legally contracted to pay the amount for the meals and refunds are only given if the Commonwealth of Massachusetts declares a state of emergency in the case of inclement weather.  If you decide to not attend after paying, there will be no refunds from the club after January 5, 2017.  

Important Dates & Things to remember:

• Room Information:
  Call for room reservations by Tuesday, December 20, 2016
• Meal Information
  If paying by check, make it out to Mass Miata Club and mail it to:
  Mary Lou Hunt
  90 Taft St.
  Upton, MA  01568
  In the amount of $ 38.60  per person by: Friday, January 6, 2017
  Or pay by PayPal

Email Lillian Orchard at activities@massmiata.net to let me know you will be attending, how many nights you have reserved and that you have paid for your meal.

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Yankee Swap Details

To participate bring a wrapped gift in the $10-$20 range. Gifts can be:

• a humorous joke gift (or not) The funnier the better!
• bizarre (or not)
• useful (or not)
• automotive (or not)
• THAT holiday present you received and wondered “what were they thinking… “

Participation is voluntary – it’s fun to watch even if you’re not participating, however the more the merrier! Gifts and participation can be per person or per couple. Just remember that to select a gift you must bring one. Most couples opt to have each person bring a gift so each can participate. Here’s how our Yankee Swap at the holiday party will work:

Each person or couple that brought a wrapped present gets to draw a number The person with #1 selects and then opens a present The person with the next highest number (2 in this case) chooses and opens a present. They then decide whether they want to keep the present they just opened or swap it for any other opened present Lather, rinse, repeat step 3 until all numbers have been used and all presents have been opened Finally, the person who drew #1 gets to swap the present they are holding for any other present.

After this, consenting adults are free to swap their present with anyone else.

Some Yankee Swap etiquette “rules”:

• people choosing their present are not allowed to fold, spindle, mutilate, or otherwise fondle the presents before choosing one.
• participants cannot hide their opened presents they want keep (to prevent others from swapping with them)